CHAPTER 4 – OUR EVANGELIZATION AD GENTES, AD EXTRA, AD VITAM, AD PAUPERES

20. The Consolata missionary is consecrated to God for mission:

20.1 He is engaged in the mission ad gentes to initiate the evangelization wherever it is not yet done (cf. Const 70), showing a special attention to the human realities which are more difficult to be reached by the Christian message (cf. Const 79), with a preferential option for the neediest and the forgotten.

20.2 He is dedicated for all his life as missionary to “announce Christ through the witness of our life and the preaching of the Word. In so doing we convert the personal and collective consciences of people. We renew them through the grace of baptism, and we regenerate the various cultures from within, by means of the salvific power of the Gospel. (Const 69). The missionary is always attentive to the “human development which prepares the way for evangelization, goes hand in hand with it and springs from it” (Const 76) and to all the challenges which face him.

20.3 He considers as the dynamic center of his pastoral work “the Eucharist, the mystery of communion and solidarity with all peoples” and “Our Lady as the hope and dawn for the whole world, a sure sign of consolation” (Const 70).

20.4 Witnessing to the kindness of God, he lives near the people “making personal contacts and being concerned about their problems and concrete needs (Const 73). Like them he lives with a simple and fraternal style, speaking well the language of the people (cf. Const 73,1),
dealing with them with “humble heart, gentleness and generosity,” (Const 72), and appreciating in each culture all that is good and valid in them. (Const 77).

20.5 He seeks to form mature Christian communities which are also animated by missionary dynamism (Const 75).

20.6 He works with an ecumenical spirit for the unity of Christians (Const 78).

20.7 He engages in interfaith dialogue and in JPIC to promote the coming of God’s kingdom (cf. XGC 79).

20.8 He collaborates in AMV, which is our qualified and specific service to the local churches (cf. XGC 51), to help them grow into a mature openness to universality, to a sense of evagelization and mission ad gentes (cf. Const 80).

20.9 He educates the local Christian community to “communion and cooperation among churches and peoples, as well as mutual knowledge of their various religious and cultural values”(Const 82).

20.10 He is determined to accompany those whom God calls to the vocation ad gentes “by praying for them, by giving witness by his way of living, and by clearly proposing the idea of a missionary vocation to them” (Const 81). The center of all missionary animation is the proposal and discernment of the missionary vocation to the youth.

20.11 He collaborates with other Institutes and organizations which are engaged in this field. (XGC 32).


21. The young Christian communities of the countries recently evangelized are the best gift of our missionary work to the Church. They constitute a sure future and hope for all believers. The missionary priest or brother becomes, like Paul, a “minister of Jesus Christ to the gentiles”(Rom 15, 16), so that they can become a pleasing oblation, sanctified by the Spirit.

To achieve this missionaries ought to:

21.1 value their identity as dispensers of the mysteries of salvation, which is made specific in the proclamation of the Word, in the work for holiness through the sacraments, and in their service as pastoral guides.

21.2 recognize the Eucharist as the source and purpose of evangelization and human promotion.

21.3 commit themselves to helping the religious and Christian communities grow in their faith, in prayer, in the liturgical life, in the ministries and in economic self-sufficiency.


I – PROCLAMATION AND HUMAN PROMOTION

22. With our consecration to mission, according to the charism of Blessed Allamano, we have become intimately linked with the mission of the Church (cf. EN 14) to bring to the poor the joyful proclamation of salvation in all parts of the world.

The Evangelization of the masses which to this day have not yet encountered Christ, or the re-evangelization of those who have gone astray, is the “serious problem” of our age. John Paul II has often repeated that the Christians, confronted with this urgency, “cannot remain tranquil” (RM 86). The continental synods before the Jubilee Year have faithfully repeated the same warning. All this governs all our choices and directs all our existence. (cf. Const 5).

Right from the beginnings of our tradition, our evangelization has always been associated with human promotion, which is necessary to bring about the full project of God who wishes the integral development of humanity, and which is also a necessary expression of consolation.

To achieve this fullness of evangelization we:

22.1 Are committed to keeping alive in the local churches the awareness of the absolute primacy of proclamation and witness of life.

22.2 Witness to the Risen Lord with words and life as we ourselves are reconciled and consoled, and are therefore capable of consoling and fighting for a just world.

22.3 Favor projects which can enhance the development of the person and of peoples, their well being and dignity.

22.4 Support initiatives and projects which are born in and supported by the local community, and are also approved by the competent authority, thus assuring continuity through the collaboration of all.

22.5 Give precedence to projects which favor local self sufficiency and autonomy, thus helping to overcome assistentialism and to avoid paternalism while respecting the cultures and rhythms of the people.

22.6 Work in a spirit of communion with other forces, especially the Consolata Missionary Sisters and the Consolata Lay Missionaries.

From this commitment to evangelization and human promotion flow the choices made by the previous General Chapter, which are here re-proposed, so that they may be further deepened and fulfilled with ever greater emphasis.


II. AREAS OF OUR MISSION

The proclamation to non – Christians

23. Two thirds of humanity does not know Jesus and his Gospel. The analysis of this reality has moved the XGC to widen the geographic criterion of mission, giving priority to the first announcement wherever it is still needed.

We realize this priority by:

23.1 being convinced that our first announcement must be preceded and reinforced by the testimony of our life;

23.2 enkindling in us the zeal and missionary actions towards the non-Christians;

23.3 announcing explicitly Jesus Christ and his Gospel;

23.4 making periodic evaluations to see whether our activities answer the priority of the first announcement.


Urban poverties

24. The choice of urban poverties (cf. XGC 50) is motivated by the growing masses of poor people who flood the periphery of the big cities. The preferential choice of these poor, in their concrete situations of suffering, in their desire for justice and in their journey of faith, is certainly part of our charism.

Our presence in their midst is characterized by:

24.1 a style of life which mirrors that of the poor, and with simple structures;

24.2 a communitarian and collaborative method of pastoral work;

24.3 commitment to changing the environment, not only working for the poor, but also with the poor, in order to help them become the protagonists of their development;

24.4 formation of their Christian communities.


The ethnic minorities

25. Many groups of people are victims of discrimination, oppression and emargination, because of their origin, culture and religion (cf. XGC 50-51). These groups are forgotten by the civil society and, at times, even by the local churches, because of their diversity. They certainly constitute a challenge for our commitment ad gentes.

As we approach these groups:

25.1 We profess much respect for each of their cultures which we recognize as an unrenounceable point of reference for the formation of their members;

25.2 We are concerned that the projects of human promotion which we promote on behalf of these groups be in full harmony with their cultural values.

25.3 We propose to them the Gospel of rebirth in Christ, so that a church may be born with face and heart uniquely theirs;

25.4 We commit ourselves to promoting inculturation of the announcement, of the celebration, and of Christian life.

25.5 We promote intercultural openness and reconciliation as a means of human and religious maturity.

Qualified services to the local churches

Mission Animation and Vocation Promotion

26. As the new millennium begins, the Church rejoices because it has been enriched, thanks to the missionary work, with new members coming from cultures of all the world. The Church likewise confirms the urgency of announcing the Gospel, which calls all peoples to conversion.
The missionary and vocation promotion of the churches of Africa, America, Europe and Asia, is among the specifically missionary services we can render them (cf. XGC 95-96).

In view of this:

26.1 Each missionary should become more and more convinced that this service is an integral and indispensable part of the mission ad gentes and of communion among the churches.

26.2 It is urgent to offer a specific formation to those who work in this sector. This formation should focus on the inculturality and the specific difficulties of AMV in the cultural, social and ecclesial fields.

26.3 Priviledged areas in the field of AMV are: formation of missionary consciousness, vocation animation, centers of spirituality, cooperation among the churches, solidarity between the people and knowledge of cultures, religions, world and local church situations.

26.4 The activities of AMV are done in conjunction with the missionary organizations of the local church, together with other missionary Institutes.

Pastoral work in the parishes

27. We collaborate temporarily “with churches that have already been evangelized, but neither become self-sufficient in ministries, nor have as yet adequately developed their Christian communities (Const 17). Each parish entrusted to our care is a missionary parish and should render a missionary service to the faithful. We are aware of the temporary nature of this commitment, and should be ready and willing to hand over the pastoral care of the most mature communities to the local church, so that we can move on to the activities more in keeping with our priorities.

To transform our parish communities into missionary communities we ought to:

27.1 help bring to maturity the parish community by promoting local missionary, religious and diocesan vocations, and preparing ministers who are responsible for the various sectors of the parish activities;

27.2 develop openness to universality, dialogue and collaboration with non-Christian groups of the territory;

27.3 favor ecumenical openness and cooperation;

27.4 prepare an annual plan of all the activities of the community together with all the active forces of the Christian community;

27.5 educate the Christian communities to the sharing of their spiritual and material goods with the churches which are more in need, and with our Institute.


Interreligious Dialogue

28. Interreligious dialogue “is part of the evangelizing mission of the Church” (RM 55), and presently it plays a unique role in the mission ad gentes, by being a “new face, a new activity and a new method” (XGC 79) of the same mission.

ID helps us to recognize , in the light of revelation, the universal and constant mission of the Holy Spirit, who stirs up in history, through religions and diverse experiences, the search for truth, for God and salvation. For us Christ remains the eminent and indispensable point of reference in this journey.

Our missionary communities and missionaries:

28.1 nurture an attitude of openness, esteem and acceptance of those who profess a religion different from ours;

28.2 witness to their faith in interreligious meetings, by declaring explicitly their Christian identity;

28.3 help all to recognize the new nuances of the Gospel which we share, while we also learn from the people among whom we are sojourning.

28.4 follow diverse journeys in this ID:

a. the dialogue of life (relationships based on friendship and mutual interest in the situations in which daily life is lived out);

b. the dialogue of work (interreligious collaboration and programs of human promotion, development, education, justice and peace …);

c. the dialogue of experts (study and deepening of elements which are common and those which are different in the various religions);

d. the dialogue of spiritual experience (knowledge, deepening and sharing of the mutual religious experiences and prayer meetings).


Justice, peace and integrity of creation

29 In our missionary service we hear the cry of creation and of many people who are submitted to violence, corruption, oppression, war and injustice. This cry reaches us and calls us to a commitment to justice, peace and integrity of creation, as a constitutive part of the preaching of the Gospel and of our charism.


Human and civil rights

30 As missionaries who announce the Gospel, we have the duty of proclaiming and promoting the rights and duties of persons and peoples, while we endeavor to form them so that they may assume responsibility for their own destiny. It is also our duty to denounce injustices, by uniting our voices to that of the poor, and pointing out to all an itinerary of conversion.

Our communities commit themselves to:

30.1 favor the reading of social, economic and political realities of the countries where we work, in order to prepare effective programs of action;

30.2 deepen the social doctrine of the Church on justice, peace and integrity of creation, and discern and act in communion with the local church, in accord with their directives.


Reconciliation

31. In a world divided and torn apart, the missionaries become ministers of reconciliation among the parties in conflict, looking for avenues of mutual understanding, and working towards the building of a stable and just peace. Even in many of our regions our missionaries live in situations of conflict, which need concrete actions which favour dialogue and forgiveness.

To be instruments of reconciliation let our communities:

31.1 give importance to the formation of people’s conscience, by proposing concrete processes of forgiveness and reconciliation, which are based on truth and justice;

31.2 collaborate with other religions, groups and all persons of good will, and together promote actions leading to the solution of conflicts.


Integrity of creation
32. All the natural resources are a gift of God and they belong equally to all. To consume them irresponsibly and to privatize them indiscriminately leads to an unjust appropriation, the monopoly of the few, and the progressive destruction of the same good and the deterioration of the planet.

To avoid this our communities should:

32.1 grow in deeper awareness of the worth of nature, and of how its goods are meant to benefit all because they belong to all;

32.2 develop a sober style of life which will help avoid any waste;

32.3 know well the right of the earth and of creation.


III. NEW AREOPAGUSES

The means of social communication

33. The Institute, right from the time of the Founder, has been aware of the importance of the means of communication for en effective proclamation of the Gospel, for Christian and missionary formation and for AMV. The very fast evolution of these means of communication (printed, TV, radio and internet) are bringing about profound changes which require our attention, formation and appropriate organization.

The world of youth

34. The attention to the world of youth is directed primarily to its evangelization. Our adolescents and young people constitute the majority of the population in many countries where we work, and in them the future of society is shaped. Often these young people not being evangelized, or not well formed in religious values, experience serious difficulties in relating to the Church and to the Institute. It seems that even the religious animators lack the possibility of offering them new proposals and initiatives to attract them.

It is necessary to:

34.1 know, accept, be interested and love the world of youth in order to be able to evangelize it, overcoming all sorts of pessimism;

34.2 study and propose formative journeys of faith, Christian life and missionary involvement;

34.3 program well thought out plans of youth ministry.

The human migrations

35. The interest for the migrants has been present in the tradition of the Institute, and has been the reason for the opening of new communities. At present this phenomenon is increasing due to globalization. It is producing much wider cross cultural situations. It is creating ethnic minorities often rejected or even criminalized by society, generating victims or actors in varied forms of slavery and violence. Huge masses of refugees and homeless people are being formed. On the other hand, these movements of huge masses are also an opportunity for encounters among peoples which contribute to the breakdown of prejudices, and to the promotion of a climate of better understanding and fraternity in view of the unity of the human family.

A response to these situations requires that we:

35.1 open ourselves to cooperation with other organizations that work in this field;

35.2 overcome the attitudes of assistentialism, by promoting initiatives of inclusion and integration, of pastoral work and interreligious dialogue.


Participation in the life of the civil society

36. Our missionary consecration offers us the possibility of living experiences of globality and solidarity. From that perspective we are able to encourage among the believers and non-believers a correct interpretation of the world understood as the place of encounter between peoples and cultures. This encounter is able to promote openness to the other, and mutual assistance, but always in respect of the diversities.

Because of this:

36.1 Our AMV should be open to those segments of society which are sensitive to these issues, such as the world of science, culture, politics, associations, labor and, above all, the school;

36.2 our involvement with NGO’s is a particular way of extra-ecclesial involvement and we fulfil it without giving up our own identity of evangelizers.


CHAPTER 5 – HOW WE FORM AND ARE BEING FORMED FOR MISSION


37. Personal formation is of paramount importance to the missionary (cf. Const 86), and is an integral part of our missionary project.

“The individual has the main responsibility for his own formation. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he follows God’s call, taking the Gospel, the church, our Congregation, and the contemporary word in its reality as sources of direction and challenge” (Const 88).

“Our communities provide a most suitable environment for formation” (Const 88.1).

Basic formation

38 In basic formation the fundamental criterion is the mission ad gentes, ad extra, ad vitam, ad pauperes. This constitutes a basic pattern for the whole Institute, adapted to the various cultural and social realities (Const 87).

A meaningful missionary formation according to the wishes of the Founder (“mission in the head, in the mouth and in the heart”), requires from the formative community and all its member a clear and constant tension towards mission, and the effort to discover the direct relationship between living together and fulfilling the work of evangelization.

The Ratio Formationis and the Regional Directories of Formation remain the constant points of reference in the formative journey.

Ongoing formation

39. “We, as human beings, are continually undergoing a process of development; our Christian life is also growing; mission is in constant renewal, and there is a need to acquire the ability of coping with the ever changing social trends of the day. All this demands that missionaries be constantly and seriously committed to ongoing formation” (Const. 90). Ongoing formation involves all aspects of life, and has as its goal the assimilation of the charism, of the spirit of the Founder, of the ideals of consecration, of communion and mission (cf. XGC 54, Consulta 10).


CAPITOLO 6 – HOW WE ADMINISTER THE GOODS FOR MISSION

40. The ownership and use of the economic goods in the Institute is directly linked with our service to the missionary church, and, with the profession of religious poverty (Directory for the Administration of Temporal Goods 1; cf., Const 158).

40.1 “Our Congregation inherited from its Founder the principle of having everything in common, whereby the Congregation holds collective ownership of all movable property and real estate, and of their usufruct, wherever they may be located” (Const. 157).

40.2 The principles which govern our administration are: co-responsibility, subsidiarity, and shared responsibility (Directory for the Administration of Temporal Goods 54).

40.3 The vow of poverty and mission can never be separated: if this were the case, then our credibility and the effectiveness of our work would be seriously compromised (Poverty, Economy and Mission, BU 101, 10).

40.4 From our Founder we have inherited three important components: austerity of life, “esteem and love for work, inlcuding manual work” (Const 16), and sharing of the goods.

Austerity of life

41. The criteria of the Gospel, the situations of poverty and the society in which we live, influenced as it is by an unrestrained sense of consumerism, challenge our style of life, a style that must find and use certain concrete and visible ways of showing our relation with the material goods (cf, Poverty, Economy and Mission, BU, 101, 25).

This would require:

41.1 the necessity to adopt, share and render visible a poor and simple style of life, at the personal and communitarian levels;

41.2 the respect of the intentions of the benefactors to whom we owe much recognition and gratitude, also to be expressed in our prayers;

41.3 the discernment, planning and accountability of all expenses, and the assessment of the conformity of our projects with our style of poverty and the suitability of these projects to the local situations;

41.4 the correct and moral application of the rules of the Institute, of the Church and of the Country.


An economy of communion

42. In a world which has made an idol of private property, we wish by our style of life to give witness to the communion of goods showered by God on all of us. “Today we are discovering a new dimension of religious poverty, which is labelled as sharing, communion of goods, economy of communion, solidarity…… We should share not only what is superfluous, but also what we ordinarily call ‘opportune’, and, in some cases, even what consider ‘necessary’” (Poverty, Economy and Mission, BU 101, 28)

In view of this:

42.1 all the goods of the Institute are at the service of the mission, and, above all, of the poorest and neediest people;

42.2 it is important to grow in a real communion of goods in the local and regional communities and at the level of Institute.

42.3 let us develop a real sense of co-responsibility, which will help us to overcome individualistic attitudes and the tendency to possess personal accounts.


Common Fund and equal distribution of good

43, “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possession, as everything they owned was held in common” (Acts 4, 32). The “Common Fund” is a spirit , a style and an indispensable means to practice the vow of poverty and overcome individualism. Through it we actualize the equal distribution of goods at the general level, and within and among the regions.

43.1 “The circulation of goods at the level of the province will work if all the communities are available to share what they do not need. Thus, the regional fund can be established and grow” (Poverty Economy and Mission, BU 101, 29).

43.2 At the end of each year, the regions will send to the General Government the percentage of 1.5% of the total income (excluding the subsidies given by the General Government), to increment the Solidarity Fund of the Institute.

43.3 The purpose of the common fund, besides taking care of the needs of the Institute and its members, is to share with those who have less than we have, especially those who live in situations of emergency.

43,4 The regions should not accumulate money which is given for the work of our missions and the poor. Its total assets should be equal to a two year expenditure of the region, except in special cases and in accordance with the General Government.