2. THE CEP: ITS NATURE AND FUNCTIONS[156] In accordance with the indications of C 47, in all its works the Salesian community sets up the Educative and Pastoral Community. This is:
because it involves in a family atmosphere young and adults, parents and educators, so as to become an experience of Church;
because it helps to mature the potentialities of the young in every aspect: cultural, professional and social;
because it accompanies the young as they go to meet Christ, and in the building of the Church and the Kingdom. [157] The components of the CEP are: the Salesian community, the youngsters, their parents, lay people under various headings such as collaborators and sharers of responsibility, among whom are in the first place the members of the Salesian Family. In it all feel themselves responsible for the common formation with a view to an educative and professional approach to a journey of faith and to specifically Salesian objectives. The CEP attains goals and strategies in the educative and pastoral project, for the identity of which the province is responsible. It has need of organisms and orientations which foster communion and
the participation of all its members: councils, assemblies, organs of communication
and methods of programming (decision-making, execution, verification). 2.1 Animation [158] To animate the CEP in line with the spirit and mission of Don Bosco, there are tasks to be carried out at different levels:
All these tasks are necessary and they are interconnected; some indeed are decisive for the animation of the CEP. Team-work, with the distribution of assignments and responsibilities guarantees practical convergence. [159] Animating duty of the Salesian community in the CEP The Salesian community is a 'charismatic community', which means that it is alive and that it guards, deepens and constantly develops Don Bosco's charism.12 It carries out a specific animating activity with regard to the CEP, in a unified manner and with reference to the more decisive levels of animation. Every SDB is an animator, and strives always to fulfil the task more efficiently. This is what is meant by the expression 'animating nucleus' of the CEP, attributed to the Salesian community by R 5. In particular its special duty consists in:
2.2 The council of the CEP and the council of the work [160] Animators of the CEP: Salesians and laity together The SDB community, aware of its specific responsibility, calls lay people to the CEP. In it all then become animators, albeit in a diversity of relationships, and hence it is necessary that lay people and Salesians together plan, activate and verify the PEPS, and undergo a common formation. To this end there is need of an organism which we shall call the Council of the CEP or Council of the Work, composed of Salesians and lay people, who act as a group in animating and sharing responsibility. [161] Council of the CEP Within complex works which have several sectors of activity (parish, school, university hostel, youngsters in difficulties), there can exist several CEPs or one alone. If there is just one CEP, there will be only one CEP Council, which coincides with the Council of the Work. If on the other hand there are as many CEPs as there are sectors of the work, each will have its own council, and the Council of the Work will be made up of representatives of the CEP Councils. Within the CEP Council and the Council of the Work, the SDB Rector has
a specific task which must be precisely defined.
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