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The General Council's Letter PDF Print E-mail
Written by General Direction   
Friday, 18 May 2007
VISIT TO THE REGION OF ETHIOPIA
January 2007

Rome, 19th March 2007
Saint Joseph

Dearest Missionaries,

The period of Advent and the celebration of Christmas spent among you have given us the opportunity of living in the hope of a better future, being certain that the Lord’s love always carries out the word given by accomplishing his promise of becoming God-with-us, as it has happened in the realization of the Incarnation of the Word.

Fr. Matthew and myself, thank for the welcome of all those who have dedicated their time for the preparation of the Visit, sharing then with us their joys, hopes, sufferings, projects and dreams.

Thanks go to the Regional Council which has helped us understand the reality of the Region and has suggested possible lines of action concerning the various dimensions still in need of renewal, creativity and new impetus.

A special thank goes to Fr. Antonio Vismara. Taking advantage of the long trips and the time spent together, we have exchanged opinions on various topics, compared our ideas on situations and projects, fostering missionary dreams on the footprints of our Founder.

For the first time and for all the time of the Visit, we have been together with the Consolata Missionary Sisters. Together we have evaluated and programmed, in an effort of helping each other to live also at the practical level the communion which comes forth from the same charisma and better cooperate in the mission which the Lord entrusts to us in the local Church of Ethiopia.

And now in family spirit, we wish to share with you some topics which are the fruit of our reflection on your journey in Ethiopia.

A. A look to the reality

Socio-political Context

Ethiopia has about 70 million people. It is a federal republic subdivided in 10 regions, bringing together many languages and cultures. The Orthodox Church and the religion of Islam live together in peace with the traditional religions. The Catholic Church continues to be a minority in the nation even in the new climate of religious freedom proclaimed by the present government. The Marxist system continues to influence the social structure even though it has not achieved to destroy the deep religious feeling of the Ethiopian people. Ethiopia, in its history which goes back to biblical times and is interwoven with legends, has always been a nation faithful unto itself and it has never welcome the cultural and religious influences proceeding from other countries. The Ethiopian people have their own culture, history and philosophy which set them apart from the rest of Africa and they are very proud of it. The country has opened up to the rest of world when the revolution of 1974 took place. Now it is wholeheartedly committed to modernization, promoted especially by the young generations which make up more than 50% of the people, in its effort to defeat poverty.

Religious Context

The Orthodox Church has had a very big influence on the history and culture of Ethiopia since it has been the religion of the dominating class (the Amhara) for many centuries.

Also the monastic tradition, within the Orthodox Church, has contributed to the creation of a religious culture which foreign influence has not been able to change. As a matter of fact, it encompasses 50% of the population. Muslims, whose number is on the increase, have 30%, Catholics have 0,2%, while Protestants hold 15% and their number is on a rapid increase especially among the youth.

The Catholic Church, though a minority, is well appreciated by the government and the other religions for its worldwide prestige and also for the help towards the social development of the Nation and human promotion. The Episcopal Conference, now more courageous and outspoken, tries to respond with greater authority to the challenges which come from groups of faithful of the old type religion who ask to be accompanied and from many young people who knock at its door. These signs of the times queries also its missionary impetus. The Catholic University, which is being built, is a response of high value which gives meaning to its mission.

The reality of the Church and of our mission in Ethiopia

The government, by declaring religious freedom in the country, has placed the Churches among the Non Government Organizations (NGO), having a proper legislation which regulates them. Therefore the Catholic Church is acknowledged as a NGO based on faith (as it is for Protestants and the other religions present in the country. That is the reason why missionaries do not enter the Country as such, but with a work permit linked to an activity of human promotion. Every Diocese must sign a plan of social development with the government, valid for five years. It is not easy, in this context, to strike a balance between the two aspects: that of direct pastoral involvement and that of human promotion.

IMC Personnel and activities in Ethiopia and Djibouti

The missionaries working in the Region are 34, including 3 stationed in Djibouti (29 priests and 5 brothers). The number fluctuates due to the precariousness of the situation. Working together with us, there are 5 diocesan priests, from the Vicariate of Meki. Our operating Centers are 10, including the Regional House. All missions, besides the pastoral work, must carry out activities of development, some of which are quite involving as for personnel and financial means.

The Djibouti Project is experiencing some difficulty in coming about. Due to present circumstances, at the moment, there is greater involvement with actual work than with other initiatives.

The Canonical Visit

They have been 17 days of trips and meetings which have allowed us to visit your communities and meet personally with each one of you. The overview presents situations, both positive and problematic, which deserve reflection and which we list briefly:

• It is remarkable the missionary zeal of the personnel, but also at the same time their tiredness due to the lack of balance between work and personal formation, even to the point of health risk. We may not forget that, for various reasons, a considerable number of missionaries have left Ethiopia during these past years and their departure remains a question mark for all of us.

• The text of the V Regional Conference reaffirms the reasons for our presence recalling the priorities of evangelization and the attention due to the person of the missionary. Besides, it is going on a process of discernment for a necessary restructuring coupled with some concrete signs which intend to qualify again our presence and give us greater hope for the future: the opening of CAM, the importance of basic formation, the reorganization of the economy.

• The sense of belonging to our Institute is rather weak in some of our missionaries. Such weakness is being manifested by criticism of confreres and superiors and by the lack of responsibility and the improper use of the goods of the Institute. While a regular community participation is obtained in the bi-monthly meetings of OF (Ongoing Formation) in the Regional House, there is still much to be achieved regarding the zonal OF meetings. It remains to be given greater impulse to those initiatives which can strengthen the regional unity and favor the availability of all in giving their contribution in whatever activity and place of the Region.

• Several IMC Missionaries live by themselves, cooperating with diocesan priests of the Meki Vicariate; others live in community and they live with a diocesan priest. The Regional Council is continuing the journey started by the previous regional government, setting up communities in which diocesan priests are present so that there may be sufficient personnel to carry out the commitments taken in the Vicariate. Regarding this initiative the opinions are not unanimous. Besides we see the Regional Government’s good will in carrying out the chapter directives regarding local communities, thug we also notice its difficulty in realizing them due to the disproportion between commitments and the number of available personnel.

• There are just few communities which follow a community plan f life (CPL) due to isolation and being of “mixed” composition with diocesan priests. Also in the pastoral dimension generally there is no Pastoral Plan being worked out together. These failures do not help the realization of a missionary work done in communion and in depth.

• The presence of missionaries in AMV is very little, especially in promoting vocational animation.

• Regarding finances the local communities lack a worthwhile plan to reduce expenses, trying to be self supporting, and to present financial reports in due time as requested by the Regional Administrator. The Bishops’ appeal, as well as ours, to foster the sensitivity of the local faithful to contribute to their financial autonomy has not yet being accepted by our Missionaries. The temptation is to trust excessively the help coming from benefactors of the developed world.

B. A way of being and living in a mission

Mission in Ethiopia is demanding because of its complexity and its great amount of work, especially in the field of human promotion. Much interior strength is asked from a missionary. In the face of the tiredness perceived in many missionaries and the difficulty in living a community life in a satisfactory manner, we wish to reflect with you and suggest some guide line for action.

Committing oneself to take care of himself

Working on oneself has always been difficult and it will continue to be so; no one can do it on behalf of another. Each one can and must take responsibility for his own life and lead it towards an ever greater authenticity.

It is part of the General Government’s program to take care of the individual missionary. We have been requested by the General Chapter to do so. We are aware of the fact that without feedstock there cannot be a good product. The evangelizer must be in a very good shape regarding all his dimensions in order to succeed well in the work of evangelization. Quite often this does not happen. It is then that the missionary is called upon to learn recognize and manage his own sentiments and emotions, learn to “assign a proper name” to all the interior movements which constitute a precious asset of energies, which, if they were positively integrated in the unity of the person, could help him live and work well.

If truly God is the reason for our being in Ethiopia, how not to make Him the center and reason of our own life? If we want Him to be known, loved and adored by others, we must be the firs in doing likewise.

There are various means which help us take care of ourselves:

Prayer life: steeped for the greater part of your daily work among the people, rendering to them many services, we invite you to have the courage to set aside time for yourselves, as individuals and as communities, in order to stay with the Lord. Before and after being immersed in the crowd, it is a good thing to have moments of intimacy with Him who gives meaning to our being and acting with the others.

Spiritual direction: comparing regularly with a spiritual director helps us discern whether we are truly centered on Christ or not.

Monthly spiritual retreats, Zonal meetings, Regional assemblies, are privileged moments of ongoing formation which help our life and mission.

Living and working in a family.

Some confreres have confided to us the desire to return to form communities made up of Consolata Missionaries only in order to be able to program, pray and reflect together, in keeping with our own style. Thus they would feel better motivated even to pray and deepen spirituality topics which are typically ours.

Our meeting with the other, to whom we have been sent to evangelize, cannot be true unless there is first our meeting together, in our communities and brotherhood, where we are called to experience in a privileged way relationships of authentic brotherhood.

In this privileged place of encounter which is the community, our lives are mutually compared and questioned. We learn to know each other, love each other, forgive each other, esteem each other and freely accept our own wounds, our limits and faults. «Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!» (Ecclesiates 4: 9-10).

Daring to live as brothers

Generally speaking, our communities are international or intercultural. Our community journey is not always smooth and the reality is complex.

A drama which ever more destroys our meeting the other is tribalism, regionalism, ethnocentricity, nationalism. They influence all the more our relationships, our choices, our decisions. To ignore this reality is to not admit our own prejudices and acknowledge that we carry within ourselves the tendency to judge, view the world and others from our own stand point. It means also to become accessories of a world which favors ever more discrimination, exploitation and exclusion.

 The internationality lived in our own communities, or the interculturality when internationality is not possible, strikes and causes questions to emerge. This situation is even more striking when lived in countries at war or imbued with deep racial discrimination. A concrete way of participating in the attempts to bring back peace and experience reconciliation among these people, is that of trying to be reconciled with our own brothers, daily, in one’s own community, placing each one unto himself the vital question: is my heart open to change, forgiveness, to build peace and reconciliation bridges, to make room to the brothers I live with?

If there are wounds in our relationships, we can always enter into a process of forgiveness and reconciliation. To live reconciliation means to learn to build ourselves up with our contradictions, accepting our fears and defenses, and destroying our prejudices which harm us so much; thus we can go forward with our wounded and selective memories towards a reciprocity made up of forgiveness and growth, of mutual respect.

 Our last General Chapter has greatly emphasized our living in community, insisting that communities be made up of at least three members, not as a novelty, but as a necessity and unavoidable consequence of our vocation as consecrated men, disciples of Christ and sent to the mission in today’s world. In this matter it is important to take care of the preparation of those to be sent, but it is no less important the welcoming and integration into brotherly love of those who arrive.

The witness of being family helps us in our mission. Community meetings, as a basic platform, are extremely important in order to walk harmoniously. It is there that information goes around and helps our interpersonal relationships, our apostolic work and planning of our various activities.

There may always be mutual trust, understanding, capacity for forgiveness, avoiding any discrimination of our brothers on account of our native country or continent, race, culture, age, formation. Let prevail having the same vocation and be members of the same family, where our brotherly love make us brothers, members who are proud of belonging to the same family.

In cooperation

As Consolata Missionaries we are called to cooperate with the Consolata Missionary Sisters, working in communion and cooperating in various fields: pastoral, health, education, MVA, formation… Our same Father and the same charisma help us to be on the same wave length and witness before the Church and the world our capacity to work in unity of intentions.

We, as General Governments, have visited the communities where we work together, have met all missionary fathers, brothers and sisters to assess and hopefully improve our collaboration in evangelization. They were truly moments of family life, where hopes, joys, dreams, achievements and difficulties were shared together in a spirit of truth and brotherhood.

At Shambu, after some difficulties and tensions, our common project continues in hope, for the good of all that area, thought and dreamed about by our Founder as a land of mission for his sons and daughters.

Consecrated Life and relationship with the diocesan priests

The reality finds us living and working in “mixed” communities with diocesan priests. We deem important our collaboration with the local Church, working in harmony with the local clergy. Nevertheless, we see well that they may be distinct communities: that of the Consolata Missionaries and that of the diocesan priests, even close to each other, cooperating with each other, though each living its own charisma. Therefore, those who have made a specific charismatic choice will try to be faithful to it and will make their own programs accordingly. We deem well that each one may live his own choice in life: some as religious, others as diocesan. Everyone has the right to have his own life style in keeping with one’s own vocation. We have the right to live our community life as Consolata family.

We ask the Regional Council to review this policy, in agreement with the Bishop, and only keep those missions which we can manage as Consolata Missionaries.

Paying attention to activism!

We are also aware how activism, that is, giving higher priority to apostolic commitments rather than brotherly love, greatly afflicts the quality of our relationships, our moments for sharing and being in brotherly communion. Through activism, community life clashes with an important amount of individualism, often tied up to a claim of autonomy. As a consequence community can become a grouping of people having no interest in the destiny of the others, feeling uncommitted and not involved.

 The great worldwide network (internet, TV channels, even the international ones…) of which we benefit today, easily and quickly puts us in touch with all parts of the world, but paradoxically it isolates us from the confrere with whom we live; solitary games and DVD make us spend hours in front of a screen or monitor, having no concern for the other. When in a community, communication is absent or poor, brotherly life, usually, is weak and we become strangers unto each other without being aware of it. Interpersonal relationships become superficial and have to do more with time tables and functionality of the group than sharing of life. Consequences may be unpleasant. We situate ourselves in an individualistic mentality, being unconcerned about the other or the community.

Prayer, true and authentic brotherly life, avoids escapes into the private.

Becoming saints

 Missionary work in a complex situation like yours cannot subsist only on human forces, but it needs missionaries with a strong interior life.

 The two year period of reflection on and deepening of holiness of life, which we are doing in all our Institute, reminds us forcefully of our commitment to become “holy” missionaries, renewing ourselves spiritually with determination and love. In order to give greater meaning to this journey towards holiness of life we remind you that our last General Chapter has proposed the creation, where possible, of Center of Spirituality as the “heart” which promotes this renewal. In view of this journey we invite the committee which is studying the organization of the Modjo Center to clarify its identity and purpose.

Filling ourselves with missionary zeal

Even in our days, missionary life has its own difficulties. Mission in Ethiopia needs missionaries ready even to give up some privileges, live far from urban centers, without those commodities which they may have had in other places. May this spirit of availability to live close to the poorest be not lacking. Mission demands constant presence, stability, closeness. Less trips could help us missionaries to look for new ways of being close to the people, having a greater commitment to evangelization.

C. A proper style of evangelization

Our mission, as outlined above, is of help to the local Church, among people whose majority is orthodox, with a big presence of Islamic and Protestant faithful, where it cannot be otherwise than to have projects aimed at helping the development of the people and of the nation.

In the past there was a limit, which is still noticed in some places even today, regarding the style of our pastoral work, which deserves a reflection and the assumption of a new stand: that of charity, where goods are being distributed without an involvement of those who receive such benefits. People have not been sufficiently made responsible to cooperate and make do without foreign aid. Self sufficiency, therefore, seems still to be a far distant objective. The positive aspect which we have noticed in the Regional Government and in many missionaries has been their desire to look for a new identity regarding our being and doing, faithful to our vocation as missionaries dedicate to the salvation of the whole person, doing well our mission.

Commitments and real forces

Considering the requests made by the XI General Chapter, your V Regional Conference has tried to act consequently. The reality faced by the Region shows that the operative journey will be hard and uphill. The spirit of determination and strength which characterize us as children of Allamano, puts us in action trying to realize such objectives.

We are aware that we are not offering miraculous recipes to solve your problems. Instead we believe, in the spirit of brothers visiting their brothers, the value of underlining urgencies and challenges, restate convictions, take up again orientations, present new possible journeys.

The major part of your evangelizing action is closely linked to human promotion, which is concretely done in these specific fields: education, through school managed by the missions; health, through the management of the big hospital in Gambo and several dispensaries for which you find the collaboration of members of female congregations; visit to the families and catechesis; actualization of a big number of promotional aids, through concrete agricultural projects, drilling of water bore holes, giving assistance in offices responsible for the projects themselves. Our observation is that projects and the responsibility therein take up the major part of your time, energies, and your capacity for creativity and planning.

We know that our presence in the Country is tied up to our cooperation for the development and human promotion of the people. Nevertheless we consider that the use of energies and means employed in social activities to bee exaggerate when confronted with the work of evangelization which itself is also encounter, dialogue, welcome, spirituality, incarnation, celebration, sanctification.

We know how difficult it is to live in this reality where the needs of people are so many and we wish to respond positively to them. It’s possible to do one and the other with due balance. To have sufficient activities in a place and do well also our work of evangelization. This is why we are in Ethiopia. To do well that which is good, our Founder used to ask of us. How many more Christian communities could spring up around us if we would pay greater attention to the spiritual needs of the people.

We are proud of the decision taken by you in your last Conference to not start, in the coming six years, new projects but just continue only those already started. We rely on your capacity of being faithful. We all know the guide lines which help in doing well in this field, that is: all projects should have the approval and signature of all the members of the local community where the project will be carried out, that of the Regional Superior and of the local Bishop. It is hoped for that the Regional Government, before approving a project, will review it in the place where it will be realized.

 personnel is scarce and the complexity of those activities require more forces.

You have already decided, in the calendar, as part of your program of restructuring, the time of giving back to the local Church the missions of Asella and Wonji. You could also do a discernment regarding the mission of Shashamane or other mission. The Gambo Hospital deserves a particular attention. Having due respect to the intention of entrusting this beautiful activity to a different organization, it is important to keep in mind some criteria:

- to prepare the handing over by setting in order the hospital with sufficient structures;

 - to prepare local administrators and medical personnel who will be able to carry on this activity in the near future, serving the poor without seeking their own profit.

Ministerial Pastoral Activity

One of the privileged ways for evangelizing and bring the first proclamation to those who had not yet received it, is to work in such way that all our parishes-missions may become true “ministerial communities”.

Some indications:

• The presence of well formed catechists helps reach where we ourselves are unable. Their belonging to the native culture enables them to more easily bring the Christian message to the heart of people.

• The community pastoral council be established little by little and be highly esteemed. It is a quite efficacious means for involving the laity, arousing new energies in the field of evangelization.

• The present context favors a journey of greater closeness with the Orthodox Church. The way of ecumenism be kept in due consideration in your Pastoral Projects.

• Regarding then the specific commitment of the Djibuti community in the field of inter-religious dialogue with the Muslim world, we believe in the value of the project. It is being suggested that some other person, expert in inter-religious dialogue, come to help the missionaries to read the reality of their various fields of work and assign to them some tasks to be carried out by the time of the next meeting. At that time an evaluation be made of the progress made, reflecting upon it and opening up to the possibility of doing new tasks.

• Considering the proper characteristics of the mission in Ethiopia, lay missionaries can find a favorable opportunity to bring their own missionary service and collaborate with us in the various activities of the Region.

Consolation and the poor

«From the beginning our first Consolata Missionaries have chosen activities and means which today we would call “of consolation”. They have been enlightened by Her Li who, for us, is the inspirer of a Mission which is the manifestation of a God who “consoles his people and has mercy on the poor” (Is: 49, 13). From God’s compassionate heart a mission is born which bring consolation to humanity» (XCG 49).

Let us remember, in this context, some of the choices made in the last Regional Conference and some others, fruit of the visit:

• The topics and issues concerning justice and peace are all the more become part of the specific sphere of our vocation n and normal pastoral involvement. Poverty, corruption, new illnesses, injuries to the dignity of children, street boys and women, constitute realities which must be studied and tackled with appropriate initiatives which will form and inform on them and on the other most felt and debated issues.

• We wish to suggest that, little by little, the commission on Justice and Peace be formed in our missions in order to make the people aware of the topics related to poverty, justice and peace.

• Let our activities enjoy greater balance with the level of life of the local people. Invite the faithful to partake in the building of their own churches and social endeavors, having due respect for their timing, their rhythms and involving them in what which will eventually belong to them. Only in this way, then, the church, the school, the dispensary, will be felt by them as “their very own”.

D. An economy of communion

On this aspect, important for living well our consecrated life regarding poverty, we wish to dwell a little longer. The financial situation of the Region is not good and in these last years there has been a crisis in finding funds for the projects. Possible causes could be found in the following aspects:

- the lateness in the administrative management which has not made possible the closing of accounting in due time, so that people and communities may know the real condition of their accounts;

- the big number of cars and their lack of maintenance, which in turn has been the cause of many accidents. Cars of the Institute not in service to the missionaries, but to the external projects, even though such projects are linked to the mission;

- the great number of activities, at times started by personal initiative of individuals; later on, nevertheless, for their running, requests are made to the common purse, which in turn distributes subsidies regularly to the local communities to enable them to pay their expenses, even when these may have more than sufficient means for self support. Common purse means also to cooperate with it by being concerned and contributing something, whenever possible!

- the enormous number of workers, not always needed, many time employed without proper criteria for qualifications, professional ability, efficiency, all paid by drawing from the common purse. To relate with them seriously and professionally is one way of promoting their dignity as people and workers.

Trying to suggest some guide lines towards possible solutions, we ask for the collaboration of all of you in carrying out the following recommendations:
- to make use of funds and subsidies received in a correct way. To present accounting monthly, being punctual as for the time;

- to collaborate with the service rendered by the General Administrator when visiting the Region and to follow with scrupulous attention his directives. To ask for his help regarding the formation of new personnel who will be able to help in Administration and in the regional projects;

- to do a feasibility study to gradually give back to the Government certain activities and services (even within the missions which we continue to have), which constitute a big financial burden, requiring too much time and material aids from the missionaries entrusted with them (restructuring);

- to sustain the projects with their proper subsidies, without having to use money from the common purse which had been donated to the Institute for different purposes, even charitable and for specific evangelization; this for us is a matter of justice;
 
- to review the method of evangelization used by the Region. Less projects, well managed, with dignity and efficiency, realizing only those which the mission is able to start and sustain;

- to prepare the budget in every local community: all communities are invited to prepare their own budget, as requested by the Regional Government, and then be faithful to that which has been planned, and that goes also for the Regional House;

- use of cars: they belong to the Institute. Let there may be a sufficient number of cars so that the missionaries may properly carry out their mission. We question the use of the Institute’s cars in service to the projects; these sometimes do not even refund the Institute with some contribution while the cars are being used by other personnel.

 It is appropriate to start ways towards a less dependence on the Institute’s subsidies, especially in view of the fact that some activities, now managed by us, will be giving away.

E. A glance towards the future

Go on realizing the project already started by the V Regional Conference, regaining the community’s charismatic dimension, having communities made up by three IMC members in order to be witnesses and be able to announce love for the mission.

A good expectation for the future is the start of the MVA Center and the opening again of the Minor Seminary in Modjo. Every missionary is called upon to create the conditions for a serious and authentic commitment to do MVA. Considering the fact that there are no writings on the charisma in local language, we encourage the translation of some texts to facilitate the activities of this sector.

The Continental journey is view by you with apprehension since you are aware of a big difference in culture, religion, etc… between Ethiopia and the other nations of Africa. Despite all this, you wish to consider such journey and you are willing to share its process and walk together.

 The presence of consolation in the Country, even though very little, is like leaven in the dough; you are called to bring life and life in abundance to the poor who look for you, in order to make them rich with the evangelical message and your own humanity, consolation and promotion.

 Our dream is the same of that of the Regional Government which wishes that the missionaries in the Region be capable of working together as an international community, viewing ones’ own differences as wealth; going forward together in the same direction, as one Region; nurturing the family spirit wanted by the Founder; making up brotherly communities of real sharing and prayer; where requalification is not a matter of number of people or missions, but rather the quality of the religious-missionary life as witnesses of Christ.

Allow us, at the end of this letter, to dwell on a question which, after so many years spent in this Country, is all the more needed and deserving an answer: till when it will be possible to continue with this type of mission and evangelization?

Perhaps the time has come for us to re-think our charisma ad gentes, to open up to new challenges like those dealing with interreligious dialogue, ecumenism and the establishment of new communities specifically dedicated to first evangelization.

Conclusion

We entrust our mission in Ethiopia to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, “star of our evangelization”. We ask the Blessed Joseph Allamano to multiply, among the sons of your Christian communities, the number of his own sons, faithful heirs of his apostolic ideals.

May Blessed Charles de Foucauld, special patron of the Institute this year, help us to be present among the poor in a simple way, faithful to our vocation, witnessing through prayer and our love for the Eucharist and for Christ, incarnated among the people we serve in the land of Ethiopia.

Fr. Aquiléo Fiorentini, IMC
Superior General

Fr. Matthew Ouma Opiyo, IMC
Councilor for Africa
Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 May 2007 )