Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Following the example of your beloved Founder, the Salesians should be inflamed with apostolic zeal. Evangelization should be the principal and priority frontier of their mission today. Their charism allows them the special capacity for valuing education in the evangelization of the youth.” These are some of the comments made by the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the participants of the 24th General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco, that began on March 3 (see Fides 31/1/2008), in a Message sent to the Major Rector, Dr. Pascual Chavez Villanueva.
The Pope focused on the fact that, “It is important to help young people to turn their interior resources to account as dynamism and positive desire; to bring them into contact with ideas rich in humanity and evangelical values; to encourage them to become active members of society through work and participation in the common good. This requires that those who guide them widen the educative commitment, with attention to the new forms of poverty among youth, higher education, and immigration. This also requires special attention to the family and its implication.”
The Pope wrote prior to the event, “the sons of Don Bosco belong to the great lineage of those apostles that Christ consecrated for Himself, through His Spirit in a special act of love. He has reserved them for Himself. Therefore, God’s primacy and the initiative in testimony of Him should shine forth in them...However, with that goal in mind, it is necessary that they be vigilant of the possible influences from secularism, so as to defend themselves and continue on the path begun with determination, overcoming a ‘liberal model’” of consecrated life and living an existence that is complete centered on the primacy of love for God and neighbor.
The theme for the General Chapter is that same program of spiritual and apostolic life of Don Bosco: “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle” (Give me souls, take away all else). “It is vitally important for the Salesians to draw continual inspiration from Don Bosco, to know him, study him, love him, imitate him, invoke him and make their own that apostolic passion which flows from the heart of Christ...The motto “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle,” expresses in synthesis the mysticism and asceticism of Salesians. There cannot be a profound mysticism without a strong asceticism that sustains it; likewise, no one will be willing to pay a high and demanding price, if he has not discovered an amazing and unmatchable treasure.”
Benedict XVI later exhorted the Salesians, “to cultivate the unity of spiritual life” that “nourishes apostolic commitment and is a guarantee of effectiveness in pastoral activity,” through the lectio divina and daily Mass. Moreover, “before the risks and threats of mediocrity and elitism,” he said that “leading a life of simplicity, poverty, sobriety, and austerity” would help bring new vocations to Salesian consecrated life and would lead them to work more with the needy and marginalized.
Since the Congregation’s origins, there has been a significant commitment of Salesians to evangelizing in many parts of the world, and the Pope mentioned that currently, in Europe, “vocations decrease while the challenges in evangelizing increase.” For this reason, the Salesian Congregation, “should be attentive to strengthen the proposal of the Christian message, the presence of the Church, and the charism of Don Bosco in this continent. Just as in Europe, they have been generous in sending many missionaries around the world, likewise, the entire Congregation should now ask, especially in the Regions with an abundance of vocations, that they be willing to come to Europe.”
In order to best carry out the missions of evangelization and education, Salesians have always included lay members, families, and young people in their work, “producing apostolic vocations among them, that maintain the charism of Don Bosco alive and fruitful.” Benedict XVI exhorted them to offer these young people, “the attractive character of the consecrated life, the radical following of Christ obedient, poor, and chaste, the importance of God and the Spirit, the fraternal life in community, and the total surrender to the mission. Young people are sensitive to proposals that offer demanding commitment, but they need witnesses and guides that know how to accompany them in the discovery and acceptance of this gift.” The Message focused on the special attention of the Congregation for the vocation of Salesian Cooperator, “a vocation that is not easily discerned and accepted,” and that most easily arises “where the vocations to lay apostolates are promoted among the youth, offering them a joyful and enthusiastic testimony of religious consecration.”
In the final part of his Message, the Pope gave special thanks to the Salesian Congregation, “For their work of research and educational activities that they carry out in the Pontifical Salesian University...It has an identity founded on the charism of Don Bosco and offers the entire Church an original and specific contribution...In the “educational emergency that exists in many parts of the world, the Church needs the contribution of scholars to study the methodology of educational and formative processes, the evangelization of the young and their moral education, together finding answers to the challenges of post-modernity and inter-culturality, and of social communications, while at the same time seeking to come to the aid of families.”
Benedict XVI concluded by recalling that “the task that awaits the Salesian Congregation is arduous, however exciting: each member of your great religious family is called to make Don Bosco present among the youth of our time.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 4/3/2008; righe 72, parole 916)
