The Legionaries of Christ have begun in Rome their 2026 General Chapter, the assembly that the congregation holds every six years and which, in practice, marks the change of cycle: review of the six-year period, election of the new General Government, and definition of priorities for the period opening up until 2031. The call began yesterday, January 20, and according to the congregation itself, it will extend until February 20, when the names of the new government and the work plan for the next six-year period will be made public.
The formal opening was underscored by a liturgical gesture: a Mass celebrated on January 20 in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Rome, which officially started the work. In the homily, Fr. John Connor, L.C., interim general director, wanted to set the tone for the chapter with a clear idea: it is not just a management mechanism. “We do not come just to talk, we come to offer ourselves to God,” he affirmed, insisting that the capitulants do not arrive with a closed script, but “with hearts available to listen and do what God wants for the Legion and for each one of us”.
A key assembly: government, identity and mission
Institutionally, the General Chapter is the highest governing body of a religious congregation. In the case of the Legionaries, the meeting is called to evaluate the management, address the challenges of the evangelizing mission, and elect the general director, his counselors, and the general administrator. The congregation presents the process as a stage of discernment and renewal to consolidate its identity and orient its mission in the current context.
That “context” is not a neutral word: on the agenda appear fundamental issues such as formation in Legionary identity, priestly and religious life, vocational promotion, and apostolic mission. These are topics that, in any religious institute, determine the style of government, the type of formation, and the real projection of its apostolate.
60 priests from 14 countries and prior spiritual preparation
The assembly is made up of 60 priests with voice and vote, from 14 countries. The majority come from Mexico, Spain, and the United States, with presence also from Germany, Colombia, Italy, Venezuela, Chile, France, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
Before the official opening, the priests carried out eight days of Ignatian spiritual exercises as inner preparation for the chapter, a measure that seeks to underscore the ecclesial discernment dimension of the meeting, beyond pure administration.
The six-year report and internal priorities
During the sessions, the balance of the outgoing government will be presented. The congregation indicates that the six-year period has been guided by the document «Apostles according to the Heart of Christ», with the aim of strengthening the identity of the Legionary in communion with Regnum Christi. Among the highlighted priorities are the accompaniment of vocations and the strengthening of the Safe Environments program.
In parallel to the Chapter of the priests, the General Assemblies of the Consecrated Women and the Consecrated Laity of Regnum Christi are also taking place, with their own calendar in these weeks in Rome, which reinforces the internal coordination dimension of the whole.