Synodal Interviews: Fr. Frans Damen, GABR Provincial (Belgio) and NESP Coordinator

Some questions to Fr. Frans Damen, GABR Provincial (Belgium) and NESP Coordinator about same issues regarding his Configuration.

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.

Synodal Interviews: Fr. Antonio Maria Munduate, FID (Colombia) and Sacred Heart Coordinator

Some questions to Antonio Maria Munduate, Viceprovincial of FID (Colombia) and Sacred Heart Coordinator about same issues regarding his Configuration.

Synodal Interviews: Fr. Michael Ogweno, MATAF (South Africa) and CPA Coordinator

Same questions addressed to Fr. Michael Ogweno, Member of SPIR (South Africa)  and CPA Coordinator on some issues regarding Restructuration and his Configuration.

100th Anniversary of the Passionist Presence in Brazil

The Passionist presence in 60 Countries

At the beginning of the day's events and on the occasion of the anniversary of the Passionist foundation in Brazil, we all watched a video about the Congregation's presence in 60 different nations.

Restructuring is a principle of healthy realism: Fr. Aquilino Bocos Merino, CMF

The expression "Restructuring is a principle of healthy realism" was used by the preacher and it summarizes the key point and the perspective of Fr. Aquilino Bocos Merino’s presentation. Thanks to his personal experience, as former General of the Claretians and his academic studies, he guided us through a spiritual but also realistic reading of a transformation and renewal process like the Restructuration process that we are undertaking.

What is most needed in order for this process to bear fruit is conversion that is personal and profound. We need to work so that religious life maintains its prophetic and meaningful dimension in order to be able to heal the wounds of the modern world.

In this way our efforts to elaborate and to implement new structures and organizations will make our charism efficacious in world of today. The specific mission - the one that make us preach the cross each day - should be the measure of our planning efforts.

The Passionist presence at United Nations

Fr. Kevin Dance - who is our delegate at the NGO Passionists International, spoke to the assembly about the activities that we are undertaking at UN. After recall his personal "adventures" during the difficult times of the beginning of the project, he described the working dynamics of the organizations that are now operating in that area; he explained to the Synod not only the motivations that led us to begin our presence in that particular context, but also the actual contribution of our work there and how we are influencing the UN dynamics.

The Report of the General Secretary for Solidarity and Mission

P. Jesus Maria Aristin, General Secretary for Solidarity and the Missions, updated the synod members with his report about the activities recently undertaken by his office. He underlined the importance for supporting the development of local JPIC initiatives, that do require the engagement of more Passionists that specific area. Then Fr. Jesús reaffirmed – as was already stated at the pre-synodal workshop - that our engagement in JPIC is an expression of our charism, therefore it is an important aspect of our mission.

The opening address of the General Superior of the Passionists

The inspirational address of the Fr. General opened the activities of the Synod. He invited all the member of the assembly to recall the fundamental elements of our charism that were the inspirational principles of the journey undertaken so far. He stressed that we have to root ourselves in the Passionist, but at the same time we have to address the challenges of the modern world. We are profoundly convinced that the Solidarity, that we are trying to implement, is an expression of the Memory of the Passion that is still the remedy for the evils of the World.

The Opening Ceremony

The 14th General Synod of the Passionists has just started. In the video above, you can see the opening liturgy of the Synod: the Passionists gathered together under the cross located in the main courtyard of the Generalate of Sts. John and Paul prayed the Lord during a wonderful autumn day.

After the distribution of same cloth key chains – a symbol of the Solidarity that binds our religious men throughout the world – the opening procession started, moving toward the statue of S. Paul of the Cross . Once there, the Coordinators – the members who had a specific and active role in the animation of the Restructuring process – received a puzzle piece. Our presence there symbolized the deep connection between the journey that we are undertaking and the spirituality of our founder.

After the song Salve Sancte Pater, the synod members went to the Synod Hall. Once there we recomposed the whole puzzle, forming the Synod logo: the representation of the common effort to keep alive the spirit of solidarity, the key theme of the present discernment process. The song Veni Creator concluded the ceremony, by entrusting the Synod and its members to the Holy Spirit. May God’s will be accomplished through their work.

Working together on JPIC issues

 

One of the most significant speakers of the workshop on JPIC was Fr. Francisco Ó Conaire OFM, general secretary of the JPIC Commission for the USG/UISG. He shared with us his international experience, by showing us how some Religious Institutes are addressing the same JPIC issues. One of the most important element of his intervention – shown in the video – was the need for collaboration in those matters, not only among the members of a Congregation, but also across the boundaries of the different Institutes. JPIC is a topic that emerges from the Gospel, the root of all the Christians; that’s the very reason why we can build a network of relationships and collaboration, so that our efforts to make concrete interventions about real injustices can be more effective.

 

Workshop on JPIC: Fr. General’s Introduction

“Evangelization and sensibility toward the sufferings of the poor”. The two poles that attract the Passionists are the love of God and the love of the neighbor; that distinguish our mission in the world.

With those words Fr. Ottaviano D’Egidio, General of the Congregation of the Passionists, introduced the workshop on “Justice – Peace – Integrity of creation”, organized by the Passionist Commission with the same name; the aim of the event was to encourage the ministry and the care of the poorest and the abandoned.

 

The purpose of the meeting: to share and to understand the reality of poverty where our missionaries all over the world are working. The Passionists should be more and more connected with the poor, who need a specific form of solidarity. Those who are last are now the protagonists (in a negative sense) of a new heartbreaking Calvary.

 

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