Familia Comboniana 740 - April 2016

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

GENERAL NOTES

MARCH 2016 CONSULTA

1. Guide for the implementation of the XVIII General Chapter

On 15 March, 2016, the General Council sent out the Guide for the Implementation of the Chapter to all Circumscriptions, in the hope that it might inspire and assist all the confreres to give their contribution to planning our missionary life at personal, community and circumscription levels.

2. The process of unifying the General Secretariats

The General Council has met with the General Secretaries and the heads of offices (SGF, CCOGF, EV, MA, LCM, JPIC...) to examine together their fields of work with a view to the unification of the secretariats that will take place before the end of 2016. To this end, a series of meetings has been planned in preparation for the June and October Consultas of this year.

3. Consultation for the appointment of Circumscription Superiors and their Councils

The GC has started the process of the consultations for the appointment of Circumscriptions Superiors due to begin on 1 May, 2016. To guide the process, the GC will send all the present Circumscription Superiors a letter containing all the indications necessary for good discernment. The GC also invites all the confreres to accompany this exercise with their prayers that the Spirit may guide, animate and purify it.

4. Service of digital communication

With the closure of MISNA, the GC is considering how to set up communications at the level of the General Administration. Communication is, in fact, one of the essential pillars of the missionary promotion work of the Institute. New technologies have brought about profound transformations that oblige us to become involved, so as to deal in a better way with this dimension of our mission. In the digital field, we are engaged in numerous and important initiatives that require serious reflection. In line with this, the Assembly of the Provincials of Europe has planned a meeting on the theme “Communicating the message in a digital age”, which will be held in Verona from 18-22 July, 2016. Experts and confreres working in this sector will be invited to help reach conclusions as to the implications and possibilities offered by digital communication, in view of a better service to the mission. Other continents are also encouraged to reflect on this issue.

5. Continental Brothers’ reference person

In paragraph four of the January Consulta, the GC recommended that Continental Assemblies initiate the process of the election of a Brother. Bearing in mind that the elections of new circumscription superiors and their councils will take place during this year, the GC believes it would be more convenient to postpone the consultation for the election of a Brother until early 2017 when the various circumscription councils have been formed, and it can be better known who is available.

6. Comboni Family Day of Mercy

On 17 March, the 20^th anniversary of the Beatification of St. Daniel Comboni, the Comboni Family (CMS, MSC, MCCJ, CLM) dedicated a day of prayer to reflecting on the theme of the Mercy of God. This experience of prayer and sharing may be continued throughout this year dedicated to the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

7. Confidentiality

The GC wishes to remind all Circumscription Superiors that the notes to do with persons and situations concerning the dialogues carried out in Circumscription Councils or with the GC are to be placed in the confidential section of the minutes and not in the public part. The GC also affirms that the general, continental and particular notes are to be shared with all the confreres. Instead, the confidential part of both continental and particular notes is to be communicated only to the members of the Circumscription Councils.

8. Reflections on Specialisations

The GC sees the need for further discernment on specialisations, following the indications of the CA No. 62. The General Administration is preparing a letter regarding this issue.

9. Continental Sector Assemblies

Experience gained in recent years has revealed some critical aspects of the coordination and the division of expenditure for Continental Assemblies and Councils (Vademecum Continentality, no. 3.11, 5.5, 6.4 and 7.1), and has given us to understand that it is necessary to have a more substantial exchange of information among the Continental Coordinator, Sector Co-ordinator and the General Secretary regarding:

1. Convoking the Sector Councils
2. The date and composition of Continental Assemblies.

As to the new General Secretariats for Formation and Mission, a broader structure that would allow for the context of mission, is being considered. It will, therefore, be necessary to study how these Secretariats should work in harmony with the sector leaders and continental coordinators without duplicating or encroaching on their fields of work.

10. Commitments and journeys of the GC

Priestly ordinations

Holy Redeemer Guild

April                     01 – 5 CN                 16 – 30 EC

May                      01 – 15 ET                16 – 31 I

Prayer Intentions

April – That the splendour of the Risen Christ may light up our “common home”, move us to protect and care for it and always seek the good of all. Lord hear us.

May – That Our Lady may lead us to a deeper and more intense encounter with God, our Father and Mother, who, in his Mercy, regenerates us. Lord hear us.

Publications

A alegria da Missão, edited by Fr. Enzo Santangelo, published by Alô Mundo, São Paulo, 2016. It is a collection of biographies of a number of Combonis who worked in Brazil. The majority of them – writes Fr. Alcides Costa, Provincial, in the introduction – “brought with them a Gospel of Mercy and lived it in the suffering peripheries, among the poorest and most marginalised”.

CENTRAFRIQUE

50 years of Love, Mercy and an ordination to the priesthood

On 19 March, 2016, the Comboni Missionaries of the Central African Republic commenced their Golden Jubilee. The historical event was celebrated by the Archbishop of Bangui, Msgr. Dieudonné Nzapalainga, at the parish of Notre Dame de Fatima. During the celebration, the deacon Mathurin Mokpie Dewe was ordained to the priesthood.

Fr. Mathurin is the seventh Comboni priest from Central Africa. He will carry out his missionary service as a priest in his own country. Great was the joy of the faithful, relatives and friends who gathered for the occasion after the painful episodes experienced by the parish. This is what the Archbishop said in his homily, quoting St. Daniel Comboni in his homily: "The works of God are born and grow at the foot of the Cross ".

Again, speaking of Comboni, he stressed the reason for the presence of the Comboni Missionaries in Central Africa: “to make common cause with the refugees”. He also mentioned that, up to the present day, the Comboni Missionaries have never ceased to render this service to the country. An example of this is the fact that some refugees live with them in all their houses. Radio Maria, only recently set up in Central Africa, made every effort to broadcast the celebration live. Radio Notre Dame and Central African TV were also present.

CURIA

Conferences on Islam

During February and March 2016, a series of conferences on some aspects of political Islam and on the question as to the challenge posed by Islam today, was held at the Generalate of the Comboni Missionaries, Rome. The purpose of the conferences was not only informative but above all else to provide the means for a fruitful dialogue with Moslems.

The first conference entitled The Caliphate and its historical role: can Islam exist without a political dimension? Took place on 16 February and was related by Professor Adnan Mokrani, a Tunisian Moslem, lecturer at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies. Professor Mokrani’s contribution clarified many common areas of Islam and its political vision.

On Wednesday, 2 March, it was the turn of Dr. Chiara Pellegrino, editor of Oasis magazine, who in her conference entitled ISIS and its version of the Caliphate: characteristics and origins, outlined the phases of the growth of ISIS and its ideological foundation, traced the identity of the Caliph as shown in the official documents of the Islamic State and gave a synopsis of the opinion of Moslems regarding the Islamic State.

The cycle concluded on 15 March with a conference by Msgr. Miguel Angel Ayuso, mccj, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue who was ordained bishop on Saturday, 19 March, in St Peter’s Basilica.

The theme covered by Msgr. Ayuso, How Islam accuses the West, cannot leave us indifferent since in the secular confrontation with Islam, there has been much war and hostility, accusations and counter-accusations, mutual condemnation for being “infidels”, conquests and destruction; suspicion of Islam and its true intentions is based on these conflicts. In the present climate, where a clash is always possible, Msgr. Ayuso reiterated the need for dialogue and encounter, friendship and mutual respect. It is those people of good will, – whether Moslem of Christian, those who seek the true sources of their faith in the adoration of a God who is the one Father of all people – who can build up peaceful coexistence founded on common shared values.

DSP

Change of Superior at Ellwangen

The Ellwangen community is the largest of the Province and comprises 20 confreres. Various groups and sectors of the Province are based there: the sick and elderly confreres, who occupy an entire floor; the Mission Procure; the administration of the Holy Redeemer Guild and the coordination of Mission Promotion; the Media Centre; the Provincial Archives; part of the Provincial Administration. Some groups such as “Freundeskreis Asyl” (friends of political refugees) meet regularly in the house.

During a solemn community Eucharist on 15 March, 2016, the anniversary of the birth of our Founder, St. Daniel Comboni, the Provincial Superior introduced the new Superior of the community, Fr. Anton Schneider. Bro. Manfred Bellinger (head of the Centre for Sick and Elderly Confreres) and Bro, Hans-Dieter Ritterbecks (Procurator and community Bursar) will assist the new Superior in carrying out his duties. The Provincial Superior thanked Fr. Bernhard Riegel for his faithful service to the community for more than six years. He will carry out his work as Vice-Provincial and head of Mission Promotion from the community of Josefstal.

EGYPT-SUDAN

Sub-continental assembly of mission promotion

From February 26 to March 4, eight Comboni Missionaries representing the provinces/delegations of Egypt/Sudan, Kenya, Malawi/Zambia, South Sudan and Mozambique, together with the Institute’s Secretary General for Mission Promotion, gathered to hold the sub-continental assembly of mission promotion and media of English-speaking Africa and Mozambique (APDESAM). The venue for the meeting was Comboni House of the Comboni Missionary Sisters in Cairo, Egypt.

The activities started on Friday, February 26, with the introduction of the participants, the drafting of the agenda and administrative details. In the name of the hosting province of Egypt/Sudan its vice provincial, Fr. Richard Kyankaaga, welcomed the guests and then gave an overview on the history of the province itself and the missionary activities it carries out in the context of a Muslim majority and dialogue with other Christian churches.

In turn, Fr. Jorge García, Secretary General for Mission Promotion, shared the greetings of the Superior General and his Council and encouraged those present to work with commitment, despite the reduced number of participants due to last minute difficulties and immigration problems.

One of the more intense moments was the visit on Sunday afternoon to the community of Sakakini with its parish dedicated to St. Josephine Bakhita. There they celebrated the Eucharist with the Sudanese refugees. The Mass was celebrated in Arabic and the presider was Fr. Angelo Giorgetti, the provincial of Egypt/Sudan.

LONDON PROVINCE

Assembly of the provincial superiors of Europe

The Assembly of the Provincial Superiors of Europe, which was held from 1 to 3 March, has ended. The participants were seven: the provincial of the London Province, who hosted the meeting, the provincials of the German-speaking Province (DSP), of Italy, Portugal, Spain and the representative of Poland. Bro. Alberto Lamana from the General Council, who is in charge of accompanying the circumscriptions of Europe, also attended.

This was the first such meeting after the recent 18^th General Chapter. For this reason, the purpose was to explore the reverberations caused by this event in the life of the European provinces. The participants shared the initiatives enacted in order to pass on to the confreres the Chapter Acts and reflected on the chapter experience itself, which was pervaded by a fraternal atmosphere, very sincere, disposed to listening and open to debate, despite the evident cultural differences of confreres coming from 20 different countries. The reflection on the Chapter Acts has as its objective the elaboration of the Six-year Plan at the provincial level.

Other topics were discussed as well, such as: the process of election of a representative of the Brothers at future assemblies of European provincials; the future of the novitiate of Santarém; the reaction of the European provinces to the challenge of immigration and the new mission promotion documentary on Comboni, aimed at children/young teens and already available in several languages.

UGANDA

Anniversary of Omach

According to his plan, St. Daniel Comboni intended to extend his mission beyond Sudan towards the source of the Nile. His premature death prevented the realisation of this dream but the hosts of missionaries who followed him made his dream a reality in northern Uganda.

On 17 February, 1910, Bishop Geyer, Bro. August Cagol and Fr. Albino Colombaroli, travelling from Nimule by steamboat, reached Lake Albert near the border between Sudan and Uganda, on the east bank of the lake. On 6 March, Bishop Geyer blessed the first cross planted in that place and celebrated the first Mass. For some years now, the dioceses that were born from this seed – Gulu, Lira, Arua and Nebbi – have been celebrating the event in thanksgiving to God for the gift of the faith that came to them through the Comboni Missionaries.

Even if the exact place of the first mission is not accessible, since it is inside the National Park, there is a project to build a sanctuary a few miles to the north, close to the parish of Pakwach, to mark the source of the faith in northern Uganda.

On 12 March of this year, this anniversary was celebrated. Msgr. John Baptist Odama, Archbishop of Gulu, presided at the Mass; the concelebrants included the Bishop of Nebbi, Msgr. Sanctus Lino Wanok, Bishop Emeritus Msgr. Martin Luluga, the Bishop of Arua, Msgr. Sabino Odoki, many priests and many members of the faithful and representatives of other dioceses. The Bishop of Lira, Msgr. Giuseppe Franzelli, could not attend for health reasons.

In his homily, the Archbishop publicly thanked the Comboni Missionaries for the work carried out in bringing the faith to this land and asked me, the only Comboni present for the occasion, to pass on to the Superior General the thanks of the Church that was generated by the disciples of St. Daniel.

We must thank God for the abundance of blessings that, from the small seed of Omach, generated millions of Christians. Our presence is increasingly tenuous and possibly destined to come to an end with the closure of some communities, as indicated by the Chapter, but our Founder tells us: I am dying but my work will not die”. (Fr. Elio Zanei)

Let us pray for our beloved dead

THE FATHER: Sebastiano, of Fr. Antonio Guglielmi (I).

THE MOTHERS: Cecilia, of Frs. Antonio (E) and Jaime Calvera Pi (E); Luiza, of Fr. Raimundo Nonato Rocha dos Santos (SS); Patrocinia, of Fr. Romulo Panis Vela (A).

THE SISTER: Amelia, of Fr. Luigi Gusmeroli (TCH).

THE COMBONI MISSIONARY SISTER: Sr. Rosa Rita Guzzo.