Summary from the Drafting Commission: 28 October

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Mass for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude was celebrated by Fr Joachim Rego.

The morning prayer reflection was led by Fr Giovanni Cipriani. The session was chaired by Fr Luigi Vaninetti.

The first item was a proposal from the Commission for Solidarity in Finances that all entities should contribute annually 2% of the gross income of their entity’s administration to the Solidarity Fund, and that the Synod should confirm the decision of the last General Synod that 7% of the proceeds from any sale of immobile goods (lands or buildings) be contributed to the Solidarity Fund.

A number of clarifications were sought, some in relation to cases where civil governments have requirements linked to the sale of property. Other issues raised included the following: Criteria for the running of the Solidarity Fund were established some time ago and could be revisited. There is a need for co-ordination between funding solidarity at configuration level and at the level of the whole Congregation. Should the Solidarity Fund and Formation Fund be united or remain separate? It would be useful for the Commission to meet with the economes or finance managers of the different entities. Even with these fixed contributions, voluntary contributions to the Solidarity Fund can still be made. After discussion, the proposal was carried with no dissenting voices.

The Superior General then gave the third part of his report. Among issues referred to in the report were: the need to include within our Constitutions and General Regulations a reference to those laity who seek to live our Passionist Charism and be associated with our Congregation; the importance of historical research and publications on our Congregation and its provinces; the work of the Commission for Communications and the setting up of a permanent office for communications; the need for norms to guarantee the safety of financial funds; the ‘two pulses’ of the heart of our Charism, which are (a) Contemplating the Passion of Jesus and living in fraternal and poor communities, located in solitude (b) Announcing the contemplated word of the Cross, giving preference to abandoned places and recognising Jesus in the suffering and the poor); our presence at the U.N. through Passionists International; the need for adequate policies throughout the Congregation for dealing with questions of sexual abuse and promoting the safeguarding the vulnerable; training for formation personnel; the role of brothers in leadership; the required number of houses and religious to constitute a province. 

TV2000: Fr. Mario Bartolini

At the beginng of the afternoon session the Synod members were offered the possibility of viewing this program that the station TV2000 dedicated to Fr. Mario Bartolini and his case. It descrived the factors that caused our fellow religious to be brought to trial for having defended the rights of the Peruvian workers. Then Fr. Jesús María Aristín was interviewed and he clarified the current status of the process in this matter.

The Report of Fr. Ottaviano D’Egidio, General Superior of the Passionists: 3th part

The activity of the Synod this morning began with the third part of the report of Fr. Ottaviano, Superior General of the Passionists. In this section of his report he spoke about those projects and proposals that we are developing so that the Synod members could have a clear understanding of these projects so that they can discern those that can be better developed by means of the contribution of their entities. The report concluded by remembering our two bishops who died this year and the anniversary of our Constitutions and the initiatives taken in this area.

Report of the Superior General to the XIV General Synod (part three)

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1. Reminders.

a) Participation in the General Chapter. According to what is prescribed at No. 130 of the Constitutions and the General Regulations (GR) that determine the number of delegates to the General Chapter. What is prescribed by the G.R. at No. 77 was modified and approved at the General Synod of 2004 and confirmed at the last General Chapter of 2006.

b) Participation at a General Synod. According to No.147 of the Constitutions, the members of the Synod are those who participate at the General Chapter “ex officio”.

c) Modifications to the Constitutions. According to what is prescribed by No. 114 for the modification of any point of the Constitutions a two thirds majority of votes in favor of the change, and in order for it to become part of the text of the Constitutions, it needs to be approved a second time at the successive General Chapter.

2. The Laity. 

The Lay Passionist movements, with various titles throughout the world, are becoming more and more aware of their being called to our charism and to our mission. They exist, they are involved in formation and are collaborating among themselves and the number of those who are consecrated to the Passion as laity is increasing. We know that St. Paul of the Cross wrote numerous letters to lay men and women, trusting in their capacity to live the spirituality of the Passion.

However, neither in our Constitutions nor in our General Regulations is there is any reference to the laity being called to our charism. I believe that the time has arrived for their inclusion in the Constitutions and in the General Regulations as individuals who are associated with the Congregation. A small commission has proposed inserting into the Constitutions the following provisional text that is intended for study and therefore can be modified: “There are persons who feel an attraction (calling) to the charism of the Passion and who wish to live it in communion with the Passionist Congregation. When they are formally associated with the Congregation, according to the norms established in the General Regulations, they will form an integral part of the Congregation as the Passionist Family.”

It is suggested that we place this text or something similar, at the end of Chapter II of the Constitutions, the chapter on Community Life, following No. 38. In fact, in that chapter, in addition to the elements of community life, it speaks about the relationship with those outside the community and hospitality. The General Regulations should contain one or two points that define the forms of association and the specific relationships between the laity of the Passionist Family and the Congregation [...]

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| Download | Report of the Sup. General to the XIV General Synod (part two)

Backstage

Synodal interviews: backstage

Holy Mass: homily for October 28

The Gospel chosen for the feast of the Ss Simon and Jude is the passage from Luke which accounts for us Jesus spending the night in prayer on the mountain, after which he called his disciples, chose twelve of them, and named them apostles. These are the men that Jesus selected personally to walk closely with him, to be formed in the mysteries of the Kingdom, and to be sent to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom to all the world.

We celebrate two of the Twelve today: Simon & Jude – named in the Gospel as disciples who were called to a further commitment to Christ, in mission, as apostles. They were sent to be faithful witnesses in the word (preaching/teaching) and in the blood (service), giving up everything in sacrifice with Jesus Christ. Both, Simon and Jude spent their lives preaching the Gospel to a pagan world, and it is believed that each died a martyr’s death for his faith.

By our baptism and religious profession as Passionists, we, too, are called, chosen and sent to give such radical witness as Passionist apostles, and to make sacrifices for Christ and his mission in our world today. We are no strangers to the mysteries of Christ. Indeed, we share in his passion and in his dying and rising. Through the power of the Holy Spirit our faith overcomes our fear and makes our witness unashamed and bold. We are not temporary residents in the Church. Indeed, we have signed on the dotted line. We are at home in the Body of Christ; our life doesn’t make sense anymore without Christ and his Church. In the words of today’s first reading from Ephesians:

“We are no longer strangers and aliens, but citizens with the saints and also members of God’s household, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.”