(ZENIT News / Rome, 13.03.2024).- The Legion of Christ published its updated statistics up to December 2023. It’s the data it presents annually to the Church’s Central Office of Statistics, which was established in 1967 and which prepares, among other things, the Church’s Statistical Yearbook. Hence, it makes available the most recent data. The data has been published since March 2 of this year.
International Presence
At the end of 2023, the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ was present in a stable manner in 22 countries. It is organized in nine territories and two delegations. It has 10 seats of general or territorial government, 94 apostolate communities, a School of Philosophy, a School of Theology, a community of student priests in Rome, a priestly Residence in Mexico, a Humanities Center in the United States, five noviciates and nine vocational centers. In addition, it has an International Pontifical Seminary in Rome and an Inter-Diocesan Seminary and Theological Institute in São Paulo, Brazil.
Number of Members
2023 ended with 1,316 Legionaries of Christ: three Bishops, 1,017 priests (+24 in relation to the previous year), 239 Religious in formation (-43) and 57 novices (-2). The variation in relation to the previous year is of -2% members.
Thirty-five new priests were Ordained in 2023. There are also eight secularized priests, according to canon 686 of the Code of Canon Law and 23 priests living temporarily outside the Community for reasons of apostolic work, studies or health, according to canon 665 § 1. Included in this statistic are three priests in an irregular situation.
During 2023 three priests, a Bishop and a Religious died. In the same period, three priests were incardinated in a diocese and four requested dispensation from obligations related to Holy Ordination.
Legionaries the in Period of Initial Formation, Inflows and Outflows
As regards Legionaries in initial formation, 33 novices entered this year; 22 Brothers made their first profession of the evangelical counsels and 22 made their perpetual profession. At the end of the year the Legionaries of Christ had, in initial formation, 65 Religious of perpetual vows, 174 of temporal vows, 57 novices and 24 deacons. There was a decrease of -3% of new novices in relation to the previous year, a decrease of -12% in first professions and an 83% increase in perpetual professions.
In the same period, 13 young novices discerned that the religious life of the Legionaries of Christ was not their path. In 2023, four Religious of perpetual vows requested and obtained from the Holy See dispensation from their vows; 19 Religious of temporal vows requested and obtained, from the Director General, dispensation from their vows and seven decided to renew them at the end of the term for which they had emitted them.
Average Age of Legionaries and Members of Their Apostolic Schools and Minor Seminaries
The average age of Legionary priests is 51 and the average age of the whole Congregation is 45. The average age of Legionaries is 45; of the priests, 51. During 2023, the total number of Minor Seminarians was 291.
With information of the institutional Website of the Legionaries of Christ.
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