Greetings to Everyone!
After the outing to Assisi yesterday, we gathered together this morning for another session of the 43rd General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission. The Eucharist this morning was celebrated in Spanish and then the delegates gathered in the Assembly Hall and began by invoking the Holy Spirit.
The delegates viewed a video presentation about the ministry of the confreres in Northern India. The minutes of the last session were presented and approved. Father Turatti spoke about the possibility of visiting the General Curia and two groups were formed who will participate in said visit.
Today’s work began with a request from the Superior General to make real the proposal with regard to the Motherhouse in Paris. It has been proposed that the house belong to the Congregation and the Superior General appoint the superior of the house. Thus, the motherhouse would acquire an international status.
Father José María NIETO, Hector GÓMEZ and Evaristus IGWE and others addressed this issue. Aware of the reality that the motherhouse is community property, we must decide what to do with this. Should each province pay a certain quota or should it be left to France to decide what to do with the house. Another possibility is to create a commission that would study the technical and pastoral details and have this report submitted to the Superior General. It was decided that a commission study this situation.
After the morning break, another Postulata was presented with regard to the provinces sending a percentage of money to support the Curia. The Statutes are clear with regard to the manner in which the quota should be determined. Javier ÁLVAREZ, Juan Carlos GATTI and others addressed this issue and the Postulata was accepted.
Chile presented a Postulata requesting that all the saints, whether or not they belong to the Vincentian Family, be included in the Vincentian Liturgical Calendar. The delegates discussed this Postulata which was rejected.
Mexico presented a Postulata with regard to the recognition of the permanent deaconate (in its celibate model) as a proper ministry in the Congregation. After some dialogue this Postulata was rejected.
Postulata: in light of the fact that the poor are our lords and masters, let us explore the possibility of their participation in the General Assembly so that their voice, their pains and joys might be heard. This Postulata was presented by an individual confrere. It is presented as a suggestion and the Postulata was rejected.
After lunch we were given the good news that no one is in quarantine with CIVID-19 … yes, we have overcome the problem.
The delegates viewed a presentation about the ministry in Honduras, the pastoral ministry of the Province San Vicente de Paul in San Pedro Sula and La Medalla Milagrosa in Tegucigalpa.
We also viewed another video about the future of the Congregation of the Mission “along the path of Saint Vincent de Paul” … a video developed by Guillermo CAMPUZANO … born and sustained by the Province of God we can ask the question: where is God leading us today? The Congregation and its charism have not come to an end and its creativity has not been exhausted. Our vocation leads us to develop a deeper relationship with the Lord … it is through Jesus that our God draws closer to us. Jesus calls us to himself and calls us to continue to build up the Kingdom of God (a mission that was entrusted to the Son and a mission that can only be fulfilled with the help of the Holy Spirit).
Possibilities for our missionary discipleship: to follow Jesus is the purpose of the Congregation of the Mission. The humanization of the missionary occurs as a result of the decision to follow Jesus. The explicit proclamation of the gospel must take place today by means of the inculturation of the values of the Kingdom in every culture.
The revitalization of the Congregation of the Mission is not an end, but a means and the future of the Congregation is given through its relation to history-charism. The horizon to the Vincentian charism points out the path toward the future of the Congregation: the kingdom of God and his justice.
We are living in the midst of a crisis experienced by human civilization and Christian civilization and within it we have the catholic ecclesial model … three key elements: power, money, abuse.
We are discovering and accepting the fact that the Congregation is an area of mission. The revitalization toward the future of the Congregation is not exempt from the uncertainties of history nor the ambiguities of its present situation, as well as its individual, collective and structural contradictions.
Prophecy (revitalization) of the Congregation deals with the manner in which it will position itself in the present. Maps of the route that will lead us in the direction of a desired future.
Common purpose … movement toward life … movement toward essentialism (reconfiguration) … movement toward the possibility of being sign-parable-credible metaphor … movement toward the centrality of relationship from the perspective of equality (equal but distinct) .. movement toward the future of the charism which is a source and not simply a mirror.
We must continue to give live to the charism among ourselves in order to maintain alive the reason for our existence.
Thank you for reading.
