Prot. n. 364/01

As prescribed by n. 136.3 of the General Directory, the Regional /Delegate Councils of the Institute must be renewed next year (2002). The General Council held a meeting on November 21, 2001, and made the following decisions.

1. Regional Superiors and Delegates shall establish a time-table for ballots to elect or nominate Regional superiors and councilors in the period between May 1 and June 30, 2002. The General Council will be available for the necessary confirmations from May 27 to June 30, 2002.

2. Bear in mind what was decided at the IX General Chapter with regard to the renewal of Regional /Delegate Councils:
"A new article should be inserted in the General Directory to shorten the times allowed for Regional elections in Regions where the first method was chosen. Number 136.4 states:
The election of the Superior and Councilors should take place, where possible, at the same time in the regional headquarters and in other centers in the Region - or outside of it if necessary. Balloting should continue until there is an election" (IX Cap. Gen., 74).

3. The Delegations should give the General Council a confidential short-list of three names. The Delegate Superior will collect his confrères' votes for a superior and will forward the ballots to the Superior General without examining them. We ask that this be done by May 30th. Each ballot should contain three names - in order of preference: the first choice should be first, the second - second, and the third - third.
This is equally valid for those Regions which follow the second method of choosing a superior described in the General Directory (Dir. Gen. 136.2).

4. The decree of confirmation or appointment for each Region will indicate the date the elected superior will take office.

5. The procedure for electing or appointing councilors and a vice-superior will begin after the General Council has confirmed the superior.

Rome, November 21, 2001
Father Piero Trabucco, Superior General
Father Darci Vilarinho, Secretary General

NORMS FOR THE RENEWAL
OF REGIONAL /DELEGATE COUNCILS

The choice of Regional superiors and councilors will follow the norms of the Constitutions (nos. 136, 138, 146), the corresponding articles of the General Directory and the practical guidelines determined by the regional conferences.
The following norms are not a repetition of those mentioned in the preceding paragraph nor of those concerning elections to be found in the Directory. They are merely clarifications of situations that could prove unclear or difficult.

General Principles

1. Every missionary must be guaranteed the exercise of his right to vote or to express his preferences in the case of a consultation.
2. A missionary cannot delegate anyone else to vote on his behalf - nor can he vote by telephone.
3. The ballots of at least two thirds of those with a right to vote must arrive for a vote to be valid.
4. All perpetual professed belonging to a Region have the right to take part in the voting or consultation for the election or appointment of the Council (cf. Dir. Gen. 136.1).
5. Missionaries who have served as councilors for two consecutive periods have active but not passive voice (cf. Const. 138 and 145).

In preparing lists, bear in mind:
- A missionary being sent to another Region belongs to his original Region and is part of its electoral college until he arrives at his new destination; this remains true even if he has already left his original Region and for studies or some other reason is in another Region.
- The list of those with a right to vote is fixed the moment a Regional Superior calls an election or a consultation; the list remains unchangeable - even if missionaries subsequently make perpetual professions or newly assigned members arrive in the Region.

The renewal of Regional Councils shall be carried out almost simultaneously in all the Regions. There can, however, be time differences in calling the elections. It remains the rule that someone who has exercised his right to vote in one Region cannot take part in the election of another Region in which he may have in the meantime arrived.
6. The following do not have the right to vote:
- Missionaries who have requested a dispensation from vows or who have been exclaustrated (cf. Dir. Gen. 150. 1);
- Missionaries who are outside the community without permission (cf. Dir. Gen. 146.3)
7. Councilors will be chosen after the General Council has confirmed or appointed the superior.

Choosing a Regional Superior and Council by election
(cf. first method: Dir. Gen. 136.1; 138.1)

8. Ballots for electing a Superior and councilors will occur in a specific place (or places) in accordance with the time-table established by the Regional Superior (cf. Dir. Gen. 136.1).

Regarding this:
- if the regional conference should decide to hold an election or a scrutiny during a meeting of the regional community, it is sufficient that all those with a right to vote have been legitimately notified and at least two thirds are present;
- if, however, it is the superior who makes this decision, he must be certain that everyone can actually take part in the voting.
9. When voting does not take place during a community meeting, contact through correspondence should be made with those missionaries who are temporarily outside the Region. Between one ballot and another there should be sufficient time for these communications.
If certain number of missionaries live elsewhere either for vacations or other reasons, they can - at the discretion of the regional government - forward their ballots to the Secretary General (or to the Secretary Regional), which will count them and communicate the results. These votes should be added without distinction to all the other votes.
10. There should be only one name on the ballot for electing a regional superior. On the ballot for electing councilors there should be as many names as there are positions to fill - with no order of precedence. On the councilor ballot there can be fewer names than the number of councilors to be elected. The same name should not be repeated several times on the same ballot. Should this occur, the ballot is valid, but the name is counted only once. If the number of names on the ballot is greater than the number of councilors to be elected, the ballot is invalid.

Choice of Regional /Delegate Government by appointment
(cf. second method: Dir. Gen. 136.2; 138.2)

11. For Delegations and for all those cases where the choice of a Region is done by confidential consultation, the Regional / Delegate Superior will call the consultation and send out the ballots.
12. It is up to the same superior to collect the ballots without opening them and to send them directly to the Superior General. If the Regional Superior deems it opportune or more expeditious he may instruct the missionaries to send their ballots directly to the Superior General.
13. There should be three names in order of preference (first choice first, second choice second and third choice third) on the ballot for appointing a superior.
14. On the ballot for appointing councilors there should be as many names as there are councilors to appoint.

Taking office

15. The superior and the councilors will take office on the date established in the decree of confirmation or appointment.
16. The superior and vice-superior must make a profession of faith; the councilors must take an oath to carry out their tasks faithfully.

Rome, November 21, 2001

Father Piero Trabucco, Superior General
Father Darci Vilarinho, Secretary General

COMMUNICATION no. 2

Hospital Coordination Office

The Hospital Coordination Office is one of the General offices that began operation in the last months of 1998, under the direction of Father Livio Tessari. On March 17, 1999, the General Council issued Statutes that clearly defined its goals, tasks and areas of competence.
At the end of three years' operation the General Council examined its accomplishments, sought the opinions of those Regional Superiors most interested in its work and decided to terminate the Office's activities. Experience has demonstrated that it is practically impossible to reach the goals or carry out the tasks foreseen in the Statutes.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Father Livio Tessari who has done everything possible to make this Office work. To complete mission aid projects already initiated, Father Tessari will continue his activities until the end of the social year (June 2002).
(from the Superior General's letter to the Regions, 24/11/2001)

CONFIRMATIONS

The General Council confirms the following appointments:
· Father Vilson Jochem as Delegate Administrator of Venezuela (January 14, 2002)
· Father Manuel Henriques Dias as Regional Administrator of Colombia (February 1, 2002)

DISPENSATION

The Superior General has granted a dispensation from temporary vows to Chesus Palacio Gil, a student on stage in Colombia (January 24, 2002)

INFORMATION ABOUT PERSONNEL

NOVITIATE

On December 29, 2001 the following novices began their year of novitiate at Maputo:

Amane Bichehe Afonso Mozambique
Chuwa Emanuel Sharkland Tanzania
Kasongo Blaise Muyanda Congo
Kuziala Jacques Nzakadi Congo
Mkalula William Walter Tanzania
Pili-Pili André Bizau Congo
Tala Lourenço Alísio Joaquim Mozambique

On January 20, 2002 the following novices began their year of novitiate at Martín Coronado:

Broqua Daniel Argentine
Chavarro Ortíz Edgar Colombia
Cintra Santos Mauro Brazil
Espinosa López Andrés Colombia
Ferreira do Carmo Sandro Brazil
Freitas José Deusmar Brazil
Medina Oscar Javier Colombia
Vargas García Alberto Rafael Colombia

FIRST PROFESSION

Bernardo Florêncio 19/12/2001 Maputo
Dondo Nebukila François-Marie 19/12/2001 Maputo
Kimwanga Ginday François-Régis 19/12/2001 Maputo
Lufungula Andukasil-Adrien 19/12/2001 Maputo
Mgimba Thadeo Ereneus 19/12/2001 Maputo
Mnyawami Stanlaus Joseph 19/12/2001 Maputo
Muhita Bento Eugénio 19/12/2001 Maputo
Crespo Martinez Jonh Wilson 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado
San Miguel Giraldo Samuel 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado
Solis Ledesma Hector Flávio 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado
Toro Santiago Jesús Alirio 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado
Tosoni Ariel Osvaldo 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado
Dalanôra Lago Sandro 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado
Moratelli Claudio 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado
Bento dos Santos Valdeci 29/12/2001 Martín Coronado

PERPETUAL PROFESSION

Alarcón Mesa Carlos Eduardo 10/01/2002 Madrid
Kamiya Jude Katende 10/01/2002 Madrid
Fr. Tablino Paolo 20/02/2002 Maralal

DIACONATE

Afonso Citora Osorio 09/12/2001 Kinshasa
Ngondo Madiya Lievin 09/12/2001 Kinshasa
Alarcón Mesa Carlos Eduardo 23/02/2002 Madrid
Kamiya Jude Katende 23/02/2002 Madrid

PRIESTHOOD

Barbosa Ilídio de Brito 06/01/2002 Rebordosa (RP)
Ndolla Gabriel Dominic 20/02/2002 Mdabulo (RT)
Mwigani James Florence 06/03/2002 Mlowo (RT)