The chance of asking us how to improve our service to the Church

Letter of Fr. Eduardo Robles Gil, LC, about the 2nd. Phase of the Reflection Process of the Movement.
Thy Kingdom Come!
April 20, 2015
To the Members of the Regnum Christi Movement

Very dear friends in Jesus Christ,

The message of Easter still resounds in our hearts, announcing that the Lord has risen; he who has conquered evil and death accompanies us throughout all of history along our way to Heaven. It is within this context of the hope rising forth from the empty tomb that I want to frame this letter, with which we begin the second phase of the process of reflection on the identity and mission of the 1st and 2nd degree members of Regnum Christi. This reflection is a very important part of this task we have undertaken to update the Movement’s statutes for the Holy See’s approval.

Since this past October 2nd, the Regnum Christi members have been familiarizing themselves with the Magisterium of the Church on the mission of the laity and of movements in general. With this understanding, they have been preparing themselves to participate in a knowledgeable and responsible way in this renewal process which we have begun together as a movement.

During this second phase we will address themes which have to do more directly with the identity, mission, and spirituality of the 1st and 2nd degree members. Additionally, in light of the experience of our own history and the personal history of each one of us, we will delve deeper into the statutes approved in 2004, and other documents of the Church and the Movement, as well as topics such as formation, membership, and the traditions and organization of Regnum Christi. For this reason a working document has been prepared, which consists principally in an outline of statutory numbers and some supplemental material that will be found on the website of the Commission for the Revision of the Statutes

The second phase consists of a journey of discernment, both personally and in small groups, which we should travel together, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit to thank the Lord for all the good he has done in our lives and in the lives of so many people; it is also a moment to identify the fundamental elements and principles of the life of the Movement that should remain expressed in statutes approved by the Holy See. At the same time, I consider this reflection to be an opportunity to ask ourselves how to improve the living out of that service which we, as a movement, wish to offer the Church, society, and our own members. Prayer in common, attentive listening to the Word of God and to our brothers and sisters, as well as the counsel of those who have experience in the Movement can enlighten us along our way.

During this phase, the members incorporated into the 1st and 2nd degrees will choose delegates to participate in a territorial convention to take place at the beginning of 2016. On the website of the Commission for the Revision of the Statutes, you will find the general procedure to register, so that you can participate in the election process. The territorial commissions will give more precise indications regarding how to proceed in each territory or country.

In my letter from October 2nd, 2014, I explained briefly the goal and scope of the territorial conventions and the international convention which will conclude this stage of the process.

We are convinced that the fruitfulness of the proposal we will make at the end of this stage will be better if the members participate in a way that is both informed and responsible, contributing what the Lord has done and continues to do in their lives and in their families. Likewise, I invite the Legionaries and consecrated members to accompany 1st and 2nd degree members in their reflection, given that their experience of the Movement is a treasure which must contribute to Regnum Christi being a better reflection of the Gospel and God’s plan at this moment in time and for years to come. Let us recall that we are administrators of a few talents that the Lord has wished to entrust to us and that he wants us to make them bear fruit for the good of the Church and to pass them on faithfully to the future generations of Regnum Christi members.

I ask the Risen Lord to grant us, in this new phase of the process, an experience of his living presence among us, just as the first apostles and disciples experienced him. May the Holy Spirit help us all, Legionaries, lay consecrated men and women, and members of the 1st and 2nd degree, to give thanks to God for the gift he has given us for the good of the Church, and may he enflame us with the fire of his love, the very flame that Jesus desired would be already burning throughout the whole world.

With a remembrance before the Eucharist,
Fr. Eduardo Robles-Gil, L.C.
President of the General Commission for the Revision of the Statutes of the Regnum Christi