We would like to point out and describe certain subjects relevant to personnel. We make no attempt at analysis - that would exceed the parameters of this report. A summary description of these matters will bring attention to a situation through the Institute is currently passing and we could open them up for discussion at some later time in this consultation if the assembly is so inclined.

1. Decreasing Personnel

Statistics for the last three years show that the Institute's personnel is decreasing. The short time involved do not make this a trustworthy indicator of long-term trends. Comparing the figures in the 1999 Annuario with statistics for 2002 we come up with the following:

In our view two factors are principally responsible for this decrease: in the first place, the introduction of the propaedeutic year eliminated the Kenya novitiate class for the year 2000-2001; secondly, a substantial number of professed students (about 15) are either asking for a dispensation or are not being allowed to renew their vows. While the first factor is happenstance, the second is cause for concern. We will discuss this subject later when we speak about perseverance and people leaving during the formation period.
The number of brothers is not high but it remains constant. Nowadays most of our brother candidates come from Africa.

2. Distribution of Personnel

We will quote - and comment briefly - what the Chapter Acts had to say on this subject. "[The General Chapter] gives the following guidelines as orientation and assistance to the General Government:
1. Each Region must realize that it is no longer possible for the General Government to distribute personnel following the principal of "replacement" with respect to the number and quality of missionaries.
2. The General Government should bear in mind the following priorities in assigning available personnel:
¢ New openings planned by the Chapter;
¢ Basic formation;
¢ Mission and vocation promotion;
¢ Training appropriate to the sector needs" (pp. 85-86).
Frankly we must confess that neither the General nor the Regional Governments seem to realize that we no longer have the same number of people available that we did in the past. All the same we have made an effort to distribute personnel equitably and to follow as far as possible the principle of "replacement."
What is set out in The Program for the General Government 1999-2005 (pp. 40-41) is admittedly somewhat merciless but it is a realistic evaluation of the present situation. We believe, moreover, that sooner or later this is the path we will have to follow if we are to remain faithful to the spirit of the XCG.
In our opinion neither Latin America nor Europe have paid serious attention to restructuring. In these regions there has been an effort to renew communities -when one community is closed another is opened immediately. This practice, especially in Latin America, is having a disastrous effect on mission and vocation promotion.
It has been somewhat easier to find personnel for new foundations since we concentrated on first assignments; we have been able to increase slightly the number of missionaries in the delegations (Ivory Coast, Venezuela, South Africa).

2. Personnel in Special Situations

The Vice-Superior General's report tells us that some seventeen missionaries have been sent to specialized centers for recovery in the last three years. The problems involved were mainly psychological and sexual. In a few cases, however, there was a problem with alcoholism. We believe these "cures" to be generally positive. When they fail - as they sometimes have - it is almost always because the individual involved refuses to admit the need for serious treatment and is unwilling to cooperate with the staff. It is important that we engage a confrère in sincere and fraternal dialogue before we send him to one of these recovery centers. The individual must be fully informed of what is going on, what the treatment involves and what is its purpose.
Up to now the General Government has sustained the expense of this treatment - in some cases substantial. The General Secretariat has gathered information on centers operating on different continents; it is available to regional superiors who ask for it.

3. Collaboration with Consolata Sisters

This is something recent General Chapters have hoped for and promoted and it finally seems to be moving in the right direction. The General Government and many Regional Governments are holding regular meetings to discuss themes of common interest and to plan collaborative efforts; General and Regional offices are planning common personal formation projects. It seems that everywhere the desire to work together in that spirit of mutual respect and communion our Blessed Founder hoped for is being re-discovered.
Collaboration with the Consolata Sisters for our forthcoming foundation in Asia is symptomatic of this new endeavor. In new foundations - even in the regions - we should work together from the very inception of a project, throughout the whole time it is being developed until it reaches completion. Noteworthy in this regard was the new experience in the Ethiopian Region at Shambo, and in Colombia at la Tagua.