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Sessione 3
You are here:Home / Family News / NEF 2017 / Family News - September 14th, 2017 / From the General Chapter (2)
Sep 14, 2017

From the General Chapter (2)

Amendments to the Rule of Life

From the General Chapter (2)

Six years after the adoption of the new rule of life, in the 26th general chapter (Bethlehem), some proposals for amendments were submitted to the Chapter delegates gathered at St. Bernardino (see article 193 of the Rule of Life). The experience sometimes dictates its law. Six years were not too many to emphasize the need to revise a few articles.

According to the canon law, the voted amendments were immediately submitted to the concerned Vatican Congregation (CIVCSVA) for the approval. The latter approved the amendments with an official letter arrived at the Generalate on September 1, 2017.
The Superior general and his council are devising the best way to include these amendments into the text of the rule of life already published.

All that which gives value to our Congregation are the people who have decided in full freedom to live in a community the charism and the mission that the Holy Spirit inspired our Father Saint Michael Garicoits. This life needs to be channelled and the human relationships must be protected so that people could be faithful to the purpose that unites them to form a community. The Rule of Life is there for that.

Not only does it express the charism of our Founder, but it also contains the proper law that governs us. This regulation is not rigid, definitive or unmovable. This is why the Rule of Life foresees that the General Chapter could modify it and indicate the way how to proceed. “If a modification is to be made to the Rule of Life (articles and statutes), the decision must be taken by two-thirds of the votes by the General Chapter. Moreover for the articles, it is necessary to obtain approval of the Holy See, on whom falls their authentic interpretation” (Article 193).

The new Rule of Life was approved at the 26th General Chapter. During the last Chapter, in Paraguay, proposals were made to make corrections. Most of these corrections have been approved by two thirds of the votes of the Chapter and have just been authorized by the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life of the Holy See. The changes are indicated in italics and underlined below.

Statute 8

“... The Regional Chapter... elects one delegate for every 12 religious (or fraction of 12) in perpetual vows ...”

- According to the Rule of Life, one delegate was elected for 15 religious. The Chapter Fathers observed that certain important realities of the Congregation had only one delegate to the Chapter. The criteria is being that of the proportionality of the religious. We are moving towards a more and more reduced presence of religious born of traditional realities and a growing presence of new realities where the number of vocations is higher.

Article 248

“Chosen from among religious priests with perpetual vows, the regional vicars are appointed by the Superior General with the consent of the General Council, after consultation with the Regional Superior, for three years, renewable”.

à This article did not indicate the duration of mandate of the regional vicars, it was assumed that it lasted six years like that of the Superior General, the members of his Council and the Regional Superiors. The experience of the last six years has taught us that it would have been good to be able to change after three years. On the other hand, the Chapter did not vote for the change of the duration of the mandate of the Regional Superiors to reduce it into four years because it was judged important that all the members of the Council of Congregation have the same duration of mandate, so that the governing team can count on a certain continuity and not be modified during the mandate.

Article 252

“After consultation with the Regional Superior, the Superior General with the consent of his council appoints a Regional Bursar for six years, renewable.”

à The Rule of Life neither fixes the duration of the Regional Bursar. The Chapter has approved that the mandate lasts six years and that the appointment can be renewed, following the same criteria of ensuring stability to the General Governing team.

Article 140

“The postulancy...
This is realised in a community of the Congregation under the direction of a qualified formator, appointed by the Regional Vicar, with the consent of his Council and the approval of the Regional Superior and his Council.”

- The Rule of Life did not indicate who has the responsibility for appointing the formator of the postulants in the Vicariate. Since it is the regional vicar with the council of vicariate who admits the candidate for the postulancy, it is logical for the Chapter that it be the regional vicar with his council who appoints the formator of the postulants, and that such appointment be subject to the approval of the Regional Superior.

Article 205

“The General Council (outside cases foreseen by common law) must give its consent on the following questions: a. b ...
n. the grant of the indult of exclaustration to a religious in perpetual vows;
o. the transmission to the Holy See of the request for an exit from the Congregation on the part of a religious in perpetual vows for a grave reason;
p. the dismissal of a religious in perpetual vows, with the four members of the general council who act collegially;
q...; r...; s…”


- The General Chapter wished to include in this article No. 205 certain powers of the General Council which were dispersed in other places in the Rule of Life, especially since these were competences that had to be exercised several times during of the last mandate

Article 206

“The General Council (outside cases foreseen by common law) must give its advice on the following questions:
a…
b. the approval of the opening of a house with the written consent of the diocesan bishop and the acceptance of a parish before signing the contract referred to Statute 2; ... c.; d...”

à The General Chapter voted this modification on the proposal of the General Council. In fact, when the Superior General was to confirm the acceptance of a new parish by the Regional Superior, there was a lack of clear references in the norm.

Article 236

“The Regional Superior ...
He oversees the application of the regional project for putting into effect decisions of the Chapters and General Councils. He may, having consulted his council, extend, for a short period, the term of office of a Community superior, a vicariate bursar or a community bursar , or appoint an interim administrator.”

- In conformity with the instructions of the Holy See, in the new Rule of Life, the Council of the Congregation has no power to take any decision. It was therefore necessary to make the corresponding correction [This point concerns only the edition of the Rule of Life in French, which is the reference version by the Holy See and had to be corrected]. In Article 195 of the 1983 Rule of Life, which preceded that of 2012, the Superior General and the Provincial Superior were both entitled to extend the duration of the mandate of a religious for a short period of time. “The Superior General and his Council may extend for a short period the duration of the mandate of a Provincial or appoint an Interim Administrator. The Provincial Superior and his council may act likewise towards a local Superior ”.

- The commission which worked on the revision of the Rule of Life maintained this faculty of the Superior General in article 198 (f), but omitted to include this important competence in certain situations in article 236, which determines the functions of the regional superior.

Article 244

“The Regional Council gives its consent on following questions (which must still be submitted to the Superior General and his Council for approval):
a. the request addressed to the Superior General for final profession;
b. requests for presentation to the diaconate or presbyterate addressed to the Superior General;
c. the request addressed to the Superior General for being dispensed from the vows;
d. the request addressed to the Superior General for leaving the Congregation;
e. the request addressed to the Superior General by the Regional Superior for the dismissal of a professed religious;
f. the appointment of the master of novices...
etc.”

à The Chapter decided to put a little order. Point a. taking its place among the other admissions which fall within the competence of the Superior General. This point a. proceeds from Article 245 d.
Points c,d and e have been added, which fall within the competence of the superior general, but which must pass through the regional superior and his council. These decisions were very common also during the last mandate, that it is important to be clearly included in the competences of the regional council.

***

These corrections detract nothing from the value of the Rule of Life, for, as Saint Michael Garicoits says: “Outside these rules, is merely individual interpretation, the reign of our own love. “(DS 221-225) The corrections also show that the Rule of Life can be modified to be better suitable in our time and help us more effectively and concretely to settle our relations. The Rule of Life is an instrument for us, persons and communities, to live our vocation and mission in the best possible way.

Gaspar Fernández Pérez scj

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