PRESENTATION

My dear confreres,

This number of the Acts brings you the abundant material resulting from the GC24. In this way too are promulgated, in line with the Constitutions (C 148), the deliberations contained in two documents: the longer one concerning communion and sharing in the spirit and mission of Don Bosco on the part of Salesians and laity, and the other one which carries the modifications to the Constitutions and General Regulations together with other guidelines on the government of the Society.

There are also a number of Appendices, equally important for understanding the period through which the Church is living and the goals proposed by the Congregation today. Among these are the addresses of the Holy Father and the concluding discourse of the Rector Major. There are also the messages which manifest the mutual feelings and expectations between ourselves and the other branches of the Salesian Family. Included too are documents which bear witness to the life of the Chapter, such as homilies, the weekly summaries, the chronicle of the Chapter, etc. Finally, a carefully prepared index will facilitate consultation.

To the above must be added the Report on the state of the Congregation, already sent to the Provinces, which will prove very useful for information on the various sectors of work, for a broad view of the Salesian reality, and for an understanding of the general guidelines provided by the capitular deliberations.

The whole collection transmits not only what the Chapter discussed and voted on, but also what can be described as an event of the Congregation: an experience of world communion in the charism, a careful discernment to see what the situation in the Church and the world are demanding from the Salesian mission, and a grace of the Spirit for our vitality in these closing years of the millennium marked by concern over the new evangelization.

The document which gathers together the conclusions on the capitular theme is the final result of a process of reflection which has closely involved both confreres and Provinces.

The main stages of the process, spaced out over two years, were: the preparation of an outline to single out the crucial points to be analyzed, study by local communities, the realization of 89 Provincial Chapters, the examination of the material subsequently sent in to the Moderator, the drafting of the pre-capitular document, the work of the GC24 itself which through its commissions and repeated discussions in the assembly stated the problems more precisely, the efficacious expression of charismatic inspirations, and the clarification of objectives and possible lines of action.

The depth and serious nature of the discussions is attested to by the valuable documentation in the minutes of the assemblies and the collection of the numerous interventions through which the capitulars tried to home in on the situations as unequivocally as possible and offer clear guidelines.

The document, therefore, expresses our collective experience at world level concerning the involvement of the laity, of which it reports our reflections at length, highlighting the positive and problematic aspects of the present situation. In this sense it serves especially as a mirror for verification purposes.

At the same time it finds ecclesial, charismatic and cultural motivations which encourage us to go forward with confidence in this new line which is presented to Salesian life and activity.

From these two perspectives - the situation and charismatic inspirations - emerge the practical guidelines and criteria for action, the objectives and tasks (all of them judged suitable by a large majority) for the renewal or improvement of our educative and pastoral practice, and for the rhythm and manner of our communal life.

I will not delay in comments, emphasis and syntheses. A key to the reading of the document can be found in the closing address included among the appendices.

Rather let me entrust the document with prayer and great confidence to the patient, deep and sustained study of the individual confreres, the local communities, the Provinces and the Regions or Provincial Conferences. To make our own the spirituality the document proposes, to assume the mentality which is at its foundation, to put its suggestions effectively into practice, will be for some time our main and even our only commitment; and this at every level of activity, by all organisms of government and all animating roles: formation, youth pastoral work, missions, Salesian family, social communications and economy.

In the GC24 we heard it said that our capacity for renewal resides not only or even mainly in the proclamation of intentions or projects, but in realizing it with patience and determination in all our works and with the active involvement of all.

We must therefore overcome the departmental mentality which compartmentalizes activities and leads to the handling of tasks in an individual manner rather than in taking up the new developments in the solidarity of a community project.

Today all of us are called to work together in a convergent manner, in shared responsibility, in the formation of lay people for their progressive identification with the spirit and mission of Don Bosco in the Educative and Pastoral Communities, in the Salesian Family and in the Salesian Movement.

We are called to do this as an animating nucleus, of one mind in competent activity, able to find room for and integrate into the task the more motivated members of the laity, through relationships, communication, the Educative and Pastoral Project, the style of presence and activity included in the preventive system, and the policies which foster qualification,

That is the program; that is the challenge. On this basis we shall verify the adequacy of the efforts we make and the results we obtain in terms of quantity and quality. On this we must bring to bear today the rethinking of the various dimensions of our consecrated life: spirituality, pastoral work, pedagogy, professional competence, and organization.

It is a question of a new configuration of the 'charismatic' Salesian community which incorporates new resources and a new vision of the settings for pastoral work. Both of these require the adherence of all of us. Discontinuity and dispersion, even for a good purpose, would be harmful.

I would like to emphasize that the process we are undertaking is based on the development during the past six years of orientations given by the GC23. It asserted that for the education of young people to the faith there was need of a community, in the sense of a team of adults who become for young people a sign, school and environment of faith because they have in common the reference to Christ, or at least share the values of Christian education.

It is on this reality we concentrate today to exploit its potentialities to the maximum. The focus is always on the young. The pastoral sense is the leaven of every initiative. Education is always our chosen way for human growth and the journey of faith. But all this we want to share, and dedicate ourselves to its communication with more time, more preparation, more instruments, and with a different idea of our role as consecrated shepherds and educators of those whom the Holy Spirit brings within Don Bosco's orbit.

From this consideration it is clear that in the continuity of the project there is nevertheless a new perspective: our efforts will be addressed in concentrated form to the laity. In the coming years they will be our primary interlocutors, so that they can become sharers with us of responsibility.

The Holy Father points out to us that the secret of the efficacy of such work is the transparency of our authentic following of Christ. The recent Assembly of the Synod of Bishops dedicated to consecrated life, he said, had made very clear the relationship existing between the spirituality of a religious Institute and the spirituality of the lay people who take inspiration from it for their life and activity. This was the perspective for the reflection of the capitular assembly which would not fail to indicate paths for apostolic cooperation between consecrated persons and laity, called to be in the world courageous witnesses to the Gospel (cf.n.200).

Dear confreres, the promulgation of the capitular deliberations is taking place on 24 May, the feast which reminds us of all the happenings that began at Valdocco on 12 April 1846 and was summed by our Father in the phrase: Mary did everything.

May she help us, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to pursue with generosity of heart and joyful confidence this further period of our history which takes us to the third millennium,

Rome, 24 May 1996

Fr Juan E. Vecchi

Rector Major