austraLasia #1783
Pre-Chapters and radical moves
LAWAAN: 9th March 2007 (150th anniversary of death of Dominic Savio, see
RM's message on www.sdb.org) -- What is a pre-Chapter, you ask? You
may get different answers depending on where you are! One of the more
unusual 'circumscriptions' in the Salesian world is, undoubtedly, the General
Administration or Salesian HQ in Rome. Yes, it too has a Provincial
chapter, yet it goes by another name, A.STRA (Assemblea Straordinaria).
Because of the nature of 'the Pisana', as it is fondly called, with
representatives from all round the Salesian world, its Chapter tends to be a
kind of pre-run of GC26, or rather, it realises that this is one of the dangers
it must avoid, and keep its gaze a bit more firmly fixed on its own
affairs! In roundabout terms, then, the A.STRA is not a pre-chapter!
Southern Philippines province, on the other hand, is
modelling a pre-Chapter, bringing together a good percentage of its total
numbers, along with a number of lay mission partners. This is over and
above a pre-chapter commission which has already been at work in the province
preparing materials and interacting with communities. Both are in
function of the actual Provincial Chapter 2007 to be held later in May.
Around the region Provincial Chapters are being held - some
already concluded. Some of these bodies, other than the formal modules
which have to be sent to the GC26 Moderator, also send in materials for
publication on www.sdb.org GC26 pages (which will shortly hive off into a
separate sub-web in preparation for the 'real thing' in February next year).
Leafing through these materials, one idea represented
strongly in pre-chapter discussions in FIS, seems to be getting right at the
core of the Rector Major's intentions for GC26 - the idea of radicality.
Perhaps it began to emerge right at the beginning of the FIS pre-chapter
meeting when someone asked about what seems to be a sudden jump from a GC25
insistence on 'planning mentality' to this GC26 direction of the Da mihi
animas cetera tolle (which, interestingly enough, Don Bosco tells us that
Dominic Savio focused directly on when he came to see him in his office). One
of the responses to that question was to suggest that in our fragmented times
we especially need something which holds it all together at the core of things.
As the Salesians and their lay mission partners then began
to work through the themes and reflect on them in the light of their own
province realities, they came back to this notion of something radical
happening - or needing to happen. As one confrere put it, 'this is not a
document we are talking about but a change of life'! In various lines of action
that were being looked at, what was emerging? Radicality. And then the realisation
that if radicality is at the root of it all, then maybe even some chapter
commission work has to be looked at again. Clearly a call is emerging to go
deeper, move from simply touching the surface of things.
Where all this goes in terms of the major event, GC26, is up
to the Holy Spirit and the good will and work of thousands of confreres around
the world. No doubt the mini-experience of the Southern Philippines is
reflecting similar realisations in other parts of the region - and the Congregation.
Would there be a place for an additional page or two within
Boscowiki for some radical reflections? Well, the good thing about a wiki
is that if you think so, feel free to open up such a page!
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