Convocation of the XVIII General Chapter

LETTER OF CONVOCATION
OF THE
XVIII GENERAL CHAPTER

Dear Confreres
We warmly greet you as we are preparing to live the event of the XVIII General Chapter as a time of blessing and grace for our Institute and the mission. Let us thank God for the journey travelled in these five years and for the good things that have been sown in the heart of many through your work and the spirit of dedication to the poorest and most abandoned. Let us thank the Lord in particular for the witness of fidelity and love to the people of God of many confreres who are going through situations of tension and frequent discomfort. Even in our days we give testimony to this as many of you are experiencing with courage, generosity and enthusiasm situations of great violence and serious difficulties.

On the 150^th anniversary of the Plan for the Regeneration of Africa and the 10^th anniversary of St. Daniel Comboni’s canonisation, we wish to recall to mind one of Comboni’s expressions: “God’s work are always born and grown at the foot of Calvary” (W 5726).

1. Convocation of the General Chapter
In accordance with n. 147 of the Rule of Life, with joy and trust in God we officially convoke the XVIII General Chapter of the Institute. This act calls all of us to set ourselves on a journey of discernment, communion and prayer with the enthusiasm of Comboni, so that the upcoming Chapter may be for our Institute a grace-filled event and an occasion of renewal.

The XVIII General Chapter will take place in Rome, at the General Curia. The Chapter Delegates will have to be in Rome by Saturday 29 August 2015 for a week of preparation. The Chapter will open on Sunday 6 September 2015 with a solemn Eucharist at 9 a.m. and its closing date is foreseen for Sunday 4 October 2015 with a solemn Eucharist.

The theme for the XVIII General Chapter is: “The Comboni missionary disciples called to live the joy of the Gospel in today’s world”.

2. Chapter Delegates
According to what is established by the Rule of Life (n. 148-149), the following confreres will be called to be members of the XVIII General Chapter:

2.1 The de jure Capitulars: the members of the General Council, the Provincial Superiors (see list).

2.2 The delegate Capitulars: priests and brothers elected according to what is established by the Rule of Life 149-150 (see the list of electoral colleges).

3. Election of Delegates
We wish to call to mind the importance of what is established by the Rule of Life (n. 150) for the election of Delegates to the Chapter:

3.1 The Provincial/Delegation Superiors must follow the norms established by the Rule of Life (n. 150, 1-10) for the election of Priests Delegates. They will arrange it so as to complete the process by 15 November 2014.

3.2 For the Brothers Delegates, the election will be organized by the Secretary General who, following the Rule of Life (n. 149.2 and 150.9) will send the electoral lists to those concerned and “establish the norms for the return, the counting of votes and the announcement of the results”.

The process of election of the Brothers Delegates will need to be completed by 15 November 2014. In the consultation, only the Brothers vote. In the actual election of the Brothers Delegates, both the priests and the brothers vote (RL 150.5).

3.3 The Secretary General will send to the Province/Delegation Superiors the lists of confreres with right to active and passive vote updated to 1 July 2014 (RL 149.3).

3.4 In the election of Delegates to the Chapter, both priests and brothers will follow what is established by the Rule of Life n. 150, 1-10. Particular attention needs to be given to what the Chapter of 1991 established and added to n. 150.7 of the Rule of Life: “Are elected the members who receive the relative majority of at least one third of the votes. Should the candidates, or some of them, not receive the required majority, voting is repeated until this is obtained” (CA ’91, 58.3).

3.5 All confreres, except those exclaustrated and those living outside the community, have the right to active vote, according to what is established by the Rule of Life n. 160.4. All the confreres in perpetual vows by 1 July 2014 have right to passive vote (RL 150).

3.6 For information on the electoral process please refer to the Secretary General. The results must also be sent to him.

3.7 In order to ensure the right to privacy and the authenticity of the vote, the use of electronic mail is not allowed in the process of consultation and election.

3.8 To expedite the process, the results of the consultations and elections may be communicated by electronic mail or by fax. The original document will then be sent by ordinary mail.

3.9 At the proper time the Superior General and his Council will announce the names of the Observers who will be invited to attend the XVIII General Chapter (RL 148.1).

Dear Confreres,
The General Chapter is a particular moment in our life that we wish to entrust to the action of the Holy Spirit. We hope that he may lead us to discover the paths which will take us to the mission with a heart filled with the joy that comes from the Lord.

May God bless us.
27 June 2014
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

Fr. Enrique Sánchez González, mccj
Fr. Alberto Pelucchi, mccj
Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, mccj
Fr. Antonio Villarino Rodríguez, mccj
Bro. Daniele Giovanni Giusti, mccj