Year XII - Number 567 | 5 MARCH 2019
MARISTNEWS MARISTS OF CHAMPAGNAT I GENERAL HOUSE I ROME I WWW.CHAMPAGNAT.ORG
Called to live out “prophetic and servant leadership” co-responsibly and interdependently
Provincial and District Superiors gather in the General House
T
he Meeting of Provincials and District Superiors takes place in the General House from the 4th to the 12th of March, with the motto "Called to live out “prophetic and servant leadership” co-responsibly and interdependently ". Present at the meeting are members of the General Council, the Brother Provincials and the District Superiors. The objective of this large meeting is, above all, to strengthen the sense of Marist Global Family through the meeting of the Provincials, District Superiors, the General Council and other members of the General Administration. Another objective is the strengthening of what it means to live "a prophetic leadership of service" in corresponsibility. And also to share the Strategic Planning of the General Administration as a means of putting into practice the XXII General Chapter. In the same way, it is intended to reflect on two specific topics: the international "projects of
the Institute" and "our response to the crises generated by situations of sexual abuse".
Changes in Marist News ■ This week we inaugurate a new stage of our MARIST NEWS, marked by a new layout and a new distribution method. The new design integrates the logo of the General Administration. Also, the distribution, now through the MailChimp platform, facilitates immediate presentation of the news and
During the course of the meeting it will be hoped to create an active and experiential dynamic that favours maximum exchange. And, also, to find a time for a personal meeting with the Superior General or Vicar General and also the link-councillors and the directors of the secretariats and departments of the General Administration.
a more effective way of tracking our users. It also allows us to preserve the traditional version in PDF, that can be downloaded from the site and through a link in the e-mail you will receive. To continue receiving the Marist News every week, please register in the new platform, in this link: http://www.champagnat.org/500.php?a=7l
marist news 567
Filippine: Family spirit among Marist School
Biennial High School Marist Meet
W
ith the theme “Weave and live life in the spirit of faith and sportsmanship”, the biennial High School Marist Meet in the Philippines was hosted this year by the Notre Dame of Kidapawan College on January 29 - 31, 2019 and was participated by seven schools; Marist School of Marikina, Notre Dame of Cotabato (NDC), Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU) Espina and Lagao Campuses, Notre Dame of Jolo – Kasulutan (NDJ), Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) and Notre Dame of Kidapawan College (NDKC). Br. Lindley H. Sionosa, FMS, the Marist East Asia Vice Provincial and Philippine Sector Coordinator graced the occasion as the Guest Speaker while Br. Manuel V. de Leon, FMS, the College President welcomed the participants to NDKC and Kidapawan City. The gathering featured various academ-
2
5 I MARCH I 2019
ic, socio-cultural and sports competitions. The meet ended with the Awarding Ceremony and Solidarity Night that evidently have shown the camaraderie and family spirit among the participants. The next Marist Meet will be held in 2021 and will be hosted by the Notre Dame of Marbel University – IBED in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, Philippines. Inspired by the pedagogical approach
of St. Marcellin Champagnat of making every school as a center of faith and life, the Marist Meet is committed to build character by providing the venue for students to practice the values of sportsmanship and family spirit among Marist School in the Philippines; hone competence by promoting the development of proficiencies and capabilities for the advancement and development of persons and the society as a whole; and enhance cultureby guiding the students to actualize the Marist core values and the demand for excellence.
news in brief
marist news 567 ■ India The Brothers had two days of recollection, on 16th and 17th February 2019, at Amalasharam. Fr. John Antony made the presentation. All the Brothers participated and the candidates to the Marist life also attended the recollection.
Australia: Marist Volunteers
The Programme Bridge Builders supports Marist collaboration
■ Christian Life Group A group of 40 young catechists, animating Christian life, from the Marist School of Jaén, Andalusia (Spain), visited the General House on March 1, with the object of finding the heart of the Marist life. ■ Response by Brothers The Province of Australia is launching to series entitled Marist Brothers Talking Heads hosted on its Vocations Vimeo Page. People were asked ‘if you could ask to Brother anything what would it be? ‘ Conor Ashleigh put to short list of questions received before some of Brothers, and this is what has there is made. Each video goes for 1.30-2.00mins and is meant to be to down to earth response by Brothers to the questions. Here you can see the trailer and to new episode will be post each Tuesday evening. ■ Catholic University of Paraná The Observatory of Youth of PUCPR is now part of the programme Cátedras Scholas de la Organización Pontífica Scholas Occurrentes. In June, the Assistant Rector, Brother Rogério Mateucci will represent PUCPR at the Vth Congress of Cátedras Scholas, in New York. Cátedras Scholas is recognized for promoting education with sense through art, sport and technology. ■ East Timor On March 4, the Marist family of the country welcomed 12 aspirants to Marist religious life.
B
ridge Builders programme of the Province of Australia promotes national and international collaboration and volunteerism. This project is open to young people, adults or retirees, who identify with the Marist mission and wish to join the work, for short or long. To apply, the volunteer aspirant - with a teacher's degree and any other profession - has to present his application to the Bridge Builders program of Australia, and once accepted, he will be sent an invitation from one of the places with a Marist presence that needs collaborators. Among the communities requiring volunteers are: the "Fratelli Project" in Lebanon; "Lavalla200>", present in Brazil, Cuba, the United States, Romania, Italy, South Africa and Australia. And "New Horizons”, in Vietnam. “There are many opportunities to be involved in Marist mission nationally or internationally. After recently completing seven years as the director of the
secretariat Collaboration for mission, international (Cmi), I still have useful international connections. The Provincial has created a desk for me to manage this, named Collaboration and Volunteering", says Br. Chris Wills, who worked at the General House and is now promoting this project in Australia. Bridge Builders is a service to the four Marist ministries, Marist Schools Australia, Marist Youth Ministry, Australian Marist Solidarity and Marist180 and, and, through the Association of Saint Marcellin Champagnat, also to all Marists. The work of the Province of Australia refers to the performance that – on the Institute level – is developed by the department of Collaboration for Mission, International (Cmi). That Department works with the General Council in the development and accompaniment of projects and initiatives which respond to the calls of the General Chapter appealing to global availability, intercultural living, and collaboration at all levels of the Institute. 5 I MARCH I 2019
3
marist news 567
One team, one house, one program
Ongoing formation team and community at Manziana
T
he 2017 General Chapter called Marists to be conscious in being a global charismatic family. Two years later, the two ongoing formation teams of El Escorial and Manziana have awakened this call by forming one international formation community in Manziana, 50 mins from Rome. For the past 26 years, Manziana has been the ongoing formation house for the English- speaking brothers. The Spanish speaking brothers went to El Escorial, Spain. However, with recent successful intercultural programs in Rome (Gier-2015, Vocation Animators-2016, Current Formators-2018), the General Administration began to explore the possibility of having one main house of international ongoing formation for brothers so that they can have a truly intercultural experience as a global Marist family. This new community consists of 5 brothers with extensive experiences in formation in each of their own provinces: Ángel
Medina (Brothers Today Secretariat), Antonio Peralta (Santa María de los Andes), Joaquim Sperandio (Brasil Centro Sul), Joe Walton (Southern Africa), Teofilo Minga (Compostela). Since their arrival on 10 January, these brothers have worked hard in preparing the huge 30 bed-room house for the first intercultural group of Mid Life brothers (40 years +) who will begin 21 March. However, more importantly, this group of brothers have formed a community who will welcome many more future groups into their home, a house of light and a place of brotherhood. One team, one house, one program.
marist world United States Marist Youth - Marist Family Taize Prayer
Brazil Community of Cemadipe
4
5 I MARCH I 2019
Belgium Genval
Paraguay Alejo García School – Horqueta
Spain VII Social Marist Forum Ibérica
Sri Lanka: Meeting of the animation group for community life of the Asian Region
marist news 567
The Pope's Call to Protect Minors in the Church
Prevent children from becoming victims of any psychological and physical abuse sue unstintingly a path of purification, questioning how best to protect children, to avoid these tragedies, to bring healing and restoration to the victims, and to improve the training imparted in semi-
,,
“I
make a heartfelt appeal for an all-out battle against the abuse of minors both sexually and in other areas, on the part of all authorities and individuals, for we are dealing with abominable crimes that must be erased from the face of the earth: this is demanded by all the many victims hidden in families and in the various settings of our societies”. That was the call of Pope Francis, in his speech at the end of the Eucharistic celebration, during the meeting on the Protection of minors in the church held at the Vatican from 21 to 24 February 2019. “Brothers and Sisters: in people’s justified anger, the Church sees the reflection of the wrath of God, betrayed and insulted by these deceitful consecrated persons”, exclaimed the Pope, on Sunday, February 24, last day of the meeting, that was attended by 190 participants, among them the Superior General, Br. Ernesto Sánchez, member of the executive of the Union of Superior Generals of Men Religious (USG) and Br Emili Turú, current General Secretary of this body. Pope Francis affirmed that “The time has come, then, to work together to eradicate this evil from the body of our humanity by adopting every necessary measure already in force on the international level and ecclesial levels”, And in that sense affirmed that “the Church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whosoever has committed such crimes”. In this context, he stressed the need “to protect the little ones and prevent them from falling victim to any form of psychological and physical abuse”. In addition, he reiterated that “the Church thus restates her firm resolve to pur-
The Church’s aim will thus be to hear, watch over, protect and care for abused, exploited and forgotten children, wherever they are.
,,
naries, requiring criteria for the selection and training of candidates to the priesthood”. And likewise, “Accompaniment of those who have been abused, reaffirming the need for bishops to be united in the
application of parameters that serve as rules and not simply indications. Rules, not simply indications.”. During his speech, the Vicar of Christ said that “The Church’s aim will thus be to hear, watch over, protect and care for abused, exploited and forgotten children, wherever they are. To achieve that goal, the Church must rise above the ideological disputes and journalistic practices that often exploit, for various interests, the very tragedy experienced by the little ones”. At the conclusion of his speech, the Pontiff thanked “to all those priests and consecrated persons who serve the Lord faithfully and totally, and who feel themselves dishonoured and discredited by the shameful conduct of some of their confreres” and stressed “the important need to turn this evil into an opportunity for purification”. Read the full speech: English | Español | Français | Português
5 I MARCH I 2019
5
marist news 567
Brother Emili TurĂş talks about the meeting held in the Vatican on the protection of children
Br. Emili TurĂş, Former Superior General of the Institute, took part in the Meeting held in the Vatican, from the 21st to the 24th of February, concerning the protection of children. He was invited in his capacity as general secretary of the Union of General Superiors, together with a number of Superiors and General Superiors, representing more than 800.000 nuns and religious from all over the world. At the end of the convocation in the Vatican, Brother Emili shares his impressions with us. First impressions? he meeting was very well prepared, with very high-quality interventions. The people who were invited to share their thoughts came from every continent and, the great majority, were of a critical mindset. In the Synod room we heard very strong and brave interventions. I remember that in 2009 I took part in a meeting organized by the Gregorian University together with the Holy See and to which were invited a good number of bishops from all over the world. 10 years later I believe that things have improved: it has gained much in sensibility, in understanding the extent of the phenomenon of sexual abuse, as well as in transparency and in establishing mechanisms of accountability.
T
Something in particular that caught your attention? I am always greatly moved by the stories
6
5 I MARCH I 2019
of the victims and survivors. Their voices were listened to throughout the meeting, someon tape, others in person. The tragedy through which they have lived reminds us, unequivocally, that always and in every case, they must have priority, and not the person or the institution involved in abuse. Their voices called out, somehow, saying "never again" and claiming safe spaces for the children, beginning with the Church. Some people who suffered abuse were very disappointed by the meeting... They have every reason to demand that the hierarchy of the Church should take this topic seriously and that it should act with decision and with very concrete measures. And I understand that some people had expectations that have not been met. Others, however, maybe because at the beginning they did not
expect much from the meeting, say that it has exceeded their expectations. And what do you think of the meeting? I believe that it addressed the objectives that had been suggested from the beginning. It is a further step, neither the first nor the last, in the battle to eradicate sexual abuse, to use the strength and knowledge of the Church, and to commit ourselves in the defence of the rights of children. The reality of the Church is very diverse, as I have been able to see in the working groups. And if promoting a culture change in any human group is an enormous task, it is the same with the Church. The bigger and more diverse the group, the more complicated the culture change. And also, I clearly saw that the Pope wants to use all the means within his reach, in order that change is carried out, and soon. And he has wanted to
marist news 567
Do you believe that there is still some resistance? I believe that some bishops - it seems to me a very few - reflect, in a dogmatic way on what happens in their cultures of origin, either denying that the abuse of children takes place in their countries or thinking that "their dirty linen should be washed at home". But I find that the great majority are acutely aware of the problem as a social and universal problem, and that it is necessary to im-
,,
do it in a collegial way, calling on the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences and religious representatives. Some people said that this meeting has meant a point of no return on how to prevent and to treat the topic of abuse in the Church. I believe that this was already undertaken some years ago and this meeting is a confirmation of it.
Always and in every case the victims must have priority
time to discover all the consequences of the three words centring on the meeting: responsibility, accountability and transparency, but I did see the will to move forward, beginning with the Pope.
plement every possible means to prevent and to either solve in a fair way cases of the past or situations that could take place at the present time. In principle, then, strong agreements. But then, when we move on to the concrete, this is where I still find that there is some resistance. For example, on the topic of transparency, when Cardinal Marx or the journalist Valentina Alazraki spoke,they seemed to hesitate... There is resistance, often unconscious, but progress is being made. It will take
And the religious? At the end of May, in the next Assembly of the Union of General Superiors, we will deal with this topic, following on this meeting which has just finished, to continue walking together, as we said in our recent Declaration, and to make our contribution to the eradication of this social plague. I believe that many Congregations have had their protection protocols and campaigns of prevention for years, but we want to study what type of answer we can give to the strong call of the Pope as he concluded the meeting.
,,
Awaken in ourselves and those around us an ecological awareness
Message of the Holy Father Francisco for Lent 2019
"U
nless we tend constantly towards Easter, towards the horizon of the Resurrection, the mentality expressed in the slogans ‘I want it all and I want it now!’ and ‘Too much is never enough’, gains the upper hand”, “Sin leads man to consider himself the god of creation”, exhorts Pope Francis in his message for this year’s Lent, with the title “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God” (Rm 8: 19) In his message, the Pontiff highlights that “Creation urgently needs the revelation of the children of God, who have been made a new creation”. In this regard, he indicates that “When we live as children of God”, “and capable of acknowledging and obeying God’s law, beginning with the law written on our hearts and in nature, we also benefit creation by cooperating in its redemption”. In this way, also the fifth call of the XXII General Chapter, encourages to the reflection when it asks “awaken in ourselves and those around us an ecological awareness that engages us in caring for ‘our common home’”, in response to emerging needs. During his reflection for Lent, Pope Francis expresses that
“when we fail to live as children of God, we often behave in a destructive way towards our neighbours and other creatures. Intemperance then takes the upper hand: we start to live a life that exceeds those limits imposed by our human condition and nature itself”. With respect to “the destructive power of sin”, Pope Francis mentions that “rupture of communion with God likewise undermines our harmonious relationship with the environment in which we are called to live, so that the garden has become a wilderness”. In relation to “The healing power of repentance and forgiveness”, the Pope reminds us that “The path to Easter demands that we renew our faces and hearts as Christians through repentance, conversion and forgiveness, so as to live fully the abundant grace of the paschal mystery”. 5 I MARCH I 2019
>> 7
marist news 567
>>
Finally, the Vicar of Christ encourages the faithful “to embody the paschal mystery more deeply and concretely in their personal, family and social lives, above all by fasting, prayer and almsgiving”. Considering the proposal of the Pope for this Lent and the call of the last General Chapter, it would be interesting to take advantage of this time of preparation for the Easter of the Lord, in order that each Marist institution develops an action that symbolizes their will, as institution to take care of our Common House. We will publish on this website and in our newsletter, the initiatives that you share with us. Read the full message of the Pope.
Migration, sexual abuse and the changing climate
Institute of Marist Studies (IEM)
"M
arists and emergent needs" was the title of the tenth meeting of CaféColoquios organized by the Institute of Marist Studies (IEM) of the Papal University of Salamanca, on the 12th and 13th of February, in Santiago de Compostela and Salamanca. On this occasion, the guest speaker was Brother Carlos Alberto Rojas Carvajal, Director of the Secretariat of Education and Evangelismof the Institute of the Marist Brothers. He spoke to the university students on the challenges of the XXII General Chapter of the Marist Brothers and how the Brothers address and respond to the challenges raised. During his intervention, Brother Beto covered the topic of the emergent needs and he based his lecture on such aspects as migration, sexual abuse, climate change and global warning. When he referred to migration, the religious detailed the projects that the Brothers carry out at international level to respond to the needs of the refugees and fugitives, as, for example, the Centre for Intercultural Aid and Counselling
(CIAO) in Italy, the Fratelli Project in Lebanon, the Solidarity project for the South of Sudan; the Three2six project in South Africa, and Heart without Bounds in Colombia. In connection with the topic of sexual abuse of minors, Brother Beto highlighted the participation of 219 Marist educators in several countries who have taken part in the formation Programme on policies of protection carried out by the Papal Gregorian University of Rome, Italy. He also mentioned the work of the Marist Foundation of International Solidarity (FMSI). The Café-Coloquios of the Institute of Marist Studies (IEM) is held annually and deals with themes related to the Marist Institute. The initiative is sponsored by the Marist Provinces of Compostela and Mediterránea, with the valuable collaboration of the Edelvives Foundation and the Faculty of Education of UPSA.
District of Pacific
First Professions in Lomeri
O
n a beautiful tropical day, a large number of Champagnat Marists, family and friends gathered at the Lomeri noviciate in Fiji to witness the first profession of Brothers Steve Vaea and Petero Navuku. Br David McDonald, District Leader of the Pacific accepted the vows on behalf of the Brother Superior General. The newly professed brothers received their soutane and cord from Br Fergus Garrett and Br Sam Eathorne. Br Kees van der Weert, the country coordinator in Fiji presented Steve and Petero with their Marist cross. The Lomeri Pacific Novitiate was host on Saturday February 23rd to visitors from Suva and other parts of Fiji, as well as from Samoa and from New Zealand, brothers family and friends, who had gathered to witness the First Profession of Brothers Steve Vaea (Samoa) and Petero Navuku (Fiji). The mass of Profession was celebrated by Fr Arthur Leger, a Fiji born Jesuit Priest and the choir from the Lomeri Mission Compound lead the congregation in the singing of hymns from around the Pacific.
Institute of the Marist Brothers General House Piazzale Marcellino Champagnat, 2 - Rome, Italy - comunica@fms.it Website http://www.champagnat.org YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/champagnatorg Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fmschampagnat Twitter https://twitter.com/fms_champagnat
8
5 I MARCH I 2019