Rector Major Outlines a Vision to Build a Better World

NEW DELHI: (drawn from BIS India report) 5th March 2005 -- In his Good Night to the Provincials, Superiors of Vice Provinces and their Councillors and national delegates of South Asia, March 3, the Rector Major spoke of the challenges facing the world today as outlined by the Pope, and the Salesian Congregation’s commitment to promote these values and be at the heart of the Church.

    The Rector Major announced the news of the appointment of Eduardo Pinheiro, as another Salesian bishop in Brazil. He said Brazil has 25 Salesian bishops. There are 120 Salesian bishops in the world. Commenting on the appointment of the new bishop the Rector Major joked saying if the trend continues soon we may have more bishops than novices.

     He went on to reiterate the Congregation’s commitment to the Church and its mission, and fidelity to the Holy Father. “Our task as evangelizers call for collaborating in the construction and uplift of the Church”, he said. It may be recalled that the Rector Major has urged the Salesian Family through his Strenna (gift) for the year 2005 to  ‘rejuvenate the Church.’

    The Rector Major spoke of the four challenges Pope John Paul II underlined when he addressed the Diplomatic Corps representing 185 countries accredited to the Vatican. The Pope spoke to them of his vision of the world in four key words: Life, Bread, Peace, Freedom.

    Fr. Chavez said Life is one of the important challenges on which the Pope has often spoken. He has staunchly defended the right to life and opposed the evil of abortion. John Paul II has stood out as an outstanding champion of respect for life. The Rector Major deplored the fact that laws and policies of some of the governments and international agencies like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) have endorsed or legalised abortion and that sometimes aid is tied up with a demand to legalise abortion.

    Speaking on Bread, the second challenge for the Pope, the Rector Major said today we have the potential to feed the whole world. Pointing out the glaring economic imbalances in the world, while people like Bill Gates have billions of dollars in their accounts, more than two billion people are compelled to live with less than a dollar a day.

    On Peace, the Rector Majorcommented that the Pope has consistently stood as a champion of peace. He decisively intervened in Iraq because he had genuine interest in peace for the people of that nation whereas many countries had other vested interests. Speaking of the global scenario of wars, Fr. Chavez said there are more than 35 wars going on at the moment in different parts of the world. He urged the Salesians to educate people, including families, for peace.

    The fourth challenge according to the Pope is Freedom. The Rector Major said many countries do not enjoy freedom, including freedom of religion.  Large countries like China continue to be under dictatorial governments that curtail people’s freedom.

    The Rector Major said the vision of the world as expressed by the Pope in four words indicate that the challenges reflect anthropological, humanistic realities that touch the core of many people and their lives.  The Salesians, he said, have a responsibility to strive to make the world better. A vast majority of the more than 16,000 Salesians in the world is engaged in formal, non-formal and informal education, he pointed out. Through our work for the youth, especially the poor and the  marginalized sections among them, we ought to strive to improve the human condition of their lives.

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