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Secretariat of State Sector of General Affairs
Vatican, April 3, 2017
Fr. Superior General,
Having been informed of the celebration of the 33rd general chapter of the Augustinians of the Assumption, His Holiness, Pope Francis, sends warm greetings to all its participants and he assures them that he will be with them in spirit at this important moment for the Assumptionist mission in the world.
The theme that you have chosen for your chapter, “New Wine in Fresh Wineskins: So that Jesus Christ may be proclaimed to the men and women of our day,” touches upon one of the major concerns of the Holy Father. In his homily this past February 2, he underlined this in a special way, “All of us are aware of the multicultural transformation we are experiencing; no one doubts this. Hence, it is all the more important for consecrated men and women to be one with Jesus, in their lives and in the midst of these great changes. Our mission – in accordance with each particular charism – reminds us that we are called to be a leaven in this dough.” In this light, giving thanks to God for the work accomplished by the Assumptionists at the service of the Church’s mission to the world, the Pope invites you to renew your missionary commitment boldly and generously. He encourages you in a particular way to pursue your fraternal presence within the Catholic Church of the Byzantine rite in Bulgaria.
Faithful to the evangelical intuitions of Fr. Emmanuel d’Alzon, your founder, may you as well be prophets so that wherever you are sent “no one can think that he or she is cut off from God’s closeness and the power of his tender love” (Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et misera, #21). With this hope the Pope asks of the Holy Spirit that he help you to make of your communities places of authentic brotherhood with “a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption” ( Encyclical Laudato Si, #222), having a concern to be near those who are poor and small. So may your simple and joyful witness of fraternal life be able to contribute to making the call to the consecrated life heard in the hearts of many young people.
In entrusting your general chapter to the Lord through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, so that your deliberations may bear the fruit of renewal for your mission, the Holy Father grants a special apostolic blessing to all the participants as well as to all of the members of your Congregation.
In conveying this message joyfully to you in the name of Pope Francis, I wish to assure you, Fr. Superior general, of my fraternal prayers that the celebration of your general chapter may take place in the best of conditions.
I remain yours sincerely in Christ,
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness
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