Dear Missionaries,

The date of this letter is October 4, the day of St. Francis, the saint that is a famous witness to the evangelical ideals in the use of the goods of this earth. May the "Poverello of Assisi" arouse in each one of us, and in our Religious Family as a whole wherever it missions, a deep sense of fidelity to the vow of poverty, and the courage to handle the material goods we have at our disposal with the wisdom that Blessed Joseph Allamano lived and preached to us.

Why This Document
Why a new letter on the use of goods in our mission, and which are the reasons behind the invitation made to us by the X General Chapter (XGC) to deal again with this matter? I shall mention some of them.
Our most recent General Chapters have insisted on the need for our Institute to review the criteria that regulate the use of our material goods because they are gifts from God and the expression of the charity of our Benefactors, and are at the service of the mission (See the General Chapter of 1987,p. 50). They also warned us against any disregard of the vow of poverty in the administration of goods (See GC 1993, 19 ). At the same time, they urged us to aim at a more radical way of practicing poverty. They invited us to come closer to the life of the poor and to a better sharing of goods with the others (GC 1993, 54-55). Finally, the XCG acknowledged that there still exist forms of individualism in the use of the goods of the community, and that there also is a pursuit of material goods: these things divert from a more evangelical way of living the mission (XCG 37). And so the Chapters invite the Regions to remedy these possible abuses. They also invite the General Direction to send to the whole Institute a document in which be made a "Strong call to order on the way we live poverty and on the diverse abuses found everywhere in our Institute, abuses which were summarily mentioned in the examination of the reality. In the preparation of this document, what was said in the capitular assemblies on the subject must also be kept in mind." It further reminds us that "The times of our jubilees are a good occasion to appropriately reflect on this topic as well as other topics that are connected with sharing, equality, detachment; using the goods intended for the missions and the poor in all respect for the donors' intentions and without any excessive or unjustified delay" (XGC 40-41).
Among consecrated people, a need for clear courses of action is felt at present: Clear directions are needed in a world that is rushing towards globalization; a world in which often the search for profit and ownership becomes an imperative style of life while, at the same time, sensitivity towards the poor shrinks way down; a world in which the ambition to become rich fast and quick penalizes the human value of both individuals and society. Missionaries who work with the poor and the marginalized in the suburbs of the big cities continuously wish to refine their engagements as witnesses to the evangelical value of poverty. In order to do that, they want to use scrupulously the goods that Divine Providence puts in their hands in favor of the poor and as a means of missionary conscientization of the Church. There's an always increasing number of missionaries who wonder whether it wouldn't be better to pay more attention to the challenges the vow of poverty throws at us. Also, what answer are we to give to the Church that continually incites us to requalify the way we are and operate in the missions? The Letter prepared by the Union of the General Superiors in their meeting of May 2002 delt precisely with the topic, "Economy and Mission". It did so because many Institutes feel today the urgency of reflecting on the correct use of goods in a world that at present evolves and revolves ever so rapidly. They felt the need to evaluate whether their economic praxis is a true answer to the vow of poverty and a real choice for the poor .

The Need for a Renewed Praxis
If our Institute wants to embark into a journey of authentic personal renewal, and make a decisive turn-around to requalify our community, it needs to come seriously face to face with the demands of the Gospel and with the religious consecration in the area of material goods and how we use them in our behavior and activities as missionaries. Poverty and mission can never be severed from one another: When that happens, our credibility and the outcome of our work are seriously compromised.
Nearly sixteen years have gone by since the coming out of the circular letter "The Use of Material Goods for the Mission" (May 1, 1985). In it, Fr. G. Inverardi developed this topic, offering precious suggestions relative to the correct use of material goods. What was written then still has the same value today. But some situations need different answers nowadays. The new challenges of today need appropriate solutions, and the principles and the ideals proper to the vow of poverty must be carefully revisited.
The title of this letter itself explains its purpose and objective. It will not deal with religious poverty only, although it takes its inspiration abundantly from it, and it isn't a Directory for the Administration of Goods either. It stands somewhere between a reflection on the principles that regulate the use of goods and their concretization in the multiple situations our Institute finds itself in.

Difficulties and Limitations
We must also acknowledge that to write on this topic for the whole Institute is a rather engaging task. It's not easy to offer directives that give precise answers to all the realities that all our confreres live across this world of ours. Consider some of the following questions: How can we apply the same rules on poverty and economy to our confreres living in Europe and North America, and our confreres who live in Congo? To our missionaries living in developed countries and those who live in countries where the people have to fight every day in order to have what they need to barely survive? How can we give directives concerning the formation in our seminaries on how live our poverty when, in some instances, coming into our Institute is for some youngsters a promotion in the rich world? How can we teach sobriety and austerity to candidates whose families and environment never denied them any material goods, or place any encumbrance to their use?
We are aware of the limitations of a document like this one. But we do think that it can inspire all members to reflect and focus on the meaning of the vow of poverty within the context of our missionary vocation, that it can help us review the usages we make of material goods. Since we are aware of the complexity of this matter and of its many facets, we shall try to write in rather schematic fashion, dealing only with essentials. Not every problem will have a definite answer. Maybe, some of our questions will keep on being just that. The style of incompleteness of this document will allow the individual missionary, the local communities and the provinces to continue the reflection: While doing this, each one will keep in mind the context and the real situations he lives in. To favor this system, we have often included questions that might stimulate a reflection by the whole local community, questions that might stir it to come up with appropriate answers to local problems and situations.
May the intercession of our Blessed Founder encourage our reflection and, through his own witnessing, enlighten the paths we have to travel on.