Dear Linda:

You are not stupid. Most people haven't a clue about the issue of consecrated status. The author of that article, on the other hand, was presuming to pontificate about the subject and thus should have done her homework before opening mouth.

I am not sure what "protections" the author was talking about -- protection against religious abuse, heresy, financial instability in community?

Even though a defacto Association of the Faithful has autonomy, the Bishop does have some oversight as he does over all apostolates and ministries. The Bishop has oversight on issues of whether the group is heretical, schismatic, rebellious in ecclesiastical discipline, financial integrity, the rights of the group members as Catholics. These are general oversights that the Bishop always has even if the group is not formally recognized.

The primary difference with a Religious Institute is that canon law dictates things like the need for a novitiate, care of a dismissed member, provisions on dismissal, etc. However, Regnum Christi is not a Religious Institute and is not trying to be. Thus the standards of a Religious Institute so not apply. This is one of the major misunderstandings among the public about groups like Regnum Christi or the Order of the Legion of St. Michael. We are not Religious Institutes and are not required to operate like one.

Nevertheless, any serious group will have a Rule. That Rule, and its auxiliary documents, will outline the charism of the group, organizational structure, election of officers, membership requirements, redress of grievances, and right of members, etc. Such provisions provide contractual protections as does any Constitution and By-Laws of any organization in addition to the general oversight of the Bishop in the case of Catholic organizations.

While there are variances among recognized and unrecognized groups the traditional and normal formation process is a Postulancy of at least six months, Novitiate for one year, Temporary Profession for a minimum of three years before Perpetual Profession (which is for life).

In our community, the Order of the Legion of St. Michael, we require an Aspirancy of six months, a Postulancy of one year, a Novitiate of two years, then a minimum of three years in Temporary Profession before offering Perpetual Profession. Actual vows are not taken until Temporary Profession and then for only one year at a time. It is not until Perpetual Profession that the vows are for life.

Another difference between recognized Religious Institutes and groups like ours is that the vows in Religious Institutes cannot be resigned except under certain provisions and even the permission of Rome. Private Vows can generally be dispensed by a person's Pastor. In our Rule, however, to resign in good standing, there is a procedure to follow. But, even if someone left us with less than good standing, their vows can still be dispensed by their pastor. The same should be true for the vows in Regnum Christi.

For us, while we are not a Religious Institute and never will be, we voluntarily adopt most of the rules for Religious Institutes anyway. Thus we are bound by them.

Thus, while a defacto Association of the Faithful may not follow, and does not have to follow, all the standards of a Religious Institute, it may still choose to do so according to its own Rule, instead of according to canonical mandates. Thus just because a group is not recognized does not mean that the operation of that groups and the rights and privileges of its members are any different than a Religious Institute in essence and practice.

As for vows, Private Vows are given in the hands of a priest, usually, or the Superior of the Community, and not before the Bishop. Vows offered in the hands of the Bishop generally makes them Public Vows instead of Private Vows.

The difference is that Public Vows requires certain things canonically. Private Vows are more potentially flexible but can require the same level of commitment and be just as binding as public vows.

The vows taken by monastic celibates in the Order of the Legion of St. Michael, although Private, require the same commitment and are just as binding as that of any Religious Institute, not by virtue of Canon Law, but by virtue of our Rule. The vows taken by single seculars or married seculars are just as bind and offer the same commitment as any recognized third Order; again not by virtue of Canon Law requirements, but by virtue of our Rule.

Bottomline, is that a group like the Order of the Legion of St. Michael can be almost identical in its operation, membership benefits and rights, practical nature of its vows as any recognized Religious Institute. In fact, if we were to be recognized tomorrow, there would be no change at all in the way we run the Order or the way its members live out the St. Michael Charism.

As for the specifics, Regnum Christi does have a formation program, contrary to the rantings of that author. Their formation program for consecrated women is five years long. This is within the standard formation program length of any monastery (which canonically only requires 4 1/2 years).

Regnum Christi describes their formation program...

Our formation process takes five years, not counting the pursuit of advanced degrees in fields related to our apostolates.  During this time we mature in a balanced program of prayer, the sacraments, studies, apostolic service, household duties, sports and recreation. Upon completing our studies, we receive a bachelors degree in Educational Administration. This prepares us to exercise our mission with leadership and efficiency.

Currently, two thirds of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi are studying at formation centers in Madrid (Spain), Rome (Italy), Rhode Island (United States) and Sao Paulo (Brazil).

Our chaplains and professors are Legionaries of Christ.  They are Catholic priests with whom we share the same spirituality and mission.

Daily life in our centers is filled with prayer, study, apostolic works, sports and recreation.  As the crowning virtue of our lives we strive to put into practice the charity Christ preached and lived, and our chief aim is to help people discover Christ in their lives.

What is described here is TOTALLY within the norm for Formation of members.

Again, I would advise ignoring these hate-mongers.

As for your personal experience, it sounds like the women you mentioned were not finished with their formation. Who knows, maybe they would not have made it.

Nevertheless, any and all communities and organizations can have problems with ego, power-grabbing, religious abuse, etc. since they are populated with human beings.

Monasteries of monks and nuns are well known for ego problems. I have personal knowledge of that. There have been famous cases of fully recognized convents and monasteries committing religious abuse on monastic members or upon students of schools they ran, etc. There is no organization, recognized or not, that cannot have those problems. I might add, that the majority of problems of these sorts are found in the fully recognized groups than in the unrecognized groups.

In fact, in terms of heresy and schism, EVERY SINGLE heresy and schism in the history of the Church that I can think of at the moment was created and initiated by fully recognized Priests or Religious. That includes the so-called Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was a recognized Augustinian monk.

I know of convents who actively worship the goddess Sophia and conduct witchcraft rituals in their Chapels and yet are fully recognized Religious Institutes. This sort of thing is fully documented in the book, Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Face of Catholic Feminism by Donna Steichen

Being recognized is no guarantee of orthodoxy or of anything else. Each group must be evaluated on its own merits. We cannot rely upon "recognized status" to protect us.

We must rely upon the facts and merits of each group's orthodoxy loyalty to the Church, and the merits of their particular charism, independent of any recognized status, and upon the Holy Spirit.

The advice I give to people who are searching for a community is that if a group's charism does not suit them, then go to another group. If one has already joined the group and then discover that the charism of the group is not for them, then resign honorably and in peace and go find another group that fits what one is looking for. There is no need for accusations in either direction.

The fact that a group's charism does not suit a person does not necessarily say anything negative about the group or about the person. It most often merely means that the group in question is not that person's "cup of tea". That being the case, I advise such a person to go in peace to find another cup of tea elsewhere and remember that backbiting, calumny, rash judgment, detraction, and gossip are all grave sins.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary