Passion for Christ, Passion for Humanity
The World Congress on Consecrated Life is being held in Rome from the 22nd until the 27th November.
The objective of the Congress is to analyse the ?challenges? that confront the Consecrated Life for women and men at the start of the Third Millennium.
The Congress was preceded by a ?Working Document? that presented two ?icons? that had the purpose of illustrating the meaning and the work of the Consecrated Life: the Samaritan woman who asks Jesus for ?the water of life? and the Good Samaritan who cares for the needs of those who suffer.
It is the first World Congress organised together by the International Unions: the USG ? Superiors General of Congregations for men, representing 200 thousand religious; the USIG ? Superiors General of Congregations of women, representing 800 thousand religious sisters.
Of the 850 participants, 91 come from Africa, 248 from the American Continent, 95 from Asia, 17 from Oceania and 399 from Europe. The most noticeable presence amongst the participants is that of the Congregations for women, with 323 Superiors General; the Congregations for men are represented by 160 Superiors General. 113 are delegates of the Conferences of Religious, 17 are directors of journals on the Consecrated Life and 60 religious are representing the category of the ?young?. The area of theology is also an important presence with 114 people participating who have such qualifications. We must not forget the 13 who were invited to the Congress and the 40 who composed the Organising Committee, divided in various Commissions, which worked intensely throughout the last year and a half to co-ordinate the complex organising machine that prepared the Congress. A group of 10 Marist Brothers are participating in this Congress, including the Superior General and the Vicar General.