austraLasia #2098

Chapter dithers, Chapter decides - and coordination is a key word

ROME: 18th March 2008 -- Chapters have their good days and their bad days; in the wash up, yesterday was not too bad, but it had its dithering moments.  The problem is something that long Chapter tradition calls 'dibattito' but which is not, of course, debate in any parliamentary sense of that term. However, in the midst of long monologues, endless interventions about everything, there were some bright moments (Including the 'dream' reported yesterday).  One courageous Brother, though, asked a good question - whose identity is actually under discussion?  Is it the Salesian Brother's or in fact the priest's?
    And so, for a mid-afternoon session, after people had been in Assembly for a good stretch of the morning too, it was a bit deadly, and even left one translator utterly confused as he began to translate Spanish into Spanish and then left the Spanish speechless when English started up.
    But it wasn't all dither. There is an exhaustive process to ensure that when it comes to voting, all i's have been dotted and all t's crossed. Votes go through straw vote stages, reformulation and finally come to the floor for an electronic push of a button or two.  Hence yesterday MYM transferred from South Asia to East Asia-Oceania, the three Regions of Europe were left with their present shape but given a coordination 'office' (which had already been asked for by GC25 but not really carried forward), Project Europe got a firm mention in that same deliberation - it will probably be given more formal shape before the Chapter concludes, the animation of the Salesian Family was left to the Vicar of the Rector Major, but a Coordinator was thrown into the mix to actually coordinate much of that and free up the Vicar for his other priority governing tasks (to be evaluated at GC27) and the three charismatic sectors of Youth Ministry, Social Communications, Mission will have an interdepartmental team set up by the Rector Major with one or other of the Councillors as a coordinator of that team.  Not hard to see that coordination is the key word at this point.
    Today the Chapter has four Assembly sessions, one to present the first draft of the second key theme on evangelisation, another to enter into 'dibattito' (let's see how this one goes; maybe people have learned something) on evangelical poverty and then another session similarly, on new frontiers.  Then yet another session which will offer a definitive vote on the request that the structures of central government be examined carefully over the next six years with a view to possible overhaul at the end of it.  And in the middle of all this people will go into commissions to keep studying one or other theme.  That's where the real work is happening - along with the hardworking editorial team who have to slim the stuff down but keep the essentials.
    SUO's provincial Dave Purdy spent most of the day in hospital - but he's come right, it seems. Poor Ivo Coelho from INB is battling a toothache, but aims for a definitive vote to go to the dentist today. MOR's Provincial has not yet arrived - recovering from serious surgery, but looks like making it here by 23rd; and IRL's John Horan had a great St Patrick's Day!  Things are on the up and up.
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Title: australasia 2098
Subject and key words: SDB General, GC26
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2098