Papal Mandate for Legionaries & Regnum Christi

just picked up this VIDEO REPORT OF LEGION re the mandate from Cardinal Bertone to De Paolis giving him total power over all members and the congregation of the Legion of Christ.

DECREE


MODALITIES OF FULFILLMENT

OF THE OFFICE OF PAPAL DELEGATE

FOR THE CONGREGATION OF THE LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST





I. In his letter of June 16, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI:

- appointed His Excellency Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, CS, Titular Archbishop of Telepte and President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, as his Delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ;
- conferred on him the responsibility of governing this religious institute in his name “for as long as it takes to complete its path of renewal and lead it to the celebration of an extraordinary general chapter, whose main purpose will be to bring to completion the revision of the Constitutions”;
- considered the “need and urgency of a path of in-depth revision of the Institute’s charism” and expressed his “desire closely to accompany, sustain, and guide this process” through his own personal Delegate for that Religious Family, who would both be a concrete sign of his closeness and act in his name;

- left for a specific Decree “some further modalities regarding the fulfillment of this Office”.

II. Now, by this Decree, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, issues the following specifications and instructions approved by the Supreme Pontiff regarding the modalities in which the Papal Delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ will fulfill his Office:

1. The broad authority granted by the Holy Father to the Papal Delegate, to be exercised in the name of the Supreme Pontiff himself, covers the entire institute. It extends over all the superiors at the various levels (general, provincial, and local), all communities, and the individual religious. This authority regards all the problems proper to the religious Institute and the Delegate may always exercise it when in his judgment it is necessary for the good of the institute itself, even overruling the Constitutions.

2. The superiors of the Institute at every level exercise their authority according to the Constitutions and under the authority of the same Papal Delegate. Therefore, they remain in their positions, ad nutum Sanctae Sedis, unless it becomes necessary to provide otherwise.

3. The Institute’s superiors are to act in communion with the Papal Delegate. He is to be informed of the life of the institute, in particular the most important matters, and in addition, only he can approve the decisions of the general government itself: decisions regarding persons (admission to novitiate, profession, priesthood; appointment and transfer of personnel); apostolic and formation choices (seminaries, academic institutions, schools), and extraordinary administrative matters or the disposal of assets.

4. If necessary, the Delegate himself may act firsthand or indicate the decision to be made in specific instances.

5. Everyone has open access to the Delegate and all can deal personally with him. The Delegate, in turn, has the power to intervene wherever he sees fit, including in the internal government of the Institute, on all levels.

6. As he goes about his task, the Delegate will have four personal advisors to aid him in carrying out his work according to the circumstances and possibilities. These aides may be assigned specific tasks, particularly visits ad referendum. With their help, the Papal Delegate will identify, discuss, and clarify the principal topics as they arise during the process he is called to lead.

7. Whenever it becomes evident that certain topics, regarding either persons or things, need to be studied more deeply, the Papal Delegate may appoint study committees using either personnel internal to the Congregation of the Legionaries or competent external persons.

8. At his own discretion, when it seems opportune or necessary, he may select someone other than his advisors to study a point or make a visit ad referendum.

9. The paramount task of the Papal Delegate is to initiate, accompany, and complete the revision of the Constitutions. This implies a profound knowledge of the Congregation of the Legionaries, their history and development. All members of the Institute must collaborate in the revision of the Constitutions, both as individuals and communities, following a plan to be drawn up and activated from the outset. Therefore, a Commission for the revision of the Constitutions is to be created as soon as possible on the various levels of the Institute, with the participation especially of the members of the Institute itself, who must feel personally responsible for revising and rewriting their own plan of gospel living, always in harmony with the teaching of the Church. The president of the central Commission for the revision of the Constitutions will be the Papal Delegate himself.

10. The Papal Delegate coordinates the Apostolic Visitation to the Regnum Christi Movement, following the indication of the Holy See.

11. Appeals against acts of the superiors of the Institute will be directed to the Papal Delegate himself; regarding acts of the Papal Delegate, it will be possible to appeal to the Holy Father.

From the Vatican, July 9, 2010

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

Secretary of State

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De Paolis Duped by the Legion of Christ?

Let's me honest; the saccharine homily delivered by Apostolic Delegate to the Legion community in Rome, mid July,  just does not cut the mustard.
It is like a step back from the Vatican statement of May 1st. It is frankly confusing for parents and concerned Catholics

What was it about?

• Assuring rank and file that they had nothing to worry about?
• Prevent a stampede for the doors?
• Continue to have Orthodox Catholics believe the Legion is still a safe bet?

What it does not address:

• What about the Maciel coverup by Superiors?
• What about Apostolic Schools still operating?
• What about ongoing recruitment and ordinations of poorly prepared seminarians?
• What about the serious allegations of the Legion being a cult or an intra-Catholic sect?
• What about concerns voiced by several Bishops, local ordinaries in the USA and other countries?

Legion Robots wait to be told what to do by Apostolic Visitator!

Losing money, family and all your earthly possessions pale in comparison to losing the most important thing you have. Namely, you own ability to make free and independent choices

[see article Why Don't People Leave, below]

After reading  Apostolic Visitator's De Paolis Homily, official Legion statements, and hearing  inside and outside reactions, a few ideas pop into my mind

1] De Paolis first step is to prevent a Wholesale Stampede by the rank and file.

2] De Paolis puts faith in reform of constitutions and General Chapter

- what about getting rid of the leadership cadre?- asks blogger

3] The still-believing are awaiting orders from the Apostolic Delegate, church leaders, their superiors.....

As they have been groomed into Co-DEPENDENT OBEDIENCE to their superiors since first entering  the Legion, their automy and self-determination pruned by years of Legionary "training", they are now IMPOTENT  to make any decisions on their own. "Been there, done that". Read article about Why Don't People Leave?

4] In the blogger's opinion a solution can only begin when the Legion is understood and treated like a "High-Demand Group" that uses persuasive methods of recruiting, retaining and expelling members



Patrick Madrid's blog has a video

De Paolis Homily. Will he be able to change the Legion of Christ "old guard", the Mexican Triumvirate of Corcuera, Garza and Sada, ?

Saul Barrales, "Brother Charity", a Maciel and Legion victim, now lives modestly in Mexico City, scrambling to pay his health bills while the Legion continues to spend millions on its projects. Saul is just one more shipwrecked former member left to fend for himself. But Fr. Corcuera did recently apologize to him for what Maciel -not the Legion- had done to him .

Find translation of the Apostolic Delegate to Legion of Christ Mons De Paolis homily from Sunday 11th of July.

It appears there are a couple of private documents that have been given to the Legion members.

Will all Legionaries have access to Vatican Letters or will the present superiors control that in some way?

Is the Apostolic Delegate expecting some miracle to happen at an Extraordinary Chapter General?

Will he be able to change 'the old guard' of Corcuera, Garza and Sada, the Mexican Triumvirate that has carried on in Maciel's footsteps?
---------
Further insights at Life after RC on the Legion's New Boss

Video - Velasio de Paolis

 it has come to our attention

Radical Reform of Legion of Christ foreseen by Vatican spokesperson

Spanish language blog cites Vatican spokesperson, Monsignor Gian Maria Vian, stating that Vatican has Radical Reform in mind for the Legion of Christ religious congregation

Gian Maria Vian, official director of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano affims that is the Pope's intention to achieve a "radical reform" of the Legion and he highlights the "enormous effort" of the vatican to be thorough [para llegar a fondo].
"The Legionaries situation is very delicate, it has demanded special [particular] effort from the Holy See, begun in the final years of the pontificate of JPII and later accelerated by Benedict XVI" he said. He talks about de Paolis as visitator, but still no"official" announcement of this.

PS Some sources mention announcement to be made in July, perhaps on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 16 July, Commemoration of Brown Scapular; Carmelite Friars were involved in original investigation of Maciel/Legion in 1956

Archbishop Velasio De Paolis Named Commissair for Legion of Christ Reform?

Found posted on Life after RC:


French and Italian newspapers and blogs are saying that Archbishop Velasio De Paolis is the papal delegate. He was in charge of the investigation into Fr. Buressi 1998-2003 and was appointed Prefect of Economic Affairs of the Holy See. He also took part in the LC two month exorcism course in the Regina Apostolorum Seminary; he taught the juridical/legal aspects of it. He is described as a fine canonist and a neighbour of Cardinal Bertone.

Also two vice-delegates will be named, one for the spanish speaking and one for the english speaking LC areas.

===================

Italian Text


Dal Corriere della Sera di oggi:

Un giurista curerà i Legionari di Cristo [A Jurist, expert in Financial Affairs, will take charge of the Legion of Christ]

di Gian Guido Vecchi


Il commissario che dovrà rimettere in sesto i Legionari di Cristo ha i

tratti dell'arcivescovo Velasio De Paolis, 74 anni, presidente della


Prefettura degli Affari Economici della Santa Sede. Benedetto XVI lo ha

ricevuto ieri mattina in udienza, dando sostanza a un'ipotesi già fondata:

è probabile che già la settimana prossima il nome del «delegato»

apostolico sia reso ufficiale assieme alla squadra che lo sosterrà.

Dopo l'udienza concessa dal Papa all'attuale superiore della Legione,

padre Alvaro Corcuera, cinque giorni fa, dalla Santa Sede era trapelato il

profilo di una personalità europea, probabilmente italiana, un cardinale o

vescovo di Curia che non fosse né di lingua spagnola né di lingua inglese,

lontano insomma dalle aree geografiche nelle quali i legionari sono più

presenti.

Un uomo di grande valore ed esperienza, estraneo alla congregazione, che

tuttavia sapesse muoversi all'interno di una «famiglia» religiosa e avesse

soprattutto la preparazione giuridica ed economica necessaria a vederci

chiaro sia nelle (abbondanti) finanze della Legione sia nei regolamenti

autoritari e omertosi voluti dal defunto fondatore dei Legionari: padre

Macial Maciel Degollado, un impostore dalla vita «priva di scrupoli e di

autentico sentimento religioso», come ha scritto la Santa Sede, che per

decenni si rese responsabile di crimini pedofili e ha condotto una doppia

vita tra amanti, figli illegittimi e malversazioni economiche, mentre si

faceva venerare dai suoi come «Nostro Padre», con le maiuscole.

Il «commissario» non avrà insomma un compito facile.

Così la scelta del Papa, se l'ipotesi sarà confermata, sembra essere

caduta su una personalità di primo piano, Oltretevere. L'arcivescovo

Velasio De Paolis è un religioso scalabriniano - fa parte cioè della

congregazione dei missionari di

San Carlo, fondata alla fine dell'Ottocento dal vescovo di Piacenza

Giovanni Battista Scalabrini - ed è stato per cinque anni, fino al 2008,

segretario del Supremo Tribunale della Signatura Apostolica.

È insomma un giurista, docente di diritto canonico all'università

Gregoriana, che Oltretevere ha la fama di uomo riservato e integerrimo, è

tra i candidati alla porpora cardinalizia nel prossimo concistoro e da due

anni guida la Prefettura incaricata della «vigilanza e il controllo sulle

amministrazioni che dipendono dalla Santa Sede o che ad essa fanno capo»:

revisioni contabili degli enti, redazione dei bilanci preventivo e

consultivo della Santa Sede e così via.

Di certo Benedetto XVI ha scelto la strada del massimo rigore. Si trattava

di stabilire se il «delegato» dovesse essere un uomo interno alla

congregazione, seppure non compromesso con i vertici attuali, oppure un

vero e proprio commissario esterno. Ma le relazioni dei cinque visitatori

apostolici che per otto mesi hanno setacciato la Legione in tutto il mondo

sono state tutt'altro che rassicuranti. Più di mille legionari

interrogati, centinaia di testimonianze scritte. E la conferma del culto

della personalità e dell'omertà dei vertici intorno a Padre Maciel: «Non

di rado un lamentevole discredito e allontanamento di quanti dubitavano

del suo retto comportamento, nonché l'errata convinzione di non voler

nuocere al bene che la Legione stava compiendo, avevano creato attorno a

lui un meccanismo di difesa che lo ha reso per molto tempo inattaccabile,

rendendo di conseguenza assai difficile la conoscenza della sua vera

vita».

Di qui la necessità di «ridefinire il carisma» della congregazione,

«rivedere l'esercizio dell'autorità» interna e rimettere ordine nella

struttura: il «delegato» sarà affiancato da una «commissione di studio

sulle Costituzioni», ovvero sulle norme interne della congregazione. Una

linea di rigore che punta a una riforma radicale: per salvare una realtà

presente in una trentina di Paesi che conta 800 sacerdoti, 2.500

seminaristi, 65 mila membri laici dell'associazione Regnum Christi, 158

scuole e 18 università, due a Roma. Benedetto XVI lo ha assicurato: «Non

sarete lasciati soli».



© Copyright Corriere della Sera, 20 giugno 2010