The message the Chapter is sending to all the brothers is taken from an expression used by Pope Benedict in Pavia, in front of St. Augustine’s tomb: “Let us start afresh from here and carry in our hearts the joy of being disciples of love.” Some reflections stand out and emphasise our need to continually adapt:
• “We have become more conscious of the fact that the desire for renewal, for continual improvement, avoiding conformity and lack of enthusiasm, is a substantial part of our recollect was of life“.
• “Though the world may not understand us as believers or consecrated people, it still needs us.” We are convinced of this for without the spiritual tension we bring to our world the world itself would just dissolve in superficiality or bleed away in confrontation. Our religious life is the Word God speaks to the Church and the world.”
• “Our institution needs community life to be an authentic theological locum where we, religious, find the Spirit of Jesus alive and where we find the face of the Lord in the brethren, in everyone “.
• “The new Constitutions and Additional Code, revised so painstakingly and with so much dedication by the religious chosen for that purpose, whose study we will all be all involved in are, for the Order, an essential instrument for updating our spirituality and charism, our availability and service to evangelization“.
• “This is a collective Project and we are all asked to take part, be it through what is visible and manifest or hidden from human eyes but not from God’s. Each of our lives begs God’s mercy on our whole family. We beg it with our heroic deeds as well as with our miseries; for without Him there is nothing”.
Miguel Miró, new prior general, and the chapter fathers.Miguel Miró, the new prior general
In the afternoon of Wednesday, the 10th November, the chapter fathers elected fray Miguel Miró, as Prior General. He had been Vicar General of the Order in Rome for the past six years.
On Friday the work on the Constitutions and Additional Code was concluded; the 102 minutes were approved and signed; the final editing of the Acts of the Chapter took place; the general council was elected and by Saturday afternoon all the work of the second last day was complete.
The General Council:
• First Counsellor : José Ramón Pérez Sáenz
• Second Counsellor: José María Sánchez Martín
• Third Counsellor: Julián Antonio Hincapié López
• Fourth Counsellor: Pablo Panedas Galindo
• Fifth Counsellor: Samsom Silloríquez Subaldo
• Sixth Counsellor: Guadalupe Sergio Camarena Lara
Final acts
After the elections the chapter fathers went into Granada to take part in a Mass to celebrate the re-opening of Corpus Christi Church, which had taken a few months to complete.
On Sunday Father General, Miguel Miro, presided at the closing Eucharist concelebrated by the chapter fathers and some members of the local community of Monachil. After a farewell meal the time together had come to an end.