Sinodality: God's dream for Consecrated Life today
UISG-USG contribution to the Synod on Synodality
INTRODUCTION TO THE DOCUMENT
Cardinals João Braz de Aviz (Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life) and Mario Grech (Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops) sent a joint letter to all the general governments that are members of the USG and UISG, inviting them to "reflect on the exercise of governance within institutes and the relations between the various institutes" (17 January 2022), as a way of actively participating in the Synod process on synodality.
In fact, even before receiving that letter, from October 2021 until April 2022, the general governments of the various institutes and societies of apostolic life carried out their own processes of dialogue and prayer, sometimes involving members of the Curia, provincial governments or even the entire Congregation. 224 congregations participated, 169 female (75%) and 55 male (25%). The proportion corresponds to the reality of religious life today, since female congregations account for 75% of the total.
Starting in April 2022, a commission, consisting of Gemma Simmonds CJ, José Cristo Rey García Paredes CMF, Maria Cimperman RSCJ and Orlando Torres SJ, prepared a summary of the contributions received, which was then presented to the USG Assembly (May 2022) and the UISG Online Assembly (July 2022).
Both Assemblies expressed their identification with the results of the consultation and thus count with the strength not only of the congregations that directly participated in the consultation, but of all the congregations belonging to the two Unions, through their Superiors General.
We wish to express our deepest thanks to the members of the Synthesis Commission for their excellent work and their passion for consecrated life. Thanks also to all the congregations who actively participated in the consultation.
We are equally grateful for the invitation to participate in the synodal process and reiterate, on behalf of the two Unions, our willingness to continue to collaborate in building a more evangelical and synodal Church.
Nadia Coppa ASC, UISG President - Arturo Sosa SJ, USG President