Attachment to the Letter of Convocation of the 45th General Chapter
This attachment contains what is prescribed
for the General Chapter in the Constitutions, in the General
Regulations and the Norms for Participation in the General Chapter that
were approved at the General Synod that took place in Rome at the end of
November, 2004. This is offered as a
“reminder”; for the complete text please consult the Constitutions, the General
Regulations and the Acts of the Synod.
From the Constitutions
129. The General Chapter meets every six years.
Its ex officio members are: the Superior General, who will also preside at the Chapter, previous Superiors General, the General Consultors, the Procurator General, the Secretary General, the Secretary General of the Missions, the General Econome, Provincial Superiors, and Vice-Provincial Superiors.
If a Provincial or Vice-Provincial Superior is prevented from attending the Chapter, his place will be taken by his first Consultor; if he in turn is unable to attend, another shall be chosen by the Provincial Council.
130. In accordance with the norms of the General Regulations, one or more delegates [are] elected […] If a delegate cannot be present at the Chapter, his place will be taken by a substitute.
N.B. Regarding the members “per officio” referred to at No. 129 of the Constitutions, the norms approved by the last Synod also allow for the participation “ex officio” of the regional Vicars with at least 25 religious, for which a temporary Rescript was requested of the Holy See in accord with what is permitted at No. 114 of the Constitutions. In reference to the election of the delegates, the norms approved by the last General Synod modify what is prescribed by the Constitutions and General Regulations.
From the General Regulations
76. The General Chapter is announced by means of a circular letter sent by the Superior General to the entire Congregation nine months before it is to take place.
It is the duty of the Superior General with his Council to ensure that the matters proposed to the Capitulars are carefully prepared and sent to them at least six months before the Chapter.
The Capitulars must be consulted about the agenda proposed for the Chapter, and they are free to put forward other topics for discussion.
Provinces, Vice‑Provinces, Regional Vicariates, and local communities, as well as any individual religious, are free to send to the General Chapter their own wishes and suggestions.
78. The Superior General with the consent of his Council may call experts to attend the Chapter. They take part, however, only in a consultative capacity.
The Superior General with the consent of his Council may also invite some religious to take part in the Chapter in a consultative capacity, so as to ensure that all parts of the Congregation are represented.
N.B. I wish to especially remind you of two points of No. 76:
The Capitulars must be consulted about the agenda proposed for the Chapter, and they are free to put forward other topics for discussion.
Provinces, Vice‑Provinces, Regional Vicariates, and local communities, as well as any individual religious, are free to send to the General Chapter their own wishes and suggestions.
1) THE NORMS FOR PARTICIPATION AT GENERAL
CHAPTERS:
Those Provinces with at least 50 religious shall have one delegate; Provinces with more than one hundred religious may elect an additional delegate for every one hundred religious and for every unit greater than one hundred; Regional Vicars of vicariates with at least 25 religious are members by right of the General Chapter.
Those Provinces with less than 50 religious, those Vice-provinces and Vicariates shall elect one delegate from with the parameters of the regional Conference for every 50 religious and additional delegates, one for every unit greater than 50.
For the election of delegates to the
Chapter, those religious that form part of Regional Vicariates shall not be
counted with their respective mother Province, but within the context of the
regional Vicariates.
Those religious of the communities of Latin America that are directly dependent upon Spain, the religious of Mozambique that depend totally upon Brazil, and the religious of Angola who depend directly on Portugal shall be counted within the Regional Conferences (together with the Vicariates), and not within the Mother Province.
Every Conference shall devise appropriate norms for the election of its Delegates to the General Chapter.
Every Regional Conference shall have one Brother as its delegate to the General Chapter.
2) THE ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF CAPITULARS:
General Curia: Fr. General, the Council, Major officials, Ex-General: 11
Provincials – Vice-Provincials: 28
Delegates of the Provinces with at least 50 religious: 15
Delegates of Provinces with more than 100 religious: (PAUL) 2
Regional Vicars with at least 25 religious: 6
Delegates of Provinces with less than 50 religious, of Vice-Provinces and of Vicariates:
COPAL Conference (377 religious) 8 delegates +
CPA Conference (145 religious) 3 delegates +
NEC Conference (112 religious) 2 delegates +
PASPAC Conference (195 religious) 4 delegates = 17
Brothers 7
Total
members: 86
N.B. For determining the number of delegates those religious were not counted who do not have active and passive voice (GR 68, 73, 77, 99a, 99d).