Dear Catholic Exchange:
Can you give me some background information on the religious order Legionaries of Christ? My understanding is this is somewhat of a radical fundamentalist Catholic order that is in opposition to much of Vatican II. My Archbishop, however, has fully embraced the organization and is turning many of our Catholic schools over to their management. I am really confused by this.
Thanks for your assistance.
Mr. Irving
Dear Mr. Irving,
Peace in Christ! The Legionaries is a religious congregation of priests founded in 1941 by Fr. Marcial Maciel. Fr Maciel is still alive and is the general director of the Legionaries, whose headquarters is in Rome.
In 1965, Pope Paul VI made the Legionaries a congregation of pontifical right. A pontifical right “… refers to institutes of consecrated life which are under the authority of the Holy See, as opposed to being under the authority of the diocesan bishop.” And, “Religious communities which are of pontifical right are required to submit their constitutions to the Holy See for approval.” In 1983, Pope John Paul II approved the final and definitive text of the Constitutions of the Legionaries.
The Legionaries are known for aggressive recruiting methods and for maintaining a very disciplined program of formation for seminarians. We are not aware, however, of any evidence of alleged extremes, such as detaching young men from their families or requiring the burning of family pictures. While no organization, no matter how orthodox, is free from the possibility of abuses and such instances may exist, they would have to be considered deviations from the Legionaries’ guidelines.
It should be noted that in an era of priest shortages, orthodoxy is a mark of dioceses and religious orders experiencing an increase in vocations. The Legion of Christ is doing very well in this regard. Oftentimes, however, orthodoxy is misconstrued as “pre-Vatican II” especially when accompanied by conservative tendencies.
As the website legionaryfacts.org details, the Legionaries are supported by many highly esteemed individuals, such as William Donohue of the Catholic League, Deal Hudson of Crisis magazine, and Fr. Richard Neuhaus of the journal First Things.
None of these associations with good people prove or disprove anything about the Legionaries. The Legionaries, however, have a long record of fidelity recognized by individuals with the same reputation and character. While one cannot prove the Legionaries do not do the things you may have heard (it is hard to prove a negative), a lack of substantial evidence bids us not presume the accuracy of hearsay.
I hope this answers your question. If you have further questions on this or would like more information about Catholics United for the Faith, please contact us at 1-800-MY-FAITH (693-2484). Please keep us in your prayers as we endeavor to “support, defend, and advance the efforts of the teaching Church.”
United in the Faith,
Eric Stoutz
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)
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EDITOR'S NOTE: For a more critical opinion of the Legionaries of Christ, click here.
