N.356

year LXXVII

may 1996

SALESIANS AND LAY PEOPLE:

COMMUNION AND SHARING

IN THE SPIRIT AND MISSION

OF DON BOSCO

DOCUMENTS OF 24th GENERAL CHAPTER

OF THE SOCIETY OF St FRANCIS DE SALES

Rome, 19 February - 20 April 1996

CONTENTS

n.p.

Signs and abbreviations

PRESENTATION

SALESIANS AND LAITY: COMMUNION AND SHARING

IN THE SPIRIT AND IN THE MISSION OF DON BOSCO

INTRODUCTION:

THE EVENT OF GRACE OF 12 APRIL 18461-2

FIRST PART

SALESIANS AND LAITY TODAY: THE SITUATION3-56

CHAPTER 1

ELEMENTS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SITUATION 3-18

1. The horizon: together in spirit and in mission

for the service of the young 3-5

2. The context: World and Church 6-18

2.1 In today's world 7-14

2.2 In the Church 15-18

CHAPTER 2

SITUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP SDBs - LAITY 19-51

1. Desires and realizations 19-38

1.1 Positive aspects of the relationship 19-29

1.2 Resistances and difficulties in the relationship 30-34

1.3 The relationship in particular situations 35-38

2. The practical manner of communion and sharing: CEP and PEPS 39-47

2.1 The process so far 30-43

2.2 Difficulties of realization 44-47

3. Forms of communion or sharing and belonging:

Salesian Family and Salesian Movement 48-51

CHAPTER 3

PROSPECTS AND PERSPECTIVES 52-56

1. Broadening involvement in the spirit and mission 53

2. Encouragement of a new style of

communion and shared responsibility 54

3. Development of a process of formation in common 55

SECOND PART

SALESIANS AND LAITY: MEMORIES AND PROPHECY 57-105

CHAPTER 1

SDBS AND LAITY IN THE WORLD AND IN THE CHURCH 57-68

1. Called by the Father to work in his Kingdom 57-60

2. Called by Christ to be signs and instruments of communion

and participation 61-64

3. Unity and diversity in the common mission 65-68

CHAPTER 2

RADIATION OF THE CHARISM 69-86

1. At the origins 69-75

2. In the salesian tradition 86-82

3. Lines emerging 83-86

CHAPTER 3

THE SPIRIT AND MISSION TO BE LIVED TOGETHER 87-105

1. At the roots of our unity 87-88

2. Elements of the spirituality 89-100

2.1 Preferential love for the young,

especially the poorer ones 89-90

2.2 Spirituality of relationship: family spirit 91-93

2.3 Commitment in the Church for the world 94-96

2.4 Spirituality of daily life and of work 97-98

2.5 The preventive system: constant listening to God and to man 99-100

3. A pedagogy for living together in Don Bosco's

mission and spirit 100-105

THIRD PART

TOWARDS THE FUTURE 106-186

CHAPTER 1

AREAS OF COMMITMENT 106-148

0. Introduction

1. Broaden the involvement 107-116

1.1 Objective 108

1.2 Guidelines 109-114

1.3 Practical commitments

At local level 115

At provincial level 116-117

2. Promote the sharing of responsibility 117-127

2.1 Objective 118

2.2 Guidelines 119-122

2.3 Practical commitments

At local level 123-124

At provincial level 125-126

At world level 127

3. Exploit communication 128-137

3.1 Objective 129

3.2 Guidelines 129-132

3.3 Practical commitments

At local level

a. The SDB community 133

b. The CEP 134-135

At provincial level 136

At world level 137

4. Qualify the formation 138-148

4.1 Objective 139

4.2 Guidelines 140-143

4.3 Practical commitments

At local level 144

At provincial level 145-146

At world level 147-148

CHAPTER 2

THE EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL COMMUNITY 149-179

1. The consecrated community the soul of the CEP 149-150

1.1 Prophecy in action 151

1.2 Evangelical radicalit 152

1.3 Community of consecrated persons 153

1.4 The lay component in the SDB community 154

From the SDB community to the CEP 155

2. The CEP: its nature and functions 155-157

2.1 Animation 158-159

2.2 Council of the CEP and council of the work160-161

3. Convoking of the laity162-165

4. Feminine presence in the CEP 166

5. Guidelines 167-179

5.1 With reference to the consecrated communities167-168

5.2 With reference to the CEP169-174

5.3 With reference to the calling of lay people175-176

5.4 With reference to female presence in the CEP177-179

CHAPTER 3

SOME PARTICULAR NEW SITUATIONS180-186

1. Activities and works managed by lay people

within the salesian provincial project180-182

1.1 Fundamental criteria180

a. Criteria of salesian identity

b. Criteria of communion

c. Criterion of significance

1.2 Guidelines181-182

1.2.1 Responsibility of the Province181

. Activities or works of the laity

accepted within the provincial project

. Activities or works entrusted to the laity

within the provincial project

1.2.2 Responsibility of lay persons182

. Statutes

. Contracts

2. Lay collaborators in plurireligious and pluricultural contexts183-186

2.1 Ecclesial references183

2.2 Salesian references184

2.3 Guidelines185

2.4 Practical commitments186

CONCLUSION:

The pergola of roses187-188

DELIBERATIONS AND GUIDELINES CONCERNING

1. Limitation of the duration in office of the members of the

general council, in the same sector of activity (C 142)189

2. Modification of art.3 of the General Regulations190

3. Practical guideline on the functioning of the

structures of government191

4. Guideline concerning the "form" of our society192

5. The groups of provinces (C.154)193-194

APPENDICES

JOHN PAUL II

1. Message to the GC24195-200

2. Address to GC24 at Vatican audience201-206

CARD. MARTINEZ SOMALO

3. Address to capitulars at beginning of GC24207-210

RECTOR MAJOR

a) Addresses

4. At beginning of GC24211-217

5. To the Pope at the audience218-220

6. At the conclusion of the GC24221-258

b) Interventions in the assembly

7. Clarifications on report on state of Congregation259-267

Summary of the week's work

8. 2 March268

9. 9 March269

10. 16 March270-272

11. 23 March273

12. 30 March274-280

13. 13 April281-282

MESSAGES

- Messages of GC24

14. to lay people283

15. to the young284

16. to Cooperators285

17. to Past-pupils286

18. to Don Bosco Volunteers287

19. Message of laity present at GC24 to other lay persons288

HOMILIES OF RECTOR MAJOR

20. at the beginning of the GC24

21. after election of Rector Major

22. Annunciation (with laity present in GC24)

23. Holy Thursday

24. at conclusion of GC24

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE GC24

CHRONICLE OF GC24

ANALYTICAL INDEX

SIGNS AND ABBREVIATIONS

art.article

can.canon

chap.chapter

cf. compare

f./ff.following

n.number

nn.numbers

p.page

pp.pages

v.see

Ecclesial documents

AGAd Gentes

CLChristifideles Laici

ENEvangelii Nuntiandi

GSGaudium et Spes

LGLumen Gentium

IPIuvenum Patris

NANostra Aetate

RHRedemptoris Hominum

RMRedemptoris Missio

VCVita Consecrata

VFCFraternal life in community

Salesian abbreviations

ACSActs of Superior Council (before 1984)

ADBFriends of Don Bosco

AGCActs of General Council

BMBiographical Memoirs

CConstiutions n.

CEPEducative and Pastoral Community

DBSDon Bosco Secular Institute

DBVDon Bosco Volunteers

FMADaughters of Mary Help of Christians

GCGeneral Chapter

MBMemorie Biografiche

MOMemoirs of the Oratory

PPPast-pupils

RALRegulations of Apostolif Life

RMRector Major

SDBSalesians of Don Bosco

SFSalesian Family

SGCSpeial General Chapter (GC20)

SYMSalesian Youth Movement

SYSSalesian Youth Spirituality

PRESENTATION

My dear confreres,

This number of the Acts brings you the abundant material resulting from the GC24. In this way too are promulgated, in line with the Constitutions (C 148), the deliberations contained in two documents: the longer one concerning communion and sharing in the spirit and mission of Don Bosco on the part of Salesians and laity, and the other one which carries the modifications to the Constitutions and General Regulations together with other guidelines on the government of the Society.

There are also a number of Appendices, equally important for understanding the period through which the Church is living and the goals proposed by the Congregation today. Among these are the addresses of the Holy Father and the concluding discourse of the Rector Major. There are also the messages which manifest the mutual feelings and expectations between ourselves and the other branches of the Salesian Family. Included too are documents which bear witness to the life of the Chapter, such as homilies, the weekly summaries, the chronicle of the Chapter, etc. Finally, a carefully prepared index will facilitate consultation.

To the above must be added the Report on the state of the Congregation, already sent to the Provinces, which will prove very useful for information on the various sectors of work, for a broad view of the salesian reality, and for an understanding of the general guidelines provided by the capitular deliberations.

The whole collection transmits not only what the Chapter discussed and voted on, but also what can be described as an event of the Congregation: an experience of world communion in the charism, a careful discernment to see what the situation in the Church and the world are demanding from the salesian mission, and a grace of the Spirit for our vitality in these closing years of the millennium marked by concern over the new evangelization.

The document which gathers together the conclusions on the capitular theme is the final result of a process of reflection which has closely involved both confreres and Provinces.

The main stages of the process, spaced out over two years, were: the preparation of an outline to single out the crucial points to be analyzed, study by local communities, the realization of 89 Provincial Chapters, the examination of the material subsequently sent in to the Moderator, the drafting of the pre-capitular document, the work of the GC24 itself which through its commissions and repeated discussions in the assembly stated the problems more precisely, the efficacious expression of charismatic inspirations, and the clarification of objectives and possible lines of action.

The depth and serious nature of the discussions is attested to by the valuable documentation in the minutes of the assemblies and the collection of the numerous interventions through which the capitulars tried to home in on the situations as unequivocally as possible and offer clear guidelines.

The document, therefore, expresses our collective experience at world level concerning the involvement of the laity, of which it reports our reflections at length, highlighting the positive and problematic aspects of the present situation. In this sense it serves especially as a mirror for verification purposes.

At the same time it finds ecclesial, charismatic and cultural motivations which encourage us to go forward with confidence in this new line which is presented to salesian life and activity.

From these two perspectives - the situation and charismatic inspirations - emerge the practical guidelines and criteria for action, the objectives and tasks (all of them judged suitable by a large majority) for the renewal or improvement of our educative and pastoral practice, and for the rhythm and manner of our communal life.

I will not delay in comments, emphasis and syntheses. A key to the reading of the document can be found in the closing address included among the appendices.

Rather let me entrust the document with prayer and great confidence to the patient, deep and sustained study of the individual confreres, the local communities, the Provinces and the Regions or Provincial Conferences. To make our own the spirituality the document proposes, to assume the mentality which is at its foundation, to put its suggestions effectively into practice, will be for some time our main and even our only commitment; and this at every level of activity, by all organisms of government and all animating roles: formation, youth pastoral work, missions, salesian family, social communications and economy.

In the GC24 we heard it said that our capacity for renewal resides not only or even mainly in the proclamation of intentions or projects, but in realizing it with patience and determination in all our works and with the active involvement of all.

We must therefore overcome the departmental mentality which compartmentalizes activities and leads to the handling of tasks in an individual manner rather than in taking up the new developments in the solidarity of a community project.

Today all of us are called to work together in a convergent manner, in shared responsibility, in the formation of lay people for their progressive identification with the spirit and mission of Don Bosco in the Educative and Pastoral Communities, in the Salesian Family and in the Salesian Movement.

We are called to do this as an animating nucleus, of one mind in competent activity, able to find room for and integrate into the task the more motivated members of the laity, through relationships, communication, the Educative and Pastoral Project, the style of presence and activity included in the preventive system, and the policies which foster qualification,

That is the programme; that is the challenge. On this basis we shall verify the adequacy of the efforts we make and the results we obtain in terms of quantity and quality. On this we must bring to bear today the rethinking of the various dimensions of our consecrated life: spirituality, pastoral work, pedagogy, professional competence, and organization.

It is a question of a new configuration of the 'charismatic' salesian community which incorporates new resources and a new vision of the settings for pastoral work. Both of these require the adherence of all of us. Discontinuity and dispersion, even for a good purpose, would be harmful.

I would like to emphasize that the process we are undertaking is based on the development during the past six years of orientations given by the GC23. It asserted that for the education of young people to the faith there was need of a community, in the sense of a team of adults who become for young people a sign, school and environment of faith because they have in common the reference to Christ, or at least share the values of Christian education.

It is on this reality we concentrate today to exploit its potentialities to the maximum. The focus is always on the young. The pastoral sense is the leaven of every initiative. Education is always our chosen way for human growth and the journey of faith. But all this we want to share, and dedicate ourselves to its communication with more time, more preparation, more instruments, and with a different idea of our role as consecrated shepherds and educators of those whom the Holy Spirit brings within Don Bosco's orbit.

From this consideration it is clear that in the continuity of the project there is nevertheless a new perspective: our efforts will be addressed in concentrated form to the laity. In the coming years they will be our primary interlocutors, so that they can become sharers with us of responsibility.

The Holy Father points out to us that the secret of the efficacy of such work is the transparency of our authentic following of Christ. The recent Assembly of the Synod of Bishops dedicated to consecrated life, he said, had made very clear the relationship existing between the spirituality of a religious Institute and the spirituality of the lay people who take inspiration from it for their life and activity. This was the perspective for the reflection of the capitular assembly which would not fail to indicate paths for apostolic cooperation between consecrated persons and laity, called to be in the world courageous witnesses to the Gospel (cf.n.200).

Dear confreres, the promulgation of the capitular deliberations is taking place on 24 May, the feast which reminds us of all the happenings that began at Valdocco on 12 April 1846 and was summed by our Father in the phrase: Mary did everything.

May she help us, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to pursue with generosity of heart and joyful confidence this further period of our history which takes us to the third millennium,

Rome, 24 May 1996

Fr Juan E. Vecchi

Rector Major