(ANS – Rome) – With just two weeks to go before the start of the 27th General Chapter (GC27) of the Salesian Congregation, the first official data on the event are beginning to come to light. According to the list drawn up by Fr Francesco Maraccani, Procurator General of the Congregation, those taking part – including those by right, delegates and invited members – will be 220 in number.

“Supreme authority over the whole Congregation belongs to the General Chapter”, says article 120 of the Salesian Constitutions. We should not be surprised, then, as the highest body for decision and direction, the Chapter seeks to have the greatest possible representation.

58 nationalities will be represented at GC27: the largest group are the Italians, with 34 members, followed by the Indians, with 31, the Spaniards (20), the Brazilians (13) and the Poles (10); these 5 groups together represent the countries where the Congregation is most widespread and part of society and make up practically half of the Chapter’s membership (108 out of 220). At the opposite end of the scale there are 22 countries with just one vote each: from Canada to Indonesia, and from Hungary to Zimbabwe.

In terms of the regions they belong to, other than the 15 members of the General Council, the Secretary General and Procurator General, 32 Chapter Members come from North Europe; 26 from Interamerica and South Asia; 24 from Africa-Madagascar; 21 from America South Cone and East Asia-Oceania; 20 from Italy-Middle East; and 17 from West Europe, to which we must add 2 from the Salesian Pontifical University, 1 from the Generalate community and 13 invited members.

From the language point of view, although many more languages are spoken by Chapter members, for official communications 5 languages will be employed:

• English, as first (or other) language for 74 Chapter membership
• Italian, first language for 64 Chapter members;
• Spanish, first language for 56 Chapter members;
• Portuguese, first language for 15 Chapter members;
• And French, first (or other) language for 10 Chapter members.

As a matter of curiosity we can list: Fr Sajeewaka Paul, delegate from Sri Lanka, born 1 January 1980, as the youngest member; while the oldest will be Fr Maraccani, born 30 October 1936.

GC27 will be their first Chapter for 127 members; 64 Salesians instead took part in GC26; 59 Chapter members have already taken part in an earlier Chapter; 20 have taken part in at least two Chapters; 5 in three; and 4 have taken part in 4 General Chapters.

The ones who stand out, then, are Fr Josef Grünner, Provincial of Germany, with 5 Chapters under his belt; and Fr Maraccani with 8 - quite out of reach of anyone else!

Published 10/02/2014