(ANS – Rome) – From Saturday 7 September to Tuesday 17, a meeting is taking place at the Generalate of the Pre-Chapter Commission of the 27^th General Chapter(GC27). The Commission is made up of 9 Provincials and Superiors representing the 8 Regions of the Congregation plus the Vice-Province of the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS).

The Commission, which is coordinated by Fr Francis Cereda, Moderator of GC27, consists of: 

• Fr Manolo Jiménez, of Tropical Equatorial Africa (ATE), for the Africa-Madagascar Region;
• Fr Manuel Cayo, from Northern Argentina (ARN), for the America Cono Sud Region;
• Fr Lanfranco Fedrigotti, from China (CIN), for the East Asia and Oceania Region;
• Fr Thomas Anchukandam, from India-Bangalore (INK), for the Southern Asia Region;
• Fr Marek Chmielewski, from Northern Poland Nord (PLN), for the Northern European Region;
• Fr Luis Onrubia, from Spagna-Madrid (SMA), for the Western European Region;
• Fr Timothy Ploch, from Western United States(SUO), for the Interamerica Region;
• Fr Stefano Martoglio, from Piedmont-Valle d’Aosta (ICP), for the Region of Italy and the Middle East;
• Fr Joaquim D’ Souza, for the Vice-Province of the UPS.

The Commission’s task is to study the contributions coming from the Provincial Chapters as well as personal contributions on the topic “Witnesses of Radical Gospel Living.” They will also take into consideration the contents of the Letter of the Rector Major announcing GC27 and prepare a synthesis of the elements occurring most frequently. This will then be the “working document” of GC27.

Contributions have been sent to the Moderator from 89 Circumscriptions. Three groups have been set up to study this material. The English language group will study 30 Chapters. The Spanish and Portuguese group will study 39 Chapters, while the Italian and French group will do 29 Chapters.  

The Rector Major opened the work and mentioned some things to be borne in mind. This synthesis drawn up by the Commission will be considered the present state of the Congregation, as it appears in the letter of Convocation of GC27and as it is expressed in the Provincial Chapters. The commission should draw attention to the state of health of the Congregation, in other words its identity, and its spiritual, pastoral and vocational unity and vitality. It will also have to bear in mind the present context of Consecrated Life and of the Congregation, the 50^th anniversary of Perfectae Caritatis, the journey travelled by Consecrated life in the intervening years and the changing paradigms, and the Bicentenary of the Birth of Don Bosco.

THE Moderator, Fr Cereda, then presented the methodology that will be used and some clarifications were given. In studying each of the three nuclei the approach will be the same as that used in the Provincial Chapters – listen, read and act. Finally Fr Cereda presented the time-schedule of the Commission work, which will be done in personal study, group work and commission meetings. Fr Saimy Ezhanikatt, Secretary of the Moderator, will collaborate with the Commission for the logistic and technical aspects.

Published 09/09/2013