Year of Consecrated Life
From 25 to 29 November, there was held in Rome the plenary assembly of the CIVCSVA (Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life). The 45 members taking part, nominated or confirmed by Pope Francis, come from all over the world and include cardinals, bishops and Superior Generals of various Religious Orders and Institutes, among them Br Emili Turú, our Superior General. His presence confirms the importance the Pope places on Religious Institutes of Brothers.
This plenary assembly reflected on the current state of consecrated life, fifty years after the conciliar documents, ''Lumen Gentium'' and ''Perfectae Caritatis''. The theme chosen was ''New wine in new wineskins'' and Pope Francis, in receiving the participants, based his discourse on the many meanings of this phrase.
The Plenary Assembly concluded on the 29th with a prayer vigil in the Roman Basilica of St Mary Major with the attendance of numerous consecrated persons. Both Br Emili and Br Eugène Kabanguka had important roles in this time of prayer. It was a way of marking the official opening of the Year of Consecrated Life which took place the following day, the First Sunday of Advent, with Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal João Braz de Aviz. The Holy Father, who was in Turkey, addressed a video message to all the consecrated men and women living and working in the world.