areas, and enable them to express their personal qualities and
gifts to their highest potential (cf. Proposal 48a).
These important objectives require the responsibility of all of us.
b) A look at the reality of our Communities.
At the XVIII General Chapter, the number of confreres from cultures
other than the Italian, was still very limited. Out of 35 confreres, there
were 10 non-Italian. However, the estimate for the next Chapter is
entirely different. The percentage of 29% non-Italian confreres present at
the last Chapter could rise to 57% at the next one. These statistics urge us
to start thinking already about the main themes the Congregation with a
wide-open mind.
Some data about the geographical distribution of the confreres as of
January 1, 2008.
* Perpetually professed present in each geographical area
EUROPE, ISRAEL, U.S.A.
=
206 (58% of the perpetually professed)
LATIN AMERICA
=
101 (28% of the perpetually professed)
INDIA and PHILIPPINES
=
31 (9% of the perpetually professed)
AFRICA
=
19 (5% of the perpetually professed)
* Confreres (Novices included) by their country of birth
Perpetual
Temporary Vows
Vows
and Novices
EUROPE, U.S.A.
=
234 (65%)
8 (5%)
LATIN AMERICA
=
77 (22%)
24 (16%)
INDIA and PHILIPPINES
=
33 (9%)
67 (44%)
AFRICA
=
13 (4%)
55 (35%)
* Perpetually professed present in nations
different from their origin:
=
70 (20%)
– The numbers speak for themselves with regard to the future.
– Another data that could be interesting to our reflection is that
today 20% of the confreres (1 out of 5) live and work in a different
country from that of their birth.
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– We need to take into consideration also the strong growth of
vocations to the priesthood and religious life, restricted, however,
only to two geographical areas (India and Africa).
These data, besides giving joy for God’s gift of new vocations
belonging to various cultures, call us to know each other better, so that
we may share and help each other to live what is essential to our charism.
This reality commits us also to welcome and appreciate particular
expressions that may enrich our charism, and so become for one another
disciples and teachers, all listening to the unique Spirit of the Lord
manifested in the spirit of the Founder.
For what I may know of the situation of each and every House of the
Congregation, I would like to spur our commitment to scrap the
“incrustations” that shroud the beauty of our charism, with enough
courage to drop some aspects of a particular culture, or some local
tradition, that have weakened the integrity of our choice of religious life.
Therefore, it is a commitment to adapt some aspects of our culture,
because every culture is in need of evangelization, if it wants to welcome
the newness of Christ, and the integrity and authenticity of our charism
especially for us Guanellians.
Since today’s culture has become more and more global, and
forcefully tries to oppose the fundamental values of the Christian message
and religious life, we need to convince ourselves that the most important
challenge for the inculturation of the Gospel comes from this invasive
culture, in which all of us live, that is spreading all over the world.
The danger of acquiescing to the mentality of this world, and making
ourselves to be molded even unconsciously by it is real. For this, the
Church, Conferences of Major Superiors, and Congregations draw the
attention of all the religious to the fact that they have to counteract the
worldly values by a lifestyle that opposes today’s mentality.
Besides thinking of what we should get rid of, we also have to take in
consideration the most positive aspects of every culture, in order to find
those elements that could strengthen our religious and Guanellian
witness.
History is the first source for a healthy enculturation of the Gospel and the
charism
The Gospel message has a two thousand years history and religious
life has enhanced humanity for seventeen centuries enriching it with the
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holiness of so many great figures. We Guanellians have also our history,
spanning already one hundred years. We should refer to that history if we
want to be faithful and creative as we work on the enculturation of the
charism... first by reviving the spirit of the origins, and by imitating the
Confreres and Sisters who had carved it through their holy life, in the
early days of the Congregation.
It is fair to acknowledge the richness those two millenniums of
Christianity and seventeen centuries of history of religious life have
contributed to the civilization of humankind also in those nations where
Christianity and religious life have been brought only recently.
We can say that when a charism has access into a new culture it stirs
(it should!) a ‘re-foundation’ of the charism itself. However, it is also true
that to live faithfully the legacy Father Guanella has left us, it is
necessary to feel connected to the same trunk and draw the genuine
lymph of our beginnings. Branches are alive when united to the trunk.
From the trunk, they receive the lymph to grow, and to bear fruits through
an effective witness in the various situations of life. The sanctity of the
confreres and the evangelical effectiveness of our work will be the most
convincing evidence that a true ‘re-foundation’ has occurred.
In this sense our charism, once transplanted into new cultures, which
are similar to the social situation in Italy at the time Father Guanella had
begun his ministry, could become a blessing to all. “The transplanted
cabbage grows stronger,” reminds us the Founder.
At this point, I would like to share with you some personal thoughts
on how our Congregation lives today the osmosis between the past and
the present, between the Provinces with older Guanellian tradition, and
those of recent foundation, as well between older and younger
generations.
Here I quote some expressions heard here and there:
– In the past, and even now, the confreres sent as missionaries to
other countries, have brought methods and practices not
corresponding to our local culture.
– When we visit some houses in Italy, we do not clearly see the
original Guanellian spirit and charism. We feel, at time, strangers
inside our Italian religious Communities and among our own
confreres...
– The Congregation follows too much the model and structures of a
particular culture (Italian and European). Our financial
dependence makes us feel less appreciated.
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