(Provincial of the Order of Minor Capuchin Friars,
Angola)
I came to the Synod because I was elected and sent by the Union of General Superiors. I am here to speak of the charisma of Religious life in Angola and I will refer to, in particular, no. 30 of Instrumentum Laboris, reading the situation of my country, Angola.
History and the current situation
Angola found itself as being the first African country south of the Sahara to welcome the proclamation of the Good News of the Gospel, although it had not reached the whole current national territory. It goes back to many centuries that men full of faith, religious brothers belonging to various institutions had strongly undertaken this action.
The new missionary thrust has made it possible for Angola today to be an African country with the greatest percentage of Catholics. This is also a great responsibility.
Charism of Religious Life today
What I humbly intend transmitting to this Venerable Assembly on current religious life is an important theological category which seems to join variety of the different perspectives. It is the theory of charisma.
In fact all the institutions are created from charismatic impulse of the Holy Spirit given to its founders and from them transmitted to their disciples. Charisma implies a special way of being, a special mission, and specific spirituality, a fraternal style of life and structures of the institute. This gift of the Spirit is dynamic impulse and develops continuously together with the Body of Christ and in eternal growth; it is entrusted to the institute for having lived, interpreted, made fertile and having borne witness in communion with the Church in the different cultural contexts where the local Churches live. The document of the Sacred Congregation for formation in Religious Institutes and many other documents of the Magisterium are careful about the need to avoid "massification" of the institutes, especially in missions.
Conclusion
There are essential elements which no activism must take away from religious life in a local Church.
Although expressing itself according to different models and according to charisma, fraternal life is an essential component of consecrated life.
Encourage communities to be an evangelical sign in the various environments, especially for the young and offer the local Church wealth of universality.
Original text: Portuguese
