From November 20-22, the Domus Fraternal House, located in the village of Sacrofano, near Rome, hosted the 102nd Assembly of the Union of Superiors General (USG). Under the theme How to be a synodal and missionary consecrated life?Miguel Angel Hernandez, gathered to reflect and plan together the path of consecrated life in the Church.
The event had an agenda enriched by key interventions and profound moments of fraternal dialogue. Four religious and the president of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), who participated in the recent Synod on Synodality, shared their experiences, offering a lively and hopeful perspective on this ecclesial process.
On the second day, Msgr. Luis Marin, OSA, undersecretary of the Synod, gave a keynote address on the relationship between the bishops and the consecrated life, illuminated by the Synod document. In addition, Don Francesco Scalzotto, representative of the Dicastery for Evangelization, presented the programming of the Jubilee 2025, with emphasis on the role of consecrated life in this great event.
The meeting culminated with the words of Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life, and Sister Simona Brambilla, secretary of the same Dicastery, who delved into the relationship between consecrated life and the synodal Church, highlighting the challenges and opportunities posed by this ecclesial model.
During the assembly, the participants worked in linguistic groups following the method of spiritual conversation, inspired by the synodal spirit. These exchanges proved to be spaces of profound richness, in which concrete lines of action were proposed for the next two years, aimed at strengthening the missionary and synodal dimension of consecrated life.
The fraternal and trusting atmosphere marked the entire assembly, which this year also had an elective character. In this context, Arturo Sosa, General of the Jesuits, and Mauro Lepori, General of the Cistercian Order, were re-elected as President and Vice-President of the USG. A new executive was also elected to assume the leadership to carry forward the priorities defined at the assembly.
Fr. Miguel Ángel Hernández highlighted the value of these spaces of communion: “It is a privilege to be able to share with so many confreres of different charisms and histories this common journey of consecrated life. We leave here strengthened and with a renewed mission to be synodal and missionary witnesses in the Church and in the world”.
The 102nd Assembly of the USG leaves a path marked by hope, fraternal commitment and confidence that consecrated life can continue to be a beacon of light in the midst of contemporary challenges.
