austraLasia #2123

Writing words that satisfy 16,000 people

ROME: 11th April 2008 -- Of course, it would be impossible to write words that satisfy 16,000 people, but the Salesian Congregation makes a grand effort to do so every six years!  This evening, at around 6.00 p.m. the Chapter voted by an overwhelming majority to approve the final draft (Italian) of 'Da mihi animas cetera tolle'.  It did this over about a 3 hour period however - piece by piece, section by section then overall, so there could be no doubt what was being approved.
    You will all want to know when you can get hold of it - it is very likely that provincials or delegates will arrive home with the annotated version they had in the 'aula', but you can be certain that the Chapter Moderator, Fr Cereda, will see to a more official version as soon as is humanly possible.
    While Chapter members of the major language groups actually had a copy in hand for tonight's voting (possibly the first time this has happened in a Chapter), the other languages will need a little time to improve their text.  English for example. We have a text that is presentable but by no means minus glitches, and it needs a little team to go through it line by line.  Much of the final translation was done under considerable pressure - of time - to ensure that it did get into the hands of those who were voting on it.  Errors made under that pressure need to be eliminated.
    What might be more valuable at the moment is to review what the drafting group presented as their criteria; after all, they were trying to satisfy the 230 or so who represent the 16,000 and this 230 were very critical, so if you can satisfy them, well.....
    Here in brief is how they explained the task they had carried out. The EAO Region had a competent member on this committee in Fr Elio Capra. The drafting committee worked all sorts of hours days and night.  They were the Chapter martyrs.
   
    "Our chief criterion was our awareness that the entire Congregation is involved here. We tried to avoid a too 'western' viewpoint or to seize upon experiences or contexts that were too local. So we tried to identify situations and suggest guidelines touching the entire Congregation, aware that a Chapter does not conclude with a document but needs to be put into practice in particular contexts.
    We were faced with diverse theological, educational, pastoral sensitivities. There's always the risk of privileging one or  the other view, so we tried to draw on common language found in the magisterium of Church and Congregation.
    A fundamental question we had in mind always was: How will the confrères read this text?  What are their likely reactions?
    Difficulties we found: the tendency to want to say it all over again from the beginning, the many interventions that spelt out actions, despite the request to 'indicate what might be a step forward for the Congregation'. Language was always a challenge - we tried to keep translation in mind, especially when some Italian phrases cause great difficulty.
    And the criteria used for the final phase? The criteria of 'majority' - where one commission proposed a change and three wanted the earlier text we confirmed that text. Where many iuxta modums came in on the same thing we confirmed the modum.  As criteria for non-admissibility - we did not accept modi where the text involved was not already approved in substance (it couldn't be an entirely new idea, that is), and we did not accept ones which wanted to alter the setting out, structure, internal logic of the document.
    We sought a criterion of internal consistency/coherence, and ultimately of simplification - of processes, expressions, references".
 
I guess we now wait and see what the reaction of the confrères is going to be.
    One final point - it may not be possible for me to get an austraLasia out immediately after the concluding session tomorrow, when the Chapter will be declared closed.  I am leaving to teach in Jerusalem immediately afterwards.  I'll be in touch a day or two later.  Then we need to get back to regular fare!  This writer will cease writing in the first person and will ask that the regular contributors from around the Region start up again and send in the local news.  You've heard more than enough from me in the past month and a bit.  Hopefully it has helped you follow the Chapter as it unfolded.  jbf
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Title: australasia 2123
Subject and key words: SDB General, GC26 Conclusion
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2123