Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Strive always to combine necessary professional competence with ongoing effort for holiness. Be first of all men of prayer and joyous witnesses of unswerving loyalty to Christ. At the head of every project, may there be the divine Master, towards whom must converge all apostolic and missionary activity in a field, that of social communications, most important for new evangelisation. With this inner direction, in full fidelity to the Church and to the Bishops, you will engage in in-depth work of actualising the precious spiritual, doctrinal and apostolic heritage left by your Founder.” This was the recommendation Pope John Paul II gave to participants at the General Chapter of the Society of Saint Paul taking place in Ariccia (Rome), whom he received in audience in the Vatican this morning 13 May.
The Pope recalled the recent beatification a year ago, of the Society’s Founder, Blessed Giacomo Alberione and referred to the theme chosen for the Chapter: "Being Saint Paul living today. a Congregation which tends forwards". “These words are typical of Don Alberione - the Pope said -, his veneration for Saint Paul, his optimism from the Gospel, his "mystics of the apostolate", inspired solely by meditation of St Paul’s writings”. The Pope urged the Pauline Fathers and Brothers to “get to know better the Apostle, imitate better his virtues., pray to him, love him” according to the Founder’s instructions: “the future of your Congregation depends on this fidelity to its charisma ”.
“Encouraged by his example - the Holy Father continued -, always ask yourselves: if he were living in our times what would Saint Paul do? Don Alberione himself gives you the answer: ‘If St Paul were alive he would still burn with that twofold flame … zeal for God and his Christ and zeal for the men and women of every country. And to make himself heard he would climb the highest pulpits and multiply his words with the present means of progress: press, cinema, radio, television’. This, dearest brothers, is your demanding apostolic programme. If you work at it with constant fidelity to the original spirit of your Institute you will offer a precious contribution to the mission of the Church in the third millennium.”
The Pauline Fathers and Brothers were accompanied by their Superior General, Father Silvio Sassi, elected recently with the general government which will lead the congregation for the next six years. The Councillors, three priests and three brothers, come from India, Mexico, Italy, Japan, Argentina, Spain. Today the Society Saint Paulo has 1,057, members, priests and brothers and they are present in 28 different countries working in different fields of social communications. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 13/5/2004 - Righe 32; Parole 421)
