“You are God’s hope and ours and for this reason I love you very much, was one of the many expressions which the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, used speaking to the hundreds of young people from the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) of Chile, he met on the evening of Saturday 26 March at the Alameda Salesian Educational Centre.
Four representatives from among the young people put some questions to the Rector Major: what are the formation projects for young people of the SYM as they become young adults; how do we help young people who have distanced themselves from the faith; how do we deepen our spiritual life; how has he as Superior General of the Salesian Congregation dealt with cases of sexual abuse.
On the last point the Rector Major described the problem as “very sad” and asked for forgiveness from the young people for such behaviour and for the lack of fidelity on the part of some confreres. Recalling the words of the Holy Father, he observed that not even in the times of persecution had the Church suffered so much, and feeling so bad having to admit to parents that having entrusted their children to the Salesians they had been let down.
The Rector Major pointed out that the Church is not only made up of priests but that it is a body which has Christ as its head, the body being made up of all the faithful with Mary as the Mother. Fr Chávez encouraged the young people to give their lives real meaning, discovering that life is a vocation, and not allowing themselves to be mere consumers, becoming creative, seeking high ideals that came make a positive mark.
At the end of the meeting with the young, the Rector Major met representatives of the groups of the Salesian Family in Chile. Referring to the journey of the casket of Don Bosco, in summer 2009, he promised to return to Chile next year.
Summing up the series of ideas of the Strennas for recent years the IX successor of Don Bosco, referred to the 5 challenges which the Salesian Family is being called upon to face: to believe in, love and defend life from its conception; to defend the institution of the family; to take care of the education of the young; to lead the young to Christ and to be open to life as a vocation.
The gathering ended with Mass at which the Rector Major presided and concelebrated by the members of the General Council, the Provincial of Chile, Fr Leonardo Santibañez, by some of the Councillors and other Salesians from the various houses in the Province. Among those present were also the Bishop Héctor Vargas of Arica and the retired bishop of Punta Arenas, Bishop Tomas Gonzalez,
Published 29/03/2011
