The Legion of Christ is a Catholic religious congregation establishe in 1941 in Mexico by Fr. Marcial Maciel. It enjoyed the favor of Pope John Paul II, possibly in part because of its stand in facing contemporary challenges. It is currently one of the Church's fastest-growing congregations, with a presence in 20 countries, and over 700 priests and 2,500 seminarians, besides the 70,000 members of the Regnum Christi, its lay movement. Critics cite recruitment from their schools of children identified as having vocations to the priesthood and aggressive fundraising required of its priests as two reasons for such rapid growth, particularly in Latin Countries. It also operates several schools in Mexico, other parts of North America, as well as other Latin American countries.