241 witness that the study and contemplation of the mystery of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God have become their source of life. The fact that we are one of the two male religious institutes in the Church dedicated to spreading this mystery puts a great obligation on us. Many confreres voiced their great desire to practice suffragium defunctorum—to pray and intercede on behalf of the departed—not only as one of many pious practices, but as an essential element of our charism; it has been present since the inception of our Congregation. We must continue our refl ection on the mystery of The Divine Mercy in our charism. The Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother is a wonderful fruit of this mystery. Also, the prayer for the deceased, as a form of showing mercy to those who are no longer able to do anything for themselves and immersing them in the mercy of God, inscribes itself perfectly into this great mystery. Our key-note speakers presented a battery of proposals to provide a fuller defi nition of our charism in the Constitutions. Naturally, every proposal requires a profound examination. It is possible that we’ll need to think about revising our Constitutions in the future. However, the opinion that outweighed other concerns was that of the utmost importance to us is changing our attitude and living more closely to our charism on a daily basis. Thus, it is necessary to study our charism more deeply, to contemplate and to live by it, keeping our eyes open to the main problems of the present day. Perhaps, only the ensuing changes in our lifestyle will clarify for us the necessity and direction of possible amendments to our Constitutions. However, it would be a serious negligence on our part, if we were to totally forego the verifi cation of our Constitutions in the light of the post-beatifi cation and post-Jubilee “discoveries.” I’m sure that our next General Chapter will take a stand in this matter since the Chapter alone has the authority to make those kinds of decisions, being the Congregation’s highest legislative body. During the Convention, we’ve discussed various forms of our already existing works and causes which need revival, and the new ones to be taken on. The Convention decided that the Superior General should petition the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to grant a special privilege for the Marians to recite on one particular day of the week (e.g., Monday or Tuesday), regardless of any other obligatory memorials of the day, the entire Offi ce of the Dead from the Liturgy of the Hours instead of the Offi ce prescribed for that day, as well as to celebrate Holy Mass according to the formula for the deceased in their monasteries, parishes, and other pastoral centers in their care. This would establish a connection to the Marian tradition of the daily recitation of the Offi ce of the Dead, which is more than 200 years old. I will soon consult with the Congregation of Divine Worship as to our chances of being granted this privilege.
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