237 Debate and Vote on the Motion in Regard to the Office and Mass for the Dead1 At the closing of the debate on what must be done to have the founding charism shine out with a new strength, the Superior General, Fr. Jan M. Rokosz, MIC, proposed the following question to the Convention participants: Is it worthwhile to bring back the continuing recitation of the Offi ce of the Dead as an expression of our charism? The idea is not to go back to a 200-year old practice, but rather to acquire from the Apostolic See a privilege for the Marians worldwide to recite the Offi cium defunctorum weekly on a given day (e.g. Monday or other), aside from the obligatory memorials prescribed for the day. The goal is to undertake an ongoing communal cause of praying for the dead. We must decide if this kind of practice would be obligatory or ad libitum, according to the decision of individual Provinces, house communities, and confreres. It is not certain if the Congregation for Divine Worship would be willing to grant this privilege. Giving the background for this motion, Father General drew our attention to the fact that many proposals were made in the Convention to return to the original Congregation’s charism. Some keynote speakers, demonstrating the essential elements of this charism, also pointed out the need to amend our Constitutions so that they would better refl ect our spirituality and mission. It was primarily a matter of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, but also—prayer for the dead. At the same time, many confreres emphasized that the most important needs are changes in our attitude and living authentically according to the charism. For this reason, Father General believes that a return to some sort of a regular, continuous practice of reciting the Offi cium defunctorum by the entire community may become a signifi cant step towards a greater faithfulness to our original mission. 1 This is the report on just one part of the debate followed by a vote on a concrete motion. Statements made in regard to other matters were aimed at presenting the opinions of the Convention members for later use by the General Government. Among discussed topics were: possible amendment to our Constitutions to better express the Marian charism, especially defi ning the spreading of the cult of the mystery of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM as one of the Congregation’s particular goals (such a statement is absent, cf. C 3, 18); possible return of the white habit and grounds for holding a poll among the confreres in regard to this problem; means of enlivening the ongoing formation and renewal of the religious spirit.
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