VATICAN, Jan. 4, 01 (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II met on Thursday with more than 12,000 members of the Legionaries of Christ, who came to Rome to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their founding.

    The Legionaries gathered in St. Peter's Square around Father Marcial Maciel, who founded the congregation in 1941. They heard the Pope speak on the mission of the congregation, which is active particularly in education, pastoral work with young people, and the promotion of Christian culture through the means of modern communication. Although the Legionaries who met in Rome came from dozens of different countries, the majority were from Mexico and the United States.

    The papal audience had originally been scheduled to take place in the Paul VI Auditorium. However, because of the huge number of pilgrims who have traveled to Rome for the closing of the Holy Doors, the Pope chose to make his appearance outside in St. Peter's Square. There he spoke with the crowd- - which included thousands of pilgrims in addition to the Legionaries-- and made a tour through the crowd in his Popemobile.

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January 5, 2001
volume 12, no. 5
News from the Vatican

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