CHARITAS n. 225 RESERVED TO THE SERVANTS OF CHARITY YEAR LXXXVIII - APRIL 2010 Index LETTER OF THE SUPERIOR GENERAL Exhortation to the Confreres following the VI General Consultation 5 MESSAGES OF THE POPE Message of Holy Father Benedict XVI for the 18th World Day of the Sick 27 COMMUNICATIONS A. Confreres 30 B. Events of consecration 33 C. Important events 36 DECREES 1. Alienazione di immobili del patrimonio stabile della Congregazione 86 2. Erection of a new Religious House at Thaladavi (T.N. - India) 87 3. Dimissione dalla Congregazione 88 4. Chiusura della Comunità di Coyhaique (Chile) 89 5. Erezione giuridica di Casa religiosa a Skawina (Polonia) 90 6. Erezione di Casa di Noviziato 91 7. Appointments 91 8. Change of Province 95 9. Exits - Esclaustrations - Permissions 96 DOCUMENTS 1. Vocation and formation of the Christian Guanellian Lay Person 98 2. Letter of introduction to the GLM Document: “Making Charity the Heart of the World” 104 3 3. The future is called communion, fraternity 106 4. Incarico di Assistente generale dei Cooperatori a don Umberto Brugnoni 124 DECEASED CONFRERES 1. Father Josef Lorenz Sgier 125 2. Brother Arnaldo Della Bella 128 3. Father Gianni Battista Piatti 131 4. Father Antonio Filippi 134 5. Father Luigi Reali 137 6. Father Emilio Canosi 139 7. Father Giuseppe Rossi 141 8. Father Emidio Di Nicola 142 9. Father Romolo Cogliati 146 10. Father Ruggero Baldan 148 11. Father Paolino Bonomo 151 12. Father Mario Uglietti 153 13. Father Gaetano Chinaglia 155 14. Brother Luigi Pisnoli 157 15. Father Giuseppe Marangi 160 16. Father Salvatore Guida 163 4 LETTER OF THE SUPERIOR GENERAL EXHORTATION TO THE CONFRERES FOLLOWING THE VI GENERAL CONSULTATION Dear Confreres: The VI General Consultation, celebrated in Rome from January 11 to January 17, 2010, was a moment of grace. The General Council, through the interventions of the Provincial Superiors and the confreres attending the meeting, had the opportunity to ponder on the journey made by the Congregation in the past three and half years after the last 2006 General Chapter. The atmosphere of fraternity and dialogue that characterized our meeting makes us confident in continuing our task of animation and government. We feel supported by God’s grace, by the powerful presence of the Founder, and by the sense of responsibility that we are seeing in the confreres. They are truly eager to keep alive the fire of charity that the Lord himself entrusted to us by calling us to a “higher mission” and to enjoy the beauty of our vocation. The expressions that characterize the purpose of the Consultation, like dealing with the most pressing matters, evaluations, stimulations, and exchange of impressions, can be summarized by the experience we lived in our desire to promote unity, the greater good of the Congregation and the fervor of our apostolic zeal. The main task that the Consultation entrusted to us is to rekindle and sustain our fidelity to the gifts that the Lord had given us throughout the history of our Institute. 5 My letter should be interpreted as an exhortation like the meaning that our Constitutions give to the Consultation similar to what the Magisterium does after the Synods of Bishops that had taken into consideration an aspect of the life of the Church. It is a journey that we should undertake together once we become aware of the positive and negative issues present in our communities. Sometimes, when dealing with a social or ecclesial event (at times even regarding individuals), we develop great hopes for a change that, when not completely realized as expected, turn into disappointment. It is necessary to be aware that changes are reached through collective cooperation and through a perseverant daily commitment that, step by step, increases the good we have done. That commitment fills the gaps and weaknesses that prevent our progress. The Consultation allowed us to look more serenely into the ‘lights and shadows’ of our situation. The Provincial Superiors presented the situation of their own province or delegation and from that we gladly recognized all the good, great and beautiful work that is being done in the Congregation. Perhaps, our weaknesses have being overlooked. They surfaced later on when, with each Provincial, we analyzed more deeply the situation of our Communities. While we give thanks to the Lord for the commitment of many confreres, their exemplary life and zeal in the exercise of charity, we also feel the duty to mention the concern we have. This is not meant to discourage, judge, or excuse our faults. However, it should compel us to be more responsible toward our confreres and the progress of the Congregation. Before taking into consideration the content of the Consultation, I think it is appropriate to share with you the major concerns emerged in these days that are rendering more difficult the delicate task of animation and government of the Superiors. I acknowledge your Provincial Superiors’ enthusiasm and love toward the Congregation even when they have to face uncomfortable situations often resulting from attitudes and behaviors not totally fitting with religious life and spirit. It is always a difficult task when we have to mention negative, problematic issues to adult religious. Either because it is not right to generalize or because we may run the risk to focus our attention or curiosity mostly on the malfunction and not perceive the positive aspects on which we may capitalize. We have to face our reality with serenity. The difficulties we are living today are common to religious life in general. In this particular moment 6 of uncertainty, consecrated life is going through a period of identity crisis, and is seeking new models that may help to make clearer its prophesy in front of a culture of relativism that is abandoning any reference to God and the true common good. This is the main danger and reason of our concern. I would like to mention some of these issues to help us understand better the virtue of vigilance and renew a greater commitment and fidelity to our Constitutions. Therefore, the lax attitude of some confreres will not become cause of uncertainty to others, especially the young confreres. 1) The casual hint or request by some confreres to leave the Congregation for a Diocese. Often personal issues toward obedience and community life cause this. 2) The weak sense of belonging to the Congregation and of Guanellian identity. For some confreres, this happens after several years of formation. 3) Opposition in complying with obedience by easily bringing up reasons strictly personal and easy to overcome. 4) A certain relativism and, at time, imprudence in understanding and carrying out the duties inherent to the vow of chastity. 5) The creation of their own niche in a particular location or assuming a role which ignores the Community and makes more difficult the rotation of the confrere to another Community or another role or even the acceptance of new confreres in the House. 6) Some confreres present an unjustified resistance to change their mentality or to accept innovations and stimulating suggestions necessary for the mission of the community. That can disturb their quiet life-style or their apathy. 7) What hurts most is above all the lack of communion that is shown in different ways even among us. Partiality, aloofness, indifference, bias and sometimes even conflicts with no will for reconciliation. Let us welcome the suggestions of the Consultation for a new impetus and will to walk on the footpath of the Founder. We have put many hopes in the much-desired canonization of the Founder that seems instead going slower than our expectations. Definitely, the canonization will happen in 2011. May this be the occasion to prepare ourselves in a better way to welcome this grace. 7 By following the draft of reflection of the last General Chapter, I would like to offer a view of the main points that were taken into consideration by the VI Consultation and to propose them as guidelines for the next three years. CHARISM AND SPIRIT 1. Objectives and motivations In general especially among the young confreres, there is a true desire to deepen our charism perceived as rich of a specific spirituality and appreciated by the local Churches and society. Often we hear that our charism is difficult to accept, to assimilate and to carry out. Maybe, because charity summarizes all charisms, it is not so easy to perceive our own human realization in the service to the poor, because we are unable to understand this gift in its full potentiality, or because we are superficial in doing charity and carrying out an efficient service in our Houses. We need to get closer to the Founder and know him more deeply. We need to go beyond the trite slogans that, at times, are mere words that do not come from the heart and do not even reach the heart. They are words not built on a life of faith, as Father Guanella had, because only faith is able to give sense to our ministry. We must add that our charism is not a stagnant entity, but a dynamic grace that has to be constantly incarnated in the cultural and social context in which we like to express it and propose it. The logical consequence comes from the insistence of the Consultation to carry out a double and serious commitment of continuing the positives things of the past: 1) Deeper knowledge of our charism, gift of the Holy Spirit to the Founder and to the Congregation. We have to grasp its essence (even and especially the mystical one), and also its applications and historical developments according to the times and Church guidelines.