Presentation of the Draft of the General Statutes of Regnum Christi
The General Directors of the consecrated branches and some members of the drafting team of the draft of the General Statutes of Regnum Christi held its presentation on June 4th in the master classroom of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorumm and the European University of Rome.
Members of the Legionaries, consecrated members of the Movement, and some lay members of Regnum Christi from Rome attended. The event was broadcast live on the Regnum Christi YouTube channel in Spanish, and on the Legionaries of Christ YouTube channel in English.
The session began with prayer, which is at the beginning of the draft of the Statutes, to entrust to God the fruits of the path of renewal of Regnum Christi.
Father John Bartunek, LC, served as moderator of the presentation, which was divided into two parts: an explanation of some sections of the draft text and questions from some attendees and those following the event through social media.
The topics discussed
Father Eduardo Robles-Gil, LC, presented a summary of the journey of the Regnum Christi Movement over the past five years leading up to the drafting of the current draft of the General Statutes.
Viviana Limón, a consecrated member of Regnum Christi, addressed the theme of the charisma of the Movement and commented that the charisma is “a supernatural reality, a gift from God that He wants to give to His Church for the enrichment and building of the entire Church.”
She then added that it is not a simple reality but complex, composed of different elements: “These elements unfold in the identity, purpose, and reason for the Movement, in its mission, in the specific contribution of its members, and in the spirit that permeates everything, inspiring the members’ lives. More than a concrete definition, in a number, which is always limited, what this Statute proposes is to unfold the charisma and make its traits present throughout the entire Statute.”
Emilio Martínez, a lay consecrated member of Regnum Christi, commented on how the concept of leadership has been perceived in the history of the Movement and how it is defined in the new draft, taking as a basis the biblical parable of talents. “To avoid ambiguities, it is defined as the capacity to inspire, guide, or form others,” he said.
The third part of the draft, dedicated to the organization, governance, and administration of Regnum Christi, was presented by Father Sylvester Heereman, LC, and Gloria Rodríguez, general director of the consecrated members.
Father Sylvester explained the legal structure of the federation, what it means, and how it influences the life of the members of the Movement. He suggested referring to the appendix of the draft, which explains in detail the figure of the federation. Gloria Rodríguez presented the topic of administration.
The theme of the spirituality of communion was presented by Jorge López, the general responsible for the consecrated laity. “It is a relevant theme, not just a slogan… It is not a total novelty, but it does have something to contribute to us. There is a novelty in the very vision of Regnum Christi. The underlying image of Regnum Christi is not that of a monolithic unity, not even that of an army, but that of the Church itself; it seeks to be, like the Church itself, a missionary communion. This aspect of ecclesial communion is what permeates all the numbers of the Statute […] That communion is not our work; it is God’s work, a communion lived in the Church,” he said.
The interaction with the attendees
Subsequently, space was opened for questions covering topics such as the second degree of Regnum Christi, the common mission, the participation of lay members in the federation, militancy in the spirituality of the Movement, administration, among others.
Father Eduardo concluded the session by commenting that with human capacities we can reach appropriate solutions, but we must recognize that we are dealing with a gift from God that surpasses any. “Besides our intelligence, we must be open to listen. And we listen first to God our Lord, to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “What we need to do is be open to God in prayer, and to God in what He may tell me through my brothers.” He then concluded with a prayer to the Holy Spirit.
