It is 27 January 2020. It is night and raining a little in Rome. Father Jorge Rodríguez has asked me to chronicle some of the days we are experiencing.
On Monday, the 27th, in the morning, I presided over the Eucharist with Father Juan Carlos of Argentina and Father Jorge Rodríguez, in charge of mass media, networks, publications, etc. for the Congregation. The Eucharist always is, as Pope Francis has told us, “The most important, most excellent, most sublime prayer of the Church.” However, you have to live it.
I like a little more participation, more singing, more sharing of the Word of God. However, the specialists in liturgy corrected some of the rubrics. We accepted them without much sense of guilt. Nevertheless, there was mercy, which is essential.
After breakfast, Father Zeracristos, in charge of the day, moderated the first meeting. The theme of the first conference was International Missions. Father Aarón Gutiérrez told us about the International Missions.
With the greatest simplicity, he revealed data from their origins to the present day. The beginnings were attributed to Father Robert Maloney. Father Aarón explained to us the Statutes and the selection criteria, which is not always successful. There are five criteria, to which one could add physical health, to be a candidate for the international missions. One ought to possess the following criteria or qualities: emotional stability, spiritual maturity, aptitude and training in effectively building churches (I think the word “ecclesial communities” would be better), skills for effective interpersonal communication, pure motivation, availability, and dedication. It will not be so easy for a Visitor to part with a missionary with so many human and Christian virtues.
Because Father Aarón was in the Spanish-speaking group, other information was asked of him there. Some conclusions were reached as to how to act, if an international mission is to be opened. There must be good knowledge of the place and a clear contract with the Bishop. The mission should not be undertaken only at the request of the Bishop, but also if it is suitable for the Congregation and its possibilities. In addition, there should be better preparation of missionaries and, in particular, for the mission to which they will be assigned.
However, we all agreed that many missionaries want to go to “inter gentes” missions, but there is none in their province. Therefore, it would be well for the General Curia to assume responsibility and not delegate it to a province until it is seen what is more feasible and convenient.
After a long, enjoyable, interesting, and fruitful “conversation,” we were given a list of mission-places that we have in the Congregation. There are 11 in total: Beni in Bolivia, Chad in Africa, Alaska, Tefé in Brazil, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Cuba, Angola, Tunisia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. We are all deeply proud that the Congregation, without many human and other resources, is daring and has the mystique of “the missions.”
On the same day, the 27th, in the afternoon, Father Turati spoke. A woman, who helps him, especially with the Catalog, accompanied him at the table. He told us about the Online Catalog. Everyone can ask the General Secretariat for access to it and it would give him the key. He told us how important the good flow of communications, letters, and reports with the Secretariat of the Congregation is. It enriches us all.
He reminded us to send notifications, as soon as possible, of the Certification of Taking Vows. At the end of the PGV, you will find the template. He also reminded us about the notification of Ordination to Diaconate and Priesthood, notification of Appointments to Provincial Offices (councilors, provincial treasurer, and local superiors). The woman who was at the presiding table insisted, “Please write the SURNAMES with upper case and proper names with lower case.” Father Turati also reminded us of the Notification of Death, with the corresponding form.
He again insisted, together with his assistant, that the forms can be sent by electronic mail, fax, or ordinary mail. There were a few questions and the next speaker, the Treasurer General, followed.
Father Paul Parackal’s talk was entitled, “The Treasurer General and the Visitor.” The presentation gave the impression of assurance, like an important economist. We did not understand some of the charts and asked about them. It seemed complete because he dealt with years past to the present, the gains and the losses as in the year 2018. There were good years, with no losses, and others that left some deficiency along the way after the global economic crisis of 2008.
He gave us the amounts handled by the General Curia, the amounts spent by the Curia annually, the Mission Fund, and how it is invested.
We had supper at the usual time. Afterwards, some went out for a walk, or to meet Roman friends, or to make purchases, or to admire how fast the motorbikes go down the street with lots of noise and speed. Likewise, some cars are very small, but they are the ones they have here. It is noticed that, either the possibilities are few, or it is easy, because of its dimensions, to park in minimal spaces.
On Tuesday, 28 January, there was news. First, there was a change of schedule, then breakfast, then another change. We were given a smaller place (no problem) and most importantly the hour of the Eucharist, which was moved to 12 noon. It was actually in the program that they gave us at the beginning and sent to us in the provinces, because it was the closing thanksgiving. When we were not advised the previous day, after Lauds and meditation, we went down to the chapel with alb and stole to celebrate the Eucharist, as we did every day. It was not a big deal either.
At nine in the morning, we were in another makeshift room, where the headphones and translation devices were not working well. We waited, managed somewhat. Father Antônio de Assis Da Silva of the Province of Fortaleza gave the last talk, or lecture, read in Portuguese. It was dense, but profound, and with knowledge of the facts: “The importance of the Synod on the Amazon for the Congregation of the Mission.”
It was a shame that, because it took so long, there was no time for dialog. It would have been nice to hear opinions about “Viri probati” and so many other visions and challenges presented by the Amazon’s inhabitants. They asked about the provinces that have missions in these places and Peru presented the mission of Banda de Shilcayo.
After this talk from the Visitor of Fortaleza and a brief dialog, we saw the film of Bishop Fernando Barbosa dos Santos, CM, of the Prelature of Tefé, where one of the international missions of the General Curia is located. It was very expressive, from the Roman Synod to Brazil’s indigenous communities, with dance performances, offerings, and rites typical of their cultures. It was a beautiful ending. He also invited and motivated us to think of the respect that every person and every culture deserves, by inviting them to or living with them the faith, prayer, and Christian life that Jesus Christ Himself transmitted to us.
We should add the presentation and the always simple and helpful presence of Jorge Luis Rodríguez, Director of the Office of Communication. He reminded us about indigenous peoples and migration, and all the networks there are, some of which will go and new ones will come, as well as online communication, Nuntia, with the cooperation of others. If we do not know each other, we cannot love, enrich, or know everything, everything that is happening in the Congregation, in the whole world.
He showed us what the young mute person lives today, perhaps those under 30 years of age among whom are our youngest priests and students at all levels. Millennial generation habits on social networks matter, on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, etc. No institution, nor those in vocation work can be left out of them.
The final celebration, as I said, was presided by the Superior General, Father Tomaž, accompanied by Father Turati and Father Gregory Semeniuk. There was no special homily, but words of thanksgiving, at the end, to all the participants and to all those who, in some way or another, had contributed to the good progress of the meeting. These included the interpreters; the members of the General Council; those who presented topics; the Daughters of Charity, in whose house of Maria Immacolata we stayed and had the meeting; and all the service staff without whom it would not have been possible for us to eat and sleep, as well as celebrate all the acts that are held in this type of event, of faith, intellectual, communitarian, informative, profound, etc.
We thank God, therefore, for everything and for all the good we received in these days of the New Visitors’ Meeting. For some older and some younger, but for all it certainly was a grace from God. We all learn from each other.
PRAISE GOD.
Father Francisco Domingo, CM
Visitor of Peru
