The 29th General Chapter

• having considered that in the 28th General Chapter the Juridical Commission had already begun a reflection, with the help of experts, on Art. 187 of the Constitutions;

• having considered that the wording used in §2 of this article (“Acquiring and holding real estate with the sole object of producing income and every
  other kind of permanent interest-bearing investment is forbidden”) is given different interpretations and does not correspond to current needs;

• having considered that income-generating activities, ethically lawful and with a clear allocation of profits, have been considered legitimate both in the past and in the present, without this having generated scandal or constituted grounds for any counter-witness to institutional poverty;

• considering that C. 187 does not forbid provinces from promoting income-generating activities;

• considering that C. 188 no. 3 allows for the acceptance of inheritances, legacies, or donations upon payment, and that this may entail restrictions on the use of the proceeds, as established by the donor, such as requiring, for example, the preservation of the real estate received;

• considering that C. 188 no. 4 allows the establishment of life annuities, charities, foundations that must – by statute – be endowed with their own stable assets; having considered that works that are not self-sufficient from a financial point of view, such as social works, formation houses, houses for the elderly, need stable sources of livelihood;

• without prejudice to the forbidding of speculative real estate or financial transactions,

RESOLVES

to amend Article 187 of the Constitutions, removing the words “are directly useful for works. Acquiring and holding real estate with the sole object of producing income and every other kind of permanent interest-bearing investment is forbidden except in the cases referred to in Article 188 of the Constitutions”, replacing them with the words “are directly useful for the purposes provided for by the Constitutions. The use of purely speculative real estate or financial transactions is forbidden.”

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered the transformation in the notion of mission linked to specific territories;

• having noted the fact that countries who once received missionaries today send confreres to countries evangelised a long time ago;

RESOLVES

to amend Article 30 of the Constitutions, removing the words “were the special object of” and replacing them with the words “were always the object of” and adding after the words “founding the Church within a group of people” the words “and revitalizing the faith, including in countries of ancient Christian tradition.”

B - Changes to the General Regulations

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered the request of various Chapter commissions;

• having noted the decrease in the number of confreres;

• having recognised the difficulty in some provinces in founding new communities with six confreres;

• having seen increased the need to give juridical substance to existing small communities,

RESOLVES

to amend Article 150 of the Regulations, removing the words “The number of confreres in a house shall normally not be fewer than six” and replacing them with the words “The number of confreres with perpetual vows in a house will be no fewer than four”.

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered that in various provinces works and services have been developed for young people in situations of vulnerability or exclusion;

• believing that these works correspond to the nature of our charism;

• having considered that in chapter III of the Regulations there is no specific reference to these works;

• in order to institutionally recognise its importance and specific nature,

RESOLVES

to add to the Regulations after no. 14, a new article formulated as follows:

“We also carry out our mission in works and services for young people in situations of vulnerability or exclusion to respond to problems arising from social injustice, the violation of human rights, financial, emotional and spiritual poverty. Through specific educative and pastoral proposals and projects we work to help those to whom we are sent discover their dignity as children of God and enable them to participate fully in the life of society and the church. Each province, attentive to everything that generates poverty and exclusion, offers specific settings and services, collaborates with other organisations in the promotion of the common good, and carries out actions that have an impact on youth policies.”

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered the distinction between the economer of the religious house and the administrator of the work;

• having considered that in some cases both tasks are carried out by a confrere, while in others the administration of the work is entrusted to a layperson;

• having considered that this assignment is not reflected in the Regulations,

RESOLVES

to amend Article 190 of the Regulations – “The formulation of detailed rules of administration at provincial and local levels is left to provincial chapters. In particular, directives will be given:" – adding point 4a with the following wording: “on the role and duties of the lay administrator of the work, where applicable.”

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered the special role of the rector in the community and the work;

• considering that Article 176 of the Constitutions establishes that the rector is “first in order of responsibility for its religious life, its apostolic activities and the administration of its goods”;

• having considered that the Constitutions provide for a clear distinction between the role of the rector, who presides over the Council, and the economer who is a member of it (cf. C 178-179);

• considering that Article 184 of the Constitutions states that “The economer is the one immediately responsible for the administration of the temporal goods of the religious house, in dependence on the rector with his council”;

• in order to ensure that he “should keep himself free from commitments which could interfere with his fundamental duties of service to the confrere” (R 172);

• in order to ensure greater transparency and shared responsibility,

RESOLVES

to add to Article 172 of the Regulations after the words “to the confreres” the words “He shall not hold the office of economer”.

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered the reduction in the number of confreres in some provinces;

• in order to keep the role and duties of the economer distinct from those of the rector;

• in order to ensure transparency and shared responsibility,

RESOLVES

to remove from Article 182 of the Regulations the words “Ordinarily, however, the office of vice-rector should not be combined with that of economer”.

The 29th General Chapter

in line with the reflection of the Congregation expressed in the General Chapters and in the magisterium of the Rector Major on the animating nucleus of the educative and pastoral community,

RESOLVES

to amend Article 5 of the Regulations by replacing the words “whose animating nucleus is the Salesian community” with the words "whose animating nucleus is made up of a group of people who identify with the ecclesial mission, Don Bosco’s educational system and his spirituality. Its charismatic point of reference is the Salesian community.”

C – Resolutions on the Configuration of the Regions

RESOLUTION NO. 10

The 29th General Chapter

• having taken note of the rapid growth in the number of confreres, works and pastoral fronts of the provinces of Africa-Madagascar;

• having taken note of the request from the provincials of the Region;

• having considered the geographical extent of the Region and its cultural and linguistic diversity;

• having regard to the unanimous proposal of the Chapter commissions;

• in order to allow a better accompaniment of the provinces and confreres by the Regional

RESOLVES

to establish a second region in Africa-Madagascar, in accordance with Art. 154 of the Constitutions;

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered the resolution with which a second Region was established in Africa-Madagascar, pursuant to art. 154 of the Constitutions;

• having considered that the establishment of groups of provinces is the responsibility of the General Chapter, in accordance with Art. 154 of the Constitutions;

• having regard to the proposal of the members of the Chapter from Africa and Madagascar;

ESTABLISHES

the following two groups of circumscriptions:

• EAST and SOUTH AFRICA REGION including the AFE, AGL, ANG, TZA provinces and the AET, AFM, MDG, MOZ, ZMB vice-provinces;

• CENTRAL and WEST AFRICA REGION including the AFC, AON, AOS, ANN and ACC, ATE provinces.

RESOLUTION NO. 12

The 29th General Chapter

• having regard to the request of the Provincial Chapter of Croatia;

• taking into account that this request could not be dealt with in GC28;

• having considered the geographical proximity and cultural affinity with the Mediterranean Region;

• having considered that for many years the initial formation of the confreres of the province has taken place in the Mediterranean Region,

RESOLVES

that the St John Bosco Province of Croatia be transferred from the Central and North Europe Region to the Mediterranean Region, in accordance with Art. 154 of the Constitutions;

D – Resolutions for the Rector Major with his Council

RESOLUTION NO. 13

The 29th General Chapter

• having taken note of the complexity of the governance of the Congregation;

• having taken note of the indications of Art. 107 of the Regulations;

• in order to promote a more agile and unified government action;

• in order to avoid overlapping initiatives and facilitate their implementation in the provinces;

• in order to promote a planning culture that improves the processes envisaged in the Directory of the General Council,

ASKS

the Rector Major with his Council to promote a more effective coordination of the Sector Councillors among themselves and with the Regional Councillors, and to implement a system of periodic evaluation of central government.

RESOLUTION NO. 14

The 29th General Chapter

• having taken note of the numerous tasks entrusted to the Regional Councillor in Art. 140 of the Constitutions, articles 135-140 of the Regulations, and in numbers 119-136 of the Directory of the General Council”.

• having considered the difficulty of reconciling the accompaniment of provincials, provinces, interprovincial bodies and Curatoriums of formation houses, together with the regular conduct of extraordinary visitations,

ASKS

the Rector Major with his Council to review the priorities and methods of implementation of the tasks of the Regional Councillor to better implement what is required in Art. 140 of the Constitutions, in articles 135-140 of the Regulations, and in numbers 119-136 of the Directory of the General Council;

RESOLUTION NO. 15

The 29th General Chapter

• having taken note of the numerous tasks entrusted to the Regional Councillor in Art. 140 of the Constitutions, articles 135-140 of the Regulations, and in numbers 119-136 of the Directory of the General Council”.

• having considered the geographical extent of the Regions and their linguistic and cultural diversity;

• in order to allow the Regional Councillor to focus on the priorities of his office,

ASKS

the Rector Major with his Council to guarantee the Regional Councillors adequate personnel to support their service.

RESOLUTION NO. 16

The 29th General Chapter

• having noted the decrease in the number of confreres in Europe;

• taking into account the need to ensure joint initial and ongoing formation processes;

• taking into account the need to reshape the Salesian presence in the Continent;

• in order to promote coordination in the study of problems and in the development of projects,

ASKS

that the Rector Major with his Council develop a renewed reflection on the common challenges that the Congregation faces today in Europe and on synergy between the two Regions.

The 29th General Chapter

• having noted the increase in formation centres and interprovincial study centres;

• having noted the difficulty in specifying the nature and tasks of the Curatorium and in defining who is responsible for chairing and coordinating decision-making processes;

• having acknowledged the difficulty in identifying criteria for the recruitment, preparation and management of staff in formation houses and study centres,

ASKS

the Rector Major, with his Council, to specify

• the nature and tasks of the Curatorium,

• presidency and decision-making responsibilities,

• the role of the Regional Councillor, the Formation Councillor, the local provincial and the other provincials concerned,

• criteria for finding, preparing and managing the staff of formation houses and study centres.

The 29th General Chapter

• having noted the absence of regulatory legislation regarding the Team Visit;

• having noted that, according to current practice, the main purpose of the Team Visit is to check on the implementation of the General Chapter in the Region;

• having considered that it is a privileged and strategic moment of unity, participation and shared responsibility (see C 123);

• having regard to the request of the Chapter commissions for a greater impact of the Visit and that more effective forms of collaboration be defined within the Region;

• to encourage the greatest possible interaction between the central government and the government of the provinces,

ASKS

the Rector Major, with his Council, to review the methodology of the Team Visit, so as to ensure:

• adequate preparation involving the Provincials with their councils,

• an active participation in synodal style,

• mutual listening on specific issues of the Region,

• evaluation of interprovincial bodies and regional centres.

The 29th General Chapter

• having taken note of the multiplicity of tasks assigned to the Regional Councillor;

• having taken note of the possibilities provided for in Art. 104 of the Regulations;

• in continuity with the request already made in the 28th General Chapter,

ASKS

the Rector Major, with his Council, to establish at the beginning of the six-year term the most suitable times and methods for carrying out extraordinary visitations in accordance with Art. 104 of the Regulations, so as to ensure:

• the possibility for each confrere to have a personal talk with the Visitor;

• that the Visitor has the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the context in which the province carries out its mission;

• that the Regional Councillor has the possibility of being present at certain times of the visit, if carried out by another Visitor;

• that there is communication between the Visitor and the Regional Councillor to ensure further accompaniment by the Regional Councillor after the visitation;

• that there is adequate time for the Regional Councillor to carry out the tasks of his office at the service of the region and the individual provinces (see C 140 and 154; R. 135-137).

The 29th General Chapter

• considering that the Rescriptum ex audientia Ss.mi of the Holy Father Francis of 18 May 2022, granted the Supreme Moderator of an Institute of Clerical Consecrated Life of pontifical right the power to appoint, with the consent of his council, a non-clerical member as local Superior,

• having considered the variety of positions expressed in the rich Chapter debate,

ASKS

the Rector Major to avail himself of the aforementioned possibility ad experimentum for the next six years and to commit the next General Chapter, after a serious historical, theological, charismatic, pastoral and juridical in-depth study, to express view concerning the potential change to articles relating to the rector in the Constitutions, Regulations, and consequently in the other documents of the Congregation (“Animating and Governing the Community. The Ministry of the Salesian Rector”, Ratio institutionis et studiorum, other animation and governance documents in force).

The 29th General Chapter

having considered the variety of current experiences and the complexity of the subject,

ASKS

the Rector Major, with his Council, to draw up guidelines on the relationship between the local Council and the Council of the educative and pastoral community, with regard to the governance of the work.

E – Deliberations for Provincials, Provincial Councils and Provincial Chapters

The 29th General Chapter

• having considered the need to consolidate a culture and policy at the institutional level for the protection of minors and vulnerable people in each province;

• having considered the need to have a group of competent and up-to-date people on the development of legislation in this area;

• having regard to the experience gained in various provinces;

• in order to guarantee a system of security for minors and vulnerable persons in compliance with civil and ecclesiastical laws,

RESOLVES

that a Commission for the protection and safeguarding of minors and vulnerable persons be set up in every province.

The 29th General Chapter

• in light of what is stated in no. 34 of the Chapter Document: “The determination to guarantee a safe environment for all those who frequent our works encourages us to intensify our formation efforts for our confreres, lay people and young people themselves, in order to avoid any kind of abuse, harassment or inappropriate behaviour.”

• in continuity with the resolution that asked each province to establish a Commission for the Protection and Safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Persons;

• in accordance with the Preventive System that Don Bosco passed on to us as the most precious legacy of our charism,

RESOLVES

that every province

• continue the commitment undertaken to guarantee safe environments for minors and vulnerable persons, complying with canonical legislation, directives issued by Episcopal Conferences and collaborating with civil authorities, in compliance with the legislation of individual countries;

• value the best practices tried out in other provinces and be eager to share their own;

• include its approach (policy) in the Provincial Directory for the protection of minors and vulnerable persons;

• make it known to all those who collaborate in any capacity in their works and services; prepare adequate formation; require compliance with them and periodically evaluate their implementation;

• provide in particular within the policy, reporting procedures, the kinds of support for those who declare they have been abused, and appropriate communication methods;

• promote restorative justice pathways.