THE WORKINGS OF OUR GENERAL COUNCIL
ANSservice
NOTE: austraLasia from time to time makes use of the above
service in the interests of a wider understanding of the Salesian mission at its
various levels. The service comes in Italian. The translation of
snippets is mine. jbf
Taking the session which concluded on 21st January as an
example, the General Council works along the lines of a network. Sometimes
two or three councillors will offer their thoughts on a region or province. They
will seek to gain deeper understanding of a question that pertains to one of the
departments. Sometimes the councillors will gather in small groups to
explore an issue or prepare a paper....either in groups relating to departments,
or to regions.
The plenary session, where all the member sof the Council come
together, is the most complete but not the only expression of its work. It
is in this larger group that particular and important projects are elaborated,
above all directions and orientations of a political nature. In the
session just completed, for example, without counting the small group
gatherings, of which there were many, the whole council gathered 28 times for a
total of some 56 hours or work - multiply that by 15 members and you get 850
hours of reflection and work!
What else has happened in the last session? There are
many practical matters like the nominating of Provincials. This time round
there were twelve of them, including the first Provincial of all france who will
reside in Paris; the first Filipino-born Provincial for Philippines North; we
did not succeed, unfortunately, in nominating an African Provincial for the
Africa Central Province. After a long reflection on the matter we felt
that things had not quite matured to that point yet.
There were many ongoing matters, amongst which: 11 reports
from visits to Provinces; the examination of some 39 Provincial Chapters;
reports from Councillors who had made vistis relating to their
Departments.
In the Council this time, a number of ideas and tendencies,
developments have attracted attention. For example, the increase in
communication within the Salesian world...and in connection with the wider
Catholic world. Much more communication via e-mail, for instance, and
messages from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the provinces generally flow
through the place. This increase in every direction and from every
possible source has given rise to a new section of the Social Communications
Department: Promoting the Image, a Press and Public Relations Office.
Consideration is being given to a new web site (central) which will also involve
chat/webphone. There has even been a brief discussion of a new circular
throughout the Congregation which will look at the way we live in this new cyber
climate (a sort of cyber ecology, if you like).
Another matter which has preoccupied the Council is Africa:
Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ethiopia, Eritrea - all places where Salesians are
working and violence is prevalent. We have had confreres kidnapped by
police in the Sudan, imprisoned. In the Congo, serious problems continue -
a lot more than tv or newspapers succeed in conveying. The same goes for
Ruanda and Burundi. The Council can sometimes only assist by means of
advice, encouragement, spiritual support (all much appreciated). Where
possible the Council has sent emergency funds to relieve difficult situations -
the Sudan for instance, or Central America, the latter receiving $100,000.
In the Congo the Congregation has had to set up a special delegation with a
degree of autonomy from the province as a whole...it envisages a delegate of the
Rector Major himself, with special powers which will last for the duration of
the military emergency.
Another area has given the Council much concern: Dimapur
(North East India), where there are 182 different ethnic groups under the
influence of some major surrounding nations all seeking territorial
advantage. In the division and confusion, our own confreres have
experienced at least 104 counts of threat, 63 of them serious and one resulting
in the death of a confrere. These problems beset not only our confreres
(217) but also the Missionary Sisters of MHC (508) and the FMA
(230).
Then there is the matter of Team Visits. Their story
begins in 1972 after the Special General Chapter. It is not a
constitutional structure of government as such; it is a meeting to evaluate,
reflect, find points of agreement at the end of which some directions emerge and
which are ratified by the Rector Major (usually presiding) or whoever presides
in his place. There has been, in this present session, some fine-tuning
and rationalization of the process. In the year February through to next
February, 11 such visits will take place. Feb: English-speaking Africa;
two in April for the Cone of South America; Germany/Austrai in May; Western
Europe in August, North Europe (UK, Ireland, Belgium and Holland) in September;
East Poland and Interamerica in October. In February 2000 there will be
four in hot pursuit of each other: Italy, French-speaking Africa, Asia-Pacific,
India. Each Team Visit has a common theme: Salesians and lay people: the
community as animating nucleus of diverse strengths.
Finally - the Millenium! The Council has decided that by
and large the Congregation will take part in the Church's many initiatives so as
not to multiply efforts. But there will be a special missionary
expedition. This is quietly happening at the moment - requests being
constantly received for involvement in it. The Council is giving thought
to a possible proposal of a 'journey of conversion' for each community and its
work, to mark the millenium.
And vocations! A constant theme of provincial chapters
and Team Visits, it is also constantly under consideration by the General
Council, and in close connection with other Superiors General and their
Councils.
