Communication of the General Council regarding the XIX General Chapter: 1 to 30 June 2022

COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE XIX GENERAL CHAPTER

“I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and me in him bears much fruit.”
(Jn 15,5)

Dear confreres, we greet you fraternally.
As indicated at n. 147 of the Rule of Life, in a spirit of gratitude and hope, the Superior General, with the consent of his entire Council (GC), had convoked the XIX General Chapter of the Institute which would have been celebrated in Rome, at the General Curia from 5 September to 10 October 2021. With the letter dated 15 March 2021, the CG informed the whole Institute of the results of the meetings held both telematically or in person with the members of the General Administration, with the community of the Curia and with all the Chapter members, during the previous weeks.

The results of those meetings made the GC aware of the absence of the conditions required to securely hold the General in the month of September 2021 at the General House in Rome. It was then communicated to the whole Institute that they would prefer to delay the Chapter until a date to be decided during the June Consulta. Now, having completed the Consulta, we intend to render explicit both the decisions we have reached and the process followed in reaching such decisions.

Instruments of discernment

In the first two weeks of June, two telematic meetings took place between the GC and, respectively, the Precapitular Commission (8 June) and the Chapter Delegates (14 June). Before these two meetings, the GC decided to circulate a telematic questionnaire to all the Chapter members to learn more about the epidemiological situation in all the circumscriptions, the travelling conditions and the stage reached in the process of preparation for the Chapter at circumscription level. An analysis of the replies to the questionnaire showed a somewhat reassuring picture from the point of view of the vaccine coverage of the Chapter members and the availability of vaccination in good time for the Chapter in the case of those not already vaccinated. Any obstacles to travelling to Rome were found to be marginal.

Results of the telematic meeting with the Chapter Delegates

On 14 June, 64/69 of the Chapter members connected telematically with the GC for an advisory consultation. After the presentation of the picture that emerged from an analysis of the questionnaire, the necessary discussions and ballots were held to show the opinions of the delegates on some important questions on which the GC had to reach a decision.

• One of the points covered was that of the facilitation of the Chapter: its postponement rendered it impossible for Bro. Biemmi to participate. Regarding the question as to whether the Chapter members wanted to keep open the option of an external facilitator, 86% confirmed its necessity.
• As regards holding the Chapter telematically according to the conditions indicated by the Congregation for Consecrated Life published on 28 May, the majority of the delegates (52%) were against it. The remaining 48% said they were in favour of a Chapter in two phases: one, similar to an assembly, to acquire necessary information – to be held telematically – and the other, a discernment phase in which decisions and elections would be made – to be held in person.
• Regarding the question as to where to hold the Chapter, 71% indicated Rome as the preferred venue, at our General House.
• Replying to the final question regarding the date of the Chapter, the preferences expressed were more difficult to summarise: out of a period of six months, from February 2022 to July 2022, no one month was clearly chosen except for the month of June which gained a relative preference with 36% of the votes.

The decision of the General Council

On the basis of discernment in stages, the GC has decided to forward to the Congregation for religious (CIVCSVA) the application for permission to postpone the already convoked Chapter and re-convoke it in Rome, at the House of the general Curia, from 1 to 30 June 2022. Having received on 22.7.2022 (Prot. 58191/2021) approval for the application presented, the General Council now renders public the new date.

The timetable of the journey towards the XIX General Chapter

The other decisions taken by the GC concern the stages of the process of preparation for the Chapter beginning with the new convocation date, and were established as follows:

• Replying to the personal questionnaire: each confrere who has not already done so is requested to fill it in and send it to the Precapitular Commission before 31 July 2021.
• The period covered by the Circumscription, Continent and General Administration reports: all reports must cover the period from the beginning of the sexennium until September-October 2021, the dates of the natural expiry of the mandate of the GC.
• Regarding the final dates for presenting reports to the Precapitular Commission:
  • Report of the General Administration: before 30 September.
  • Report of the General Council; before 31 October.
  • Reports of Circumscriptions and Continents: before 30 November.
• First meeting in Rome of the Precapitular Commission; between 15 January and the end of February 2022, as indicated.
• XIX General Chapter: from 1 to 30 June 2022.

The choice of June 2022 has the undoubted advantage of avoiding that the Chapter should interfere with other activities taking place in the Centre for Ongoing Formation such as the CYOF, the ongoing formation of student confreres and specialisations. The CYOF will be held in an abbreviated form lasting six months with the “Roman” phase concluding at the end of May and the remainder outside Rome.

The venue of the General Chapter

The choice of Rome as the seat of the Chapter has as its first and most desired option the use of the General House. If, by misfortune, the epidemiological situation were to render it impossible to guarantee the necessary social distancing and the general use of the Chapter Hall, it will become necessary to choose a more suitable location somewhere close to Rome. Using our own house, if this is possible, has clear economic advantages, since it would allow the internal use of part of the resources placed at the disposal of the General Administration for the Chapter, and so facilitate the economic sustainability of the General House.

The electoral process for the Chapter – substitutes

A certain number of circumscriptions and electoral colleges have not yet indicated their priest and brother substitute confreres. At the appropriate time, the GC will issue detailed instructions on the method and the deadlines of the electoral process which will determine the identification of all delegate substitutes.

We pray that the process may go ahead with the help of God who, by means of His Spirit, enlightens, encourages and assists us. May our Mother Mary, Saint Joseph and Saint Daniel Comboni intercede for us all.

In communion.

Rome, 31st July 2021

P. Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, Father General
P. Jeremias dos Santos Martins, Vicar General
P. Ciuciulla Pietro, Assistant General
P. Alcides Costa, Assistant General
Fr. Lamana Cónsola Alberto, Assistant General