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Final Message – Annual Meeting of the General Coordination Council of the Union – Rome, May 20th-24th, 2016

Regina degli Apostoli 2

Gathered in the Cenacle in Rome, that is, in the International Centre of Pallottine Formation in Via Ferrari, we greet all of you, our brothers and sisters of the Union.

We, the members of the General Coordination Council, conscious of being part of the great charismatic family (cf. Pope Francis, Letter to Consecrated, III, 1, November 21st, 2014) of the Union, in communion with the universal Church, met from the 20th to the 24th of May 2016, and gave priority to dialogue, listening, prayer and sharing in communion. In her report, the President underlined the conviction that the UAC, in the differing textures within the fabric of relationships, is always called more and more to journey towards a deeper communion. There is still a long way to go in the Union because its possibilities are many, even infinite, as the Founder would say. We know however that God guides his work and continues to do so, also building through our limitations.

From the talk of Professor Nunzia Boccia of the Charismatic Family of the Josephites of Murialdo (Saint Leonardo Murialdo) and from the discussion which followed, we highlighted that more than speaking about the charism, we are called today to speak according to the charism. The charism, in fact, before being a content, is a source of life and inspiration and becomes for us a style of family united in the same spirit.

In his report, the Ecclesiastical Assistant highlighted for us that the active involvement of the three Communities founded by Saint Vincent Pallotti will safeguard the unity of the whole family and contribute to the effectiveness of its apostolic projects. The reflection on the Appendix regarding the “Specific Responsibility of the Communities founded by Saint Vincent Pallotti” is a further significant step in the life and work of the Union.

For this reason, its approval is one of the most important fruits of the meeting. We have recognised that the family is not something invented, but rather is something which we need to learn to become. The climate of Family is above all felt, lived, breathed. It is not enough to preach responsibility, is it necessary to seek it, to educate ourselves to live it out, to form ourselves for this. “All of the parts must be so linked, that one maintains the other in vigilance, and continuous movement”, wrote Pallotti (OOCC III, 156). Saint Vincent dreamed of a Church in which there are no spectators, but all would have leading parts, called to live the fullness of their own vocation in service of the Kingdom of God. And also today, this message continues to be proclaimed prophetically by Pope Francis (cf. EG 120).

If we remain only in the security of our houses and institutions, without the desire to face risks and adventures, we will have no future. This is why we do not want to remain closed in the Cenacle, but rather want to and must leave it for a new evangelisation of the world. In fact, mission is an essential part of the Pentecost event. It is also, from the very beginning, written into our Pallottine charism and our history. For this reason, we want to go out into our changing world to play an active role in the change. May our holy Founder who said that he yearned “ardently to cooperate in such a worthy work always, even after my death” (OOCC V, 211), reach out to us and accompany us. He is a saint for all seasons.

In thanking the Lord for Venerable Elisabetta Sanna, the first lay member of the Union to be beatified, we ask Him to help us to open ourselves fully to the graces which He wants to give us in this blessed event which will be celebrated on September 17th, 2016.

United in communion,

Your sisters and brothers of the GCC.

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