REPORT TO THE SYNOD

Rome – November/December 2004

 

“Restructuring”

 

My dear brothers,

 

I don’t think that you were expecting a scientific, technical presentation on the topic of restructuring.  I will make some points during my intervention, but I think that during these days we should all try to more or less arrive at some common understanding of this topic.  My contribution to this Synod will center on the current situation of the Congregation and on why at the present time we are speaking about restructuring.

 

In my report to you on restructuring during the Synod that we celebrated in 2002 in Korea I told you that we cannot understand the reality of the vicariates without an understanding of the global reality of the Congregation.  Therefore, it is necessary to begin with a study that takes into consideration the entire Congregation due to the imbalance of the vital forces that are a reality within the Congregation.  I also referred to the exhortation that Vatican Council II gave to religious institutes to search out more authentic means of becoming more present and effective in today’s continuously changing world.  The decree Perfectae Caritatis (1965) very clearly states at No. 2:  “The adaptation and renewal of the religious life includes both the constant return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original spirit of the institutes and their adaptation to the changed conditions of our time.” However, with equal directness it states:

“It should be constantly kept in mind, therefore, that even the best adjustments made in accordance with the needs of our age will be ineffectual unless they are animated by a renewal of spirit. This must take precedence over even the active ministry.” Therefore an effective renewal and adaptation can be achieved only with the collaboration of all the members of the Institute and by conveniently adapting the way in which we live, pray and function according to the current physical and psychological conditions of its members, as well as – as is demanded by the uniqueness of every institute – according to the needs of the apostolate, to the demands of the culture, to the social and economic situation, especially in mission areas.  Additionally, the form of government needs to be examined using the same criteria.  This impulse given by Vatican II needs to be implemented today by our Congregation.  Before moving to a listing of the specific factors that today urge us to act upon this process of restructuring without further delay, I wish to present the statistics of the Congregation during the past twenty years, i.e. from 1983 to 2003, so as to achieve a global vision of the Congregation:

 

            1. First, to have a geographic panorama of how the Congregation is diffused in the world today.

            2.  Then, to know the present number of religious in each province, vice-province and vicariate.  The number is indicated on the map.

            3.  Finally, to see how the Congregation during these past twenty years has grown or diminished in the various conferences.

 

            In my opinion, this geographical data and statistics give us an idea of the implantation, how the Congregation is situated in the world and it clarifies how many we currently number and the capacity that we have to carry out the mission that has been entrusted to us Passionists, as well as our need to be attentive to the weariness resulting from the work undertaken during this period.  Restructuring is a charismatic, vital and structural response appropriate to the mission that has been entrusted to us in accord with the demands and the needs of our age.  In other words, we envision restructuring as a process, a dynamic for personal and community transformation that examines the present reality, evaluates the structures that currently exist and, if necessary, proposes changes so that we can be faithful to our charism and to our mission.  Therefore, restructuring consists fundamentally in finding new means of organizing ourselves and, if necessary, establishing new structures in order to adhere with greater fidelity to the charism of the Congregation.  This also requires a new sensibility in light of present challenges as well a new mentality, a new way of witnessing and announcing the Gospel.  Consequently we need to rediscover a new anthropological basis for our structures that must always be at the service of people and of their desire for life. 

Restructuring cannot only be a reaction to incidental situations that require a clear position and subsequent action.  Above all, restructuring should emanate from a positive attitude.  Furthermore, if at the same time we do not also have a desire for vitality and viability and we only seek out solutions on an administrative level or for future security, we can also make restructuring a way of responding to a momentary need, for example, the reduced number of vocations.  However, all of these efforts, as always, would result in being incomplete and imprecise if we try to address the difficulties without going to the heart of the matter with an open mind:  restructuring is for life.

We cannot say that nothing has changed since the founding of our Congregation.  From time to time we evaluate the road that we have been traveling; we change our Regulations if necessary and we ask the Holy See to change the constitutions when we note that the changes in the world or its vision no longer allows for them to be observed.  There are provinces who from time to time try to adapt their own structures based upon demands and available manpower always keeping in mind the chief concern of fulfilling our mission.  This means that we are not beginning from point zero with regard to restructuring.  Some efforts have already been made on the local level and this is a positive sign of the dynamism of the Congregation and attentiveness to the signs of the times.  Perhaps the new element that compels us to address this issue at this time is the desire of the entire Congregation to undertake the process and to do so as a single Congregation.  And our Superior General in his numerous interventions concerning restructuring, has always promoted this idea of encouraging study on the process of restructuring no longer as a province, but as a Congregation.

 

            Fr. Luigi Vaninetti in the PIB No. 4 in conjunction with this fundamental concept of Fr. General presents restructuring to us as a re-definition of religious life, a widening of the horizon of the congregation, the true entity to which we belong more than to individual provinces, and to promote a dynamic of listening, of challenge and of co-responsibility free from any attitude of self centeredness and from every institutional and territorial superiority.  There is no need to enclose oneself in one’s own province; rather, we must try to become part of the process of the Congregation.  We can no longer think as a single province, but as a Congregation.  This is the innovation.  And the responsibility that this implies for each of us Passionists is serious because we want to offer our Congregation a new direction, a new orientation, a new presence in the world, adapting our charism and spirituality according to the signs of the times.

 

The positive and negative factors that urge us toward restructuring today:

 

            1.  The world as the context for fulfilling our mission:  Secularization and Globalization.

 

            Who of us can say that we do not feel challenged by today’s world when we consider some of the signs of the times and some means that were in use 50 years ago?  Who can still say that these means and methods are still useful today?  Who would say to us that the ways that we used to reach young people 50 years ago are still valid today?

 

            In light of the rapidly changing world in which we live many of us have also asked ourselves if our mission still has meaning so as to honestly legitimize it and, above all, if it still has a future existence.  Perhaps we have asked ourselves if the spiritual and missionary institution of St. Paul of the Cross with all the traditions that proceed from it, still has a place in this world.  The phenomenon of secularization has already been experienced everywhere. Globalization, which has become almost fashionable in today’s world and before which no one can remain indifferent, continues to diffuse itself, imposing its logic and discipline on all of humanity.  And the many other factors that characterize this world make it such that we can no longer further our mission without frequently questioning ourselves about its validity and efficacy.

 

            2.  The total decline of vocations in our Congregation.

 

            Statistics have demonstrated how the Congregation is undergoing a severe, wide-spread process of diminishment.  The number of young men who consecrated themselves in the First World 50 years ago, today is at zero.  The new world offers some signs of life, but even there a severe decrease of vocations is being experienced.

 

            3.  The age of the religious of the First World.

 

            In the First World the majority of the religious are aged. This means that manpower is in a state of on-going decline and that it is necessary to consider a new way of being present in the world.  This also means that the Congregation must search for new ways of organizing itself in order to create new, viable structures for those aged religious.  Perhaps this needs to begin in those provinces where 70% of the religious are very elderly, and those that are younger run the risk of not be able to fulfill ministerial commitments as well as to care for the aged and infirm religious in the retreats.  How do we arrive at an adequate solution for such a complex situation?  It would be good to initiate an honest discussion with those religious who are in this situation in order to find a solution.  Perhaps it would be good to think about renovating a part of the retreat for our aged and infirm religious or make arrangements with currently existing professional health-care organizations.  Are there other solutions?  At any rate, a solution to this problem must be discovered in those areas where satisfactory alternatives have not yet been employed.

 

            4.  The development of the Congregation in the New World.

 

            By New World I mean those areas where the Congregation has recently been established, i.e. Africa, parts of Asia and an area of Latin America.  Here the Congregation has recently begun to create a presence and is in a period of growth.  However, in my opinion, this growth is stunted because even here they are beginning to experience a lack of vocations, or else they find themselves in financial difficulty that becomes an obstacle to the recruitment of numerous candidates.

 

            5.  The desire to be open to the realities of today’s world: the Intercultural factor

 

            Generally, people of today’s world possess a cosmopolitan mentality, i.e. they want to familiarize themselves with the world at large and they want to understand what other people do, how they live, etc.  Nations can no longer claim:  ‘This culture is unique to us.’  This is because of the changes that are occurring today.  There is a cultural clash that cannot be ignored, and which needs on-going attention.  Unfortunately, in our Congregation the number of number religious willing to go the missions continues to decrease – which confirms this mentality – everyone wanting to stay in his own house, in his province, vice-province or vicariate.  In part this may be attributed to the mind-set that we have our own concerns that are ever more localized as well as the reality of the decrease in the number of young religious, both of which are decisive factors in this matter.

 

            6.  The migration of people

 

            The ethnic groups originating in the southern or eastern areas of the globe continue to migrate to the countries of the North and West, groups that in general are lacking in necessary pastoral assistance.  The preaching of the Gospel has no boundaries and, together with all of the Church, we should understand ourselves to be challenged by the reality of this situation and discover adequate ways of reaching them in order to bring them the Gospel.  It is understandable that the presence of these peoples among us and their acceptance may cause psychological tension in some individuals who are rooted in their own cultures (surely an erroneous way of thinking).  However, this mind-set can be overcome by understanding this matter within a Christian context in which love that has no boundaries impels us to bring the Gospel to the entire world and to all people.

 

            7.  The Lay Passionist movement

 

            Our brothers and sisters who form part of the lay movement and who lovingly share with us the charism of St. Paul of the Cross cannot remain outside the process of restructuring, and should even directly share in this course of action.  Various provinces have had positive experiences with our brothers and sisters in lay movements, which in the present situation of our Congregation can no longer be ignored, but on the contrary, must be integrated and incorporated into the dynamic of our process of restructuring.  Today the presence of the lay Passionist movement is a something that can be viewed in a positive way and as something which is very hopeful for our Congregation.

 

            8.  The Inadequacy of forms and structures of life.

 

            Undoubtedly, the forms and manner in which we live today may cause serious difficulties or barriers for the young.  Not only life-styles, the observance, time schedules, etc., but also structures:  the religious house or retreats in which these forms of life exist are perhaps no longer attractive to young people.

 

WHAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE CONFERENCES WITH REGARD TO RESTRUCTURING?

 

            I have participated in some assemblies of the conferences which have had “restructuring” as their topic.  The visions of restructuring in the conferences are varied depending on the regions and above all depending on needs that this change involves.

 

            A)   According to the Passionist Conference of Asia-Pacific (PASPAC) restructuring means finding another form of being Passionist in their region; it means reinforcing the reduced groupings of personnel in their conferences.  They seek some other vision of being Passionist.

           

            B)  In Africa restructuring is seen as a new form of collaboration between the vicariates.  This conference, being constituted only of vicariates, views that reality as a dynamic that should help the vicariates in their movement toward greater autonomy given that they are entities that are in the process of growth in the Congregation.

 

            C)  Northern Europe (NEC) is a very complex issue.  I highlight two issues:

            1.  The care of our aged religious in our communities:  we need to find adequate solutions for making life for our elderly more livable.  But how?  The search for adequate solutions must include dialog with the religious themselves.

            2. Re: Our pastoral presence in this secularized and globalized world – Should we leave the structures as they presently exist or should we re-create them using more youthful energies?  They don’t know how to address this or how to accomplish it.

 

            D)  The Conference of the Iberian Peninsula (CII).  The topic of restructuring cannot be addressed in this region merely on a geographical level; it must go beyond this region. In addition to the province of Spain, the reality of this situation must also include their active and numerous forms of presence in Central and South America.  However, they realize the urgency of beginning this process, even if it is not addressed openly due to the difficulty in locating adequate addresses.

 

            E)  In North America (IPCM) restructuring is understood as something that needs to be done in order to arrive at appropriate conclusions and as part of an on-going process carried out with courage, conviction and exactness.  Fr. Robert Joerger, General Consultor, informs us that within the context of our charism, of our mission and the formulation of inter-provincial means of collaboration, the participants have suggested that further cooperation among the provinces is needed particularly in the areas of pastoral ministry, administration and communication.  (See article of Fr. Robert, PIB No. 4).  However, the Congregation by itself cannot further this process.  It needs to do this in collaboration with the larger Passionist Family in North America, thus allowing the answer to come from within the entire Passionist family.

 

            F)  The Italian Conference (CIPI).  The CIPI Assembly arrived at a consensus regarding the general objective of restructuring as a witness to communion of life and to the “memoria passionis” and the urgency of involving all of the religious so that they become familiarized with the issue of restructuring as a process in which they have a part to play.  Therefore a process of awareness needs to be employed by means of common programming, including on the inter-provincial level (See, Fr. Luigi’s article, PIB, No. 4, April 2004).

 

            G)  The Latin-American Conference (CLAP).  From the very beginning, our religious of Latin America have considered restructuring as a new way of being Passionists in that part of the world, even if the process has been impeded by trying to keep up with the speed at which changes are taking place.  However their idea was not to continue to increase the number of Passionist entities (structures), rather to try to reduce them and to build smaller units or stronger structures.  This was the positive thrust of the Passionists of Brazil.

 

            These are some of the ideas that emerged from the meetings of the conferences in which I was involved.  Naturally there are many more ideas, but we have to realize that we are still in the questioning phase.  I would like to summarize some of the main lines of thought:

 

            Restructuring is a process undertaken by the Congregation so that it may best respond to the challenges of today’s world.  To enter into this process it is necessary to seriously ask ourselves:  Are our present structures effectively and efficaciously at the service of our Passionist mission?  How do these structures function?  Do they truly help us to address the demands of the charism and to respond to the pastoral needs of today’s world?  What are the pastoral needs to which our Congregation is called to respond today?  What structures help us so that we might better respond to these needs?  What criteria do we have to identify our obligation to respond to the poor and the abandoned?  What will help us to discern true pastoral imperatives?  These questions may seem to be abstract and detached from our everyday concerns and cares, but they are questions that address the various factors that we have named which challenge us to embrace the process of restructuring.

 

CONVERSION

 

            We are called to conversion.  We are called to re-examine the road that we taken up to this point in time, to again discuss our response to the present demands of our mission as envisioned by St. Paul of the Cross, to review our style of life, our mind set and our way of organizing ourselves.  We are invited to respond with creative fidelity to the challenges of our mission in the modern world.  We are called to be faithful to the charism of the Congregation and to the spirit of our Founder.  We are called to be attentive to new ways of responding to the demands of the proclaiming the Gospel, of proclaiming the “Memoria Passionis” by witnessing renewed life and structures.