ACG 438 FRIENDLY TALK%2C SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT%2C ADMISSIONS%2C EN


ACG 438 FRIENDLY TALK%2C SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT%2C ADMISSIONS%2C EN

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THE FRIENDLY TALK WITH THE RECTOR,
SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT AND
ADMISSIONS: SOME ORIENTATIONS AND
GUIDELINES
For AGC 438 (July-December 2022)
We are witnessing a new attention to spiritual accompaniment and formation, both in
the Church and in the Congregation. In the Church, the latest signs of this are the Synod
on Youth and the post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis, Christus vivit.1 In
the Congregation we had the survey about young Salesians and accompaniment in
2017,2 followed by Young Salesians and Accompaniment: Orientations and Guidelines
(2020),3 and we are now celebrating the year dedicated to Francis de Sales, a saint who
is renowned for his teaching and practice of spiritual accompaniment. Spiritual
accompaniment is at the centre of our charism: it is enough to look at Don Bosco’s own
experience and at his pastoral praxis with young people and his Salesians.
Recently Pope Francis expressed serious concern about the exercise of the role of
authority and the way of handling what is shared in confidence with the superior.
And I would like to add – off-text – a word about the term 'internal forum'. This is not an idle
expression: it is a serious one! The internal forum is the internal forum and cannot go outside. And I
say this because I have noticed that in some groups in the Church, those in charge, the superiors –
let's call them that – mix up the two and take decisions from the internal forum to the external one,
and vice versa. Please, this is a sin! It's a sin against the dignity of the person who trusts the priest,
manifests his reality to ask for forgiveness, [but the priest] then uses it to arrange things for a group
or a movement, maybe – I don't know, I'm just making up stuff – maybe even for a new congregation,
I don't know. But internal forum is internal forum. It's a sacred thing. This is what I wanted to say,
because I am concerned about this.4
Despite the fact that we are in the process of revising the Ratio, and without entering
into the complex question of the internal forum, we take the opportunity to reiterate
and further clarify what was said in Young Salesians and Accompaniment: Orientations
and Guidelines about the friendly talk with the Rector, personal spiritual guidance,
confidentiality, and admissions.5
1 Francis, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit (2019).
2 See M. Bay, Young Salesians and Accompaniment: Results of an International Survey (Bengaluru: Kristu
Jyoti Publications, 2019).
3 Salesian Formation Department – Salesian Youth Ministry Department, Young Salesians and
Accompaniment: Orientations and Guidelines (2020). Henceforth YSA.
4 Address of the Holy Father to participants in the Course on the Internal Forum promoted by the
Apostolic Penitentiary (29 March 2019).
5 Salesian accompaniment is rich and complex: it is communitarian and personal, formal and informal. For
more on this, in its relation to and distinction from the sacrament of reconciliation and the friendly talk
with the Rector, see YSA 4.2: Clarification of the meaning of Salesian spiritual accompaniment (especially
100-105) and 4.7: Rector, spiritual guide and confessor: three key figures (131-136).

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1 Choice of spiritual guide
Our Constitutions ensure due freedom in matters of the direction of conscience6 by
stating that in the friendly talk with the superior the confrere “speaks with confidence
of his own life and work and, if he so wishes, also of the state of his conscience.” (C 70)
Our Regulations declare formation communities “must have a Rector and a team of
formation personnel who are specially prepared, above all as regards spiritual direction
which is ordinarily given by the Rector himself.” (R 78) Following R 78, the Ratio (2016)
declares that the Rector is the spiritual guide proposed, though not imposed, on those in
initial formation. (FSDB 2016 233)
The document Young Salesians and Accompaniment: Orientations and Guidelines
makes a significant change in the way the Ratio (2016) outlines the role of the Rector.7
In place of the text that describes the Rector as “the spiritual director proposed to, but
not imposed on, the confreres in [initial] formation” (FSDB 2016 233), the new text,
following C 70, now simply reads: “If the confrere so wishes, the Rector may also offer the
service of personal spiritual accompaniment.” (YSA 191)
Similarly, instead of speaking of the Rector of the postnovitiate as “following up and
helping the postnovices especially through personal guidance and the friendly talk, the
spiritual direction of conscience and periodical conferences” (FSDB 2016 417), the
revised text now speaks of him as “following up and helping the postnovices especially
through personal guidance and the friendly talk, periodical conferences, and if the young
confrere so wishes, also the spiritual direction of conscience.” (YSA 191) YSA continues to
see the Rector of the postnovitiate as continuing the action of the director of novices,
but at the same time wants to ensure that the formee has full freedom to choose his
spiritual guide.
It is true that the formulation “proposed but not imposed” does preserve the
window of freedom of choice of spiritual guide. The new formulation, however, intends
preventing abusive situations in which the Rector subtly imposes himself as spiritual
guide, and where formees, out of fear or in order to protect themselves, declare the
Rector as their spiritual guide but do not really open their hearts to him.8 Ensuring the
conditions for a genuine freedom of choice of spiritual guide goes a long way in
promoting a healthy practice of the vitally important instrument of formation that is
personal spiritual guidance and in avoiding the risks of psychological and spiritual
abuse, which unfortunately are not rare even within religious life.
In the spirit of the Preventive System, the Rector is urged to gain the confidence of
those entrusted to his care. In such a context, many might freely choose the Rector as
spiritual guide, and to these the Rector will willingly offer the service of personal
spiritual accompaniment.9
6 Perfectae caritatis 14. See also SCRSI, The Contemplative Dimension of Religious Life (1980) 11; can. 630
§1; and CICLSAL, Potissimum institutioni: Directives on Formation in Religious Institutes (1990) 63.
7 See Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major, “Presentation,” YSA p. 11: “Dear confreres, I am happy to
present to you Young Salesians and Accompaniment: Orientations and Guidelines, promulgating it ad
experimentum for a period of three years. While not being a supplement to our Ratio (Formation of
Salesians of Don Bosco), it supersedes the Ratio in case of conflict.”
8 See YSA 57-60, 108, 119-130, 157, 192-193.
9 See YSA 197: “The charismatic figure and role of the Salesian Rector is not to be minimized in any way.
Instead, the Salesianity of his figure must be enhanced, inviting him, along with his team of formators, to
be truly and fully the Salesians they have professed to be. Ensuring genuine freedom in the choice of
spiritual guide cannot translate into lowering of standards in the choice of Rectors. The direction to be
taken is precisely the opposite: all our Rectors, and with greater reason those of formation communities,

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The more a formee makes himself known to his formators, the better it is for him
and for all. The Ratio of the Church (2016) says that the candidate has the moral
responsibility to be transparent and to reveal any matters that might have a bearing on
his vocation. “In the process of formation, it is necessary that the seminarian should
know himself and let himself be known, relating to the formators with sincerity and
transparency.”10 Confidence, however, has to be gained; it cannot be institutionalized.
The Rector has to strive to make himself loved.
In keeping with these changes, Provincials, Rectors and other formation guides will
ensure real and effective freedom of choice of spiritual guide, taking care to avoid any
form of coercion, whether explicit or implicit. (YSA 190-196, 197)
To facilitate a genuinely free choice of spiritual guide, the Provincial (or curatorium,
in the case of interprovincial formation houses) will also present a list of Salesians
(Priests and Brothers) who could serve as spiritual guides. This list will not include
members of the local Council, but if some confrere wishes to freely approach one of
these, he has the liberty to do so. The formee can also choose someone else, in
consultation with the Provincial or Rector.11 Provincials and curatoriums are obliged to
make arrangements for the preparation and availability of suitably prepared spiritual
guides.12
1.1 In the novitiate and prenovitiate
In the novitiate, the novice director is the mandatory spiritual guide of the novices
entrusted to him. (Can. 650 §2)
As for prenovices, the person in charge of them is described as analogous to the
novice director and has the special responsibility to help the prenovices discern their
vocation.13
The one in charge of prenovices is sometimes distinct from the Rector of the house.
In this case, according to FSDB (2016), it is this person rather than the Rector whom the
prenovices approach for the friendly talk. (FSDB 2016 345)
Even in the prenovitiate, however, YSA asks for freedom of choice of spiritual guide.
The reasons given are the need to respect the right to privacy, the Salesian tradition in
which trust is earned not imposed, and also the widespread perception of lack of
confidentiality reported in the survey of 2017:
The free choice of spiritual guide in the prenovitiate is a particularly delicate point…. We
need to ensure, first of all, that genuine family spirit and the practice of the Preventive System
prevails in our prenovitiates, most especially through careful attention to the composition of
are called to exercise their fatherliness and authority in such a way that confreres will be drawn to open
their hearts to them – as used to happen with Francis de Sales, as used to happen with Don Bosco.”
10 Congregation for the Clergy, The Gift of the Priestly Vocation. Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis
Sacerdotalis (2016) 45.
11 See YSA 196: “Should the spiritual guide be chosen from within the formation team, and should he
necessarily be a Salesian? Here again, the basic principle is the same: it is better to place our trust in the
Salesian quality of the formators and of the community rather than in a rule or directive. It is important to
ensure, however, also two further elements: that the guide chosen is someone familiar with our charism
and spirituality, and that it is possible to meet him or her regularly. Within a relationship of mutual trust
and confidence, the Rector will find ways of dialoguing and discerning with the person in formation about
his choice of spiritual guide.”
12 See R 78. See also The Contemplative Dimension of Religious Life 11, and Potissimum institutioni 63.
13 Formation of Salesians of Don Bosco: Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis et Studiorum (4th edition, 2016)
345. Henceforth FSDB 2016.

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the formation teams and the prior preparation of formation guides, and especially of the one
in charge of prenovices. In an atmosphere of mutual trust, it is possible to win the confidence
of the young, while allowing them a basic freedom to choose their guide. The Provincial and
the provincial formation delegate will do their part in indicating to the prenovices the delicate
and critical role of the one in charge, especially as far as vocational discernment is concerned.
A related point in ensuring freedom of choice of spiritual guide is to ensure that the
members of the formation team are specifically prepared for spiritual accompaniment, and
also that there be at least one confessor among them who is not part of the local Council. (YSA
195)
YSA reminds us of the critical importance of the prenovitiate as far as personal
spiritual accompaniment is concerned, because for a very large number of prenovices
the first experience of such accompaniment takes place precisely in this phase. The way
this new helping relationship is experienced and lived will obviously have deep effects
on accompaniment in future phases of formation. (YSA 109-110) Let us not forget,
further, that the discernment and decision about the Salesian consecrated life takes
place in the prenovitiate and not in the novitiate. (FSDB 2016 346) It is extremely
important, therefore, for provinces to select and prepare formation guides for the
prenovitiate.
Attention to the prenovitiate inevitably leads us to think of the many kinds of
aspirantate experiences in the Congregation. The quality of the accompaniment offered
to each young person during these experiences has a formidable impact not only on
discernment but also on the rest of the vocational journey. What we have been saying
above is, therefore, to be borne in mind, with the necessary distinctions, also by those
who are involved in Salesian vocational discernment and the experience of the
aspirantate. Those entrusted with the service of animation and governance in the
provinces would be wise to make their best formators available as guides to those
taking their first steps in their vocational journey.
2 Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an essential element in human relationships. It is a gift we can still
give to people in a world with few secrets.14 Long experience in initial formation teaches
us the importance of safe spaces in which a person can take the risk to explore his inner
depths and to speak about them without fear. Confidentiality is essential in this regard.
Where there is fear there is no formation.
The sacrament of Reconciliation is covered by absolute confidentiality. A Note
from the Apostolic Penitentiary says:
The confessor is never and for no reason allowed ‘to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any
manner’ (can. 983, §1 CIC), just as ‘a confessor is prohibited completely from using knowledge
acquired from confession to the detriment of the penitent even when any danger of revelation is
excluded’ (can. 984, §1 CIC). Doctrine has contributed to further specifying the content of the
sacramental seal, which includes ‘all the sins both of the penitent and of others known from the
confession of the penitent, whether mortal or venial, whether hidden or public, insofar as they are
manifested in order to be absolved and therefore known to the confessor by virtue of sacramental
knowledge.’ [V. De Paolis – D. Cito, Le sanzioni nella Chiesa, 2000, p. 345] The sacramental seal,
14 See Richard Gula, Ethics in Pastoral Ministry (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1996) 117.

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therefore, covers everything that the penitent has accused, even if the confessor does not grant
absolution: if the confession is invalid or for some reason absolution is not given, the seal must
nevertheless be kept.15
Personal spiritual accompaniment also enjoys a very special confidentiality as
described in the same Note:
In spiritual direction, the faithful freely open the secret of their conscience to their
director/spiritual companion, in order to be guided and supported in listening to and fulfilling the
will of God.
This particular area, therefore, demands a certain secrecy ad extra, which is inherent in the
content of spiritual conversations and derives from the right of every person to respect for his or her
own privacy (cf. CIC can. 220). Although in a way that is only ‘analogous’ to what happens in the
sacrament of confession, the spiritual director is made part of the conscience of the individual faithful
by virtue of his ‘special’ relationship with Christ, which derives from the sanctity of his life and – if he
is a cleric – from the sacred Order he has received.
As evidence of the special confidentiality accorded to spiritual direction, one should consider the
prohibition, sanctioned by law, to ask not only for the opinion of the confessor, but also that of the
spiritual director, on the occasion of admission to Holy Orders or, vice versa, for the dismissal from
the seminary of candidates for the priesthood (cf. CIC can. 240, § 2; CCEO can. 339, § 2). In the same
way, the Instruction Sanctorum Mater of 2007, regarding the carrying out of diocesan or eparchial
enquiries in the Causes of Saints, prohibits the admission to testify not only of confessors, in order to
protect the sacramental seal, but also of the spiritual directors of the Servant of God, even regarding
all that they have learned in the forum of conscience, outside of sacramental confession.
This necessary confidentiality will be all the more ‘natural’ for the spiritual director, the more he
learns to recognise and be ‘moved’ before the mystery of the freedom of the faithful who, through
him, turn to Christ; the spiritual director must conceive his own mission and his own life exclusively
before God, at the service of his glory, for the good of the person, of the Church and for the salvation
of the whole world.16
As this text notes, Canon Law forbids the seeking of the opinion of the spiritual
director on the occasion of admission to Orders or dismissal from the seminary. In our
own tradition – going perhaps by the qualification made by Can. 630 §1 regarding the
discipline of the institute (“Superiors are to recognize the due freedom of their
members regarding the sacrament of penance and direction of conscience, without
prejudice, however, to the discipline of the institute”) – we have always allowed the
Rector to be part of the processes of admission at local level, even when he is spiritual
guide of some of those being admitted.
This provision remains unchanged in YSA, though steps were taken to ensure
genuine freedom of choice of spiritual guide, as outlined above. The document also
insisted that, if the Rector happens to be the spiritual guide, he cannot divulge anything
that he learns in this capacity to anyone, without that person’s free and explicit consent.
In fact, he cannot even make use of such information in the process of arriving at his
own judgment and in the secret voting of the house Council.17
15 “Nota della Penitenzieria Apostolica sull’importanza del foro interno e l’inviolabilità del sigillo
sacramentale,” 29 June 2019, section 1: Sigillo sacramentale, at
http://www.penitenzieria.va/content/penitenzieriaapostolica/it/tribunale-del-foro-interno/magistero-
e-biblioteca-di-testi/nota1.html (as of 25.05.2022).
16 “Nota” section 2.
17 See Criteria and Norms for Salesian Vocation Discernment. Admissions (2000) [= CN] 21, cited below in
section 3.2.

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The friendly talk with the Rector has also enjoyed a very high level of
confidentiality in a tradition that goes back to the Rector’s manual of Paul Albera. This
position has been repeated in subsequent editions of the manual up to the latest,
Animating and Governing the Community: The Service of the Salesian Rector,18 as also in
YSA.
The friendly talk with the Rector is itself protected by a very high level of confidentiality in all the
documents of the Church and of the Congregation, which is also what is required by the code of
conduct in many helping professions today, such as counselling. It is enough to quote the Ratio:
‘Guidance at the different levels of formation requires that those who render the service... must abide
by the principles of prudence and justice which, depending on the circumstances, imply discretion or
absolute respect for a professional or sacramental secret.’ (FSDB 264) As Fr Paul Albera says, there is
such a close correlation between confidentiality and trust that even a slight ‘leakage’ in the first
causes the almost complete and immediate loss of the second.
Even external things, if communicated to the Rector during the friendly talk, as for example matters
of health or a personal difficulty, are considered confidential, because everyone has the right to his
good name and privacy. They cease to be confidential, however, if the Rector later comes to know
about them in the external forum; but it would be good for him to advise the confrere on this matter.
Further, since one of the purposes of the friendly talk is also the good running of the community…,
the Rector has always the possibility, with the permission of the confrere, to act on the information
received. (YSA 155)
Both AnGC and YSA, however, note that the confidentiality covering personal spiritual
accompaniment and the friendly talk is not absolute, making mention of grave
circumstances that can supersede it.
The secrecy covering the friendly talk – as also personal spiritual accompaniment – is not, however,
absolute, as is the seal of the sacrament of reconciliation. There are, in fact, grave circumstances that
can supersede it, as, for example, the case of abuse of minors, homicide or suicide.19
When a supreme good like life itself is threatened, the duty to do all that is possible
to protect it prevails over safeguarding of confidentiality.
In Canon Law and in the Proper Law of Religious Institutes we also find reference to
situations that can become an impediment to admission and profession. Some of these
are mentioned in Can. 643 when it outlines conditions that invalidate the novitiate:
Can. 643 §1. The following are admitted to the novitiate invalidly:
1/ one who has not yet completed seventeen years of age;
2/ a spouse, while the marriage continues to exist;
3/ one who is currently bound by a sacred bond to some institute of consecrated life or is
incorporated in some society of apostolic life, without prejudice to the prescript of can. 684;
4/ one who enters the institute induced by force, grave fear, or malice, or the one whom a
superior, induced in the same way, has received;
5/ one who has concealed his or her incorporation in some institute of consecrated life or in
some society of apostolic life.
18 See Manuale del Direttore di don Paolo Albera 131; The Salesian Rector (1986) 264; Animating and
Governing the Community: The Service of the Salesian Rector (2020) [= AnGC] 74; and YSA 155.
19 AnGC 74 and YSA 155. Please note that this paragraph was added after GC28, and is therefore missing
from copies of AnGC printed in 2019.

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§2. Proper law can establish other impediments even for validity of admission or can attach
conditions.
The last-mentioned point (can. 643 §2) means that we must bear in mind also the
absolute counterindications mentioned in Criteria and Norms (2000).
Let us therefore explain the sense in which the confidentiality covering personal
spiritual accompaniment and the friendly talk is not absolute.
1. In contrast to the confessor who can in no case reveal anything that he has
acquired in sacramental confession, even if the penitent releases him from this
obligation, the Rector and the spiritual guide may, if authorised by the person concerned,
reveal to others information acquired in the non-sacramental internal forum by reason
of their office (religious superior) or the relationship of trust and confidentiality
(spiritual guide). They cannot, however, on their own initiative and without the
"liberating" authorisation of the person concerned, make known to others what they
have learnt in an internal non-sacramental forum. The Rector may and sometimes must
act on the basis of what he comes to know in the friendly talk, for the good of the
confrere and the community, but he cannot reveal what he has come to know through
the talk without the permission of the confrere concerned.20
This does not take away the serious duty on the part of the Rector and the spiritual
guide to speak clearly to the candidate when necessary and exhort him to make the
right decision.
In the case of situations that are known externally and need to be addressed,
concerning relationships, religious commitments, the community or the mission, it is
the Rector himself who must often take the initiative to speak about it, making explicit
the fact that it is something known externally. The fact that the Rector “also has a direct
responsibility toward each confrere,” helping him “realise his own personal vocation
and carry out the work entrusted to him” (C 55) also implies a duty on his part to
correct and intervene for the good of the person concerned and for the common good.
Here one sees the difference between the friendly talk with the Rector and the dialogue
of spiritual accompaniment: each of these contributes to the good of the person, but in
ways that are distinct.
2. The Rector and the spiritual guide are not obliged to respond if questioned by a
judge about what they have learned in the non-sacramental internal forum. In both
cases, the Rector and the spiritual guide are bound to secrecy, given that they are
exercising the sacred ministry. Can. 1548 §2 makes this exception with the aim of
protecting and promoting the trust placed by the faithful in the services of formative
accompaniment and spiritual guidance, ensuring that people can open up with full
confidence.21
20 Examples could be health problems or family situations that result in or call for changes in the ordinary
rhythm of life and distribution of duties in the community. We remember that every person has the right
to safeguard his or her good reputation This is associated with respect for privacy which is increasingly
protected in civil law and also in canon law: “No one may unlawfully harm the good reputation which a
person enjoys, or violate the right of every person to protect his or her privacy.” (Can. 220 CIC)
21 See D. Salvatori, “Il dovere di rispondere al giudice e il dovere del segreto come causa esimente: la ratio
dei cann. 1531 § 2 e 1548 § 2 nel rapporto deontologico fra giudice e interrogato,” Quaderni di diritto
ecclesiale 26 (2013) 73.

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The parties mentioned are obliged to respond, however, if they have received
information from other sources regarding possible abuse, or else if they formulate a
judgment on the matter, based on well-founded motives, evidence, reputation, rumours,
etc.22
3. There are also, however, circumstances in which a higher good must be preserved,
such as the life of the person involved in the confidential dialogue, or the lives of others,
22 Can. 1548 §2 states:
§2. Without prejudice to the prescript of can. 1550, §2, n. 2 [priests' incapacity to testify with
regard to anything which is revealed to them in sacramental confession], the following are
exempted from the obligation to respond:
1/ clerics regarding what has been made known to them by reason of sacred ministry… and
others bound by professional secrecy even by reason of having given advice, regarding those
matters subject to this secrecy.
The spiritual direction of the faithful is a form of exercising the sacred ministry. However, it is always
possible for the person concerned to release the Rector and the spiritual guide from their obligation to
maintain secrecy.
This principle is reiterated again in Vos estis lux mundi art. 3 §1, which concerns precisely the obligation
to report:
Except as provided for by canons 1548 §2 CIC [cited above] and 1229 §2 CCEO [“the following
are exempted from the obligation to answer: 1° clerics in regard to whatever was made known to
them in connection with their sacred ministry….”], whenever a cleric or a member of an Institute
of Consecrated Life or a Society of Apostolic Life has notice of, or well-founded motives to believe
that one of the facts mentioned in article 1 [offences contra sextum committed with violence or
threats or by abuse of authority, with a minor or a vulnerable person, or the crime of child
pornography, or omissions intended to interfere with civil or canonical investigations into such
crimes] has been committed, that person is obliged to report promptly the fact to the local
Ordinary where the events are said to have occurred or to another Ordinary among those
referred to in canons 134 CIC [Ҥ1. In addition to the Roman Pontiff, by the title of ordinary are
understood in the law diocesan bishops and others who, even if only temporarily, are placed over
some particular church or a community equivalent to it according to the norm of can. 368 as well
as those who possess general ordinary executive power in them, namely, vicars general and
episcopal vicars; likewise, for their own members, major superiors of clerical religious institutes
of pontifical right and of clerical societies of apostolic life of pontifical right who at least possess
ordinary executive power”] and 984 CCEO [“§3 Major superiors in institutes of consecrated life,
who have ordinary power of governance, are also hierarchs, but they are not local hierarchs”],
except for what is established by §3 of the present article. [“§3. When the report concerns one of
the persons indicated in article 6 (Cardinals, Patriarchs, Bishops and Legates of the Roman Pontiff,
pastoral heads of a particular Church, supreme moderators of Institutes of Consecrated Life or of
Societies of Apostolic Life) it is to be addressed to the Authority identified based upon articles 8
and 9 (Art. 8: Procedure applicable in the event of a report concerning a Bishop of the Latin Church.
Art. 9: Procedure applicable to Bishops of Eastern Catholic Churches).”]
Art. 4 §1 states: "Making a report pursuant to article 3 shall not constitute a violation of office
confidentiality."
Therefore, a distinction must be made between "information or well-founded reasons" of possible
abuse which a cleric or religious receives (information) or formulates (based on clues, reputation,
rumours, etc.) and "what was manifested" to a priest in the context of spiritual direction ("by reason of
the sacred ministry") or to a non-cleric religious who is a spiritual guide or a religious superior ("who are
bound by official secrecy").
In the first case, Vos estis lux mundi places an obligation on the cleric or religious to report. This
obligation does not exist, however, in the second case, as is expressly stated in the Motu proprio:
"Except in the cases envisaged in canons 1548 §2 CIC and 1229 §2 CCEO".

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or the risk of sexual abuse of a minor, and in these cases this higher good overrides the
mandate of safeguarding another great good, that is confidentiality.
But these are extreme cases and are understandable in the light of the supreme law
of the Church, the salvation of souls, set at the conclusion and as the end of the Code of
Canon Law: “In cases of transfer the prescripts of can. 1747 are to be applied, canonical
equity is to be observed, and the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme
law in the Church, is to be kept before one’s eyes.” (Can. 1752)
When the circumstances do not involve the extreme situations of danger of life or
abuse, the spirit of the law is to preserve as much as possible the value of
confidentiality, which consists in safeguarding the dignity of the person and the
fundamental trust implied in relationships that demand confidentiality.
Summing up: the roles of Rector and of spiritual guide are distinct but convergent.
The contents entering the dialogues in each case could be the same, but will be from
different perspectives and perhaps not with the same depth of openness of conscience.
Both roles, however, are necessary ecclesial mediations for the sake of vocational
discernment and formation.
When information on situations that strongly affect vocational orientation is
obtained in personal spiritual accompaniment or the friendly talk with the Rector, the
guide or Rector is bound in conscience to speak clearly about the matter to the
candidate and exhort him to make the right decision, but can take the matter further to
the proper authorities only if he has the free and explicit consent of the person
concerned. The only exception is when there is serious risk of endangering life (as in the
case of abuse of minors, homicide or suicide).
Formators have to be attentive also to the civil laws of the countries in which they
work. These laws might require religious superiors and spiritual guides to report
certain matters. Here it would be best to abide by the stand taken by the Church in the
papal magisterium and in the positions of the relevant Bishops’ Conferences, and to
make such legal obligations clearly and regularly known to all, from the very beginning
not only of the formation experience but also of the process of Salesian vocational
accompaniment.
Obviously, the formation of Rectors and spiritual guides for the service of
accompaniment is both vital and delicate. They have to be able to help the confrere in
formation face the reality of his life and history and make coherent decisions, and for
this they need adequate knowledge of the teachings of the Church and of the
Congregation, capacity building, as well as care of their own integral personal growth.
They will be reminded also that the accompanying relationship rests on three pillars:
respect for intimacy, the ability to keep secrets and trust.
There will always be a tension between respecting the sacredness of each one’s
conscience on the one hand and safeguarding the good of the Congregation and the
Church on the other. At the same time, we must also recognize that the law will never be
able to encompass all the variables presented by real life. Thus the mention of the risk of
homicide, suicide and abuse of minors, far from exempting from discernment, calls
instead for further and deeper discernment on the part of those actually faced with the
concrete situation. The roots of the terms ‘jurisprudence’ and ‘jurisdiction’ indicate, in
fact, this constant need for mediation and discernment in order to say what is right
(juris-prudentia, juris-dicere) by drawing inspiration from the norm and evaluating the
situation being confronted in all its concreteness. Discerning application calls, of course,

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for maturity and experience on the part of those offering the service of accompaniment,
as also the willingness to themselves seek guidance and supervision.
The experience of meeting so many formation communities in the different regions
of the Congregation shows that when there is a climate of mutual trust and a personal
accompaniment that reaches the heart, it is much more probable that complex
situations are addressed and resolved together by those in initial formation and their
guides. Where, on the other hand, a climate of control prevails, along with a desire to
detect and eradicate things seen as contrary to Salesian life, the likely effect is closure
and insincerity. Fully adopting the Preventive System as our model of formation is
undoubtedly very demanding but bears fruits that cannot be obtained otherwise. At
stake here is not merely a choice of method but fidelity to our charismatic identity.
Obviously, the trust in question has to be mutual: becoming trustworthy and giving
trust is required not only of formators but also of those in formation. Those who do not
have this basic honesty and the capacity to trust are not made for our Congregation, and
it is best that they make other life choices as soon as possible.23
3 Admissions
3.1 The application
Up to June 2007, nos. 104-105 of the Criteria and Norms (2000), speaking of the
application for admission to the novitiate, temporary and perpetual profession, the
ministries, the diaconate and the priesthood, required candidates to state that they have
the consent of their Rector (though not that of the spiritual guide and confessor).
Criteria and Norms 105 reads:
While respecting its personal nature, the application addressed to the Provincial and given to the
Rector, should contain the following elements:
– the name and surname of the applicant and the date on which it is made;
– reference to talking with the Rector and to his agreement with its being made;
– reference to the discernment undertaken and to seeking the opinion of the spiritual director and of
the confessor;
– the purpose of the application, clearly expressed, that is: entrance to the novitiate, the first
temporary profession or its renewal, perpetual profession, the ministries or the orders;
– a declaration of awareness of the public nature of the act that one intends to perform and of the
freedom to perform it, together with the fundamental motive.
In a letter of 24 July 2007 the councillor for formation communicated, on behalf of
the Rector Major, a modification of the above text:
Decision. To avoid restrictive or juridically binding interpretations with regard to the freedom in
making the application for admission, the Rector Major and the General Council acceded to the request
to eliminate “to his agreement with its being made” from number 105 of “Criteria and norms”, and at
the same time reiterated that in this number the expression, “reference to talking with the Rector”,
ought to be retained.
23 YSA 170: “The community and the formation guides have their own important role, and we know that
there are no perfect communities and guides. But nothing can substitute what is entrusted to each one’s
free response. Even the best guide will not be able to help someone who is not ready to open up, sincerely
share his experience, and embark on a process of growth. Similarly, if one’s core motivations are not
sincere, and pretence is deliberately adopted as a way of ‘survival,’ the damage to discernment and to
formation process is incalculable, and is the grave responsibility of the person himself.”

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Motivation. In the process of admission it is the one in formation who must first carry out a
discernment to ascertain whether he judges himself suitable or not for the Salesian vocation. In this
discernment he receives help from the Rector and the confessor, and if he happens to be a person
other than the Rector, from the spiritual director. Since these persons have been accompanying him,
they are in a very good position to offer him their opinion, be it positive or negative. It is then up to
the individual to take their advice into consideration with all due seriousness, assume his own
responsibility before God and decide in his conscience whether he should, or should not, make his
application. Therefore, he does not need the agreement of the Rector to make his application.24
The one intending to apply for vows, ministries or orders, therefore, asks the
opinion of his Rector, spiritual guide and confessor before presenting his application,
and states in his application that he has done so; but he does not need to explain the
advice he might have received, and above all he is not obliged to state that he has the
consent of the Rector or of the others. The onus of the decision to present the
application is placed on the person concerned and not on the ones consulted.
The Rector and the others, on their part, must give their honest opinion to the
candidate, and, if they are not the Rector, encourage the person to share this opinion
with the Rector.
If, before the session of the local Council dealing with admissions, the Rector judges
that an individual is not suitable for admission, or that he is not prepared at that
moment for presenting his request, he “is obliged in conscience to say this with charity
and clarity to the one concerned that he cannot and should not – also for his own good –
go ahead.” (Ricceri, ACG 281 49) He cannot, however, prevent the individual from making
his own decision and presenting his application. Should the application be presented, the
Rector cannot divulge in the Council the advice given to the person concerned, and must
act as in every other case (see section 3.2 below).
This also applies to the Council itself: if the Council is of the opinion that someone
should not apply for admission, the Rector has the right to communicate this opinion,
but he must also make it clear that the individual remains free to arrive at his own
decision.
One of the reasons why no application should be prevented from being handed in, is
that the authority responsible for admission is the Provincial. The local Council has a
consultative role. The provincial Council has an advisory role of the highest kind,
involving the giving of consent through secret ballot. Once the consent has been given,
the admission is the competence of the Provincial. This means that the Provincial cannot
admit a person without the consent of his Council, but he can refuse admission even if
his Council has given consent. The authority of admission is not collegial but remains
vested in the person of the Provincial.25
3.2 The Rector who is spiritual guide
We have already said that when requested by a confrere, the Rector will willingly
offer the service of personal spiritual accompaniment. (YSA 197) The Rector, therefore,
meets all his confreres, especially those in initial formation, for the friendly talk, and
could be the spiritual guide of some.
24 F. Cereda, 24 July 2007, prot. 07/0505.
25 Cf. can. 641 CIC. Cf. also The Project of Life of the Salesians of Don Bosco (1986) p. 811: “The admission
itself belongs to the provincial, and is a formal act of his personal authority and not of the council, though
the consent of the latter is necessary.”

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As per our tradition, the Rector continues to participate in the process of admissions
at local level. In this tradition there is a tension between being formators and leaders in
the Salesian style and the wisdom and prudence of the Church – a tension that the
present orientations and guidelines try to integrate and make fruitful.
We have also said that the Rector cannot share with the Council or with anyone else
any of the information he has received in the friendly talk or in spiritual
accompaniment, with the qualifications made in section 2 above. Once again, he can
neither divulge nor make use of what he knows solely through the friendly talk or
spiritual accompaniment, not even in the secret voting of the house Council, unless
authorized by the candidate concerned. Criteria and Norms (2000) is explicit on this
point:
As regards the ‘professional secret’ it should be remembered that the Rector cannot make use of what
he comes to know solely through the friendly talk, even in the secret voting of the house council. He
may make use of it if the confrere freely and explicitly gives his consent. (CN 21)
A note explains ‘professional secret’: “In juridical terms it is sometimes called
‘confidential secret’ or of conscience, in that it is confided to the conscience of someone
in view of the office held or exercised.” (CN 21 note 41) A second note cites The Salesian
Rector (1986) 264:
The very nature of the friendly talk with the rector calls for rigorous secrecy and confidentiality. "Let
the rector be careful never to reveal to others the faults a confrere may have, even when they may
already know of them through other channels. Let it be obvious to his subjects that he is able to respect
the confidentiality of what is entrusted to him. It only takes some small indiscretion to weaken and
maybe entirely destroy the confidence they have shown him."
For reasons inherent in your office, you may be asked by the provincial for your opinion on some
confrere or other, and in such a case you have to give the necessary information objectively and
responsibly. But it should be based exclusively on the external behaviour of the confrere concerned
and on what others may say about him. Confidences that may have been given in private talks are
protected by a rigorous secret: nihil, umquam, nulli. (CN 21 note 42)
Clearly, the Rector and his Council, when processing requests for admissions, have
to rely solely on what they have come to know in the external forum. (YSA 156) This
requires, of course, that they be truly present with the candidates/confreres in initial
formation, in the best and fullest Salesian sense of the word ‘presence.’ The informality
of life is extremely revealing, sometimes even more than what is shared in the friendly
talk or in spiritual accompaniment.
3.3 The role of the local Council
When a Council is dealing with admissions, it is very important to keep in mind the
core perspective governing the process of discernment. The overriding question to be
answered in the secret of the conscience is: from an overall perception of the life of the
candidate, is he called to what he is applying for, and is he suitable? This is not the
moment to address this or that incident or to correct this or that fault, behaviour or
weakness – that must be done in the course of daily life and fraternal correction and
during the trimonthly assessments. The moment of admission is a discernment before
God about the overall vocational journey of one of his children, and therefore a very
demanding responsibility before God, the Church, the Congregation and the
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As we have said already, our practice is that the Rector (and analogously the one in
charge of prenovices or of confreres doing higher studies during the period of initial
formation), even when he is personal spiritual guide, continues to be part of the
admission process at local level. It is worth repeating that, unless he has the free,
explicit and preferably written consent of the one concerned, the Rector cannot share
with the Council or with anyone else the information he has received solely through the
friendly talk or in spiritual accompaniment. Neither can he make use of such
information in order to arrive at his own judgment about the suitability of the person
for admission. (CN 21) “He makes his judgment solely on the basis of his own
observations and of those of his Council.” (YSA 156)
The role of the local Council regarding admissions is consultative. Given that it is
mandatory to listen to its opinion at this moment, the validity of the act requires that
the opinion of all be requested (cf. Can 127 §1 CIC). After the members have expressed
their opinion about the suitability of the candidate, giving their reasons, it is necessary
that the judgment of suitability be expressed synthetically with a positive or negative
secret vote (equivalent to a favourable opinion on the suitability or to an unfavourable
opinion). This practice preserves the freedom of each councillor and avoids undue
pressure from other members.
Membership of the Council carries with it the obligation on the part of each
councillor to express his opinion. Abstentions, in other words, are not possible. “All
whose consent or counsel is required are obliged to offer their opinion sincerely and, if
the gravity of the affair requires it, to observe secrecy diligently; moreover, the superior
can insist upon this obligation.”26 Accepting membership of a Council therefore entails
serious responsibilities. Anyone who does not feel ready for such a service would be
better off not accepting it or else asking to be relieved of it.
At the time of admissions, therefore, the opinion of the local Council is to be
expressed not only in a written judgment but also through a secret vote.
The practice of deciding in advance how to vote (the so called “fagioli concordati”) is
absolutely to be stopped, because it invalidates the whole reason for the secret vote.
These orientations and guidelines can become truly effective when we invest in the
formation and “capacity building” of the members of the Council at local and also at
provincial level.
4 Passage of personal information
In the case of confreres continuing initial formation in another house or phase
(including interprovincial formation communities) and those who opt for the missions
ad gentes, the Provincial concerned will pass on a copy of the judgment at the time of
admission and such other information as may favour the knowledge of those in
formation by those responsible for that phase,27 including the periodic personal
assessments. It would be very important, however, to keep in mind the clear distinction
26 Can. 127 §3 CIC cited in AnGC p. 217, with note 3: “On the basis of this norm, abstention is not
legitimate.”
27 FSDB 2016 298: “Let the Provincial see that, especially at the beginning of a phase of formation, those
in formation are known by the ones responsible for that particular phase, and let him arrange for the
communication of adequate information throughout the whole process of formation in the most
convenient way possible.”

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between the periodic assessment, which is meant to help the confrere to grow in his
vocation, and the judgement of admission that is a juridical act.28
The different phases of formation are complementary. This has consequences with
regard to formators, those in formation, and the unity of the formation process as such.
Effective communication between formators of different levels should be a hallmark of
this progressive complementarity of all that is put in place for fostering growth.
The confrere in initial formation is encouraged to be the first to take responsibility
for integrating the help received through the periodic assessments into his personal
plan of life, and to value it as a road map for his vocational growth, something to be
fruitfully shared with his Rector and with the spiritual guide he has chosen, especially
when moving to a new community or phase of formation.
At the time of admissions, especially those that concern a definitive commitment
such as perpetual profession and holy orders, it is important to keep in mind the whole
journey of Salesian life of the confrere concerned.29 It is therefore important to take into
account the discernment that has taken place during the previous stages, through
admissions, scrutinies and dialogue with the Province of origin, in the case of
interprovincial communities (cf. CN 108). What has been said about discretion and
respect for good name obviously also applies to the way of dealing with this
information, which, however, being part of a discernment process carried out by local
and provincial Councils, is not part of the internal forum.
Great care must be taken in the storage and transmission of information, folders,
reports or any document with personal data such as those mentioned above, avoiding
leaving them in easily accessible areas, even during Council meetings. Equal care must
be taken when transmitting and storing in digital form, taking pains to avoid possible
infringements of privacy and confidentiality.
5 Guidelines
1. Choice of spiritual guide. To facilitate a genuinely free choice of spiritual guide
the Provincial (or curatorium, in the case of interprovincial formation houses) will
present a list of Salesians (Priests and Brothers) who could serve as spiritual
guides, ensuring that they are either part of the community or else easily accessible,
and that they are not members of the local Council, keeping in mind also that the
formee can, in consultation with the Provincial or Rector, choose someone else. The
Rector and members of the local Council can also be approached for spiritual
guidance if a candidate/confrere so wishes.
2. Application for admissions. In his application for admission, the candidate must
declare that he has consulted his Rector, confessor and spiritual guide; he is not
28 YSA 168: “It is worth emphasizing that the assessment is not in itself a discernment process linked to
the admission of a candidate to the next phase. Such admissions are juridical acts that involve the
province and not only the house Council, while the main purpose of the periodic assessments is to foster
the vocational growth of the one receiving it, through the qualified contributions offered by members of
the local Council. The formation scrutiny is, instead, an assessment of the progress made by someone who
is in formation. Used during initial formation to personalize the formative process, it is an instrument of
considerable help to the Rector and the spiritual guide in their work of spiritual accompaniment.”
29 FSDB 2019 518: “The admission to perpetual profession is made on the basis of an assessment of the
entire process of formation, a verification of the candidate’s motivations, and his assimilation of the
Salesian vocation project.”

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obliged to say that he has their consent. The Rector and the others, in their turn,
are obliged to give their honest opinion to the candidate about his suitability for
the step being requested. They cannot, however, prevent the individual from
making his own decision and presenting his application. Should the application be
presented, the Rector cannot divulge, not even in the Council, the advice he has
given to the person concerned, and must act as in every other case. Similarly, the
local Council can advise the candidate about a possible negative opinion but cannot
prevent him from presenting his application.
3. Admissions – role of the Rector. The Rector cannot share with the Council or with
anyone else any of the information received in the friendly talk or in spiritual
accompaniment, with the qualifications made above in section 2: Confidentiality.
Neither can he make use of this information to arrive at his own judgment at the
time of voting about the suitability of the person for admission.
4. Admissions – role of the Council. At the time of admissions, the local Council will
express its opinion through a secret vote and through a comprehensive written
opinion that is exhaustive if synthetic, on the overall suitability of the candidate.
The practice of deciding in advance how to vote renders the vote invalid and is to
be absolutely excluded.
5. Passage of information. When a candidate/confrere moves on to another phase
of formation, whether in his own province or elsewhere, his Provincial will pass a
copy of the judgment at the time of admission, and other information which may
favour the knowledge and accompaniment of the candidate/confrere concerned,
including the periodic assessments. This will make it possible to carry out a
discernment at the time of admissions that looks at the whole arc of Salesian life
and the formation journey of the person concerned (cf. CN 108).
6. Formation of formators. Provincials and animating bodies such as regional
formation centres will organize formation courses for first time Rectors, for all
Rectors from time to time, and for the members of local and provincial Councils.
During these courses, the orientations and guidelines of the present letter will be
presented and made the subject of personal study as well as group sharing.
***