(ZENIT News / Rome, 04.03.2025).- The official statistics of the Congregation have been published, with data collected up to December 31, 2024. It is data reported by the Legion to the Holy See’s Statistical Office, data that subsequently is used for, among others, the Pontifical Yearbook.
The Congregation’s statistics are calculated with information provided by the territories. For statistical effects, the Delegation of the Houses of Rome and the Delegation for the Holy Land are counted as one territory.
5 Noviciates, 7 Vocational Centers, 1 Humanities Center, 1 Philosophy Center, 1 Theology Center
At the end of 2024, the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ was present in a stable way in 23 countries. It is organized in 9 territories and 2 delegations. It has 10 general government or territorial headquarters, 95 apostolate communities, one philosophy center, 1 theology center, a community of student priests in Rome, a priestly residence in Mexico, a Humanities Center on the United States, 5 noviciates and 7 vocational centers.
In addition, it has an International Pontifical Seminary in Rome and an Inter-Diocesan Seminary and Theological Institute in São Paulo, Brazil.
1309 Legionaries of Christ in 2024
The year 2024 ended with 1,309 Legionaries of Christ: 3 Bishops, 1,033 priests (+16 compared to the previous year), 226 religious men in formation (-13) and 47 novices (-10). The variation compared to the previous year is -1%n members.
Among the 1,017 priests, 22 were ordained in 2024. There were 6 priests expelled according to canon 686 of the Code of Canon Law and 30 priests that live temporarily outside the community for reasons of apostolic work, studies or health, according to canon 665 § 1. Included in this statistic are 2 priests who are in an irregular situation.
Two priests died in 2024. In the same period, 1 priest was incardinated in a diocese and 3 requested dispensation from the obligations related to Holy Orders.
32 Novices Entered in 2024
In regard to Legionaries in their initial formation, 32 novices entered last year; 19 Brothers made their first profession of the evangelical counsels; 21 made their perpetual profession. At the end of the year the Legionaries of Christ had 63 religious men of perpetual vows in their initial formation, 163 of temporary vows, 47 novices and 29 deacons. Compared to the previous year, there was a decrease of 18% of new novices, a diminution of 13% in first professions and a decrease of 4% in perpetual professions.
In the same period, 23 young men discerned in the noviciate that the religious life of the Legionaries of Christ was not their path. In 2024, one religious of perpetual vows requested and obtained a dispensation from the same by the Holy See; 4 religious of temporary vows requested and obtained from the Director General a dispensation from their vows and 5 decided not to renew them at the end of the term for which they had emitted them.
The average age of Legionary priests is 51 and of the Congregation is 46
With information of the institutional Website of the Legionaries of Christ: https://legionariosdecristo.org/estadisticas/
