ROME — The papal delegate of the Legionaries of Christ named the new leaders of the order’s lay movement, Regnum Christi.
Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, who has been governing the Legionaries since 2010, named the new heads and their advisers, which include two consecrated laypersons from the United States, as part of a major Vatican-led reform of the order. The reform efforts came after revelations that the order’s founder, the late Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, had fathered children and sexually abused seminarians.
Spanish-born Jorge Lopez, 48, is the new head of the consecrated men’s branch of Regnum Christi, the Legionaries announced on their website May 15. He will be aided by newly named council members Bernardo Perez, Alberto Garcia, Cristian Nazer and Diego de Robina.
The cardinal named Matthew Reinhardt, who was born in Littleton, Colo., to be regional director of the movement in the United States and Europe. Hector Bracho was named regional director of Mexico and South America.
The Italian cardinal named Spanish-born Gloria Rodriguez, 37, to head the consecrated women’s branch of Regnum Christi. The newly named council members are Mary Patt Pirie, who is an administrator at Mater Ecclesiae College in Greenville, R.I., Mari Carmen Avila, Mexican-born Luly Fernandez and Chilean-born Paula Errazuriz.
