Chiesa
July 30, 2010
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1344290?eng=y
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As the pope's delegate, Archbishop De Paolis has full authority over everything and everyone. For Corcuera, Garza, and the other heads of the congregation founded by Marcial Maciel, the end is in sight. But they're still resisting
The superiors of the Legionaries of Christ have put on a brave face for the arrival of the pontifical delegate who will oversee the rebuilding of their congregation from the ground up.
But they know that they have lost all authority of their own. The Vatican decree that establishes the delegate's powers states, in fact, that they can be removed at any moment, "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis." And in any case, from now on, all of their decisions will be valid only if they are approved by the delegate, to whom they will have to submit in everything.
The delegate is Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, age 75. Benedict XVI gave him the office on June 16, but the appointment was made public on July 9, because until that date De Paolis himself was busy producing the balance sheet for the Vatican's accounts in 2009, in his capacity as president of the prefecture of economic affairs of the Holy See.
Administrative competence, in fact, is necessary for the person who will supervise the Legionaries of Christ. To this, De Paolis adds other abilities that are no less important for the post that has been entrusted to him: in canon and civil law, in dogmatic and moral theology, subjects of which he was a professor at the pontifical Gregorian and Urbaniana universities. Not only that. De Paolis is also a religious of the missionary congregation of Saint Charles Borromeo, called "Scalabrinians" after the name of their founder, and is procurator general of the order. He therefore also has direct experience of what a religious order is, and how it is governed.
In the letter of appointment dated June 16, reproduced in its entirety further below, Benedict XVI appoints Archbishop De Paolis to govern the Legion in his name "for as long as it takes" in order to remake it from scratch, with a new constitution and with an extraordinary general chapter to mark the new beginning.
But it is in the following decree, released on July 9 by the Vatican secretariat of state, also reproduced further below, that the delegate's powers are established more precisely.
These powers are extremely broad, practically unlimited. The delegate has direct authority over all the superiors of the Legion at the different levels, general, provincial, local, and over all the communities and individual religious.
He can even exercise his authority on his own initiative, independent of the current constitutions of the order.
Any decision, in any area, falls to him. The delegate is in charge of admissions to the novitiate, religious profession and priestly ordination, the hiring, transfer, and firing of employees, the orientation of the universities, the seminaries, and the schools.
It is the delegate who decides in matters of extraordinary administrative affairs, or the divesting of assets.
In short: the delegate "has the power to intervene wherever he sees fit, including in the internal government of the institute, on all levels."
It is clear that, with a delegate endowed with such powers, there is no future for the "system" that concentrated control of the Legion in the hands of the two main heirs of founder Marcial Maciel, Frs. Alvaro Corcuera and Luis Garza Medina, and with the latter even more than with the former.
The end of this "system" also involves the end of that separate body, proprietary and managerial, under the total and exclusive control of Fr. Garza, which is Grupo Integer.
The delegate will have the use of four outside personal assistants – whose appointment is still awaited – to whom he will assign specific tasks. One of these will handle assets and administration.
Moreover, the delegate will coordinate a supplemental apostolic visit to the movement Regnum Christi, the lay branch of the congregation.
One key passage of the decree from the secretariat of state is where it establishes that "everyone has open access to the delegate and all can deal personally with him." Since Archbishop De Paolis took his post, this is in fact what has begun to happen.
But at the same time, the fact that the previous superiors have remained in their positions is acting as a hindrance. Many priests and religious of the Legion continue to resent their paralyzing control. And they're not coming out into the open. They're staying quiet even with the delegate.
But the delegate has an urgent need precisely to identify, within the congregation, the most authentic men and groups to focus on for renewal.
In early September, when the delegate really goes to work, his first moves will be important.
If there are immediate and concrete actions to break from the coalition of power that has governed the Legion until now, it is likely that the renewal will happen sooner, counting – as the pope has written – on the "sincere zeal and fervent religious life" of many members of the Legion.
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JUNE 16, 2010 / THE LETTER OF APPOINTMENT OF ARCHBISHOP DE PAOLIS AS PONTIFICAL DELEGATE FOR THE LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST
To our Venerable Brother
Velasio De Paolis, CS
Titular Archbishop of Telepte
The recent Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ has made clear, besides the sincere zeal and fervent religious life of a great number of the Congregation’s Members, the need and urgency to undertake a path of in-depth revision of the Institute’s charism. Moved by the desire to be close to you, to sustain and guide this journey, I have seen fit to appoint a personal Delegate for this Religious Family, to be both a concrete sign of my closeness and to act in my name.
Venerable and beloved brother, given your preparation and experience in the juridical and ecclesial spheres, enriched by your spirit of service, pastoral solicitude, and your sense of religious life, I wish to entrust this responsibility to you. Thus, by means of this letter, I am naming you my Delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, and I confer on you the task of governing this religious institute in my name for as long as it takes to carry out the path of renewal and lead it to the celebration of an extraordinary General Chapter, whose main purpose will be to bring to completion the revision of the Constitutions. Some additional modalities for the fulfillment of this office will be indicated through a specific decree.
I am well aware of the importance of this mission I entrust to you today, and the weight of responsibility it involves. I thank you in anticipation for the readiness and generosity you will no doubt show in this further act of service to the Holy See, which will not fail to produce abundant positive fruits.
I entrust your person, the beloved religious of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, and the members of the Regnum Christi Movement to the heavenly protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. I assure you of my spiritual closeness in my heart and prayer, and I cordially send to all my special apostolic blessing.
From the Vatican, June 16, 2010
Benedictus PP XVI
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JULY 9, 2010 / THE STATEMENT MAKING THE APPOINTMENT PUBLIC
The pope has appointed as Pontifical Delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ His Excellency Velasio De Paolis, C.S., titular archbishop of Telepte, President of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See.
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JULY 9, 2010 / THE DECREE OF THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE THAT SPECIFIES THE POWERS OF THE DELEGATE
DECREE
MODALITIES OF FULFILLMENT
OF THE OFFICE OF PAPAL DELEGATE
FOR THE CONGREGATION OF THE LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST
I. In his letter of June 16, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI:
- appointed His Excellency Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, CS, Titular Archbishop of Telepte and President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, as his Delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ;
- conferred on him the responsibility of governing this religious institute in his name “for as long as it takes to complete its path of renewal and lead it to the celebration of an extraordinary general chapter, whose main purpose will be to bring to completion the revision of the Constitutions”;
- considered the “need and urgency of a path of in-depth revision of the Institute’s charism” and expressed his “desire closely to accompany, sustain, and guide this process” through his own personal Delegate for that Religious Family, who would both be a concrete sign of his closeness and act in his name;
- left for a specific Decree “some further modalities regarding the fulfillment of this Office”.
II. Now, by this Decree, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, issues the following specifications and instructions approved by the Supreme Pontiff regarding the modalities in which the Papal Delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ will fulfill his Office:
1. The broad authority granted by the Holy Father to the Papal Delegate, to be exercised in the name of the Supreme Pontiff himself, covers the entire institute. It extends over all the superiors at the various levels (general, provincial, and local), all communities, and the individual religious. This authority regards all the problems proper to the religious Institute and the Delegate may always exercise it when in his judgment it is necessary for the good of the institute itself, even overruling the Constitutions.
2. The superiors of the Institute at every level exercise their authority according to the Constitutions and under the authority of the same Papal Delegate. Therefore, they remain in their positions, "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis", unless it becomes necessary to provide otherwise.
3. The Institute’s superiors are to act in communion with the Papal Delegate. He is to be informed of the life of the institute, in particular the most important matters, and in addition, only he can approve the decisions of the general government itself: decisions regarding persons (admission to novitiate, profession, priesthood; appointment and transfer of personnel); apostolic and formation choices (seminaries, academic institutions, schools), and extraordinary administrative matters or the disposal of assets.
4. If necessary, the Delegate himself may act firsthand or indicate the decision to be made in specific instances.
5. Everyone has open access to the Delegate and all can deal personally with him. The Delegate, in turn, has the power to intervene wherever he sees fit, including in the internal government of the Institute, on all levels.
6. As he goes about his task, the Delegate will have four personal advisors to aid him in carrying out his work according to the circumstances and possibilities. These aides may be assigned specific tasks, particularly visits "ad referendum". With their help, the Papal Delegate will identify, discuss, and clarify the principal topics as they arise during the process he is called to lead.
7. Whenever it becomes evident that certain topics, regarding either persons or things, need to be studied more deeply, the Papal Delegate may appoint study committees using either personnel internal to the Congregation of the Legionaries or competent external persons.
8. At his own discretion, when it seems opportune or necessary, he may select someone other than his advisors to study a point or make a visit "ad referendum".
9. The paramount task of the Papal Delegate is to initiate, accompany, and complete the revision of the Constitutions. This implies a profound knowledge of the Congregation of the Legionaries, their history and development. All members of the Institute must collaborate in the revision of the Constitutions, both as individuals and communities, following a plan to be drawn up and activated from the outset. Therefore, a Commission for the revision of the Constitutions is to be created as soon as possible on the various levels of the Institute, with the participation especially of the members of the Institute itself, who must feel personally responsible for revising and rewriting their own plan of gospel living, always in harmony with the teaching of the Church. The president of the central Commission for the revision of the Constitutions will be the Papal Delegate himself.
10. The Papal Delegate coordinates the Apostolic Visitation to the Regnum Christi Movement, following the indication of the Holy See.
11. Appeals against acts of the superiors of the Institute will be directed to the Papal Delegate himself; regarding acts of the Papal Delegate, it will be possible to appeal to the Holy Father.
From the Vatican, July 9, 2010
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
Secretary of State
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JULY 10, 2010 / THE LETTER WITH WHICH DE PAOLIS PRESENTS HIMSELF TO THE LEGIONARIES
> "Dear brothers in the Lord..."
"... The Church first gave her necessary and indispensable attention to facts, events, and people which would have threatened to its roots the Congregation itself if the Church – in her love full of wisdom, inspired not by human standards but those of the Spirit – had not intervened..."
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JULY 10, 2010 / THE HOMILY BY DE PAOLIS AT HIS FIRST MASS CELEBRATED WITH THE LEGIONARIES
> "In these weeks, I've lived..."
"... We know that in critical moments, so many thoughts go through our minds; sometimes they even nestle in our heart. And in the confusion that sometimes besets us, we are tempted to make accelerated decisions, to make decisions in the time of darkness without consulting...."
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The official website of the Legionaries:
> Legionaries of Christ
And that of their lay branch:
> Regnum Christi
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To find all of the previous articles from www.chiesa on the Legionaries of Christ:
> Focus on CATHOLIC MOVEMENTS
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English translation by Matthew Sherry, Ballwin, Missouri, U.S.A.
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