• Fr. Carlos Alberto Gutiérrez López, L.C., will lead the Congregation for the next six years.
• He succeeds Fr. John Connor, L.C.
• The election took place in Rome with the participation of 60 chapter fathers from 13 countries.

Rome, February 4, 2026.

The General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ has elected Fr. Carlos Gutiérrez López, L.C., as the new Director General of the Congregation for the period 2026–2032. The election took place at the headquarters of the General Directorate in Rome.

The new Director General is originally from Mexico (Hermosillo, Sonora). He is 51 years old. He entered the Congregation in 1999. He was ordained a priest in 2009. Fr. Carlos Gutiérrez has exercised his ministry in Chile, Italy, Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico, and until today he was Territorial Director of Northern Mexico. He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, and industrial and systems engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology. He has a master’s degree in psychology from Divine Mercy University (United States). He has served as ECYD assistant in Santiago, Chile (2001-2004), assistant to the general secretary, assistant to the territorial director for the apostolate in Colombia-Venezuela (2009-2012), superior of the community in Bogotá, territorial advisor for Venezuela, director of ECYD in Monterrey (2014-2015), coordinator of the general area of family and youth ministry, and territorial director of Colombia-Venezuela (2018-2022). Since 2022, he has served as Territorial Director of Northern Mexico.

Upon accepting the position, Fr. Carlos made his profession of faith and oath of fidelity, as is customary in the Church.

The General Chapter entrusts Fr. Carlos with the mission of continuing the path of renewal undertaken by the Congregation for years under the guidance of the Church and promoting the service of evangelization to all people, in order to be a community that reaches out to the existential peripheries.

This election concludes the service of Fr. John Connor, L.C., who has served as Director General since 2020. The Congregation thanks him for his generous dedication, his pastoral leadership, and his impetus to the path that the Legion has traveled in recent years. The new government is continuing the search for an institutional culture of transparency, care and service to all people, and communion in the Church.

The General Chapter, the supreme governing body of a religious congregation, has been meeting since January 20 and is composed of 60 priests from 13 countries.

In the coming days, it will continue its work with the election of the General Government and reflection on various aspects of the life and mission of the Legion of Christ.

This moment represents a new stage in the journey that the Congregation continues to travel, always seeking to know, love, and follow Jesus Christ more closely, in the service of the Church and evangelization.

International Communications Office

Juan Camilo Diaz B. / +39 328972615

juandiazb@legionaries.org

About the Legionaries of Christ

The Legion of Christ is a religious congregation of pontifical right founded in 1941, composed of priests and candidates for the priesthood. It is part of the spiritual family of Regnum Christi. Today it has 2 bishops, 1,033 priests, and 273 religious and novices throughout the world.

Its mission is to make Christ’s Kingdom present through the sanctification of its members and apostolic action in the service of the Church and humanity. It lives a Christ-centered, contemplative, and evangelizing spirit, with filial love for the Pope and in communion with the bishops. Its main fields of apostolate are education, family ministry, youth work, Christian charity and social assistance, evangelization missions, catechesis, and parishes.

More information: https://subdir.legionariosdecristo.org/capitulogeneral2026/

Photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/legionariosdecristo/albums/72177720331573898 de 2026.