The Holy Father, Pope Francis has sent a Message to those who are participating in the XXV General Assembly of CONFER (the Spanish Conference of Religious). The gathering is taking place in Madrid from 13 to 15 November 2018 and is focused on the theme: I will give you a future full of hope.
Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis
to members of the Spanish Conference of Religious
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am happy to greet you on the occasion of your General Assembly, in which you are celebrating precisely the XXV anniversary of the union of the male and female members of CONFER. These years of close collaboration between men and women religious have undoubtedly been fruitful. They have created bonds of fraternity, reciprocity and communion, both in the tasks of CONFER and through solidarity and help between consecrated men and women in many moments and circumstances.
I invite you to look confidently toward the future of consecrated life in Spain, in accordance with the theme chosen for this Assembly: I will give you a future full of hope (Jr 29,11).
The Lord gives us hope with his constant messages of love and with his surprises, which can sometimes leave us disoriented, but which help us to leave behind our tendencies to be mentally and spiritually closed off. His presence is of tenderness which accompanies us and comforts us. That is why he says: I know very well what I intend to do with you: mine are plans for peace and not for affliction, to give you a future filled with hope. You will call upon me and go out to plead with me, and I will listen to you. You will look for me and you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart, I will let myself be found, and I will change your lot (Jr 29,11-14). The path carried out as CONFER has a fruitful history, full of examples of dedication, in hidden and silent sanctity. No effort should be spared to serve and encourage consecrated life in Spain, so that it does not lack the grateful memory nor the look towards the future, because there is no doubt that the state of religious life, without hiding uncertainties and worries, is full of opportunities and also of enthusiasm, passion and awareness that consecrated life makes sense today.
The Church needs us to be prophets, that is, men and women of hope. Precisely, one of the objectives of the year of consecrated life encouraged us to embrace the future with hope. We know the difficulties that religious life is experiencing today, such as the decrease in vocations and the aging of our members, economic problems and the challenges of internationality and globalization, the snares of relativism, marginalization and social irrelevance ...; But in these circumstances, our hope is raised to the Lord, the only one who can help us and save us (cf Letter to all consecrated persons on the occasion of the year of consecrated life, November 21, 2014, 3). This hope leads us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest (cf Mt 9,38), and to work in the evangelization of young people so that they may open themselves to the call of the Lord. This is a great challenge: to be with the young people to spread them with the joy of the Gospel and belonging to Christ. Audacious religious are needed, who open new paths and an approach to the vocational question as a fundamental Christian option. Each section of history is God's time, also ours, because his Spirit blows where he wants, as he wants and when he wants (cf Jn 3,8). Any moment and circumstance can be transformed into a kairos; you just have to be attentive to recognize it and live it as such.
Mary, our Mother, who kept these things and meditated on them in her heart (Lk 2:19), will help us contemplate and keep everything that we do not understand at the present moment, welcoming it all and waiting for a future that, although different, will continue to be fruitful for consecrated life.
Consecrated life walks in holiness. As religious we must become obsessed, worn out and tired by living the works of mercy, which are the program of our life (cf Gaudete et exsultate, 107). It is not about being heroes or presenting ourselves to others as models, but about being with those who suffer, accompanying them, looking for other alternative ways, aware of our poverty, but also with the trust placed in the Lord and in his love without limits. Hence the need to listen again to the call to live with the Church and in the Church, leaving our schemes and comforts, to be close to human situations of suffering and despair that still await the light of the Gospel. The challenges that present themselves to religious life today are many. The reality that we have to live requires answers and bold decisions before these challenges. Times have changed and our answers must be different. I encourage you to give an answer, both to structural situations that require new forms of organization, and to the need to go out and look for new presences to be faithful to the Gospel and channels of God's love. The life of prayer, the personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the community discernment, the dialogue with the bishop must be a priority when making decisions. We have to live with humble audacity looking to the future with an attitude of listening to the Spirit; with him we can be prophets of hope.
May the Lord bless you and may the Holy Virgin accompany you and help you to discover the path that you should follow. And, please, don't forget to pray for me.
From the Vatican
5 November 2018
Francis
Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis
to members of the Spanish Conference of Religious
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am happy to greet you on the occasion of your General Assembly, in which you are celebrating precisely the XXV anniversary of the union of the male and female members of CONFER. These years of close collaboration between men and women religious have undoubtedly been fruitful. They have created bonds of fraternity, reciprocity and communion, both in the tasks of CONFER and through solidarity and help between consecrated men and women in many moments and circumstances.
I invite you to look confidently toward the future of consecrated life in Spain, in accordance with the theme chosen for this Assembly: I will give you a future full of hope (Jr 29,11).
The Lord gives us hope with his constant messages of love and with his surprises, which can sometimes leave us disoriented, but which help us to leave behind our tendencies to be mentally and spiritually closed off. His presence is of tenderness which accompanies us and comforts us. That is why he says: I know very well what I intend to do with you: mine are plans for peace and not for affliction, to give you a future filled with hope. You will call upon me and go out to plead with me, and I will listen to you. You will look for me and you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart, I will let myself be found, and I will change your lot (Jr 29,11-14). The path carried out as CONFER has a fruitful history, full of examples of dedication, in hidden and silent sanctity. No effort should be spared to serve and encourage consecrated life in Spain, so that it does not lack the grateful memory nor the look towards the future, because there is no doubt that the state of religious life, without hiding uncertainties and worries, is full of opportunities and also of enthusiasm, passion and awareness that consecrated life makes sense today.
The Church needs us to be prophets, that is, men and women of hope. Precisely, one of the objectives of the year of consecrated life encouraged us to embrace the future with hope. We know the difficulties that religious life is experiencing today, such as the decrease in vocations and the aging of our members, economic problems and the challenges of internationality and globalization, the snares of relativism, marginalization and social irrelevance ...; But in these circumstances, our hope is raised to the Lord, the only one who can help us and save us (cf Letter to all consecrated persons on the occasion of the year of consecrated life, November 21, 2014, 3). This hope leads us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest (cf Mt 9,38), and to work in the evangelization of young people so that they may open themselves to the call of the Lord. This is a great challenge: to be with the young people to spread them with the joy of the Gospel and belonging to Christ. Audacious religious are needed, who open new paths and an approach to the vocational question as a fundamental Christian option. Each section of history is God's time, also ours, because his Spirit blows where he wants, as he wants and when he wants (cf Jn 3,8). Any moment and circumstance can be transformed into a kairos; you just have to be attentive to recognize it and live it as such.
Mary, our Mother, who kept these things and meditated on them in her heart (Lk 2:19), will help us contemplate and keep everything that we do not understand at the present moment, welcoming it all and waiting for a future that, although different, will continue to be fruitful for consecrated life.
Consecrated life walks in holiness. As religious we must become obsessed, worn out and tired by living the works of mercy, which are the program of our life (cf Gaudete et exsultate, 107). It is not about being heroes or presenting ourselves to others as models, but about being with those who suffer, accompanying them, looking for other alternative ways, aware of our poverty, but also with the trust placed in the Lord and in his love without limits. Hence the need to listen again to the call to live with the Church and in the Church, leaving our schemes and comforts, to be close to human situations of suffering and despair that still await the light of the Gospel. The challenges that present themselves to religious life today are many. The reality that we have to live requires answers and bold decisions before these challenges. Times have changed and our answers must be different. I encourage you to give an answer, both to structural situations that require new forms of organization, and to the need to go out and look for new presences to be faithful to the Gospel and channels of God's love. The life of prayer, the personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the community discernment, the dialogue with the bishop must be a priority when making decisions. We have to live with humble audacity looking to the future with an attitude of listening to the Spirit; with him we can be prophets of hope.
May the Lord bless you and may the Holy Virgin accompany you and help you to discover the path that you should follow. And, please, don't forget to pray for me.
From the Vatican
5 November 2018
Francis
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