Passionist International Bulletin

The Curia InformsTOWARD THE FUTUREWITH HOPE-FILLED HEARTSFr. Floriano De Fabiis, C.P.Secretary GeneralEditors' Note: On January 15, 2005, Fr. Ottaviano D'Egidio, Superior General, announced the appointmentof Fr. Floriano De Fabiis (PIET) as Secretary General of the Congregation. For many years the assignmentsof General Secretary and General Procurator were held by one person, Fr. Umberto Palmerini. Due to Fr.Umberto's health condition, Fr. Ottaviano D'Egidio and his General Council have decided to separate thetwo offices. The General has appointed Fr. Floriano as General Secretary, while Fr. Umberto Palmerini willcontinue to serve as Procurator General.The ministry of the General Secretary is described in Nº 89 of the General Regulations: "The SecretaryGeneral dispatches the business of the General Government as secretary to the General Council, as chancellorin drawing up decrees and rescripts, as moderator of the statistical and administrative archives, andas notary for the Congregation." He has likewise been entrusted with the responsibility – with the assistanceof his collaborators – of editing and publishing the Passionist International Bulletin, as well as overseeingthe Information Office of the Congregation.14During the period of December 2004 to May 2005, therehas been an intense level of activity in the GeneralCouncil. Below is a synthesis of the most noteworthyaspects of the work:- the visits of the Superior General and the celebrationsof Chapters and Congresses;- the visits of the individual Consultors to their areasof responsibility and their participation in various meetings;- official Consulta meetings dealing with variousissues of importance concerning the governing of theCongregation, according to prearranged dates;- minor consultas dealing with urgent matters,together with the Council, although not necessarily withall of its members present.There were three official Consultas: 12-16December 2004, in Rome; 21-26 February 2005 inRome; 12, 16-19 May in Kenya. In addition to thesethere were also numerous mini-consultas to deal withmore urgent matters.The Restructuring of the CongregationThe main topic of thethree Consultas was that ofthe Restructuring of theCongregation, as mandatedby the Synod and assigned tothe General Council with a"Recommendation" (seeRestructuring, p. 32).During the month ofDecember 2004 the GeneralCouncil reviewed the work ofthe Synod which revealedGeneral Consulta in Kenyamany positive aspects as well as citing several aspectsthat need to be improved. Therefore addressing the taskof the "Recommendations" of the Synod itself, theGeneral Council made several decisions regardingRestructuring.The Council was in unanimous agreement aboutissuing the Superior General's "Commencement Letter"of the process of Restructuring as a way of making theentire Congregation aware of this reality. It is clearlystated in the letter that by "Restructuring" we mean: theneed in the Congregation to discover new ways of beingand acting as Passionists in the Church and in today'sworld beginning with our Identity, the "MemoriaPassionis" and its implementation; the Mission; theurgency of inculturation in a globalized world.Additionally several phases of the development of thisprocess were also addressed.At the end of this extended sharing of insights andopinions, a Restructuring Commission was named forthe purpose of assisting the General Council in developinga process to initiate and guide the Restructuring ofthe Congregation. The members of this Commissionare: Fr. Denis Travers, SPIRProvincial; Fr. NicholasPostlethwaite, IOS Provincial;Fr. Adolfo Lippi, PRAESProvincial. These religioushave accepted this responsibility.Convinced of the fact thatinformation about the Synodand its decisions for all thereligious is a given essentialfor the commencement of