Rome, Italy. The XXVI General Chapter of the Claretian Missionaries held from August 15 to September 11 in Nemi evaluated the life and mission of the Congregation. Two proposals were raised to modify numbers 120 and 156 of the Constitutions of the Congregation. The required number of votes were obtained, and thus, the General Government presented the new texts of the Constitutions to the Holy See for approval.
These proposals were based on the experiences of the previous sexennium on the need to strengthen the mission of animation of the Independent Delegations, considering their numbers, the territory that they cover and representation at the General Chapter. One of the pre-chapter commissions examined the subject matter and made its recommendations to the Chapter. The Chapter members studied the recommendations in the spirit of discernment on September 10, 2021, as contained in chapter minutes no. 19: These proposals were:
CC 120:
“When the General Government deems necessary, the Major Superior of an Independent Delegation may have up to four Consultors to better animate and govern the Major Organism, considering the number of members and the area of its territory.”
CC 156:
“Independent Delegations with more than 40 Perpetually Professed members enjoy the same participation rights as the Provinces during the General Chapters.”
With these proposals, a definitive text was presented to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL) of the Roman Curia on 13 December 2021.
The Dicastery ratified the changes and released its approval letter on February 15, 2022. Thus, Numbers 120 and 156 of the Constitutions now read as follows:
120. The Superior of the Delegation will have up to four consultors, when the General Superior with his Council deems it necessary, to better animate and govern the Delegation, considering the number of members and the size of its territory. The appointed Consultors can exercise the office of Econome and Secretary, and they are appointed in the same way as the Delegate Superior.
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156. The following take part in the General Chapter:
1) The General Superior as President, the Consultors, and the General Officials.
2) The Provincial Superiors.
3) The Delegate Superiors of Independent Delegations when they have more than forty Perpetually Professed members.
4) One Delegate for every Province and one Delegate for every Independent Delegation.
5) As many delegates as the previous General Chapter has established to ensure the proportional representation of the members of each Province and Independent Delegation.
6) As many delegates as the previous General Chapter has decided on for the representation of the General Houses and as many as it has allowed the superior general with his council to designate.
