Archbishop John Favalora of Miami has prohibited priests of the Legionaries of Christ from exercising any ministry in his  archdiocese, effective immediately. The October 29 letter addressed to all priests of the archdiocese is here.

The spokesman for the Legionaries, who are under investigation by Rome, said: “We will be obedient to Archbishop Favalora’s directives. We also hope to gain a clearer understanding of his concerns and demonstrate our ability to serve the local church.”

The archdiocese’s letter says that the movement’s priests’ ministry in the diocese has in the past been restricted to members of its lay arm, Regnum Christi, adding that because “the Legionaries of Christ have not abided by these restrictions, Archbishop Favorola has barred them from any ministry in the Archdiocese of Miami”.

That means, presumably, that Regnum Christi members will be unable to look to Legionaries for the sacraments and spiritual guidance — at least not in Miami.

The letter goes on to accuse Regnum Christi of being “involved in several schools without archdiocesan approval” and tells them to cease. 

The Archdiocese of Baltimore last year forbade Legionaries to act as spiritual directors to men under age 18. Dioceses in Ohio and Minnesota have also placed restrictions on them.

Austen Ivereigh is a Fellow in Contemporary Church History at Campion Hall, at the University of Oxford, and a biographer of Pope Francis. In 2020 he collaborated with Pope Francis on his Let Us Dream: the Path to a Better Future, published by Simon & Schuster.