The Chapter Communiqué summarizes the experiences, prayers, and discussions from the General Chapter to share with all Legionaries. This comprehensive document has an overarching message: “Each part makes sense in light of the whole, united by a single thread: Christ, our center, criterion and model.” It also reaffirms an unwaveringcommitment to safe environments and accompaniment for those affected by abuse.
From January 20 to February 27, 2026, sixty Legionaries of Christ gathered in Rome to celebrate their Fifth Ordinary General Chapter. “Like the first Christians, we felt surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (cf. Heb 12:1)…the prayers of Legionaries, members of Regnum Christi, and the entire great family that is the Church accompanied us. We experienced the presence of those who went before us in faith: the saints, our patrons and protectors, the martyrs of Rome, and our brothers who now rest in the Lord. Above all, we lived united in Christ under the loving gaze of the Father, the companionship of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles,” the Chapter Fathers state in the opening pages of the Chapter Communiqué, a document through which they shared what they experienced, prayed, discussed, and decided during the weeks of work at the General Chapter with the entire Congregation.
The Chapter Communiqué is currently available in Spanish, with an English translation to come in the next several weeks.
What is in the Chapter Communiqué?
The communiqué gathers “what was experienced, prayed, and spoken as a General Chapter” to share with all Legionaries. It is a comprehensive document in which “each part acquires meaning in light of the whole, united by a single thread: Christ, our center, criterion, and model.”
Its structure has two main sections:
- A general communiqué offers a “Framework for Living in Truth” that provides context for the entire document. It briefly shares the Chapter’s reflections and decisions on 13 topics: Christ-centeredness in the life of a Legionary, the Legionary vocation, fraternal life, the life of poverty, the living of authority and obedience, vocational promotion and a renewed vocational vision, initial formation, the Legionaries of Christ within the Regnum Christi Federation, the mission, an outline of a biblical reading of our history, reconciliation, protection of minors and vulnerable persons, care for victims, processes, and changes to the Legion’s proper law.
- Six thematic communiqués delve deeper into the exercise of authority and obedience, vocational promotion, the mission of the Legionary, the Legionaries of Christ in the Regnum Christi Federation, our history, and Christ-centeredness.
What does the Chapter offer in each thematic communiqué, and what concerns of the Legionaries does it address?
- Thematic Communiqué 1: “The Evangelical Exercise of Authority and Obedience”
This Chapter offers a document with reflections “to illuminate the concrete life of our communities at a time of transition from a model of religious life with abundant and detailed rules to one that relies more on discernment and personal responsibility” and “to continue deepening the evangelical experience of authority and religious obedience in the Legion.” - Thematic Communiqué 2: “A Renewed Vocational Vision”
This Chapter presents the characteristics of a renewed vocational vision, along with the principles, environments, personnel, means, and vocational pathways needed in a document that constitutes “a clear path for the next six-year term.” It is “a clear and proactive response to the requests and contributions” made on this topic by the Legionaries and the Territorial Assemblies. - Thematic Communiqué 3: “The Mission: Caritas Christi Urgent Nos.”
The Chapter has discerned “the opportunity to take a step toward a greater apostolic focus” and, to this end, offers in this document “clear criteria for discernment and concrete ways of living the mission with boldness and creative fidelity.” It seeks “to express more clearly and simply” that “the unifying horizon” in the mission is the formation of apostles at the service of the Church, as is characteristic of the charism. - Thematic Communiqué 4: “The Legion of Christ in the Regnum Christi Federation.”
The Chapter reaffirms the Legion of Christ’s constitutive membership in Regnum Christi, and the Federation as the canonical configuration of the spiritual family and apostolic body. The document presents an analysis “from the perspective and experience of the Legionaries” regarding the fruits and difficulties in implementing the Federation, identifying symptoms, causes, and courses of action. It is offered “as the beginning of a dialogue, not its conclusion,” and presents concrete recommendations for bringing the conversation to the General and Territorial Directive Colleges, since “this interpretation needs to be compared with and enriched by” that of the other federated institutions, so that “the spiritual family and its evangelizing mission will be strengthened.” - Thematic Communiqué 5: “Outline of a Biblical Reading of Our History. ”
In this document, the Chapter offers a theological framework to help those studying our history. It provides an interpretive key that can help each Legionary understand his identity and mission in the light of history. The Chapter affirms that the Congregation’s history is not an obstacle, but a paschal journey. Only by remembering it can we know who we are and where the Lord is calling us. The document does not claim to be a “final word” on the subject, but “one possible tool among many” for approaching our history with faith: remembering it without being paralyzed and looking forward without forgetting it. - Thematic Communiqué 6: “Christ-centeredness as a source of religious, priestly, and apostolic renewal”
The Chapter offers this document on Christ-centeredness as “a shared act of faith,” a form of meditation “in the school of the Risen One” that seeks to “reignite the heart” and “give orientation” to our life, “always giving priority to divine action in our sanctification and apostolate.”
Q&A's about the Communiqué
What is a General Chapter?
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:
- 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.
- Elect the general director, the general councilors and the general administrator.
- 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.
- 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.
2. Does the Communiqué speak about structural decisions, changes in the Constitutions, or new apostolic priorities?
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.
3. Does the Communiqué have a theme?
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.
4. What fruits of discernment can be found in the Communiqué?
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.
5. Are there new geographical and/or existential peripheries that the Congregation has decided to address?
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.
6. What are the internal and external challenges that the Congregation studied at the Chapter?
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.
7. The Chapter Communiqué indicates that an update will be made to the norms in Protect and Heal, promulgated by the General Chapter in 2020. What does this update consist of, and how does it reaffirm the commitment to victims and safe environments?
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/ .