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Questions and answers about the Regnum Christi Movement
Further reading: For any other questions, please contact us directly. Click here. What is Regnum Christi? Regnum Christi is an ecclesial movement with several thousand members, mostly lay people who, in their ordinary life, lead a solid prayer life and cooperate in apostolic works at the service of people from every social status. This is how the Holy See defines the charism of Regnum Christi, as stated in the decree of approval of its statutes: "Its specific charism is the same as the Legion of Christ and consists in knowing, living, and preaching the commandment of love that Jesus Christ Redeemer came to bring us by his Incarnation. In fact, the work that the Legionaries of Christ and the members of the Movement of apostolate Regnum Christi carry out in the construction of the civilization of Christian justice and love is well known." Is Regnum Christi approved? Yes. Pope John Paul II definitively approved the statutes governing Regnum Christi in November, 2004. This approval was made known through a decree. Many cardinals and bishops are well acquainted with the Regnum Christi, its members and works of apostolate. For many years, Regnum Christi has been among the ecclesial movements recognized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. What has the Church said about the new ecclesial movements and Regnum Christi? Pope John Paul II said the new movements are "a sign of the new springtime of evangelization foretold by Vatican II." He has called the movements to take up his great project, the New Evangelization, to win back western culture for Christ. Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed this mission in the recent meeting with all Ecclesial movements held in Rome during the Solemnity of Pentecost in 2006. So can any Catholic join Regnum Christi? If not, doesn't that signify that RC is divisive? Not everyone will feel called to Regnum Christi, just as not everyone is called to be a Third Order Franciscan or a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, or to join a group at all. There are many ways lay Catholics are called to live out there faith and be of service. Regnum Christi is one of these ways. It is important also to remember that joining Regnum Christi isn't like being elected to membership in a country club. It is a commitment to freely seek personal formation - and the commitment to participate in apostolic projects in the measure of each one's possibilities. Why are there complaints and tensions about the work of Regnum Christ and other new movements? Movements are a relatively new phenomenon in the Church. While many, including Pope John Paul II, have hailed the new movements as "a sign of the new springtime of evangelization foretold by Vatican II," tensions may arise. In his homily on Pentecost Sunday 1998 John Paul II said: Movements, new communities, providential expressions of the new springtime brought about by the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, are a manifestation of the power of God's love, who, overcoming all divisions and barriers of every kind, renews the face of the earth in order to build the civilization of love. Increasingly, the Church is seeing the rise of the new movements as a fulfillment of the Second Vatican Council's call for a more active laity. That doesn't mean the integration of these new movements with existing Church structure in parishes and elsewhere has been easy; people are still working out how they can complement one another in achieving the shared goals of evangelization and service to others. What does Regnum Christi do about these difficulties, especially concerning parish life? Regnum Christi's directors and members are in dialog with bishops and diocesan priests. Regnum Christi does all it can to comply with the pastoral programs and norms set up by diocesan leadership. Regnum Christi members live and serve in their parishes, speaking to pastors about their projects and doing their best to see that Regnum Christi programs address the needs of the local Church. They are open to suggestions and seek to resolve any difficulties or misunderstandings with open dialogue animated by Christian virtue and patience. Why do some say that Regnum Christi is a cult? Regnum Christi is not a cult. The Church does not approve cults. Cults avoid scrutiny, while authentic groups within the Church, like Regnum Christi, subject themselves to official scrutiny and submit to the directives of the Church. Cults embrace a way of life that leads to destructive behaviors such as psychological and physical abuse, while authentic Catholic groups like Regnum Christi stress the freedom of members to respond generously to God's call for people to live in prayer and service. For more information, see an article from the Catholic apologetics magazine This Rock asking "Are there Cults in the Church?" as well as one by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn asking, "Are There Sects in the Church?". Is Regnum Christi a divisive force in diocesan life? Does Regnum Christi create a 'parallel church?' Regnum Christi is not divisive - in fact it puts itself at the service of the local Church. Its essential goals are simple: love Christ, serve people, build up the Church. Regnum Christi programs are designed to help the local Church with a variety of needs: adult formation in the faith; youth clubs; virtue formation for young children; retreats and spiritual renewal; missionary outreach, and more. When lay members of Regnum Christi become active and take the initiative to help the local Church, some people can feel uneasy. New activities and initiatives can create tensions; doing something enterprising without stepping on anyone's toes is never easy. There can also be mistakes, lack of experience or serious misunderstandings which have to be overcome, but Regnum Christi does not want to be divisive and is in no way a parallel to the local or universal Church.
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Sponsored by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, founded by Father Marcial Maciel, L.C. at the service of the Church. Copyright 2001-2006, Legion of Christ. All rights reserved.