austraLasia 918
East Timor: Open Forum discussion on RM's Letters to the Congregation
DILI (East Timor): 23rd October '04 -- In a frank and wide-ranging open forum between gathered SDBs (council members, rectors, province commissions) and the Rector Major Fr Pascual Chávez, a major topic was the matter of the Rector Major's Letter in each AGC. The skeleton, and some of the flesh of this discussion is worth reporting here.
Q: These are beautiful letters, especially the ones about the visits to the regions. Any reactions?
A: Most confreres who share their reactions do so by email. Reactions are in the main very positive. Not all comments are positive, but....They comment on the simplicity, the theological and biblical perspective. They like the Salesian perspective, that I have looked around and considered the region. And they like the pastoral and spiritual application to our life which I do for all my letters. In some continents my letters have been used at the Conference of Major Superiors (Africa is one such place). 'Vida Religiosa', Spain, has published two of the letters. I have aimed at continuity between the letters - based on GC25.
Q: Reaction to AGC 386?
A: At Parañaque (FIN) they took it up for Lectio Divina and examen of conscience. This edition also contains an outstanding document on vocation fragility by Fr Cereda. We studied the issue in the General Council for one whole year. It became a personal commitment of mine after GC25 because as a Congregation we have the highest number of priestly dispensations. Sometimes the priest can live with a double conscience, one public the other private. Both 'projects of life' are incompatible, like a bamboo in the wind that can move 180 degrees in any direction without breaking. No reference point. The issue is moral relativism, worse, existential emptiness. It is a matter for further study, since it is a mirror of the cultural fragility of the younger generation.
Q: The Salesian Brother - are some studies available, some trends observable?
A: In 1975 Fr Ricceri organised a conference on the Salesian Brother. Fr Vigano' asked us to deal with the matter. Fr Vecchi encouraged us to confront the issue through the occasion of Br Zatti's Beatification. I think all these efforts have borne some beautiful fruits. India has shown this - the Brother vocation was once sparse, now there are 200 of them and growing every year; there are two centres set up for them now. We must maintain the visibility of the Brother in our work.
Q: Can we have some more challenging biographies of our saints and holy people?
A: It is true, we need this. Fr Dal Covolo has some excellent material - largely available in Italian, Spanish. Alessandrina has an attractive biography - it all depends on the presentation.
Q: My impression of the Australian Salesian Bulletin [positive]. Other materials are often from a European context. Fr Cereda recently gave us a list of books to read which we lack, on Salesianity. My suggestion - let's have this material [in English].
A: There are many English Salesianity materials available but not shared. For example there's Fr Alan McDonald's translated material (AUL) and Fr Vincent Zuliani's (SUE). These should be shared - finance is not the issue. Sharing is important.
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[Editor's note: the exchange of questions and answers continued. Perhaps more at another time. There is more English language material available than sometimes meets the eye. www.sdb.org is regularly adding English language documentation. Many of Fr McDonald's translated materials are available in the public domain through www.bosconet.aust.com along with other English Salesian material. These sites should be searched on a regular basis since material is constantly being added]
