Press Release n. 05
11 July 2012
Yesterday afternoon, the Procurators worked in language groups. The first half of their meeting focused on Father General’s speech on the De statu Societatis. Each group formulated questions for clarification and deepening. The theme for the second half of the meeting dealt with the reasons for and against an eventual convocation of a General Congregation in preparation for the vote which will take place within the next few days. A peaceful atmosphere and fraternal exchange characterized the discussion.
Today, after an opening prayer done with care, as usual, by a group of scholastics from Hekima College, the delegates voted on the day and time to vote whether to have a General Congregation. A majority decided that it would take place the morning of Friday the 13th.
During the rest of the morning, Father General answered many questions about numerous aspects of life in the Society that came from yesterday afternoon’s study groups. However, before he began, Father General recalled some directives GC 35 had asked the central government to implement. He pointed out the work done thus far and the complexity of a few questions that need time and further consultation.
Among the questions that Father General handled were the Society’s charism, community life, formation at all levels, youth, the education and closeness to the poor, leadership formation, inter-provincial cooperation and mobility, the Society’s governance, and cura personalis. His answers were enriched by comments about his experience of the whole Society and his personal apostolic experience in Asia. Some humour was thrown in from time to time.
Father General lingered on a few topics in much more detail. Here are a few examples: Sentire cum Ecclesia; work at the frontiers and Africa as an apostolic preference of the Society; discernment and the conditions needed for it to be true and credible; spirituality and the intellectual apostolate which are two dimensions from which the Church expects much from the Society. And also: the serious and deep study against the danger of superficiality; creativity, a recurring theme in Father Nicolas’ speeches; the social dimension of our apostolates and networking at all levels.
A question and answer period followed in the afternoon, after a brief intervention by Father General to complete what he started in the morning. Afterwards, the Procurators expressed some of their hopes and risks about the future. The session ended with a few recommendations. The day ended with small group meetings by language and the Eucharistic celebration.
Download CP70, n.5 Eng, CP70, n.5 Esp, CP70, n.5 Fra, CP70, n.5 Ita, press releases
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