General Chapter -- 15th English Report

The following is a summary of the activities of the 20th General Chapter on Tuesday, June 3. Those reading these summaries are reminded that the chapter maintains a web page at: http://www.scj.org

Also, since this is the first time that the congregation has used the internet for communication on a General Chapter, the administration welcomes comments and opinions on both the e-mail reports and the web page. These comments should be sent to Fr. Tom Cassidy at: tomc@scj.org

*****

Following morning prayer led by the Cameroon Province, the minutes from Monday were read and approved. Then, an outline of Tuesday's schedule was presented. Two more councilors were to be voted on -- one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The legal questions from yesterday needed to be addressed and more work was expected to take place in geographic groups regarding implementation of the global plan or strategy, as well as the various motions that still needed to be addressed.

ELECTION OF THE THIRD COUNCILOR

Tellers handed out the ballots for the first vote. Those receiving the most votes in this round were: Fr. Ryszard Mis of the Polish Province with 28 votes, Fr. Tomé Makhweliha of Mozambique with 21 and Fr. Thomas Cassidy, who is currently a general councilor, with 11. An absolute majority was not received and so a second vote was taken. The top three in this round were: Fr. Makhweliha with 31, Fr. Mis with 27 and Fr. John Czyzynski of the U.S. Province, with 9. Again, an absolute majority was not established, so a third vote was taken.

On this third vote, Fr. Makhweliha received the absolute majority with 57 votes. Fr. Bressanelli asked him if he would accept the position. Fr. Makhweliha, who becomes the first African to serve on the General Council, agreed in the name of his brother SCJs from Africa. Fr. General thanked him, noting the significance of having, for the first time, an African on the council.

JURIDICAL ISSUES

Following the election of the third councilor, the chapter returned to the work it had begun Monday regarding juridical questions. Proposals from the eight-page juridical report were pulled out and placed on a single document distributed to the delegates. Fr. Claudio Siebenauler hoped that in doing this, the proposals to be voted on would be more clear.

As noted yesterday, the previous general chapter had asked that the general administration investigate several juridical questions that were discussed in the linguistic groups and the assembly. With the assistance of canon law experts, a report on these questions was presented at the meeting of provincial and regional superiors, and it was given to the provincial chapters to review.

The first motion to be voted on concerned Cst. 124. This would open the door to the possibility of provincial chapters done in assembly-style. The following sentence would be added: "Normally, the provincial chapter is accomplished through representational form" to the paragraph which reads: "De jure members of this chapter are: the provincial superior and his councilors..."

After that paragraph, the following sentence would be added: "For valid reasons, and according to the conditions set forth in the General Directory, it is possible to organize a provincial chapter in assembly form, with decisional authority."

By electronic ballot, the chapter voted to approve this motion.

Fr. Siebenaler then explained the next motion, which dealt with the specifics of when and how a province could hold an assembly chapter. After the sentence in GD 124, which currently reads "...taking into account the norms of universal and proper law" would be: "The superior general, with the deliberative vote of his council, may grant a province to hold an assembly chapter, even if regularly granted to a province, provided it is requested by at least two thirds of the members of the province in perpetual vows."

By electronic ballot, the chapter approved this proposal.

Fr. Siebenaler then introduced the following proposed addition to GD 124: "the opportunity to hold a chapter in assembly form, on an on-going basis, can always be revoked for just cause by the superior general with the deliberative vote of his council."

Again, by electronic ballot, the chapter approved this proposal.

And finally, to be inserted between the two proposals already approved, was the following proposed addition: "If the chapter is held in assembly form, all the members in perpetual vows have the right and the obligation to attend from beginning to end, except for those excluded by universal or proper law. For such a chapter to be valid, at least two thirds of the province members in perpetual vows summoned must actually be present."

The chapter voted, by electronic ballot, to approve this proposal.

Following discussion of the juridical issues related to provincial chapters, the delegates examined a proposal concerning GD 134. The proposed addition: "As an aid to the de iure and elected chapter members, the superior general, with the consultative vote of his council, can invite as observers, other religious from territorial communities or activity sectors not represented at the chapter and other persons according to the norms provided in the statues and regulations." Delegates quickly moved to vote on the proposal by electronic ballot. It was approved.

The next topic regarded the time at which a person declares his vocational choice to the lay or clerical state. A motion from the last chapter stated that "the executive decree of the superior general of April 29, 1987, concerning the choice of the clerical or lay state at the time of first profession and definitively confirmed at the time of perpetual profession is suspended until a new provision is established following the General Conference."

After the General Conference on the Brothers, the superior general, with the deliberative vote of his council, approved a modification to the Ratio Formationis Generalis. Its purpose was not to codify the vocation choice but to allow it to mature progressively. The new No. 4.1 of the Ratio Formationis: "By way of personal guidance, each will be aided to discern progressively to what ministry he is called in the religious life, either as a religious brother or priest. Within a convenient period of time, if possible before perpetual profession, he will make known his option."

Delegates debated the choice of the word "ministry" to describe the vocational choice of brotherhood or priesthood, but did vote to approve that such guidance regarding vocational choice be placed in the Ratio Formationis and not in the General Directory. It was noted that if the wording needs to be revised, it can be done after the chapter.

The previous General Chapter had also asked that the superior general and his council study the question of non-SCJs serving as provincial treasurers. The question was submitted for discussion at the provincial and regional superiors meeting in Foligno. There was no support for the proposal and so no motion regarding it was submitted to this chapter for discussion.

GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURES

The chapter then heard the reports of the small groups regarding their discussions on governmental structures. Many agreed that these structures need to be studied. More specifically, the groups cited structures concerning the collaboration of provinces, zonal government, the general administration -- including the role of staff and the commissions, new international realities (such as Madagascar and India), and how to ensure that the voice of minority provinces and cultures is heard.

Delegates were to then vote on a motion which suggested that provinces with 30 or fewer members send only their provincial to the General Chapter. However before the vote was taken, several delegates spoke out against the proposal, saying that the voice of the minority must be heard. The diversity of "We the Congregation" can only be experienced if there is adequate representation of all the provinces and cultures.

The chapter voted, by electronic ballot, against the motion.

ELECTION OF THE FOURTH COUNCILOR

Election of the fourth councilor began. In the first ballot, the top three SCJs receiving votes were: Fr. Hadrianus Wardjito of the Indonesian Province with 23 votes, Fr. Ryszard Mis with 36 votes and Fr. Thomas Cassidy with 9. An absolute majority was not achieved, so a second vote was taken. In this vote, Fr. Mis received the absolute majority with 46 votes. Fr. Mis was not a member of the chapter and so Fr. Bressanelli said that he would contact him by phone and let the chapter know as soon as possible if he had accepted the position.

Before breaking into their geographic groups, the delegates briefly debated a motion recognizing "a new type of region, although not depending directly and immediately on a province or on the superior general, to which autonomy be guaranteed." A vote on a revised proposal concerning this was to take place on Wednesday.

Mary Gorski
mgiornal@scj.org
Rome, Italy