GC29|en|Moderator’s letter

Dear Moderators and dear Provincials,

On behalf of the entire GC29 Technical Commission, I wish you wonderful and holy end-of-year celebrations. I am writing to both groups (moderators, provincials) this time because the material I describe below makes the method for preparing the third core area of GC29 more tangible and specific. Yet at the same time it is in continuity with the request to provinces last summer to contribute topics in view of the choice of the GC29 theme. Hence this letter is being sent to moderators of PCs, as it should be, but also to provincials of the Congregation so that they may be directly informed.

As promised in the previous communiques, the subject of this letter is the presentation of material developed during this plenary session of the Council, focused on the third core area: “A courageous review and re-planning of the Congregation’s governance at all levels”

During the period from 6–19 December 2023, the General Council dedicated itself to several sessions of in-depth reflection in which it examined a collection of documents and reflections accumulated over the last 25 years. This examination allowed us to identify recurring issues, gather comments and suggestions; to share the experience of governing the Congregation in the Council, and to put the Council’s perspective in writing , proposals for development of the Council itself, and fidelity to the accompaniment of the Congregation by the General Council.

In his letter of convocation the Rector Major clearly expressed the intention behind this analysis: “The sole purpose of this methodological choice is to offer a draft of a holistic proposal that will be sent to the provincial chapters, so that all the provinces of the Congregation can see it and enrich it, or reject, change, delete it; all of which serves to arrive at the GC29 with a pre-considered and balanced opinion and holistic overview.” (AGC 441, p. 11)

By sending you this material, consisting of two somewhat “anonymous” minutes (no name is given to contributions) and a thematic summary organising the content into five main areas, our wish is to stimulate constructive discernment. The areas of reflection include the General Council, Sectors, Regions, Secretariats and other relevant proposals. When you look at this material you will find the thematic summary highlighting perspectives on the Council and potential development with many different thoughts, but all aimed at improving the accompaniment of the Congregation, and making room for new perspectives and solutions.

Whatever direction you decide to take in your Provincial Chapter, the thematic summary should always be accompanied by the two “anonymous” minutes which contain all the richness of the discussion in the Council as well as the wealth of perspectives and the strength of the different proposals that emerged.

The methodology adopted for GC28, and which we are also following together for GC29, is based on three fundamental steps: starting from a reading of what exists and our experience, exploring and interpreting this, so that we can then make suggestions or choices. This approach allows us to build on a solid foundation and take advantage of the accumulated wisdom of the Congregation over time.

The material we are providing you with outlines the aspects we want to examine at GC29 and offers pointers for informed discernment. It is essential that every proposal emerges from lived experience, so as to guarantee that future decisions are rooted in the concrete reality of our Congregation.

The questions that the material suggests for the third core area include the composition and organisation of the General Council, the potential reconfiguration of the Regions, ways of carrying out Extraordinary Visitations and Team Visits, and finally, structures of animation within our provinces. Other proposals could emerge from your Provincial Chapters, and as such they will be examined by the pre-Chapter Commission in September 2024.

I am asking you to organise your proposals by theme/topic to facilitate the follow-up process in the pre-Chapter Commission:

  • The organisation of the General Council itself

  • The organisation of the Congregation’s Regions

  • Inter-provincial bodies

  • Extraordinary Visitations

  • Team Visits

  • The organisation of animation in the Provinces

  • Duration of terms of office for governance

  • Other proposals

I encourage you to give careful consideration to the material that has been offered, discuss it in communities and in your now imminent Provincial Chapters, and prepare constructive feedback. Your participation is crucial for the success of this joint work and for service to our confreres and the young.

Let me conclude by calling on the intercession of St Joseph, head of the Holy Family, to accompany us in this new year of discernment and service.

In Don Bosco,