GROUP 6

58 participants: 30 nationalities, 54 congregations

LIBERATING THE PROPHETIC:

SOLIDARITY IN A WORLD OF EXCLUSION

SIGNS OF VITALITY

In a world that is becoming more and more a world of exclusion, it gives us joy to state that religious are indeed exhibiting signs of vitality in the area of solidarity. We mention some:

Religious are often catalysts in breaking down barriers of all kinds: groups of interfaith dialogue in countries where Christians are being persecuted; grassroots groups engaging in peacemaking; multicultural communites that give witness to the possibility of living together despite differences.

· There are religious of all ages in situations of conflict and violence, deeply inserted among the people. When others leave, they stay, risking their lives, in many cases even to martyrdom, a sign of radical solidarity with the excluded.

· There is increasing collaboration between religious and laity, above all in the area of volunteers in solidarity. In this collaboration there is a double movement: on one hand, the enthusiasm and commitment of the volunteers reanimates our own passion and openness; on the other hand, the pooling of talents and goods and the communion among persons, as we live it, is a powerful sign for them.

· Significant as well is the fact that many religious are working with groups and institutions in civil society that seek social transformation.

· An encouraging sign as well is the development of greater collaboration between congregations at the service of the poor and in defense of their rights (solidarity projects, lobbying for justice, etc.)

· The feminine dimension of consecrated life is a prophetic sign and a challenge for society and for the Church which gives little space to women.

· The return to their charismatic roots has awakened a greater prophetic commitment in many congregations.

OBSTACLES TO PASSION FOR CHRIST AND PASSION FOR HUMANITY AT THIS TIME

We have discovered obstacles of a structural nature in two senses:

There are obstacles born of the neoliberal economic system and of the culture that prevent us from assuming the self-critical evangelical position necessary for prophetic action.
There are obstacles that arise from the structures and styles of authority present inn our congregations. These are frequently rigid and do not correspond to the needs and situations of our age and culture. They are of another era.

We are aware that the “culture of control”, which dominates our society saps the courage to seek new ways. The same can be said of the economic model, lifestyle and processes of formation that frequently characterize our surroundings. All of this produces a failure to critique the neoliberal system, accommodation, individualism and the defense of lifestyles that are not congruent with the prophetic nature of our vocation.

Other obstacles which block prophecy come from within consecrated life itself:

a. Fear, which has many faces: fear to take risks on the institutional level and in mission; fear to face the new and the different – situations, ideals, persons; fear of losing power; fear of the insecurity that commitment with the excluded brings with it. Another fear is that of entering into conflict with the hierarchy which sometimes restrains our creativity.

b. Our own internal differences and conflicts which paralyse the prophetic action of the group and of those members with a prophetic vocation who can count on little support from their respective congregations

c. A certain sense of competition among congregations which renders collaboration difficult.

d. The scandal of sexual abuse by some religious is a counter-witness and a negation of the prophetic.

e. The lifestyle of some religious communities that distances them from the people.

We discover at times a certain human and spiritual immaturity which become obstacles to a corresponsibility in mission and impede a more courageous action in the defense of life. We are aware of the real danger of consumerism, individualism, apathy and lack of belief in the prophetic nature of the religious life. This generates internal conflicts makes efficacious leadership in the field of justice, peace and ecology difficult. Sometimes leadership assumes that there can be no movement forward until all are in agreement.

DESCRIPTION OF NEEDED STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN LIFESTYLE AND MINISTRIES

We need a realism that takes into account our own limitations (number, age, etc.) but which does not prevent us from discerning with prophetic freedom the lifestyle and missionary presence required for the proclamation of the Reign of God. Let us stimulate reflection and focus our energies to create something new in our congregations as a stimulus to those who may feel dispersed or overburdened.

In a spirit of interior freedom, let us be willing to uproot ourselves from where we are to go to new places of mission (new areopagos) as the Pope has asked of us, ready to leave behind some of our present ministries.

In order to be closer to people, let us promote a real insertion of our communities and make space for the poor. For example, it would be more appropriate to live the stages of the third and fourth age in places where we can be among people, rather than investing in houses specifically for religious in these stages of life.

Particularly in areas where we encounter people of many faith traditions, we need to believe in a God who is bigger than Christianity, a God whose love is open to all and who welcomes all.

Formators need to know the sacred traditions of the peoples where they are (e.g. Asian, Aboriginal, African, Native American, etc.) We need knowledge of another country to see our own with new eyes (e.g. an experience of this kind before final profession, with appropriate accompaniment.)

We need to simplify the structures of our Institutes at all levels, including the possible combining of institutes with a similar charism. The organization of our life should always be in function of mission. We need to promote multicultural communities which invite us to share faith in the light of the gospel.

We need to open our plans and projects to the laity associated with our congregations, sharing our mission with them without obliging them to become integrated into structures that impede the expression of their particular contribution. Their presence can open us to new forms of solidarity with the poor.

We need to look for new models of organization that better reflect the evangelical principle of authority. In this sense we need to situate consecrated life in the Church in such a way that guarantees the realization of its prophetic mission and a form of government in our institutes characterized by decentralization and subsidiarity which facilitate the incarnation of mission.

We need to claim our own space of freedom as religious institutes -- as congregations, as national and international conferences – in a way that guarantees the expression of our charism, so that consecrated life may continue to be significant in the Church.

BIBLICAL TEXTS THAT CAN THROW LIGHT ON THIS SITUATION AND CHALLENGE US TO TRANSFORMATION

From this prophetic perspective, we approach the Word of God. We have lost sight of some challenging elements in the Gospel. The following texts illuminte us in this sense:

The fast that is pleasing to our God: Is. 58:1ff

“I know the plans I have in mind for you”: Jer. 31:17

The Spirit is author of new life: Ez. 37

Act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

The identity and the mission of Jesus: Luke 4:16ff

The openness of Jesus which led him, to overcome ethnic and social barriers: the cure of the Syrophoenician woman (Mk 7, 26 ff.), the encounter with the Samaritan woman (Jn 4, 1 ff), the story of the good Samaritan (Lk 10,29 ff).

The attitude of acceptance which Jesus manifested before all forms of exclusions, his actions in favour of the adulterous woman (Jn 7,1 ff), meals shared with publicans (Lk 5, 27 ff), the cure of the lepers, and the welcoming of children (Mk 10, 13 ff).

The beatitudes (Lk 6,20-23; Mt 5, 1-12) reveal the alternative vision of the Reign of God, the one who was Lord washed the feet of his disciples and commanded them to do the same (Jn 13, 1-15).

CONVICTIONS AND ACTIONS

To keep the spirit of prophecy alive in consecrated life, we reaffirm several principles which seem fundamental to us:

Prophecy is a constitutive element of Consecrated Life. We consider the awakening of consciousness of the prophetic dimension of religious life a gift of the Spirit which we welcome and to which we must respond.

The preferential option for the poor, to whom the Reign of God belongs, is another fundamental element of consecrated life. The poor evangelize us and help us to discover the face of God and to renew our communities. Closeness to human groups considered “throw-aways” in our societies is an urgent need for consecrated persons.

We reaffirm the necessity of deepening an integral spirituality, nourished by a contextualized reading of the Word of God, which renews us enabling us to accomplish our prophetic mission and to create communities that are signs of the Reign of God, open to the welcome of and to solidarity with the poorest.

An intercultural dialog, in which the voice of consecrated life in the southern world resounds with greater strength, will be a decisive element in the formation of the consecrated life in the future.

The projects of our congregations should privilege the struggle for justice. We reaffirm the commitment of consecrated life to the promotion of a culture which truly respects the dignity of women and promotes their active participation in society.

It is important to analyze and reflect on our own experience of exclusion which can help us not to exclude others either in the Church or in society in general. We need to manifest our rejection of any abuse of power whether within or beyond the Church.

We are in need of better collaboration between religious men and women in the service of mission, a collaboration based on our baptism and on the gifts of each person.

ACTIONS

We dare to offer several proposals, conscious of the difficulties which may be involved in their realization, but sure of their contribution towards relaunching the spirit of prophecy which should animate consecrated life today:

Highlight in our lives the primacy of the Word of God read and shared with new ears open to the Spirit and with the poor.

In light of our option for the poor, revise our lifestyle, our works and our financial structures. We recognize the the necessity of making some significant decisions in this area and to simplify pastoral structures. They will help us to learn how to live provisionally in total availability for mission.

Be careful that, in the financing of our communities and ministries in countries that have fewer economic resources, we do not make consecrated persons a social class distanced from life of their own people.

Give strong support to inserted communities. Participate actively in the networks of solidarity that exist in society, contributing to maintain their dynamism, thus stirring up the hope of the people.

Promote the presence of consecrated life in alternative international forums and centers of decision-making (ONU, EU, etc.) which determine the future of humanity, developing effective intercongregational collaboration.

Be present where life and human dignity are greatly threatened and study the possibility of creating at an intercongregational level, platforms which permit consecrated life to respond effectively to some of the dramatic situations which occur even to the point of giving one’s life

Privilege proximity to and the accompaniment of immigrants who are excluded in our societies. Promote the formation of intercultural communities which are a powerful sign of communion in a divided society.

Pay attention to the least important, whether within or beyond community, making them a priority for consecrated life. Promote small projects which enable us to be promotors of change.



	GROUP 6 58 participants: 30 nationalities, 54 congregations LIBERATING THE PROPHETIC: SOLIDARITY IN A WORLD OF EXCLUSION *SIGNS OF VITALITY* In a world that is becoming more and more a world of exclusion, it gives us joy to state that religious are indeed exhibiting signs of vitality in the area of solidarity. We mention some: Religious are often catalysts in breaking down barriers of all kinds: groups of interfaith dialogue in countries where Christians are being persecuted; grassroots groups engaging in peacemaking; multicultural communites that give witness to the possibility of living together despite differences. · There are religious of all ages in situations of conflict and violence, deeply inserted among the people. When others leave, they stay, risking their lives, in many cases even to martyrdom, a sign of radical solidarity with the excluded. · There is increasing collaboration between religious and laity, above all in the area of volunteers in solidarity. In this collaboration there is a double movement: on one hand, the enthusiasm and commitment of the volunteers reanimates our own passion and openness; on the other hand, the pooling of talents and goods and the communion among persons, as we live it, is a powerful sign for them. · Significant as well is the fact that many religious are working with groups and institutions in civil society that seek social transformation. · An encouraging sign as well is the development of greater collaboration between congregations at the service of the poor and in defense of their rights (solidarity projects, lobbying for justice, etc.) · The feminine dimension of consecrated life is a prophetic sign and a challenge for society and for the Church which gives little space to women. · The return to their charismatic roots has awakened a greater prophetic commitment in many congregations. *OBSTACLES TO PASSION FOR CHRIST AND PASSION FOR HUMANITY AT THIS TIME* We have discovered obstacles of a structural nature in two senses: There are obstacles born of the neoliberal economic system and of the culture that prevent us from assuming the self-critical evangelical position necessary for prophetic action. There are obstacles that arise from the structures and styles of authority present inn our congregations. These are frequently rigid and do not correspond to the needs and situations of our age and culture. They are of another era. We are aware that the “culture of control”, which dominates our society saps the courage to seek new ways. The same can be said of the economic model, lifestyle and processes of formation that frequently characterize our surroundings. All of this produces a failure to critique the neoliberal system, accommodation, individualism and the defense of lifestyles that are not congruent with the prophetic nature of our vocation. Other obstacles which block prophecy come from within consecrated life itself: a. Fear, which has many faces: fear to take risks on the institutional level and in mission; fear to face the new and the different – situations, ideals, persons; fear of losing power; fear of the insecurity that commitment with the excluded brings with it. Another fear is that of entering into conflict with the hierarchy which sometimes restrains our creativity. b. Our own internal differences and conflicts which paralyse the prophetic action of the group and of those members with a prophetic vocation who can count on little support from their respective congregations c. A certain sense of competition among congregations which renders collaboration difficult. d. The scandal of sexual abuse by some religious is a counter-witness and a negation of the prophetic. e. The lifestyle of some religious communities that distances them from the people. We discover at times a certain human and spiritual immaturity which become obstacles to a corresponsibility in mission and impede a more courageous action in the defense of life. We are aware of the real danger of consumerism, individualism, apathy and lack of belief in the prophetic nature of the religious life. This generates internal conflicts makes efficacious leadership in the field of justice, peace and ecology difficult. Sometimes leadership assumes that there can be no movement forward until all are in agreement. *DESCRIPTION OF NEEDED STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN LIFESTYLE AND MINISTRIES* We need a realism that takes into account our own limitations (number, age, etc.) but which does not prevent us from discerning with prophetic freedom the lifestyle and missionary presence required for the proclamation of the Reign of God. Let us stimulate reflection and focus our energies to create something new in our congregations as a stimulus to those who may feel dispersed or overburdened. In a spirit of interior freedom, let us be willing to uproot ourselves from where we are to go to new places of mission (new areopagos) as the Pope has asked of us, ready to leave behind some of our present ministries. In order to be closer to people, let us promote a real insertion of our communities and make space for the poor. For example, it would be more appropriate to live the stages of the third and fourth age in places where we can be among people, rather than investing in houses specifically for religious in these stages of life. Particularly in areas where we encounter people of many faith traditions, we need to believe in a God who is bigger than Christianity, a God whose love is open to all and who welcomes all. Formators need to know the sacred traditions of the peoples where they are (e.g. Asian, Aboriginal, African, Native American, etc.) We need knowledge of another country to see our own with new eyes (e.g. an experience of this kind before final profession, with appropriate accompaniment.) We need to simplify the structures of our Institutes at all levels, including the possible combining of institutes with a similar charism. The organization of our life should always be in function of mission. We need to promote multicultural communities which invite us to share faith in the light of the gospel. We need to open our plans and projects to the laity associated with our congregations, sharing our mission with them without obliging them to become integrated into structures that impede the expression of their particular contribution. Their presence can open us to new forms of solidarity with the poor. We need to look for new models of organization that better reflect the evangelical principle of authority. In this sense we need to situate consecrated life in the Church in such a way that guarantees the realization of its prophetic mission and a form of government in our institutes characterized by decentralization and subsidiarity which facilitate the incarnation of mission. We need to claim our own space of freedom as religious institutes -- as congregations, as national and international conferences – in a way that guarantees the expression of our charism, so that consecrated life may continue to be significant in the Church. *BIBLICAL TEXTS THAT CAN THROW LIGHT ON THIS SITUATION AND CHALLENGE US TO TRANSFORMATION* From this prophetic perspective, we approach the Word of God. We have lost sight of some challenging elements in the Gospel. The following texts illuminte us in this sense: The fast that is pleasing to our God: Is. 58:1ff “I know the plans I have in mind for you”: Jer. 31:17 The Spirit is author of new life: Ez. 37 Act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 The identity and the mission of Jesus: Luke 4:16ff The openness of Jesus which led him, to overcome ethnic and social barriers: the cure of the Syrophoenician woman (Mk 7, 26 ff.), the encounter with the Samaritan woman (Jn 4, 1 ff), the story of the good Samaritan (Lk 10,29 ff). The attitude of acceptance which Jesus manifested before all forms of exclusions, his actions in favour of the adulterous woman (Jn 7,1 ff), meals shared with publicans (Lk 5, 27 ff), the cure of the lepers, and the welcoming of children (Mk 10, 13 ff). The beatitudes (Lk 6,20-23; Mt 5, 1-12) reveal the alternative vision of the Reign of God, the one who was Lord washed the feet of his disciples and commanded them to do the same (Jn 13, 1-15). *CONVICTIONS AND ACTIONS* To keep the spirit of prophecy alive in consecrated life, we reaffirm several principles which seem fundamental to us: Prophecy is a constitutive element of Consecrated Life. We consider the awakening of consciousness of the prophetic dimension of religious life a gift of the Spirit which we welcome and to which we must respond. The preferential option for the poor, to whom the Reign of God belongs, is another fundamental element of consecrated life. The poor evangelize us and help us to discover the face of God and to renew our communities. Closeness to human groups considered “throw-aways” in our societies is an urgent need for consecrated persons. We reaffirm the necessity of deepening an integral spirituality, nourished by a contextualized reading of the Word of God, which renews us enabling us to accomplish our prophetic mission and to create communities that are signs of the Reign of God, open to the welcome of and to solidarity with the poorest. An intercultural dialog, in which the voice of consecrated life in the southern world resounds with greater strength, will be a decisive element in the formation of the consecrated life in the future. The projects of our congregations should privilege the struggle for justice. We reaffirm the commitment of consecrated life to the promotion of a culture which truly respects the dignity of women and promotes their active participation in society. It is important to analyze and reflect on our own experience of exclusion which can help us not to exclude others either in the Church or in society in general. We need to manifest our rejection of any abuse of power whether within or beyond the Church. We are in need of better collaboration between religious men and women in the service of mission, a collaboration based on our baptism and on the gifts of each person. *ACTIONS* We dare to offer several proposals, conscious of the difficulties which may be involved in their realization, but sure of their contribution towards relaunching the spirit of prophecy which should animate consecrated life today: Highlight in our lives the primacy of the Word of God read and shared with new ears open to the Spirit and with the poor. In light of our option for the poor, revise our lifestyle, our works and our financial structures. We recognize the the necessity of making some significant decisions in this area and to simplify pastoral structures. They will help us to learn how to live provisionally in total availability for mission. Be careful that, in the financing of our communities and ministries in countries that have fewer economic resources, we do not make consecrated persons a social class distanced from life of their own people. Give strong support to inserted communities. Participate actively in the networks of solidarity that exist in society, contributing to maintain their dynamism, thus stirring up the hope of the people. Promote the presence of consecrated life in alternative international forums and centers of decision-making (ONU, EU, etc.) which determine the future of humanity, developing effective intercongregational collaboration. Be present where life and human dignity are greatly threatened and study the possibility of creating at an intercongregational level, platforms which permit consecrated life to respond effectively to some of the dramatic situations which occur even to the point of giving one’s life Privilege proximity to and the accompaniment of immigrants who are excluded in our societies. Promote the formation of intercultural communities which are a powerful sign of communion in a divided society. Pay attention to the least important, whether within or beyond community, making them a priority for consecrated life. Promote small projects which enable us to be promotors of change.