The meeting opened this morning 26 May with the Address of the Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva Rector Major of the Salesians and President of the USG. The purpose of the meeting is to examine the social, political, economic, cultural and religious situation in which consecrated persons in Europe are being called to live. Consecrated life already the subject of reflection in previous sessions has become the argument of a specific further study in the context of Europe since it is seen to be necessary to respond to the problems which threaten its existence in the places where it was born and from which it spread throughout the world. For this reason the second Bi-annual Assembly of 2010, in November will continue with the same topic.
After a short prayer to Mary, asking her to guide the work in hand, the Rector Major began his address referring to what the Pope had said in regard to his recent visit to Turin for the Display of the Shroud: “The concealment of God is part of contemporary man`s spirituality… our epoch has become increasingly a Holy Saturday: this day`s darkness challenges all who are wondering about life, and it challenges us believers in particular.”
Fr Chávez then continued describing the current historical situation of Europe, not failing to mention the many positive aspects which progress and wealth have brought to the continent. But the fundamental point of his analysis was a biblical reading of present day Europe: the Rector Major compared the condition of the Church of the first Christians and the condition of consecrated life today. “The persecution launched against the Church in Jerusalem, rather than kill off at birth the Christian experience, paradoxically or better providentially became one of the reasons for its spreading and for its missionary dynamism” Fr Chávez declared.
In this context the response can be neither pessimistic regarding the difficulties nor naivety regarding the changes which have occurred in recent decades. On the contrary the response Fr Chávez gives is that the modern consecrated person resembles the missionary Barnabas, with St Paul the apostle to the community in Antioch. Following his example, the consecrated person is called to be good, full of the spirit and of faith and above all to know how to “see the grace of God and to rejoice in it.”
At the end of his address the Rector Major introduced the journalist Isabelle Degaulmyn, chief religious editor of the French daily “La Croix”. She spoke about some of the limitations in consecrated life today such as the presence of forms of religious life very different from each other, the high number of beatifications of founders of Institutes in spite of the small number of consecrated persons. Nevertheless, in conclusion, she pointed out how religious life because of its characteristics of selflessness, working together, symbolic value and pluralism, was a way of life eminently suited to the challenges of the third millennium.
After a break for reflection and discussion in the assembly the first working morning ended with Mass at which Fr Chávez presided. In the afternoon talks will be given by Fra Mauro Jöhri, OFM Cap., on northern Europe; Fra Emili Turú, of the Marist Brothers on Mediterranean Europe; and Fr Adam Zak, SJ, on Eastern Europe.
Published 26/05/2010
