GC29: A “Leap” from Salesian Life to the Governance and Animation of the Congregation

(ANS – Turin) – The participants of GC29 have chosen to begin each assembly meeting with a meditation. This was also the case on Thursday, March 6, when Fr. Eunan McDonnell was once again invited to lead the reflection. The meditation was anchored in the Word of God, specifically Romans 12:2: “Let yourselves be transformed by God with a complete renewal of your mind.”

The importance of discerning “what is good and pleasing to God” at this stage of the Chapter quickly became evident from the introduction given by Fr. Stefano Martoglio. He explained that the “leap” from the first thematic core, which focused on the life of the Salesian, to the third thematic core, which concerns the governance and animation of the Congregation, was driven by the need to secure Vatican approval for any decisions affecting elements of the Salesian Constitutions.

To ensure the Chapter members had a thorough understanding of these issues, two key reports were presented. The first, by Fr. Pascual Chávez, summarized the historical changes in the composition of the General Council and the Salesian Regions. The second, by Fr. Pier Fausto Frisoli, outlined the technical steps required to implement the decisions made in this Chapter.

Fr. Chávez recalled that since the Second Vatican Council—a pivotal moment of renewal initiated by the Holy Spirit—the Church has required all religious orders to update their statutes and governance structures. The Salesians dedicated three “extraordinary” General Chapters to adapting the Congregation to these new times. As he explained:

GC19, held during the Council, raised awareness and prepared the groundwork. GCS20, which lasted nine months, set the new structures in motion. GC21 revised, corrected, confirmed, and deepened the changes. GC22 was tasked with re-examining, refining, completing, and finalizing the process.

Throughout these transformations, the challenge was to maintain unity within the vast Salesian congregation while allowing greater autonomy at the local level. According to Fr. Chávez, all governance adaptations had to serve both a synchronous function (ensuring unity through the central sectors or departments) and a diachronic function (allowing decentralization through the Regions).

Fr. Frisoli then directed the Chapter members’ attention to three crucial topics requiring their deliberation:

The configuration of the Regions – Based on an analysis of reports from provincial chapters, 64 times the need to divide the current Africa-Madagascar Region into two distinct areas has been highlighted. The composition of the General Council – The number of Council members must align with the updated definition of the Congregation’s departments. This will determine how many members are to be elected (currently, there are five). Eligibility requirements for the Rectors Major, Provincials, and Rectors – A rescript issued by Pope Francis on May 18, 2022, allows religious superiors to be chosen from among non-priest confreres. While the first point will be addressed in the next six-year period based on GC29 decisions, the other two directly impact the election of the Rector Major and the General Councillors, as they require modifications to the Salesian Constitutions (Article 133 for point 2; Articles 162, 177, and 189 for point 3). Consequently, Vatican approval for any changes must be secured in time, as in just two weeks, the selection process for candidates to the various leadership roles will begin.