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2. Multicultural Community PDF Print E-mail
Written by Consolata.org   
Tuesday, 07 February 2006
56. Enucleation of the orientation

Our Institute, which was born within the Italian culture, has gradually become more and more international. Internationality is a richness, a positive element of growth for our communities.

Our multicultural communities are a reminder to the world of today that it is marked by diversity and fragmentation. We become a prophetic sign for the world when, in light of the Gospel, we live unity in diversity.

The life of our communities is strengthened by the sharing of the same charism, handed down to us by Blessed Allamano. In the past several years the Institute has underlined the need to inculturate the charism and its external manifestations in the various cultures. This becomes incarnated in each missionary as it is lived according to his particular culture and history.

Today we sense the necessity to go beyond internationality and inculturation, and to face the challenges of interculturality. This requires, first of all, the acknowledgement and acceptance of cultural pluralism, and the constant effort to understand the “other”. In this way, one enters into a dynamic of “receiving” and “giving”, in a reciprocal relationship which enables growth through dialogue, mutual trust and the discovery and recognition of our differences.


57. Aspects which motivate the orientation

The multicultural composition of our communities has some positive aspects, and some problematic ones:

1. Our living in community stirs up admiration among the people.

2. We have international communities which are open and welcoming, with missionaries who learn how to know themselves and others.

3. We give rise to new forms of living mission in unity of intent, despite all differences.

4. Community life helps to avoid absolutizing one’s own culture, and to feel the need for constant and mutual enrichment.

5. Sharing the goods reinforces communion.

6. On the contrary, there are divergent concepts about poverty, authority, family.

7. In some communities too much authority is concentrated in one person.

8. The manner of receiving guests in the house sometimes shows discrimination.

9. Understanding is lacking about the cultural aspects concerning family ties and relationships.

10. The geographic place of origin or social milieu may create disparity in the economic means one receives.

11 There is inability to see the negative aspects of one’s own culture.

12. Prejudices, complexes and personal problems are disguised under the pretext of cultural differences.

13. One lives in a different culture while still continuing to use the same style of life, language, food ...of one’s own culture.


58. Practical Proposals

1. A process of education towards interculturality should begin right from basic formation. A two year process of learning about inculturality should be conducted, if possible, with the some of the topics being: the significance of interculturality, concrete steps in the process of interculturality, the dynamics of interaction….

2. The Institute should resume the meetings on inculturation of our charism, and prepare in each continent experts on the charism, history and spirituality of the Institute.

3. The preferred makeup of our communties is to be intercultural.

4. The missionaries should identify themselves with their own culture, but with a critical spirit. They are to learn to appreciate and respect cultural diversity. They are to insert themselves into the culture of the country or people who receive them, assuming the diverse cultural forms with a discerning spirit.

5. Besides learning the local language and Italian, all the missionaries should learn English.