Recently appointed Cardinal elect Velasio DePaolis has written a letter to the Legionaries of Christ and the consecrated women of Regnum Christi that has shocked and disappointed any critics or family members who were anticipating major changes to be made by the Apostolic Delegate to the Legion or to Regnum Christi in the near future.
The Delegate refers to the good that the Legion has done and is still doing
, points out that the Legion has been approved by the Church,
verifies that it is a work of God,
points out that it is difficult to be sure that the leaders of the Legion knew anything about the founder’s misdeeds and concludes that the (Legion) charism is sufficiently clear and precise.
The original letter was written in Italian and a translation of this letter has been posted on Regnum Christi?s website at:
De Paolis Second Letter
It would seem that the Church is enabling and encouraging the Legion and Regnum Christi to continue business as usual. The recruiting, ordinations and consecrations are still happening.
The affirming tone of the letter was surprising to many and raises questions about what the Vatican intends to do or to not do in the reform process. One thing is obvious. The Vatican does not intend to come in with a big stick and clean house. The Legionary leaders are going to have to fix things up themselves and not just sit by idly waiting for the Church to impose changes. Time will tell if they are capable of achieving the necessary positive changes to create a more healthy environment.