12 April
Saint Julius, Pope
26/09/2013: France - Photo gallery
General Conference 2013
Br Joe Mc Kee, V.G., presented the Superior General of the “Christian Brothers”, Br Philip Pinto, giving a brief resumé of his congregation and person. Br Philip, a native of India, presented his topic in relation to leadership from the viewpoint of a new religious culture, to share his being brother, leadership and the mystery of God. This involves seeing things in a different way. He started from the text of Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth whose message was centred on “to give sight to the blind”. He related how from his own childhood experience emerged his fundamental belief that God is greater than the religions and that this world is God’s agenda. He invited a moment of interiority.
In the second part of his paper, he developed the idea of how the roles of religious men and women have changed and how they question the place they occupy today. This is a matter of beginning again, of acting so as to experience God as Jesus did. For this purpose, it is necessary to change the culture of the Congregation, to opt for animation, create teams of animation, communication with the brothers, of brotherhood, what removes our masks and presents us as we are: fragile. To see Jesus from his humanity. To opt for the non-violence which questions a leader about the way he treats others, on the basis of invitation and not authority. He pointed out that the wound is the seed of the deepest desire. To focus on the wounds, to name them…; from this death life will emerge. Lastly, Br Philip offered a way of action: to pass from the head to the heart, and from the heart to the will.
The rest of the day was left to personal reflection, and there was group work for a time in the afternoon. To help the reflection and sharing, there were some questions: Of the topics treated, which struck you most personally? Which ones throw light on the reflection we have been doing on the Institute and its future? What new significance have you discovered in being mystics, being prophets, being leaders?
At the Eucharist, following the liturgy of the Word, the Brothers who have held the office of Superior General, Benito Arbués, Seán Sammon and the current one, Emili Turú, together with the architect Joan Puig-Pey, were invited to make a gesture: to remake with the bricks an attractive composition, symbolizing this commitment of reconstruction, in order to awaken the dawn in the Institute.
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