‘We commit ourselves to bear witness with passion for God, for the fraternity and for humanity in the world of today,’ – Final Message of the 2022 General Congregation.
The General Congregation of the Order (meeting of Provincials, delegates and the General Council) concluded on 16 September with a final message to the Carmelite Family. The theme of this year’s meeting was Gift and Mission: The Radical Witness of Consecrated Carmelites in the World of Today. “By This Everyone Will Know that You Are My Disciples” (Jn 13: 35).
The meeting began on Monday 5 September in Rome with Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP as the principal presenter. Fr Timothy was the master general (superior) of the Dominican Order from 1992-2001.
In his introductory talk, Fr Timothy said: “I wish to open up a discussion of the pillars of our religious life, our vows, and search for how they may be live with joy and freedom. I will begin with obedience, then look at chastity, how we live our sexuality. Then leadership. I will not devote a special lecture to poverty. This is because religious orders have such deeply different ideas of poverty. I confess that I have no idea as to what is a Carmelite understanding of poverty!
But I think that the other vows each imply a profound poverty. The vow of obedience invites us to a more radical form of poverty than not just owning things. We do not own our lives. With chastity we learn not to own other people. And leadership is a sort of dispossession of oppressive power.”
Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) and Fr Carlito Da Costa Araújo (Provincial Delegate for Timor-Leste) represented the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at the meeting.
After Fr Timothy’s presentations the General Congregation spent several days considering the major issues in finances, formation, communication, the presence of Carmelites around the world, Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation, Carmelite Youth, Lay Carmelites, Carmelite Nuns, Safeguarding, Synodality and ecology.
You can read or print Fr Timothy’s talks and the final message below.
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2022 General Congregation Final Message
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2022 General Congregation Fr Timothy Radcliffe Introduction
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2022 General Congregation Fr Timothy Radcliffe on Obedience
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2022 General Congregation Fr Timothy Radcliffe on Chastity
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2022 General Congregation Fr Timothy Radcliffe on Leadership
