74 CIRCULAR LETTER FOLLOWING THE GENERAL CHAPTER OF 2023 Rome, June 29, 2023 on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul Prot. 149/2023 Dear Confreres, It gives me great joy to address this first Circular Letter to the Congregation after my election as the new Superior General at the General Chapter of 2023. This is the Chapter that took place during the celebration of our 350th Jubilee of the origin of our Congregation. The General Chapter which took place six years ago was a historic Chapter as it made a number of important changes to our Constitutions and Directory with the aim of expressing our charism and identity more clearly. There were not as many changes made to our rule in this Chapter which was celebrated during our Jubilee. These changes that were made, mostly regarding formation and structure and government, continued the work of the last Chapter. However, during this Chapter, there were some historic decisions made regarding our patrimony and our spirituality and identity concerning the white habit. In this Circular Letter, I would like to offer some reflections on the General Chapter 2023 and then speak about the decisions that the Chapter made. I will explain what was decided, how the Chapter came to make such decisions and how they will be implemented. Reflections on the General Chapter 2023 It is worth remembering what our Constitutions say about the authority of a General Chapter: Chapters, along with Superiors, “possess ecclesiastical power of governance for both the internal and external forum.” (C 234). “Supreme and immediate power in the entire Congregation is exercised, in an ordinary manner, by the Superior General with the assistance of his council and, in an extraordinary manner, by the General Chapter.” (C 235). So, during the two weeks that this Chapter met this past February, it exercised, “supreme and immediate power in the entire Congregation.” There was a process, leading up to the General Chapter, of choosing delegates to represent the Provinces and General
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