Winter plenary session of the General Council

(ANS – Rome) – “The General Council cooperates with the Rector Major in the animation and governance of the Congregation. It is up to the Council to identify and study the problems that affect the common good of the Society, to promote fraternal union between the various provinces, and to manage an ever more efficient organization so that the Salesian mission in the world is fulfilled” (Const. N ° 130). It is in this spirit that the General Council gathered around the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, for the winter plenary session with meetings scheduled from 1 December 2021 to 28 January 2022.

Having all returned from their respective Extraordinary or Animation Visits, the Councilors have already been taking part in the busy program of activities since the end of November.

In the first place, the Superiors of the following eight Provinces and Vice Provinces are to be appointed:

Haiti, Brazil-Recife, India-Hyderabad, Poland-Wrocław, Great Britain, as well as the first Superiors of the new circumscriptions of Africa Nigeria and Niger, North West Africa, and South West Africa.

Furthermore, the reports on the Extraordinary Visits are being heard and discussed, relating to: Angola, Brazil-Belo Horizonte, India-Tiruchy, Ireland, Northern Belgium and Holland, Peru, Poland-Wrocław.

From 6 to 18 December, the Rector Major and his Councilors are involved in the accompaniment and formation of 16 recently appointed Provincials, all from non-European countries: 5 from South America, 2 from Africa–Madagascar, and 9 from Asia. The high number of participants is part of the strategy adopted by the General Council to make up for the appointments missed in the recent past due to the pandemic.

Other important works of this session shall be: the approval of the outline of the Ratio Fundamentalis produced by the Formation Sector; the presentation of the Guidelines for the Acts of the General Council on the internal forum, the document on Aspirantates, and the text “A youth ministry that educates to love”; a reflection, from the missionary point of view, on the new frontiers and new Salesian presences in the world; a reflection to organize and harmonize the presence of the Regional Coordinators of the Sectors with the Regions and Conferences of Provincials; the continuation of the reflection on the overall vision of the Africa-Madagascar Region; the beginning of a reflection on the prospects for the overall redesign of the Europe and Central North Region.

Finally, it is worth noting because the General Council will also be involved, the appointment of the Spirituality Days of the Salesian Family, from 13 to 16 January 2022, which will also mark the end of the centenary dedicated to Fr Paolo Albera (15 January 2021 – 16 January 2022).