Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Apostolic visitation of Regnum Christi ends

Archbishop Ricardo Blazquez of Valladolid, Spain has concluded an apostolic visitation of the lay branch of the Legion of Christ, Regnum Christi.

A statement issued by Regnum Christi on June 16 announced that Archbishop Blazquez’s visitation, requested by Pope Benedict XVI, had reached an end.

The visitation was coordinated with Cardinal Velasio de Paolis, the pontifical delegate for the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christ Movement.

The movement said Archbishop Blazquez is now drafting the report he will send to the Holy See at the end of June.  

It will contain observations and suggestions culled from his interviews with the consecrated members of the movement and “analysis of all the information” received.

“The Holy See will then evaluate the report and take the appropriate decisions about future instructions and communications,” the statement said.

After learning of the double life led by the founder of the Legion of Christ, Father Marcial Maciel, the Pope appointed five bishops to carry out a worldwide apostolic visitation of the order between July 2009 and March 2010.

One of the results of that visitation was the appointment of Archbishop Blazquez to carry out a visitation of the lay branch of the order, the Regnum Christi Movement. 

After the conclusion of the visitation of the Legion, Pope Benedict XVI named then-Archbishop Velasio de Paolis—later cardinal—as pontifical delegate for the order.  

One of his principal tasks was the reviewing of the Legion’s constitutions, through a commission established in December of 2010.