United by prayer, sacramental life and a shared ecclesial mission, this IV Encuentro, organized and promoted by the global leadership development team of the General Directorate, reaffirmed a clear and demanding vision: Catholic leadership is not a privilege of power, but a responsibility of service.
The 4th Meeting of Catholic Leaders 2026 concluded in Rome on May 4, marking a significant step in the ongoing encounter between Catholic lay leadership globally and the pastoral mission of the Church. Far from being a merely professional or philanthropic forum, the Meeting established itself as a true crossroads, bringing together lay and ecclesial leaders united by a shared identity and mission. Anchored in the priestly ordinations of the Legionaries of Christ, celebrated on May 2, the Meeting reaffirmed a central conviction: Catholic leadership is a unique vocation, lived out in the business, cultural, and social spheres, as well as in direct service to the Church.
As an expression of the Church’s true universality, the Encounter welcomed people from ten countries: Colombia, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States. This international presence demonstrated that Catholic leadership is united not by geography, but by identity and faith. Participants brought the concrete realities of their respective countries to a common table, enriching a shared reflection on how leadership rooted in Christ can transform culture from within.
In his message to the attendees, Fr. Carlos Gutiérrez, L.C., general director of the Congregation, highlighted the importance of leadership as a service to a culture thirsting for hope.
The multidisciplinary nature of the Encounter further demonstrated how Catholic leadership permeates all areas of human excellence. Individuals representing more than twenty leadership sectors—including culture, the arts, sports, business, politics, media, and philanthropy—bore witness to the Church’s call to evangelize culture itself. The renowned Korean flautist Mihi Kim offered a moment of profound beauty through music, while figures such as Ira DeWitt, a film producer and cultural entrepreneur in the United States and Rome, and Dr. Andrew Stephen Yuen Wei-man, a prominent philanthropic and cultural figure in Hong Kong and France, embodied the vital role of culture, sports, and the arts in the New Evangelization.
Among the participants were members of the Lumen Institute, Stewards of the Papal Foundation, as well as several important benefactors and collaborators of the Legionaries of Christ. This event brought together figures such as Max Messmer Jr., CEO of Robert Half and Steward of the Papal Foundation, along with spiritual and media leaders such as Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, Head of the Polish Section of Vatican Media. Their presence—along with that of the Director General of the Legionaries of Christ, several Territorial Directors of the Congregation, and other Legionary priests—underscored that the Encounter was, above all, an event for practicing Catholics, for whom professional responsibility flows naturally from faith.
United by prayer, sacramental life, and a shared ecclesial mission, this Fourth Encounter, organized and promoted by the General Directorate’s global leadership development team, reaffirmed a clear and demanding vision: Catholic leadership is not a privilege of power, but a responsibility of service. By integrating faith, professional excellence, and ecclesial communion, the Encounter renewed a shared commitment to placing talent, influence, and creativity at the service of a culture thirsting for hope and, ultimately,
