XI. SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY
"Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock." (1 Pt 5,2-3)
125. The Salesian Society has as its highest superior the Supreme Pontiff. Even by reason of the vow of obedience, the members are filially submissive to his authority, and available for the good of the universal Church. They welcome his magisterium with docility and help the faithful, especially the young, to accept his teachings.
126. The Rector Major, the superior of the Salesian Society, is the successor of Don Bosco, the father and centre of unity of the Salesian Family.
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His main concern is to promote, in communion with the general council, the constant fidelity of the members to the Salesian charism, so as to fulfil the mission confided by God to our Society.
127. The Rector Major has ordinary power of government which he exercises according to law over all the provinces, houses and members in both spiritual and temporal matters. He visits personally or through others all the provinces and local communities.
He convokes and presides over meetings of the general council. He is the official representative of the Society.
128. The Rector Major is elected by the general chapter for a term of six years and may be re-elected. He may not resign his office without the consent of the Apostolic See.
129. To be elected as Rector Major, a member must be a priest, perpetually professed for at least ten years, and distinguished for love of the Church and the Congregation, for exemplary life, pastoral zeal, and ability and prudence in governing.
130. The general council cooperates with the Rector Major in animating and governing the Congregation.
It is the task of the council to identify and study the problems which concern the common welfare of the Society, to promote fraternal union among the different provinces, and to develop an ever more efficient organization for the fulfilment of the Salesian mission in the world.
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131. The members of the council collaborate with the Rector Major by expressing their opinion and by voting. In union with him they fulfil the responsibilities assigned to them by the general chapter and those which the Rector Major judges opportune to entrust to them. For this reason they have their domicile in the same house in which the Rector Major resides.
132. §1. The Rector Major must have the consent of his council for:
the erection or suppression of provinces, vice-provinces or other circumscriptions [C.156];
the opening and closing of houses or the modification of the scope of works already in existence in accordance with canon law1 [C.165];
the erection of novitiates [C.110];
the convoking of the general chapter in accordance with article 149 of the Constitutions;
the approval of deliberations of provincial chapters [C.170];
the constitution of provincial conferences [C.155];
the appointment of the substitute for a member of the general council, in case of death or impediment [C.142];
the appointment of the secretary general [C. 144];
the appointment of the procurator and postulator general [C.145];
the appointment of provincials, superiors of vice-provinces or other circumscriptions [C.158,162];
the termination of the office of provincials in conformity with article 163 of the Constitutions, and of superiors of vice-provinces and other circumscriptions [C.158];
the alienation of movable and immovable goods belonging to the stable patrimony of the Congregation [C.188];
the determination of the limits in terms of value within which the provincial and his council may act in respect of all the operations referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions [C.189];
all other cases provided for in the universal law.
§ 2. The Rector Major must have the consent of those councillors present at the Generalate, who must be not less than five in number, in the following cases:
dispensation from temporary religious profession;
the appointment of provincial councillors [C.167];
the granting of authorization for the financial operations referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions, except for what is provided for in art. 132,§1,12.
§ 3. In the case of dismissal of members, the Rector Major and his council proceed in collegial fashion in accordance with canon law.
§ 4. In addition the Rector Major will consult his council in other important matters whenever he considers it opportune to do so.
133. The general council is made up of the vicar general, the councillors in charge of special departments, and the regional councillors in charge of groups of provinces.
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The councillors in charge of special departments are: the councillor for formation, the councillor for the youth apostolate, the councillor for the Salesian Family and for social communication, the councillor for the missions and the economer general.
134.
The vicar general is the first collaborator of the Rector Major in the government of the Society and has ordinary vicarious power.He takes the Rector Major's place whenever he is absent or impeded. To him is entrusted particularly the care of religious life and discipline.
135. The councillor for formation has the duty of furthering the integral and ongoing formation of the members.
He follows with particular care the phases of the period of initial formation to ensure that in them the content, arrangement of studies, formation methods and structures provide the conditions necessary for growth in the Salesian vocation.
The councillor for the youth apostolate
136. The councillor for the youth apostolate animates and gives direction to Salesian educative and apostolic activity in its different expressions. He ensures that the priority of our commitment to youth and the influence of the preventive system are achieved in them. He assists the provinces in the development of their pastoral plans and undertakings, so that they may be faithful to the spirit of Don Bosco and respond adequately to the needs of the times and of different places.
The councillor for the Salesian Family and for social communication
137. The councillor for the Salesian Family and social communication has the duty of animating the Congregation in both sectors.
In accordance with article 5 of the Constitutions he promotes communion between the different groups, respecting the specific nature and autonomy of each. In addition he directs and assists the provinces so that both the association of Salesian cooperators and the movement of the past pupils may develop according to their own statutes in the territory of the province.
He promotes Salesian activity in the social communication sectors and in particular coordinates at world level the structures and centres for which the Congregation has responsibility in this field.
The councillor for the missions
138. The councillor for the missions fosters the missionary spirit and commitment throughout the whole Society. He coordinates initiatives and directs activity in the missions so that it may respond in a Salesian way to the urgent needs of the peoples to be evangelized.
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It is also his duty to see that provision is made for the specific preparation and updating of the missionaries.
139. The economer general administers those goods which do not belong to any particular province or house but to the whole Society.
He coordinates and controls the administration of the provinces, so as to ensure that their management accords with the requirements of religious poverty and is at the service of the Salesian mission.
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He is watchful to make sure that the norms necessary for sound administration are observed.
140. The regional councillors promote a more direct liaison between the provinces and the Rector Major and his council. They look after the interest of the provinces assigned to them. They foster in the general council a knowledge of the local situations in which our mission is carried out.
141. § 1. The members of the general council are elected by the general chapter in separate ballots for each one. Each regional councillor is elected and chosen by preference from a list presented by the chapter members of the respective group of provinces concerned.
§ 2. To be elected to the general council a member must have been perpetually professed for at least ten years. For the vicar general it is also necessary that he be a priest.
142. Members of the general council remain in office for six years, except for the case referred to in article 143 of the constitutions, and may be re-elected for a second period of six years in the same office.1
Should a member of the general council die or be permanently unable to attend to his duties, the Rector Major with the consent of his council shall entrust his office to whomsoever he judges most suitable in the Lord, but only until the expiry of the six-year period.
143. On the death or cessation from office of the Rector Major, the Vicar General assumes ad interim the government of the Society and, in agreement with the other members of the general council, proceeds to the convocation of the general chapter for the election of the Rector Major and of the new council.
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The election must take place not more than nine months from the death or cessation from office of the Rector Major.
144.
The secretary general is at the service of the Rector Major and his council in the role of a notary. He is present, without the right to vote, at meetings of the council, of which he draws up the minutes.R 110
He is responsible for the offices of the general secretariate and for the central archives of the Society. He is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his council, and remains in office ad nutum.
145.
The task of dealing with the Apostolic See 'is ordinarily entrusted to a procurator general, who is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his council and remains in office ad nutum.Causes of beatification and canonization promoted by the Congregation are entrusted to the postulator general, chosen in the same way as the procurator.
146. The general chapter is the principal sign of the Congregation's unity in diversity. It is the fraternal meeting in which Salesians carry out a communal reflection to keep themselves faithful to the Gospel and to their Founder's charism, and sensitive to the needs of time and place.
Through the general chapter the entire Society, opening itself to the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord, seeks to discern God's will at a specific moment in history for the purpose of rendering the Church better service.1
147. The general chapter has supreme authority over the Society and exercises it in accordance with law.
In particular it belongs to the general chapter to lay down laws for the whole Society, to treat of matters of greater importance, and to elect the Rector Major and the members of the general council.
148. The deliberations of the general chapter must always be based upon the Constitutions approved by the Apostolic See and must contain nothing contrary to their spirit. They are binding on all the members as soon as they have been promulgated by the Rector Major.
Nevertheless, for the promulgation of deliberations which modify the Constitutions the previous approval of the Apostolic See must be obtained.
149. The general chapter will meet ordinarily every six years and in the case referred to in article 143 of the Constitutions; and extraordinarily whenever it is required by a grave reason recognized as such by the Rector Major with the consent of his council.
R 111-113. 116. 117. 120-123. 125. 134
150. The general chapter is convoked by the Rector Major, or in the circumstances referred to in article 143 by the vicar general. It is presided over by the Rector Major or, in his absence, by the vicar general.
151. The following attend the general chapter with the right to vote:
1. the Rector Major;
2. the Rectors Major emeriti;
3. the members of the general council, those not confirmed in office as well as the new members from the time of their election;
4. the secretary general;
5. the procurator general;
6. the moderator of the general chapter;
7. the provincials and superiors of vice-provinces, or (if they are seriously impeded) their vicars, with the prior approval of the Rector Major;
8. the delegates, all perpetually professed, elected according to the norms of the general Regulations.
152. For the validity of the acts of the general chapter at least two thirds of the members must be present.
In dealing with matters indicated in article 148 of the Constitutions, whatever is approved by an absolute majority of those present shall have the force of law.
For modifications to the text of the Constitutions a two-thirds majority of those present is required.
153. In the elections of the Rector Major and of the members of the general council whoever receives the vote of an absolute majority of those present will be considered elected.
If the first scrutiny should be ineffective, there shall be a second and a third. If the third also should be inconclusive there shall be a fourth in which the only candidates shall be the two members who have obtained the highest number of votes in the third scrutiny. If again there should be an equal number of votes, the senior by profession shall prevail, and in the case of equality of profession the senior in age.
154.
In order to facilitate contact with the Rector Major and the general council and to foster bonds of union among themselves, provinces are gathered into groups, each group being entrusted to a regional councillor.The constitution of the groups of provinces is made by the general chapter.
155. When parallel situations or similarity of problems allow of a closer union between certain provinces, one or more provincial conferences may be set up within the group.
It belongs to the Rector Major with the consent of his council to constitute provincial conferences after consulting the provinces concerned.