{"id":97907,"date":"2021-01-26T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T14:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/legionaries-of-christ-embrace-journey-of-healing-prevention-and-purification\/"},"modified":"2023-08-10T11:50:21","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T15:50:21","slug":"legionaries-of-christ-embrace-journey-of-healing-prevention-and-purification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/legionaries-of-christ-embrace-journey-of-healing-prevention-and-purification\/","title":{"rendered":"Legionaries of Christ Embrace Journey of Healing, Prevention, and Purification"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI believe that we can never apologize enough to the victims who have suffered abuse at the hands of one of my Legionary brothers. I am sorry for the actions of my fellow priests, the suffering inflicted upon victims, and for our poor handling of abuse allegations throughout our history.\u201d- Fr. John Connor, LC, January 22, 2020<\/p>\n

Fr. John Connor, LC, wrote those words to members of Regnum Christi as territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ for the North American Territory, shortly before being elected the superior general of the Congregation. In many ways, those words marked the Congregation\u2019s state of mind and heart after more than a decade of coming to terms with its history of abuse.<\/p>\n

The same General Chapter that elected Fr. Connor to lead the Congregation also pondered the landmark document \u201cReport 1941-2019 on the Phenomenon of Sexual Abuse of Minors in the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ from its Founding to the Present Day.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness in the Church, in society, and in the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ concerning the phenomenon of sexual abuse by priests, its causes, and the serious consequences for the victims. At the end of his meeting in Rome with the presidents of the bishops\u2019 conferences from around the world, Pope Francis recognized that \u201cthe universality of this plague, while confirming its grave effect on all of society, in no way lessens its atrociousness when it takes place within the Church,\u201d and neither does it diminish its atrociousness within the Legionaries of Christ.<\/p>\n

As the Pope emphasized, a single case would merit being addressed with the greatest seriousness. For the Legionaries of Christ, coming to terms with the past and committing to healing, prevention, and purification has become essential to a continued ability to serve the Church.<\/p>\n

In the 2014 General Chapter, the Legionaries of Christ highlighted the need to reach out to victims and seek reconciliation. Since then, they have focused on those tasks as well as the prevention of abuses and dealing with accusations. At the beginning of 2019, they revised the global standards of accreditation for safe environments to be implemented by each territory. The standards focus on prevention, response, and supervision.<\/p>\n

In 2019, the general director clearly noted the need to address the cases of sexual abuse of minors committed prior to the implementation of the \u201cSafe Environment Policy,\u201d with greater depth, fairness, rapidity, and resoluteness. An internal \u00a0commission prepared the \u201cReport 1941-2019\u201d by drawing on information and collaboration from relevant governmental departments of the Congregation, conducting interviews to clarify cases from the past, and accessing archives to better understand the phenomenon of abuse of minors and promoting reconciliation with those affected.<\/p>\n

On February 26, 2020,\u00a0<\/strong>the General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ released several documents after weeks of reflection and discussions about the history of abuse in the Congregation and the \u201cReport 1941-2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the new General Director, Fr. John reiterated that \u201cFacing our history with determination and helping victims heal is part of our mission. The renewal through which the Holy See led us in past years prepared us to take responsibility for the consequences of our history. Now, aware of what we have learned, we are determined to keep taking decisive steps down this path. There is no turning back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The General Chapter published the documents \u201cConversion and Reparation<\/a>\u201d and \u201cProtect and Heal.<\/a>\u201d Their message of healing, prevention, and purification was clear, and included:<\/p>\n