March 11, 2026

Ordinary General Chapters are meetings held every six years. The General Chapter is the highest governing body in a Congregation, and charts the course for the following six years.

“The general chapter, which holds supreme authority in the institute according to the norm of the constitutions, is to be composed in such a way that, representing the entire institute, it becomes a true sign of its unity in charity. It is for the general chapter principally: to protect the patrimony of the institute mentioned in can. 578, promote suitable renewal according to that patrimony, elect the supreme moderator, treat affairs of greater importance, and issue norms which all are bound to obey.” (Code of Canon Law, c. 631 § 1)

“The general chapter, representing the entire Congregation, should be a sign and exercise of its unity in charity. It holds supreme authority in the Congregation in accordance with universal and proper law.” (CLC 124.1°)

The responsibilities of a General Chapter are to:

1. Assess the state of the Congregation — especially through the reports of the general director and the territorial directors — and examine the signs of the times and the most important matters proposed by the territorial assemblies or by individual members of the Congregation.
2. Elect the general director, the general councilors and the general administrator.
3. Adopt the most opportune measures to safeguard the spirit of the Congregation, foster its development and appropriate renewal, promote the mission, engage the challenges, and deal with the most important problems.
4. If appropriate, make the necessary modifications to the Constitutions, which have to be presented to the Holy See for approval; modify or approve the secondary codes of proper law that fall under the jurisdiction of the general chapter; and issue directives in chapter decrees.

The General Chapter worked on different levels: the Constitutions, the rules that regulate the ordinary life of the Congregation, the protocols for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, the care of victims, and the management model for the Common Works.

In each of these areas, proposals and adjustments were made that seek to reflect the fruits of the Chapter’s discernment and better respond to the needs and demands of the present moment, considering both civil and ecclesial contexts.

The Communiqué provides the underlying guidelines that inform these decisions. Where appropriate, specific details will be communicated as the implementation process unfolds, particularly if these are not already fully expressed in the Chapter Communiqué.

The central theme of the Chapter and the Communiqué is: “Let us run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Heb 12:1-2). This phrase frames the entire document and summarizes the attitude that the Chapter proposes for the next six years: not to stop, not to be scattered, and to keep our eyes on Christ as our sole criterion and source.

Additionally, the second part contains what can be considered an identity compendium of the legionary, articulated around the phrase “Christ reigns in the Legionary”, followed by sixteen traits that describe the spiritual and apostolic profile of a Legionary of Christ today.

The most profound fruit of the Chapter is an invitation to return to the essential: to Christ as the center, criterion and source of the entire life and mission of the Legionary.

From this Christ-centered core, the Chapter offers concrete guidelines for fraternal life, apostolate, formation, and the exercise of authority, all aimed at enabling the Congregation to move forward with greater authenticity, unity, and fruitfulness in the next six years.

The Communiqué does not announce any new specific geographical peripheries. The emphasis is placed on several areas of mission focus, which are reinforced and, in some cases, clarified:

• The poor and vulnerable: a more visible and active commitment to working with those most in need is requested. The Opera Misericordiae network, approved on December 12, 2025, is mentioned as a means to more effectively coordinate the works of mercy of the Congregation and Regnum Christi in various countries.
• Families: Family ministry is confirmed as a priority, in line with the priorities established by the 2024 Regnum Christi General Convention.
• Adolescents: ECYD is recognized as a privileged space for evangelization and accompaniment in this stage of life.
• Men: Pastoral care specifically for men has emerged as a priority, in response to the cultural context in which masculinity is undergoing a crisis. We address this while recognizing and celebrating the growing participation and contributions of women in social life and in the Church, and within the context of our commitment to pastoral work with women, marriages, and families.
• The digital world: the need for an evangelizing presence in social networks and in the digital ecosystem is highlighted, paying attention to the reality of artificial intelligence, as existential peripheries of contemporary man.

The Chapter sought to honestly analyze the current moment, both outwardly and inwardly.

In the external context, it acknowledged the challenges of a culture in profound transformation: secularization and the challenges for the transmission of faith, generational change, the crisis of the family, the emergence of the digital world, artificial intelligence, and the crisis of meaning that especially affects young people.

Within the Congregation, discernment touched on areas such as fraternal life, poverty, the evangelical exercise of authority and obedience, formation, the mission, the relationship with the Regnum Christi Federation, and the integration of our history, as well as the unwavering commitment to safe environments and the accompaniment of people affected by abuse.

The effort to recognize reality, with its lights and shadows, is the first step in walking with hope.

The commitment to safe environments and attention to victims is a permanent obligation that the Congregation recognizes as an essential element of its daily work. We acknowledge that the responsibility for prevention, support, and reparation is ongoing and requires constant vigilance.

The 2020 General Chapter promulgated Protect and Heal, which provides norms for prevention, response to complaints, care for victims, preliminary investigations and canonical processes, as well as the treatment and accompaniment of the accused.

This General Chapter 2026 analyzed this in light of the reports from the General Director and the Territorial Directors, and the results of the application of the Protect and Heal norms during the last six years, recognizing the progress and successes, as well as the mistakes made and the need to learn from them.

During the last six years, there has been significant canonical development in this area, which we take into account: Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, which deals with the Church’s penal law, has been revised; the norms for the most serious offenses have been updated; the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has published two versions of the Vademecum for cases of abuse of minors committed by clergy; the Dicastery for Legislative Texts has published various guidelines, especially related to the protection of reputation and the right to due process; and the regulations of the Motu Proprio Vos estis Lux Mundi have been updated, among others. All these changes have required an adaptation of the regulations contained in Protect and Heal.

The Chapter Communiqué succinctly outlines the main amendments and the rationale behind them. Furthermore, the Chapter has opted for a significant methodological decision: from now on, Protect and Heal will be considered a normative text under the responsibility of the Congregation’s General Government, allowing for timely updates to it as canon law and civil law evolve, without the need to wait for a new General Chapter.

The General Director will soon promulgate the document “Protect and Heal” with the amendments reviewed by the General Chapter, and it will be available for consultation. This new version will continue to strive for better and more competent attention to any situation involving the abuse of minors or vulnerable persons, greater clarity in the processes, and greater harmony with current canonical and civil law, while safeguarding the dignity and rights of all those involved.

As was declared in 2014 and 2020, the Chapter Communiqué acknowledges the harm and pain caused to specific individuals throughout its history, including events related to the founder’s conduct and inadequate institutional responses. This acknowledgment is not an end point nor a desire to “turn the page,” but rather a starting point for continued work and a pursuit of continuous improvement in both prevention and response to any allegations.

The Congregation maintains its permanent listening channels open for those who have been harmed and wish to be helped at: https://www.0abuse.org/ .