ROME: 15th March 2008 -- The
Rector Major himself decided this morning to sum up where the Chapter
seems to be at.
"The
second week (10-15 March) was completely dedicated to studying the
key themes:
(1)“Return to Don Bosco”,
(2) “The urgency of
evangelising” and
(3) “The need for a vocation ministry”, as
well as some matters taken up by the Juridical Commission, especially
questions concerning the Salesian Brother and the configuration of
the General Council, with a view to arriving at the elections already
having answered the questions put by provinces or individual
confreres".
He went on to say that "one thing we should
acknowledge is the acceptance of the Working Document as a
departure point, meaning that what we find here is not only the
excellent service of the Precapitular Commission but also and
especially the support from Provincial Chapters".
Is it all positive? This is how puts it:
"There might be more than one who is thinking that this Chapter could
be reduced to something cosmetic, meaning a few external improvements
but with no profound modification. Personally, what I see from the
work of the Commissions is that they have taken on the work of
producing a Chapter rather than a pre-Chapter text, which will be a
document and not just a useful training item". Then he adds:
"What I am asking myself is if this is a Pentecostal experience where
the Holy Spirit is acting through us to renew the Congregation by
firing up the heart of each confrère. My answer is 'yes'. The
Holy Spirit does not change the outward expressions of life, but
those within and similarly he transforms people and renews the face
of the earth. In fact his first action is to bring us together,
involving us in a common project, making us responsible for drawing
up everything that makes it possible to once more take up our
identity, and the visibility and credibility of our life and mission".
As is often the case with the Rector Major, he turns
to Scripture to throw light on his experience: "What comes to mind for
me is the work of the prophet Haggai who was
one of those who motivated the material rebuilding of the Temple
without which the return of the exiles would have been a failure and
not an occasion for unity for the people; and, particuarly, it brings
us to recall Esdra's work: rebuilding the wall of Jeruslaem for him
was not enough for the spiritual rebirth of the people, something
only made possible by listening to the Word. In fact by re-reading
the Pentateuch Esdra succeeded in setting Israel's rebirth into
actiion (cf. “Memories of Esdra”, Esd 8:36; Neh 8:1-18)".
And finally: "With
regard to the work carried out by the Juridical Commission, its
members are taking in hand each of the proposals coming from
Provincial chapters, individual confrères, The General
Council. The Congregation's history tells us of the weight of General
Chapters when it comes to shaping the structures of animation and
government at various levels (local, provincial and congregational),
even if, in order to achieve certain changes, it has taken several
General Chapters, not due to the slowness or something of an
innovative spirit lacking in Chapter membersi, but because there
hasn't always been the overall complete view of what it was they were
dealing with. Just the same, coming back to a study of certain
aspects of the shape of the General Council means there is a need for
serious study to offer something different which could present a
quite different set of alternatives.
