December 17, 2019

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Should We Not Judge at All?”

Q: It says, “Judge not, so that you may not be judged.” Does that mean we are not to judge at all? Or does that mean that we can judge when we are perfect and without sin, and that way we can judge our neighbor so that it’s sound judgment? Is there a negative connotation to judging here, and is discernment the more positive way? – L.J.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: Jesus in that passage (see Matthew 7:1) means that we shouldn’t try to judge the state of other people’s souls or intentions. God alone knows the heart and mind of each person.

We can, of course, speak up when we see an injustice being done. We can protest abortion or the neglect of the poor, for instance. This is something of a duty for us.

We can even exercise fraternal charity by pointing out another person’s faults to him. But this needs to be done in a spirit of charity and humility. And we shouldn’t feel as though we have to do it in every case.

If our brother seems to be drinking too much, we should say something. The same obligation, however, doesn’t apply if we find out that the neighbor down the street seems to be drinking excessively (unless he is endangering the neighborhood, but that’s another case).

Here, we have to use prudence. We aren’t called to police the world.

A good principle to remember is “Hate sin, love the sinner.”

We also need to be careful if we find that our attention is focused on the faults of others — this might indicate that we aren’t attentive enough to our own faults.

Few of us will ever arrive to the point in this world where we are perfect and without sin. Most of us would do well to heed the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:3 — “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?”

However, if you feel as though you do need to point out someone’s fault, it might be good to pray about it first. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and to open the heart of the other person. For any lasting improvement in someone’s behavior requires the working of the Holy Spirit.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to [email protected] and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…

“Ask a Priest: Should We Not Judge at All?” Read More »

50th anniversary of the Legionaries of Christ in the Prelature of Cancun-Chetumal

2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the presence of the Legionaries of Christ in the prelature of Cancun-Chetumal in Quintana Roo, Mexico. When the Vatican assigned this mission territory to the Legionaries in 1970, it was sparsely populated with only a few small mission churches.  But shortly afterwards the area experienced unprecedented economic growth and development as a tourist destination. 

Now known as the Mayan Riviera, the area is famous for its beautiful beaches and resorts. The population of Cancun is now well over one million, and Playa del Carmen is over 400,000. The growth of the prelature where the Legionaries of Christ are serving is also remarkable, with over 50 churches and more than 400 chapels built, many schools, a university, and a seminary. 

Behind the polished resorts are many poor individuals and families who have immigrated to the area with nothing, in the hope of building a better life for themselves by working in the booming Cancun/Playa Del Carmen tourism industry. The Church has struggled to keep up with the challenges presented by this fast-paced growth, and there is a critical need for more churches and schools to serve the people who are settling in the area. Churches not only bring the faith to the residents of Quintana Roo; they also build the moral life of communities, and provide a minimal social safety net.

With this in mind, delegates from the North American Territory of Regnum Christi travelled to Quintana Roo in November to explore options for joint Catholic World Mission/Mission Youth missions to the area in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Legionaries of Christ’s presence there.  The dual purpose of the planned visits and missions would be to increase awareness of the evangelizing and humanitarian work accomplished in the prelature to date, and to build support for the important work that members of Regnum Christi do in the area.  

The delegation included Stephanie Quinlan from Catholic World Mission, Fr. Michael Mitchell, LC, and Carolina Dorantes from Mission Youth, Fr. Emilio Diaz-Torre, LC, from Cancun, as well as Fr. Hubert Reiner, LC, and Clark Zentner from Playa del Carmen.  

The prelature of Cancun-Chetumal is now entering its third year of preparation for the jubilee. On November 17, the delegation attended the opening of the Year of the Holy Cross in Carrillo Puerto, the center of the Mayan area.  Following an extended and enthusiastic Eucharistic procession through the town, Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cardenas, LC, celebrated an outdoor Mass with many priests, seminarians and Catholic members of the prelature. After Mass, participants were treated to a wonderful performance of traditional Mayan dances. 

The group also visited two Mayan villages served by the prelature in Carrillo Puerto. Living conditions in the many scattered jungle villages are primitive. With as many as 40 villages in the area, there is a need for well-trained, full-time evangelizers to collaborate with the priests in bringing the faith to these people through catechesis. 

Another pressing need in the area is the completion of more churches. Playa del Carmen, a rapidly-growing tourist center, has only 6 fully-developed Catholic churches to serve a population of over 400,000.  Several churches stand unfinished, waiting for the necessary funds to complete them. 

Catholic World Mission, a Regnum Christi outreach, supports evangelizing, humanitarian and infrastructure projects in the prelature of Cancun-Chetumal. Catholic World Mission is a registered charity in the United States, making donations to support the Church in the prelature of Cancun-Chetumal tax deductible through Catholic World Mission by visiting www.supportourchurch.org.

In fall of 2020, Catholic World Mission and Mission Youth are planning several missions and collaborative trips to this area.  The concept is to provide individuals and groups from the United States and Canada the opportunity to understand the needs of the church in the area, see some of the works developed in the prelature over the past 50 years, and gain an understanding of the reality of the lives of the poor people served by the Church.  The program they are developing is a three to five day mission in a retreat atmosphere, with an emphasis on collaborating with on-going local efforts. For more information, please contact Mission Youth at [email protected]

50th anniversary of the Legionaries of Christ in the Prelature of Cancun-Chetumal Read More »

Scroll to Top

Looking for another country?

RC Near You

News & Resources

News & Resources

The Regnum Christi Mission

The Regnum Christi Identity

Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!