Roma, February 25, 2006
Prot. N° 0000 132/04
To
the Members of the
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
My dear Confreres,
I am pleased to introduce you a report from the Commission
for Restructuring entitled “Work in Progress”.
You will appreciate that this document is
the fruit of widespread consultation and imaginative
thinking. There is no doubt that the members
of the Commission have been hard at work!
It is also clear that the paper does not offer
rigid pronouncements but rather helpful suggestions
to spur dialogue among all Redemptorists.
You will recall that the last General Chapter asked
that the Commission for Restructuring prepare
a progress report in time for the six meetings
at the midpoint of the sexennium (Orientation 11.3). A draft of this report was presented to the General
Council in December 2005 during a meeting
in which all the members of the Commission
were present. Afterwards, the Commission worked
feverishly to edit the report in time for
the first of the regional meetings, which
took place in January. The other five regional
meetings are scheduled for the second semester
for 2006, so there is ample time for the confreres
to study this document and offer suggestions
to their respective major superior.
The General Chapter envisioned the process of restructuring
as a product of wide-ranging reflection and
dialogue among Redemptorists. To that purpose,
I ask the major superiors to make available
a copy of this report for each member of his
unit. The document should be studied by the
local communities and a summary of their impressions
and suggestions should be brought to the regional
meeting. Even though their regional meeting
has already taken place, the communities of
North America
still have the opportunity to reflect on the
recommendations of this document and pass
on their ideas to Father Guy Pilote, the member
of the Commission from their region.
In the name of the General Council, I thank the members
of the Commission for Restructuring for the
hard work which has produced this document
and I encourage them to continue their precious
service to our mission. I also count on the
good will of all Redemptorists to study these
proposals and help us to discern the will
of God for our Congregation.
Fraternally,
Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Superior
General
______________________________
Commission for Restructuring
‘Work in Progress’
Some Proposals
December 2005
_________________________
Preface
‘Giving our lives for plentiful
redemption’, the theme adopted by the General
Chapter of 2003 is intended to assert our
identity and to appeal anew to our vocation.
It intends to state again the guiding principle
that shapes life for us as Redemptorists.
We are to give witness to plentiful redemption
by our life-style, our words and our apostolic
endeavors.
In that same spirit the General
Chapter also decided that it was time for
us to seriously consider a revision
of our ways of organizing ourselves for our
mission. This came to be referred to and known
as the need to consider ‘restructuring’ in
the Congregation.
At present there are 37 Provinces,
24 Vice-Provinces, 16 regions, and 9 missions.
These are further organized into 6 Regions:
Asia-Oceania, Africa, America
(North and South) and Europe
(North and South).
The key question is: are
these the most effective ways of mobilizing
for mission today?
It should be noted that several
other Congregations are also asking this question
with respect to their own organization at
this time.
These structures developed
historically, mostly (though not always) in
direct response to peoples’ needs in different
cultures, with different languages, using
different pastoral experiences. They were
established mostly in response to peoples’
needs – but not always – for sometimes there
were internal Redemptorist issues and pressures
that influenced the development of the structures
we now have.
Such structures, once in
place, are often difficult to change, even
when the pastoral needs of peoples – the raison
d’etre – has dramatically altered. To
maintain and to work within an outdated structure
can be a serious hindrance to effective mobilization
for mission.
For this reason the General
Chapter mandated an overall review. It asked
the General Council to establish a Commission
for Restructuring, which is to bring proposals
to the next General Chapter in 2009.
The Commission, in this document,
presents initial proposals to all the confreres
of the Congregation. These have been discussed
with the General Council and modified in the
light of that discussion.
They are now published for
wider discussion by all confreres, and in
(V) Provinces,
[1]
and in the six Regional
meetings to be held in 2006.
The wider discussion is crucial.
When it comes down to it,
there is one overriding reason for restructuring.
The reason is this: so that we may continue
our tradition. Our tradition is everything,
and our tradition is mission. When we say,
‘our tradition is mission’ we don’t mean to
imply that all of us are active, healthy and
ready to go on the road. Many of us are old;
many of us are frail or fragile, in one way
or another. But it is still true that for
all of us, without any exception, ‘giving
our lives for plentiful redemption’ is the
very core of the meaning of our life. We give
expression to this central meaning in different
ways, in different stages of life. This is
the heart of the matter – for all of us.
If we believe in ourselves,
then we must continue, and we must develop
our tradition. It is not enough for us to
say that we Redemptorists were
those who in the
past made sacrifices to preach
the Gospel of salvation to the poor, the abandoned
who were not being reached. We have to say
that today Redemptorists are
those who are making sacrifices in order to
preach the Gospel of salvation to the most
needy, those not being reached by anyone else.
The proposals for restructuring for effective
mission will undoubtedly mean sacrifice. It
is for this reason that we need wide discussion
so that we can come to the best proposals
for effective mission in our tradition. It
will mean sacrifice and difficult decisions.
“Since they are always obliged
to seek new apostolic initiatives under the
guidance of legitimate authority, they cannot
allow themselves to settle down in surroundings
and structures in which their work will no
longer be missionary. On the contrary, they
will diligently pioneer new ways of preaching
the Gospel anew,” Constitution 15.
This document has three sections.
The first section gives five
general principles. We ask for your response:
are these the right general principles? Could
they be better expressed? Are important principles
missing?
The second section deals
with models and some other implications of
restructuring. We ask: are these useful models?
Are there others? What about the general shape
that seems to be emerging?
The third section looks at
the Congregation in each of the six present
geographical Regions. It offers proposals
or suggestions. In reading this we ask you
to look first to the areas of your own experience:
are there other, perhaps better, proposals,
suggestions? But we also ask you to look at
the other Regions – the overall shape of the
Congregation is the concern of everyone.
Your
response will influence the development of
these proposals.
Feedback
is crucial for us as we work towards a presentation
of proposals for consideration at the General
Chapter of 2009.
It should not be forgotten
that it is possible, with the approval of
the General Council, to already begin implementing
some proposals in experimental form.
We can distinguish between
‘designing change’, on the one
hand, and ‘managing change’ on the
other. Proposals for ‘restructuring’ are in
the area of designing change: all are
invited to this discussion. This is the purpose
of this document.
It is important that this
document be read together with Communicanda
1 – Called to Give Our Lives for Plentiful
Redemption, which expresses more fully
the motivation and the spirituality that underlies
this whole endeavor in the Congregation at
this time.
Confreres, the future of
Redemptorist life will be what we want it
to be. We do not simply wait for the future;
our decisions now help create it.
Hope naturally implies taking
risks. Without hope one can scarcely take
risks and one prefers to stick to the beaten
path even though it is the wrong one. Hope,
on the other hand, gives us a creative and
fighting spirit, enabling us to break with
our desire to always conform and giving us
the courage to change.
Juan Lasso de
la Vega, C.Ss.R. (Europe-South)
Con J. Casey,
C.Ss.R. (Europe-North)
Brendan J. Kelly, C.Ss.R. (Asia-Oceania)
Ulysses da Silva, C.Ss.R. (Latin America/Caribbean)
Guy Pilote, C.Ss.R.
(North America)
Larry Kaufmann, C.Ss.R.
(Africa)
Section I
Five Guiding Principles
1.
The human world today is a rapidly changing world. It is
in this world that we seek better structures
to engage in our mission which is to preach
the Gospel to the poor, to announce the fullness
of redemption, to be with the abandoned. This
is the fundamental motive and it is the first
guiding principle in the restructuring of
the Congregation.
I. Restructuring is for mission.
2.
Restructuring for mission entails a new mentality, or it
will be nothing. Our fundamental
Redemptorist identity needs to be awakened anew by the rapidly changing human world in which we live.
Who are we? We are those who, coming together
based on faith in Jesus Christ, are consecrated
in the Redemptorist charism, in ways deeper
than any commitment to culture, nationality,
tribe or family.
II. Restructuring for mission must prompt and
stimulate an awakening of our identity, a
conversion of our mentalities in line with
our calling and a new availability – or it
will all come to nothing.
3.
Initially the Congregation was a single unit organized
for mission. Then came a time when the Congregation
had, essentially, two units of organization
– St Clement Hofbauer’s work in the Transalpine
countries and the Congregation in the ‘homelands’
of Naples and Rome. In 1841 the Congregation
began a new organization for mission. It devolved
into diverse Provinces; first across Europe,
and then across the world. These diverse Provinces
were reorganized again – without losing their
identity – in the mid nineteen seventies,
into six geographical Regions: Asia-Oceania,
Africa, North America, Latin
America, Europe South and Europe
North and East. It is fair to say that the
Congregation would not have survived until
today without these historic reorganizations.
Today the Regions of the Congregation are geographically
based. In these geographical entities the
world today still finds some sense of home.
But to a significant extent the movement of peoples today also transcends and overflows such boundaries.
III. Restructuring for mission should follow the
people; it should be both a restructuring
within
our Regions, and no less, a restructuring
across
our Regional boundaries, following demographic
shifts.
4.
In this situation, it is important that the General Government
be empowered to marshal and concentrate financial
resources and confreres – and where possible
lay co-workers – when new initiatives are
required. We need to find new ways of balancing
the localization of creativity and resources with a due centralization of resources when demanded by
new initiatives or urgent situations.
IV. A new ability to concentrate resources for
mission, to restructure resources for mission,
is very important.
In some cases, it will be Provinces gathered together for
an urgent new initiative that will be the
agent of such a new concentration of resources.
In other situations it will be the General
Government, with an overall responsibility
in the mission of the Congregation, which
has the ability to call on and marshal resources
as needed.
V. A vital part of our mission, both historically
and in these times, is a theological reflection
rooted in pastoral experience: some new deployment
of our resources in this regard is a crucial
part of the challenge for restructuring for
mission today.
5.
Some very modest suggestions are offered in what follows
among our proposals for the Regions of Asia-Oceania
and Africa.
The fragility of the Congregation
is easy to recognize today, as is the fragility
of much of organized consecrated life in the
Church. Certainly we are hardly likely to negotiate these times well unless we
engage, as best we can, with the new challenges
that the new human world presents to us.
There are no magic solutions.
Moreover we cannot face these challenges without
openness to working together with lay people
and with other religious congregations. But
it seems right that we should begin, and begin
with courage. To this end, the following proposals
are offered, Region by Region.
Section II
Restructuring:
Some aspects and implications
A. Models of Restructuring
In this section we present various models of structures
for your consideration and comment. As models
they simply serve the purpose of providing
an operational or conceptual tool to assist
us in setting up structures appropriate to
our mission. The power of models is that they
are able to evoke an imaginative response,
enabling us to make the connection between
charism, spirituality, and mission on the
one hand and corresponding structural organization
on the other. Placed in this section of the
document, these models provide a bridge between
the guiding principles in the previous section,
and the proposals regarding Regions in the
following section. It is important, therefore,
to study them in that context.
The five models we present are drawn from past and present
experience, but they may also suggest a new
way of imagining our life as Redemptorists
in the 21st Century. No one model is promoted
over another. Indeed, we invite your suggestions
for other possible models. Thus, it would
be more helpful to see them as intersecting
with each other in an open and expanding process,
from the concept of a ‘fusion’ of two Units
(Model 1) to a wide network of Units that
transcend even regional boundaries (Model
5).
Structures are to serve mission. Restructuring is for the
renewal of mission. We are therefore called
to find ever new ways of working together
and supporting each other in the apostolate,
in formation and in finances. The five models
that follow are presented as one possible
approach in our common task of designing change.
1. The Fusion of
Units
Here, two or more Provinces unite and become one Province.
Examples from recent decades are: the Denver
Province
(the union of St Louis and Oakland); the
Edmonton-Toronto Province
(the union of Edmonton
and Toronto);
Burkina-Niger (the union of two Vice Provinces);
Bolivia
(the union of La Paz,
Reyes and Tupiza).
A study of these developments would be helpful and instructive,
addressing questions such as: What motivated
the development? Has more effective mobilization
for mission resulted? Has there resulted a
better context for younger confreres in their
life and mission?
2. The Union of Units,
maintaining regional identity
In the newly established Province of St. Clement,
four former Provinces united, while each of
the four retains an identity as a region in
the Province, with appropriate structures.
It is too early to judge the effectiveness of this model.
Nonetheless an account of the story to date
would be instructive, for this is an innovative
and courageous experiment.
3. Federation of
Units
This could be seen as a relatively new model, although
some beginnings have been made. Examples of
such beginnings are two Units in northeast
Brazil
(Fortaleza and Recife), four
Units in southeast Asia (Ipoh,
Cebu, Manila and Bangkok), the two
Vice-Provinces in Paraguay,
and Vienna
and Munich. Once again, the primary purpose in adopting
this model (as with others) is to serve mission
through generating new resources, not simply
retaining old ones.
In the federation model, Provinces come together in a relatively
stable way, but with a looser organization
that affords the possibility of retaining
their identity while still working together
in federation and overcoming unhealthy isolation.
This has enabled them to take risks and take
new initiative in mission.
There are three key elements to this model:
(1)
Confreres in federated Units come to know each others’
reality fairly well. In doing so there is
a cross-pollination of ideas, solidarity and
synergy in supporting and encouraging each
other. Practical ways of cooperating emerge.
(2)
There are structured, on-going ways for clarifying mission
objectives, maintaining the pastoral needs
of people as the priority.
(3)
There is adequate structure for decisions: perhaps a nominated
‘Praeses’
or Permanent Commission of the federation
and an annual Chapter-style meeting with decision
making powers.
Your suggestions on this model are to be welcomed, particularly
on how to strengthen the decision-making structures.
Furthermore, what are the implications of
this model with regard to multiplicity of
languages and plurality of Churches (as described
in Constitution 1)?
4. Conferences
We offer here for your consideration a new model drawn
from our deliberations as a commission. This
model arose from our reflections on the six
major Regions. As mentioned in the Preface,
Regions are a relatively new structure in
the Congregation (ca. 1970s) and in fact are
not reflected in our Constitutions. We have
asked ourselves the question: are the Regions
functioning for mission? If so, or if we continue
to choose the broader regional structure,
what aspect of this would most support the
mission of the Congregation?
In response to these questions we suggest the ecclesial
concept of a ‘Conference’ which would be an
association of Units in a region or sub-region
(or, in one suggestion proposed for the whole
of Europe, across two regions), having broader
powers for decision-making and implementation
than exist at present within the Regions,
and which would be motivated by a response
to broader pastoral concerns and challenges
such as, for example, secularization or migration.
Thus, we could speak of a Conference of Redemptorists
of Brazil, a Conference of Redemptorists of
All Europe, etc.
Put simply, the main difference between an existing Region
and a Conference is in the power to make and
implement decisions. This may also have implications
for the composition of the General Chapter
and the General Government.
Since this model, and the one that follows, are relatively
new, and to some extent supersede the Regions,
we seek your insight, feedback and suggestions
for further consideration.
5. Network of Units
Here, an international network or ‘alliance’ of all Units
already committed to the mission of the Congregation
in a particular area, or those with an interest
in this area, is envisaged.
By ‘particular area’ we refer to two possibilities: (1)
A particular geographical
area such as the continent of Africa;
(2) an area of pastoral need having specific challenges,
such as evangelization in a secularized world.
The first example will be examined in more detail later
in this document when we offer the following
proposal for Africa:
We propose the setting up
of an international
network of all Units already committed
to the mission of the Congregation in Africa
and others who in the future may wish to make
a commitment to this continent.
There would be a regular meeting of this networking body,
with the aim of learning about the challenges
to mission in this area, sharing questions
of mutual concern and policy, sharing financial
resources, and becoming an instrument for
the establishment of various initiatives and
structures. This would apply to both a network
for a geographical area and a network for
a particular pastoral need.
We believe such a ‘networking’ arrangement would be more
effective and expressive of solidarity, rather
than having Units working in parallel as has
been the case in the past.
Your
response to models
Once again, we appeal to you within your communities, Units,
and regional meetings, to discuss these models
and provide feedback on whether or how they
may be most effective in continuing the mission
of the Congregation.
B. The General Government
In re-organizing more effectively for mission, we need
to recognize the authority afforded to the
General Government according to our Constitutions.
Thus, in matters such as our response to new
pastoral demands, new forms of mission or
new models for the structuring of our mission
we affirm and accept the initiative proper
to the General Government. This is crucial.
We are an international Congregation living
in an era that moves us all to a global reality.
International solidarity in mission is vital
as we proceed into the 21st Century and the
General Government has a particular ministry
and mission in this regard.
In saying this, we do not wish to detract from initiative
and responsibility for mission within and
between Units. We believe that this document
adequately addresses this. Nevertheless, a
vital aspect of restructuring will be to give
consideration to the role and authority of
the General Government.
C. International Communities and Inter-Congregational
Communities
Where the mission demands it, we must be prepared to form
international communities, bearing in mind
the various models proposed above. The concept
of international communities continues to
inspire the imagination of many confreres,
but it needs to be examined more closely,
giving attention to questions of adequate
prior preparation, lines of authority, accountability,
and sharing of resources.
What would be your advice and suggestions with regard to
international communities?
Linked to this, but again, with urgency of mission and
ministry as the primary motivation, is the
concept and experience of inter-Congregational
communities, which needs to be further explored.
We must also give careful attention to co-operating
with the laity and the ways in which this
reality can be reflected in our apostolic
community life in the future.
Section III
The Regions
Introduction
In this
section we offer proposals for each Region.
We ask you to give consideration to these
proposals and we would welcome feedback. We
also welcome suggestions for other proposals
that would help our restructuring for more
effective mission. It may be best to begin
with the proposals for your own region, but
we would also encourage you to reflect on
the proposals presented for all the Regions.
Europe
North and Europe
South
In Europe, the Provinces
of the Congregation are currently organized
in two Regions, Europe South and Europe North.
The Commission is reporting on these two Regions
together: this is significant. We think that
the Provinces of these Regions will have to
find new ways of working together, across
the Regions, eventually, perhaps, emerging
as one Region.
Proposals
1. Looking
to Europe
overall, the greatest challenge for the Congregation
is to move confreres from fragmentation, isolation
and a struggle for survival to a shared sense
of mission.
We must bear in mind that the Congregation is in danger
of ceasing to exist in large parts of Europe.
We must also remember that for very many people in the
heart of Europe
there is a real poverty: religious, cultural
and economic.
We propose that the (V) Provinces
in Europe (both Regions together) seek to
identify strategies for a Redemptorist contribution
to a ‘new evangelization of Europe’ called
for by our Church leadership and we request
that
the 2006 Regional meetings in Europe North
and Europe South establish a Commission to
organize a Colloquium on ‘A Redemptorist contribution
to the new evangelization of Europe’.
We suggest that this Colloquium take place in 2007.
Keeping in mind – among many considerations:
- the possibilities
that shrines and places of pilgrimage offer
Redemptorists in this respect.
- the broad
swathes of religious, cultural and economic
poverty in the very heart of Europe (in such
places, for example, as zones of eastern Germany and the Czech Republic): the particular Redemptorist
sensitivity to the most abandoned has a central
consideration).
We recognize the difficulty of
organizing such a Colloquium. There is a danger
that it would be merely a facile ‘talk-shop’,
lacking realism. It will take considerable
ingenuity to avoid this danger. Nonetheless,
despite the possible pitfalls, we believe
that it is a necessary risk.
2.
We propose the development of a new, coherent Redemptorist
mission to migrant people across Europe,
especially the migrants who are Catholic.
It is obvious that such a mission would have to be undertaken
in collaboration with lay co-workers, and
in collaboration with other religious congregations.
It is obvious too that such a coherent mission
across Europe
will require the (V) Provinces to find new
ways of working together. This will require
working with provinces of other Regions
3.
We propose that the (V) Provinces of Europe
set up an international network which is dedicated
to youth ministry.
4. We propose that the two Regions remain in place
for now.
The reason is that the two-Region structure does produce
some fruit at present. In South
Europe it helps first formation
and, to an extent, on-going formation. In
North Europe it creates helpful bonds between (V) Provinces
which were separated or isolated from one
another in recent history.
However, there are other important functions and other
important organizational needs, which are
not well served by the present two-Region
structure. A new, coherent vision for Redemptorist
mission in Europe is lacking. We think that the Provinces of these
Regions will have to find new ways of working
together, across the Regions – perhaps, emerging
eventually as one Region. We seek your advice
in this regard.
Asia-Oceania
The confreres of the Region of Asia-Oceania work in an
area of great cultural diversity, geographical
extent and immense human populations. The
Commission recognizes the diversity and complexity
of the reality of Asia-Oceania. Such complexity
presents certain challenges and difficulties
when it comes to reorganizing or restructuring.
In recent years, in order to facilitate greater
communication and interaction, the Region
was divided into four (4) sub-Regions. These
sub-Regions have had some limited success
in enabling greater collaboration between
Units of the Congregation within the Region.
However, the Commission strongly believes
that reorganization within this Region would
be better facilitated by the Units of the
Region working together rather than at the
level of sub-Regions. It is our belief that
this would result in a clearer sense of our
mission as Redemptorists in Asia-Oceania today
as well as avoid the danger of any particular
Unit of the Congregation feeling isolated
or without support. Such reorganization would
also facilitate greater collaboration and
solidarity within the Region, sharing of ideas
and strategies for evangelization and enable
the Region to look beyond its own boundaries.
The Commission proposes the following:
1. That the present Region of Asia-Oceania be reconstituted
into the Conference of Redemptorists of
Asia-Oceania. All Units of the present
Region will become part of the Conference,
the major superiors will meet annually to
monitor, reflect on, discuss and make decisions
regarding Redemptorist Apostolic Life within
the Conference. The internal governance and
decision-making authority of the Conference
needs further reflection and discussion. In
this we seek your advice.
1.1 There are specific needs within the Conference that need
to be addressed, for example, initial formation,
new pastoral initiatives, finance and the
possibility of responding to requests for
new foundations in countries where we do not
already have a presence. The Commission proposes
that within the Conference a “Federation”
between particular Units be established in
order to respond more effectively to these
needs. An example of such a Federation would
be the present arrangement between Cebu, Manila,
Bangkok, Ipoh
and Canberra
regarding initial formation and between Ipoh,
Indonesia
and Cebu in relation to the mission in Borneo.
Again, further reflection on the decision-making
authority of such Federations is needed. Likewise,
we seek your advice in this matter.
1.2 There are specific challenges to preaching the Gospel
in some countries in the Region whose cultures
are quite secularized and consumerist, such
as Australia,
Japan
and New Zealand. The
Commission proposes that a “network” be established
wherein confreres from these Units meet and
interact with confreres from other Regions
who live and minister in similar situations,
for instance, confreres in South Africa, London,
Dublin, and the North American Region. A similar
network could be established, for example,
to examine the question of how best to respond
to the pastoral needs of indigenous people.
2.
In line with Guiding Principle #5 above (p. 6), the Commission
requests that the Regional Meeting of July
2006 establish a Commission to organize a
Colloquium on “The Redemptorist Mission in
Asia-Oceania in the twenty-first Century”
to facilitate the discernment of the Units
of the Region on how to respond best to the
pastoral needs of the people of this region
and devise strategies that would facilitate
such response, always keeping in mind the
mandate to preach the Gospel to the poor and
most abandoned.
2.1
The Colloquium will also give due recognition and importance
to the Shrines of Baclaran and Singapore with a view to making concrete
decisions about how to strengthen and renew
Redemptorist presence and commitment to this
important aspect of our tradition and these
two places of mission in Asia-Oceania. It
is hoped that eventually there will be a Commission
established at the Congregational level to
facilitate development of our Shrines at the
global level.
We recognize the difficulty
of organizing such a Colloquium. There is
a danger that it would be merely a facile
“talk-shop”, lacking realism. It will take
considerable ingenuity to avoid these dangers.
Nonetheless, despite the possible pitfalls,
we believe that it is a necessary risk.
3.
Theological reflection on pastoral experience at “the cutting
edge” is a vital component of our Alphonsian
heritage. In Asia-Oceania confreres are constantly
confronted with dehumanizing poverty, religious
fundamentalism, militant nationalism, the
denial of human rights and the destruction
of the earth’s environment. In Asia-Oceania,
too, the dialogue of Christianity with other
religions is a central preoccupation.
We propose the establishment
in Asia-Oceania of a center for theological
reflection on issues that are crucial for
missiology today, in particular the dialogue
with culture, religions and the poor. This
center, though based in Asia-Oceania, should
be considered a project of the whole Congregation
and a resource for the whole Congregation.
This should be reflected in the allocation
of resources and personnel.
North
America
What we, in the Congregation, call the North American Region
has diversity and a complexity of which we
must not lose sight. It brings together, for
instance, (V) Provinces in the US
and Canada.
The Province
of Yorkton expresses the reality of a distinctive
Church. There are communities of Brazilian
confreres and Polish confreres in the service
of distinctive needs, and also the confreres
of the Extra Patriam
Vice-Province.
A good plan for future restructuring must
not overlook this diversity.
The (V) Provinces of the North American Region have undertaken
major restructuring in recent years, the restructuring
of (V) Provinces, formation institutes and
ministries. The restructuring has been in
response to a very dramatic reduction in numbers
of confreres available, but it has also, felix
culpa, been an occasion for new initiatives
in ministry and much effective co-working,
for instance, in formation.
Major efforts have been directed towards a restructuring
within Provinces or in the creating of a union
of Provinces. It has required great energy
and inevitably much effort has been given
to new internal arrangements.
1. We propose that the (V) Provinces of the Region
organize a Colloquium on ‘The Redemptorist
mission in contemporary North America: a search for a shared vision’.
Keeping mind – among very many considerations:
· the diversity of the ‘Region’;
· Redemptorist sensitivity
to the un-churched should be a central consideration
and the relevance to new movements of evangelization;
· The challenge of preaching the Gospel in secularized and
consumerist cultures.
We recognize the danger that
that such a Colloquium might be merely a facile
‘talk-shop’, lacking realism, and that it
will take considerable ingenuity to avoid
this danger and we acknowledge that this will
require a lot of energy which is not always
easy to muster. Nonetheless, despite the possible
pitfalls, we put this forward for consideration,
in the belief that it may be a necessary risk.
2. Restructuring
into the future should be supportive of the
diversity in the Region as well as supportive
of the co-working of all at the Regional level.
Might it be that, in some instances – for some groups of
(V) Provinces – co-working in the suggested
model of ‘federation’ would be beneficial?
This would go along with, and not distract from the benefits
of co-working at Regional level, (as a Regional
‘Conference’) which has been well developed
in the Region in recent years.
3.
North America is a major center for the movement of immigrant peoples,
many of them Catholic.
We propose the establishment
of a North American Commission to develop
further the Redemptorist mission to migrants
across North America.
It is likely that this will entail working in partnership
with (V) Provinces from other Regions and
it is obvious that such a mission would have
to be undertaken in collaboration with lay
co-workers and in collaboration with other
religious congregations. There are also links
to be made with Redemptorist ministry to migrants
in other Regions.
One part of the work of this ministry is the encouragement
of vocations among the immigrant populations
4.
Provinces in North America
have a long tradition of offering support
towards the development of other Provinces,
especially those in most need. A way to continue
this tradition may be to consider working
in alliance with other Provinces in particular
ventures.
In the section on Africa
it is proposed that Provinces with responsibility
for projects in this Region – or Provinces
wishing to express care and support of the
Region – work together as an Alliance
or Network. The network would be a vehicle
for development, support and care for the
Redemptorist mission in Africa,
and a forum for reciprocal learning and mutual
enrichment.
5.
We propose that the decision
to establish a new international community
engaged in the apostolate at the Shrine of
Ste-Anne de Beaupré be supported.
6.
Confreres of the Extra Patriam
Vice-Province
serve distinct pastoral needs, but there are
dangers of isolation. We propose that
the leadership of the Extra Patriam
Vice-Province
invite confreres from other (V) Provinces
of the Region to visit, and to learn more
of their ministry and reality. Some joint
venture of mutual benefit should be explored.
Latin
America and the Caribbean
About one third of the confreres live in this Region. Its
development is particularly significant; its
structures for effective mission particularly
important.
The Region of Latin America and the Caribbean
does not work much at the level of Regional
meetings. It is at the level of the three
sub-regions that there is effective effort
at organizing together for formation and for
mission across Provincial boundaries. These
sub-regions are: the Union of Redemptorists
of Brazil, (URB), the North
Latin America and Caribbean Sub-region,
and the Union of Redemptorists of South Latin
America, (URSAL). In these sub-regions, effective
co-working does take place, in first formation,
in on-going formation of confreres and in
an ability to respond to emergent needs in
mission.
However there is also much that needs to be done. In each
sub-region there are Units which are very
weak and there are Units that find it difficult
to work together (because of diverse mentalities
or backgrounds). There are also difficulties
making and implementing decisions for effective
mission, at Regional and sub-regional level.
Restructuring into the future must take account of these
challenges.
1.
To facilitate better decision
making and implementation we suggest that,
at sub-Region level, consideration be given
to the Conference model.
At the Regional level we
propose that the Coordinators of the Sub-Regions
(or Conferences) form a permanent Commission
tasked with the development of solidarity
in Redemptorist missionary ventures, formation
and finances.
The tasks of the Commission
will include:
(1) discernment of new proposals for mission,
(2) development of solidarity across Provincial borders,
(3) openness to alliances for mission in other countries in
favor of the poorest,
(4) and the restructuring issues that are proposed for the
Region.
2.
There are instances of (V)
Provinces who have already developed structures
of partnership, somewhat along the lines of
the proposed model of Federation. We suggest
that this be developed further and used more
widely, especially in support of (V) Provinces
whose resources are fragile.
3.
We propose that each sub-region
(or Conference) work out a common ‘Ratio’ for initial formation in the sub-Region.
The purpose is to help develop a common understanding of
Redemptorist identity, which will be shared
by all younger confreres in the Region, thereby,
facilitating greater co-working across the
boundaries of Provinces – as our mission will
demand ever more in years ahead.
4.
The healthy continuation of the intellectual traditions
of the Congregation world-wide
will not be ensured without a serious contribution
from confreres from this Region.
We propose that the Provinces of this Region give
a priority to the training of suitable candidates
with a view to carrying forward our intellectual
and theological traditions.
Africa
Introduction
The continent of Africa
today is struggling to define its place within
the world community. Likewise, the rest of
the world is asking itself about Africa’s
role and identity in the global scheme of
things.
A parallel discussion seems to be taking place within the
Church in general and our Congregation in
particular. As Redemptorists we are sensitive
to the fragility of our new and not-so-new
foundations in this vast continent, characterized
as it is by extreme poverty, war, displacement
of peoples and disease, the most obvious and
serious of which is HIV/AIDS. We affirm the
courage and perseverance of our confreres
who continue to proclaim plentiful redemption
against all odds.
As the Commission for Restructuring we offer the following
proposals for the African region, conscious
that in some aspects the emphasis is on initial
structuring rather than restructuring. We
would not consider a ‘Conference’ for Africa
at this stage.
Proposals
1.
We propose the setting up
of an international network of all Units already
committed to the mission of the Congregation
in Africa
and others who may wish to make a future commitment
to this continent.
We recommend a regular meeting of this network, with the
aim of learning about challenges to mission
in Africa, sharing questions of mutual concern
and policy, sharing financial resources through
the establishment of a Fund for Africa
and being an instrument for the establishment
of various structures and initiatives, some
of which are spelled out in more detail below.
2.
Aligned to the network for Africa would be the establishment
of a Permanent Commission
for Africa.
A beginning has already been made with the establishment
of a nucleus of four confreres: the General
Consultor for the Region, the member of the
Commission for Restructuring from Africa
and the anglophone and franco-lusophone coordinators.
This would be augmented by three members nominated
by the network mentioned above.
The role of the Permanent Commission would be to facilitate
meetings of the network, to set up and oversee
the secretariat recommended in the following
proposal and to oversee the administration
of the “Fund for Africa”,
in collaboration with the General Government
and the General Secretariat for Finance.
3.
We propose the setting up
of an Intra-African Secretariat for Inculturation,
Missiology and Spirituality.
The Secretariat would fall under the auspices of the network
described above. It would be motivated by
the questions: What does it mean to be a Redemptorist
in Africa
today? In what ways does the Gospel become
incarnated in this continent’s multi-cultural
reality?
While the Secretariat may require separate francophone,
lusophone and anglophone components, we would
encourage a combined effort as much as possible.
Faithful to the mind of the universal Church
in its synod document, Ecclesia
in Africa, a Redemptorist focus on inculturation,
missiology and spirituality would pool together
the best of our theological reflection, our
apostolic life and our collaboration in formation
within Africa.
At the same time we would recommend regular
meetings with the similar Redemptorist institute
in Asia on
inter-religious dialogue. We would also encourage
collaboration with other religious institutes
in Africa.
4.
The structures for collaboration in initial formation already
in place in Africa
need to be consolidated. We encourage openness
to potential resources which the Secretariat
on Inculturation will in due course be able
to offer. The same would apply to ongoing
formation, such as common preparation for
final vows.
Despite difficulties and
diversity, we propose a common ratio
formationis for all of Africa
and a common policy on vocations, to be worked
out by the various formation secretariats
in collaboration with the Intra-African Secretariat
on Inculturation, Missiology and Spirituality.
5. We propose a general policy and terms of reference
for funding initial formation within the African
region to be worked out by the General Secretariat
for Finance together with the relevant Units.
The initiative already taken by the General Secretariat
for Finance in this regard, together with
the financial support from the whole Congregation
for initial formation in Africa,
is to be welcomed.
6. We envisage
that all of the above would bear fruit in
a
new
foundation in a country in Africa where the Congregation is not yet present.
We propose that such a new
foundation would be international, and would
respond to an urgent pastoral need in fidelity
to the charism and mission of the Congregation.
It would combine explicit proclamation of
the Word with social or development projects,
in collaboration with lay partners in mission.
Conclusion
In many ways this conclusion is open-ended, in the sense
that it invites you to take the discussion
forward. What we have presented for your consideration
is simply a ‘work in progress’. It is not
a final document. The next draft of a document
on restructuring will only take shape after
the mid-sexennial regional meetings when there
will have been an opportunity to dialogue
and debate what we have offered thus far.
Crucial to the process, therefore, is that we receive responses
to the present draft. To this end, we provide
a list of our email addresses. While all contributions
will be welcomed, in practice we expect that
most responses will come from the regional
meetings where members of the Commission for
Restructuring will be present.
Not addressed in the present draft, yet still part of our
mandate, is the question of the composition
of the General Chapter. This will be dealt
with in our future meetings, especially in
light of your feedback to the present discussion
on the guiding principles, models for restructuring
and our proposals for the Regions.
Commission Members
Juan Lasso de la Vega (Europe South)
[jmlasso@terra.es]
Con Casey (Europe North)
[provlig@eircom.net]
Brendan Kelly (Asia-Oceania)
[bjkcssrcb@yahoo.com.ph]
Ulysses da Silva (Latin America and Caribbean)
[bjkcssrcb@yahoo.com.ph]
Guy Pilote (North America)
[gpilote@cssr.net]
Larry Kaufmann (Africa)
[larrykaufmann@telkomsa.net]
