On March 1, the 56th General Chapter of the Order of Augustinian Recollects will begin, one of the most important moments for the institution and which will be celebrated in Rome.
The Order of Augustinian Recollects will begin on March 1 one of the most important moments: the celebration of a General Chapter. The meaning and purpose of the chapter generates many doubts. What is it? How long does it last? All the questions that may arise around this event are answered in this article.
What is a general chapter?
In the language of consecrated life, chapters are meetings of the members of the communities. When it is the community of a religious house, we usually speak of a “local” chapter. When it is a question of the religious of all the communities that compose a religious institute, as is the Order of Augustinian Recollects, then we speak of a “general” chapter. Also the religious of a determined part of the Order can meet, for example of one of its provinces, and then we speak of a “provincial” chapter.
It is evident that these meetings can have diverse purposes. A local chapter will deal with what has to do with a particular community of religious. The provincial chapter is concerned with what concerns the religious of a province. And the general chapter deals with what concerns all the religious of the Order.
For the Augustinian Recollects, the general chapter is the supreme authority of the Order, and for this reason it must deal with matters that affect all the religious of the Order, both with regard to their fraternal life in community and to the spiritual life and apostolate that the religious carry out wherever they are present. The chapter is also called to be a sign of unity in charity, following the teaching of St. Augustine.
What is the mission of a general chapter?
A first answer is given to us by the Constitutions of the Order when they indicate that it is the task of the general chapter “to examine the state of the Order, dealing with the most important matters, and the performance of the general government during the six-year period, to promote the union and collaboration of all the brothers and provinces for the common good, to defend the patrimony of the Order and to promote the appropriate renewal of the same, to review all that pertains to formation, in order to keep it always up to date, and to elect the prior general and the other members of his council” (Constitutions n. 331).
It is a matter, then, of considering matters of general interest to all the religious who compose the Order. At times there will be moments when some of these topics will require special treatment and a particular planning for the following period of general government, hence at times the general chapters will focus with special attention on some of these topics. This was particularly the case at the 2016 General Chapter, which dealt with the revitalization and restructuring of the Order.
In what document is the celebration of the general chapter established?
The celebration of the general chapter is established in article 2 of the chapter ‘Government of the Order’, in the Constitutions of the Order. Between points 331 and 345 the mission of the general chapter, the aims, the participants or the preparation, among other things, are stipulated.
How long does a General Chapter last?
There are orders or religious congregations that set a certain duration for their general chapters: three weeks, one month, etc. Among the Augustinian Recollects this is not the case, so the chapters can be more or less extensive in time depending on the matters to be discussed. In the last General Chapters celebrated by the Order, it has been usual for them to last about 25 days.
What is the day-to-day life of a General Chapter?
Besides carrying out the phases of information and deliberation on the reality of the Order, the study of the principal matters in commissions, the taking of decisions in this respect and the election of the Prior General and his council, the day to day of the chapter is organized by a proper regulation that all the vocals agree at the beginning of the chapter. It is known as “ordo capituli”, Latin expression that means organization or regulation of the chapter. In the same one details are contemplated like the daily liturgy, the celebrations of the Eucharist for special necessities and in memory of the deceased of the Order, the schedule of the days of the chapter, etc.
Beyond the organizational aspects, the day to day of the chapter is also lived by each one of those who participate in it from prayer and meditation before God so that He grants the light to recognize His will for the Order. To seek that will is not a task to be done alone, but in community, that is why each General Chapter is a wonderful opportunity to see how God speaks to us through each brother in community.
When was the first General Chapter?
The first general chapter was celebrated between November 19 and 29, 1621 in the Convent, known as ‘de Copacabana’, in Madrid. It was held months after Pope Gregory XV had elevated the Augustinian Recollect province to the rank of a congregation. In the brief Militantis Ecclesiae, the Pope entrusted the execution of the brief “to the discretion” of Cardinal Antonio Sauli, protector of the Augustinian Order, who four days after the publication of the document ordered the celebration of the chapter.
How many General Chapters have been celebrated?
The General Chapter to be celebrated on March 1, 2022 is the 56th. There have been 55 general chapters.
How often is a general chapter held?
The Constitutions stipulate that the general chapter meet “every six years.” Therefore, the terms of office of the prior general and his council are also six years.
When and where will the 56th General Chapter be held?
The 56th General Chapter will begin on March 1 and will be held at Our Lady Mother of Mercy Spiritual Retreat House in Rome.
Who participates in a General Chapter?
Thirty-five Augustinian Recollect religious will participate in the 56th General Chapter. They attend either by reason of their office or because they have been elected by the religious.
Since a General Chapter deals with matters that directly affect all the religious of the Order, all should participate. However, in any large human group, it is usually decided to carry out this participation through representation by some members who are elected for this purpose. For that reason, in a general chapter all the religious of the Order are represented through a few, who are called “vocals”. There are some vocals who attend the chapter because the Constitutions consider that given their function they should always be present. It is the case of the Prior General and his council, as well as each one of the provincial Priors. Of them it is said that they participate “by right”. But there are also other vocals who are “delegated” by the same religious of each province.
As a whole, and given that the representation takes into account the proportion and number of religious that there are at the moment in which the general chapter is celebrated, approximately 40 vocals can be gathered. Each general chapter determines for the following one the proportions to take into consideration, so that an adequate representation of the members of the Order is realized.
Read here all the information about the 56th General Chapter