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Of One Heart and One Mind
(Acts 4, 32)
A reflection on solidarity in the Congregation
Prot. N° 0000 0023/2000
31 March 2002
Resurrection of the Lord
My dear confreres:
I am happy to offer to the Congregation this first communicanda of the new
millennium and ask you to join me in considering a sign of hope that I
perceive in the Congregation. While there are surely a number of reasons to
face the future confidently, in this letter I am going to suggest only one
for your reflection: I see a increasing spirit of solidarity in the
Congregation, that is, a growing singleness of heart and mind and a
strengthening of bonds that unite the global Redemptorist family, leading us
to more effective missionary action.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS LETTER?
This solidarity is both a result of the renewal in the Congregation that has
taken place over the last forty years and a product of the globalizing
forces that are shaping our world. I think we need to recognize the positive
developments now present in the life of our Congregation and look together
into the future in an effort to discern God's will for our Institute.
What is more, a reflection on solidarity should interest us as we continue
working on the theme of this sexennium. Our spirituality helps us to answer
"basic and often unsettling questions: Who are we? Why are we? How are we to
live?" (Communicanda 2 [January 1999], n. 8). So, I think that a
consideration of solidarity will lead us to think about how we relate to
each other within the Congregation as well as how we interact with the
circumstances of our world. Questions like "are we called to be an
international congregation or a federation of (vice-) provinces?" or "do we
feel ill at ease in a model of global economy that is divisive and promotes
discrimination in our world?" are both spiritual questions. They invite us
to reflect on who we are, what we value and how we should live.
Finally, I see this letter connected with a crucial project already begun in
the Congregation, the preparation of the next General Chapter. I hope that
this communicanda will contribute to the reflection that is preparing the
Congregation for an exceptional moment of solidarity: the XXIII General
Chapter, which will be celebrated in 2003.
THE PREPARATION OF THIS TEXT
The Regional meetings at the midpoint of the sexennium
Let me tell you a little bit about how this letter came about. In 1999 the
General Council prepared the agenda for the six Regional meetings of the
Congregation that would take place at the midpoint of this sexennium. Over a
twelve-month period, from January 2000 to January 2001, the major superiors
of each region met with members of the General Council, first in Madagascar,
then in the United States, Brazil, the Philippines, Italy and Poland.
The General Council asked the major superiors to consider the same issues in
each regional meeting, following the recommendation of the last General
Chapter. These topics included the sexennial theme of spirituality, the
vocation of Brothers in the Congregation and questions linked to the
preparation of the next General Chapter. There was also time dedicated to
matters of particular interest in each Region.
In addition to these themes, I presented solidarity as a particular sign of
hope that I see in the Congregation and discussed this "sign of the times"
with the major superiors. Even then, I hoped eventually to publish the
message in the form of a communicanda in order to include all the confreres
in this reflection. The same draft text was presented at each of the six
regional meetings and the superiors offered very helpful suggestions. They
enthusiastically endorsed further consideration on the matter of solidarity
and encouraged the publication of a communicanda about it.
The reflection of the Union of Superiors General
Near the end of the year 2000, together with other superiors general of
religious men, I participated in a reflection on the future of the
consecrated life in a globalized world. The occasion was the semiannual
meeting of the Union of Superiors General (November 22-25, 2000) at which we
considered a working paper that had been prepared by the international
theological commission of the Union. While at first glance one may feel the
need for a dictionary of theological terms to understand it, the document,
entitled "Inside Globalization: toward a multi-centered and intercultrual
communion. Ecclesiological implications for the administration of our
Institutes" (published 8 December 2000), represents the fruit of a
three-year dialogue between theologians and superiors general about the
rapidly changing horizons in which the consecrated life finds itself today.
The text offers a valuable perspective that seeks to situate questions like
the inculturation of the charism and decentralization against the background
of new sociological, cultural and economic phenomena. At the very least, the
debate convinced me that most leaders of international orders and
congregations are trying to grapple with similar questions of how to "think
globally and act locally".
The world in 2002
The news reports from around the globe lead many of us to think about how
closely the peoples of the earth are linked in totally new relationships. No
matter how wealthy or powerful, no state can pretend to live peacefully in
splendid isolation. The prosperity of one country can be constructed on the
misery of many others. Decisions taken or ignored in one nation have a
serious impact on distant lands. The consequences can be terrifying, if we
are not successful in globalizing solidarity among the world's citizens.
A REASON FOR HOPE
Two years have passed since the earliest draft of this letter was shared at
the first Regional meeting in January 2000. Many events have occurred since,
and some of these could engender within us real doubt and foreboding about
our future as missionaries and, indeed, as world citizens. Yet the central
concern of this message remains that of hope and the struggle to explain the
hope we have within us - not an easy task, as we noted in the first
communicanda of this sexennium (Communicanda 1, 25 February 1998, n. 17).
How dare we hope today? Together with the Apostle to the nations,
Redemptorist missionaries continue to work and struggle because our hopes
are fixed on the living God who is the savior of all people, but especially
of those who believe (1 Tim. 4, 10). The reason why we do not shrink before
the difficult or the disappointing is because we are rooted firmly in the
conviction that we have been given a Mission and that the Giver is worthy of
trust. God, who in Jesus Christ, has united himself to us for all time. Can
there be a more dramatic act of solidarity than our redemption?
As we grow in a deepening appreciation for the particular Mission that has
been given to our Congregation, there is an increasing willingness on the
part of many confreres to work together. This willingness translates into a
way of living that can be called solidarity: a union of purpose and
sympathies among the global Redemptorist family, which is leading to more
effective missionary action. How do I perceive this spirit at work among us?
SIGNS OF SOLIDARITY
Most Redemptorists want to know what is happening in our Congregation in the
different countries in which we live and work. The members of the General
Council agree that a highlight of every visitation is the moment in each
local community when we discuss the current situation of our global mission.
Almost without exception, the confreres are eager to hear detailed accounts
of the lights and shadows on the Congregation today. The sharing of this
information is accomplished in other ways as well: international meetings,
the newsletters published by the Office of Communications, increased travel
between (vice-) provinces and communication through the Internet. All this
serves to increase the understanding of the struggles lived by confreres in
vastly different situations and to reduce the apparent indifference or lack
of sympathy that sometimes existed between provinces and regions primarily
because we Redemptorists simply knew less about each other.
Solidarity is more than simple interest or knowledge of the situation of
others. Understanding should translate into concrete action. I am happy to
point to some of the "facts" of our brotherhood at an international level.
It is worth noting that many of the newest missions ad gentes are projects
supported by the mutual aid of several units of the Congregation. Our
missionary presence in Nigeria, Siberia, Korea and Bolivia are examples of
such cooperation. When I visited Korea in 1999, the Archbishop of Seoul
observed that the success that the Redemptorists are having in attracting
new members is due to the fact that we offer young people the image of a
community with an "international face", that is, a community of brothers who
come from different nations and cultures yet are bound together by mutual
love and missionary zeal. The Korean mission began as an expression of
solidarity among the units of Asia and Oceania, many of whom contributed
funds and personnel to bring our charism to that nation. I am happy to see
how this founding spirit continues. Today Korean, Thai and Filipino
Redemptorists live and work together, offering a powerful message of
brotherhood to the Korean people.
Of course, in many other units there is a long tradition of Redemptorists of
different nationalities who witness to a sense of communion between peoples,
races and cultures, a testimony which is even more significant in an age
characterized by the globalization of problems and the return of the idols
of exaggerated nationalism, racism and xenophobia (cf. Vita Consecrata, 51).
Among the many religious families in the Church, this sort of witness is a
contribution that can best be made by international congregations like our
own.
Recent years have seen new experiences of solidarity in the formation of
Redemptorist missionaries. This cooperation can be found at the level of
initial formation as well as a shared responsibility for programs of
continuing or permanent formation. Some units work together at a particular
stage of formation, such as sharing a novitiate, while others welcome to
their own program the candidates from other (vice-) provinces. Some Regions
sponsor programs for the continuing formation of Redemptorists.
Some units are willing to share an abundance of young members, thus
supporting the ministry of aging (vice-) provinces and making possible
entirely new initiatives. There is also greater sharing of financial support
among Redemptorists. While there is no doubt that dramatic differences in
lifestyle and living standards still persist in the Congregation, we cannot
ignore the praiseworthy generosity that is practiced by a good number of the
units with greater financial resources. Some of these units make regular
contributions to the Solidarity Fund and also quietly assist brother
Redemptorists in distant lands. Whenever the General Council has asked these
units to help a province or vice-province in economic distress, the response
has been almost always positive and magnanimous. Many (vice-) provinces have
made helpful contributions to projects such as the restructuring of the
general house, the Alphonsian Academy and, most recently, the effort to
increase the patrimony of the General Government (cf. XXII General Chapter,
postulatum 9.5). We still need, however, to discover effective ways to
implement the so-called "solidarity through development assistance" that was
called for by the last General Chapter (Postulatum 9.7).
A TRIPTYCH FROM THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
The Word of God shows us that solidarity is an essential quality of the
apostolic life. We can discover a rich source for reflection in the Acts of
the Apostles, especially in its description of the apostolic community. Let
me propose three scenes from Acts as a sort of triptych for our meditation.
On the left side we see the apostles and Mary at prayer (Acts 1, 12-14), the
central panel portrays the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost (2, 1ff) and
finally, the right panel depicts the common life of the first Christians (4,
32-35). What can we glimpse in these three icons?
Solidarity in prayer
The first panel reveals the importance of prayer in the apostolic community.
The Mission the apostles will undertake is not their own creation; hence
Jesus tells them, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on
you; then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and
Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1, 8). From the very
beginning the Mission of the apostles is international and cross-cultural.
The Mission is bigger than they, so they must wait expectantly for the
arrival of the Spirit, the gift of their Risen Lord, who will give them
power and "guide them to all truth" (cf. Jn 16, 13). Together with the
Mother of the Lord and other women, the apostles gather "in constant prayer"
(Acts 1, 14).
The initial experience of solidarity among the disciples is prayer. Is it
possible to imagine a truly apostolic community in which prayer is absent or
simply routine? Without constant prayer, we risk reducing the Mission to
bite-size portions that correspond exclusively to what we want to do or
think that we can do. How much do we depend on the gift of the Spirit to
instruct us where we are to witness to the Risen Lord and for the power to
accomplish our Mission? Does Mary accompany us in our prayer? Does our
community prayer open itself to include other disciples, our coworkers?
Solidarity in Mission
The central panel of the triptych reveals the day of Pentecost, when the
wind and fire of the Holy Spirit propel the fearful disciples from the
security of the cenacle to embrace a worldwide mission. The apostles speak a
language that can be understood by everyone and, from the very beginning, it
is clear that the Church is not the private property of any single race or
nation. Rather, the Holy Spirit "globalizes" the Gospel and, through the
apostles, makes salvation available to all.
A vast array of social, economic, political and ecclesial situations
constitutes the reality of the Congregation today. Is it reasonable to
promote a sort of Redemptorist "culture" amid such diversity? I believe that
it is possible and that, in fact, common characteristics can be discovered
in the life of Redemptorists across the world. In the previous sexennium
Father Lasso noted some of these qualities in his second Communicanda, Unity
in Diversity (14 January 1994; confer especially nn. 32-36). The source of
this unity is the Spirit. It is the Spirit that unites the many peoples who
hear the Gospel preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2, 7-12). The text,
however, does not suggest that all these people sacrificed their culture at
the moment of baptism. Rather, the different races and tongues of the first
Christian communities discover a force for unity that connects and enriches
them: the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit helps the members of our
Congregation be "of one mind and one heart".
Solidarity in all they possess
The third and final panel in the triptych displays the idyllic description
of the early Christian community, where all members share their possessions
and remain united in prayer, in faithfulness to the apostles' teaching and
to the breaking of the bread (Acts 2, 42-47; 4, 32-35). We should admit that
the depiction of the unity enjoyed by the Jerusalem community might also be
a bit romantic and the book of Acts is honest enough to recall more painful
moments when the community is divided along ethnic lines (cf. Acts 6, 1ss)
or when Peter and Paul square off, first at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts
15, 1) then later at Antioch (Gal 2, 11-14). Such misunderstanding does not
contradict the truth that community enjoyed a remarkable unity, clearly
attributable to the action of the Holy Spirit).
The primitive community could share what they had because they were "of one
heart and one mind" (Acts 4, 32). The members were not coerced to be
generous but did so freely because of a union of purpose ("one mind") and a
union of sympathies ("one heart"). This unity, brought about by the Holy
Spirit, produced a charity that was sufficient to meet the needs of the
community (Acts 4, 34). This effective solidarity is not simply a moral
imperative. The apostles have prayed expectantly (the cenacle) and the
Spirit has been poured out and leads them forth for their Mission
(Pentecost). The sharing of their goods and their very lives is a necessary
response to the gifts of the Spirit and intimately connected with the
apostolic Mission.
Isn't it true that the more we allow the Spirit to produce in us "one heart
and one mind", the more willing we will be to share what we have?
Notwithstanding the vastly different cultural situations in which the
Congregation finds itself today, the Spirit offers us a stimulus for unity.
It is the common vocation all of us share: to follow the example of Christ
in the apostolic life, which comprises at one and the same time a life
specially dedicated to God and a life of missionary work (Constitution 1).
Acceptance of this basic principle of unity, whose values will be made
manifest and nuanced throughout the rest of the Constitutions and Statutes,
makes true solidarity possible among Redemptorists.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the apostles provoke
a question among the crowds on the streets of Jerusalem: "What are we to do,
brothers?" (Acts 2, 37). The rapidly changing face of our world, the same
world where we are to proclaim the Gospel, should lead us to ask each other
the same question: "Brothers, what are we to do?" If the answer is: "we will
do what we always have done", we are tragically mistaken.
Solidarity within the (Vice-) Province
The challenge is to globalize solidarity within the Congregation for our
worldwide Mission. When I shared the first draft of this text at the
Regional meetings of 2000-2001, however, a good number of the major
superiors asked me not to think of solidarity in worldwide terms only; a
singleness of heart and mind should characterize the life of Redemptorists
within each province and vice-province. Sadly, there are units where
dialogue and discernment are not part of the life of the Congregation. In
these cases, a shared vision for the future and a sense of corresponsibility,
itself an essential principle of our government (Const. 92), are usually
missing. The result is the fragmentation of the (vice-) province, together
with a stagnation of missionary zeal. Is it consistent to expect to have a
sense of solidarity with Redemptorists working in other units, if we feel
little real responsibility for the future of our own?
Solidarity in formation
There is an increasing need for greater collaboration in the initial
formation of Redemptorist missionaries. I have already noted that
cooperation in this area has grown among some (vice-) provinces, evidenced
by a sharing of responsibilities among different units for the same
formation house or program. I think we need to go even further. The last
General Chapter recognized the need to provide an adequate preparation for
directors of formation (Orientations, 5.2), to offer programs in our history
and spirituality (Ibid., 5.3) and to give special attention to the
transition from initial formation to other apostolic communities (5.6) as
well as encouraging interprovincial meetings of formators and the exchange
of professors (5.5). These expectations call for a greater collaboration
among the (vice-) provinces and the assistance of the General Government.
The first formation of Redemptorists offers other challenges that are best
addressed through some form of solidarity. For example, a few units struggle
with the burden of a great number of future Redemptorists while many other
(vice-) provinces have only a handful of candidates. I am concerned about
both situations, but particularly the latter. Is it fair to continue a
formation program in which the students have very limited contact with other
Redemptorists of their own age? And, let us not ignore the phenomenon of
immigrants and refugees that are creating multicultural societies,
frequently situations of great pastoral urgency. In a world where one out of
every forty-five people is a refugee or immigrant, there is a critical need
for missionaries who can function in cultural circumstances different than
the one of their birth. The program of initial formation should prepare our
young men for these changed conditions. I believe that the future of the
Congregation will be better served if we are able to discover new ways to
collaborate in the first formation of Redemptorist missionaries.
The structures of the Congregation
It is my belief that the Mission of the Congregation will eventually require
that we discover new internal structures. While the present system of
provinces, vice-provinces and regions has served us very well for
approximately a century and a half, I wonder if these structures will be
adequate for the future? Will we not have to discover new paradigms for
government that will enhance our mobility and flexibility? There are
certainly cases in the Congregation today where the maintenance of an
existing structure, such as a province or vice-province, exacts a terrible
cost in human and material resources. Can we imagine a different way to
organize the General Government so that it will better serve the unity and
plurality of the Congregation? Beyond the system of provinces, do we need
some sort of intermediate structure that will coordinate the missionary work
of Redemptorists in the same geographical area? A unity of purpose with and
sympathy for Redemptorists beyond the boundaries of one's particular unit
will help us discover new structures that will support our Mission in the
twenty-first century.
Regional Priorities
The units of some Regions have begun to look beyond their own individual
boundaries to recognize the value of a particular apostolate that is
responding to a situation of pastoral urgency and which will continue only
if several (vice-) provinces work together. These units are beginning to
develop Regional priorities, which are commitments of the confreres of a
Region to a work that originally had been the project of a single unit or to
collaborate in an entirely new initiative. The leadership of the (vice-)
provinces in North America and Europe-North has already begun a conversation
about the feasibility of shared priorities in their respective Regions.
International communities
The last General Chapter expressed support for the establishment of
international communities of Redemptorists in service of our Mission (XXII
General Chapter, postulatum 3.2). Though not a panacea or universal solution
to problems like aging provinces with few new members, I firmly believe that
international communities is a powerful expression of our charism in a
globalized world. Should we not be searching for new forms of solidarity,
including international communities, aimed at preaching the Gospel to
Hispanic and Asian communities in North America? Can we ensure that our
charism will contribute to the new evangelization of Europe? Life in an
international community is not always uncomplicated but it can be
tremendously enriching. I know. I am privileged to live in one.
CONCLUSION
The changed situation of the world and of our Church invites every
Redemptorist to look beyond the frontiers of individual units and to
consider the wider needs of our Mission. I believe that promising examples
of solidarity now exist in the Congregation and that these provide a
foundation for future efforts. Our trust is in the Spirit of Christ who
makes it possible for us to cry out Abba, who continues to send us forth to
preach the Good News and who makes us aware of our need for one another in
accomplishing the Mission he entrusts to us.
With the icon of Mary and the apostles in the cenacle before our eyes, I
invite you to deepen our solidarity in prayer, trusting that the Lord will
open us even more to the work of the Spirit, so that we may be of "one mind
and one heart", in name and in fact, for the sake of our Mission.
In the name of the General Council,
Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Superior General
The original text is English
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