CHAPTER 2 :
IMAGE OF A LASALLE BROTHER
1- The image of a Brother throughout the documents of the Institute
Necessity of this Institute: “The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Society in which one professes to run the schools gratuitously. They who belong to this Institute are called Brothers and they do not allow to be named otherwise, and when naming one of their Brothers, they always say Our dear Brother N.”[1]
“The finality of this Institute is to provide a christian education to the children, and for this subject One runs the schools so that the children being under the conducting of the teachers from morning to evening , these teachers could teach them to live well by instructing them the mysteries of our Holy Religion, by inspiring them the christian maxims in order to give them a suitable education “(11,03) [2].
“ This Institute is a very great necessity since the artisans and the poor being ordinarily little-educated and so busy all day long to work hard for their living and their children that they could not provide by themselves the instructions needed and a honest and christian education.”(01,04)[3]
“ All the disorders, especially the ones of the artisans and the poor usually came from the fact they allowed themselves to their own behavior and so bad-educated in their childhood. As a result, it is almost impossible to be corrected in a more advanced age, this because the bad habits they acquired before are hardly able to quit them and never entirely as well.[…] And for the main fruit people want to expect from the Institute of the Christian schools is to preview these disorders and to prevent the bad consequences. So one can easily judge what such importance and necessity this Institute does.(01,06)[4]
We can see here the lay thinking of Emile Durkheim is so close to that.
These articles of the Rule of 1718 were kept meticulously till the General Chapter of 1946 and considered them as “ a so sacred Text that it is out of question to submit it to the Capitulary’s discussion”[5] However, “ The literal way to comprehend the Rule , to make it absolute and sacred implies a close conception of a religious life separated from the apostolate , being marked by the world escape, turned to the pass to keep safe, and pretended that the Institute experimented its proofs, nothing needed to learn about the life of the world and the Church.”[6]
Although, under the eyes “ of a large number of brothers”[7] , the General Chapter of 1946 “ stays as the symbol of the Institute which turns its back to the future”[8]. Some Brothers opened their mind, between 1 946-1956 , to different movements of the renewal which gave life to the Church and the Institute.[9]Let’s cite a few ones [10]:
-“ Brother Vincent Ayel : he worked to reanimate the conscience of the catechetic mission of the Brothers in France with the creation of the Catechist since 1950 , the renovation of the doctrinal studies and the largest basic formation of Young Brothers and also by the permanent formation of the active Brothers.”
-“ Brother Guillermo Felix: Since 1949, he detached some young brothers for a long preparation, taking aim at the future Institute of Pius X in 1956”
-“ Brother Honore de Silvestri : teaching technique and being engaged in the working catholic Action. He tried to share his passion to other brothers : pick young people of the world out of their despair […]: Choosing the poor began to be priority in the Institute.”
-“ Brother Didier Piveteau honored in the institute the care of a formation in pedagogy dealing with the current renewals of the modern pedagogy and the properties brought by the human sciences
as well.”
-“Brother Maurice-Auguste : as a sub - director of the Second Novitiate in 1947, he realized then that The Rule should be considered as an human text with studies deeply from the source, enlarging the context, distinguishing different coats of writing […] How to bring into harmony the same value to all the articles of a such composite Rule, and pretended it as the formal fundamental conception as well[11] “ The Chapter of 1946 wanted to close all the doors of the Institute to the human life and the world as well”. Thus, thanks to the “ initiative of these Brothers being present at their time that the world life and the one of the Church came to the Institute through the windows “ [12]
The varying movements of renovation of the Institute passed along progressively till the Chapter General in 1956 .The brother NICET was elected as Superior General. The Chapter had three major decisions , summarized as following :
- decision 1 : make the Rule alive to the Institute
- decision 2 : return the Institute to the Brothers
- decision 3 : starting again to the LaSalle studies
Brother Maurice started the Publication of the Cahiers Lasalliens (Lasallian Notes ) since 1959.Thanks “to this diffusion, important works on Saint John Baptist de La Salle allowed more particularly to show that the Founder did not limit himself to the Rule. His “ Meditations at the time of Retreat” became re-discoveries in the Institute. Their messages showed the dynamic unity of the Brothers’ vocation .”
Following after is the announce of the Council of Vatican 2 by the Pope John XXIII , lasted from October 1962 to December 1965 . The basic changes according to the charisma of the Institute basing on the message of the Council displayed clearly in the Declaration of the General Chapter of 1966. One of its characteristics , pertinent until now, allowed us to appreciate its impact. The Brothers are appealed to “pay attention to the signs of the times “ (D.11-13)[13]: The Council already said to the brothers : your vocation did not situate you outside the world , it did not exempt us neither the benefit for it nor the knowledge of its reality and its problems, nor your commitment to its service ,to transform it, to contest it and to consecrate it “[14].
2-A Brother according to the instructions of the Superiors
The “ Declaration on the Brother in the World today” ,the major act of the General Chapter of 1966 opened the ways to a renovation , showing clearly the objectives of the renovation and pointing out the strategies to engage and pursuit in the Institute. It invites the “Brothers to become founders , to be attentive to the new appeals, not to be afraid of inventing new responses, to renewal , to create”[15] According to the situations and the environments. It asks the brothers for “ an imaginative effort coupled with a personal and community search to discover new and adaptive forms of education for those who are the “ poorest of the poor “. (Declaration 33,1)
The New Rule of the Institute was “ the result of a long process that culminated in the 41st General Chapter and was approved by the Holy See on January 26th,1987.”[16] At this Chapter, Brother John Johnston was elected Superior General for a 7 years –mandate and re-elected at the 42nd General Chapter for the second mandate in 1993. At the beginning of each year, since 1987, he sent a Pastoral Letter to all the brothers, which provided leading lines and was considered as the concretion of the Rule. Thus far , I limit then the instruction of the Superiors during this period of time from 1987 until now.
His “Pastoral Letters” reflected several times an urgent and endless Call to the creative fidelity according to the instructive of Pope John Paul II in Vita Consecrata [17] : “ The institutes of Consecrated Life are invited courageously to propose anew the enterprising initiative , creativity, and holiness of their founders in response to “ the signs of the time “ emerging in today’s world ”[18]. Brother John Johnston re-formulated this idea in 5 words “ Live today our founding story “[19]. He used the word “ Today” to remember us that “ Yesterday was yesterday and Tomorrow is tomorrow “ : neither yesterday nor tomorrow exists except only Today [20]. The brother Superior John Johnston defined a little farer without ambiguity what the Brother is today : “ A brother today means to live authentically and to have at heart at the moment - to live with dynamism, creativity ,enthusiasm, joy, ferity… in other words with an imperishable love”[21]. This Theme will be taken and studied widely at the 44th Chapter General in May,2007
In fact, facing the fast reduction in number of the brothers all over the world since the Council of Vatican II , the Chapters General approached the subject of the Lasallian identification and studied deeply about it .” the statistics are evident. The lack of perseverance in the lay religious life and the decline of vocation is serious”[22]. However, the Institute of the Brothers is not the unique congregation which sustained this “Crise” . At the time of the Synod on the Priesthood in 1990,”The Pope himself, in his Closing speech, spoke of the crises of the Priest identification “ [23] which took the central importance of the Synod. The serious lack of vocation in the several Bishops’ countries “ suggesting a setting back in question about the general nature of the Sacerdoce was one of the important causes “.
What is then a lasallian Brother today ? Brother John Johnston hope that the Church “ must find out a language and the adequate structures to make clear and without ambiguity the distinctions existing between the Vocation of the clergy, the religious man and female, the members of secular institutes , the societies of apostolate life, the associations of laity, and the believers in general.”[24]. For the Brothers , the meaning , the act of consecration, throughout their Vows , characterized what a Lasallian Brother is,: “I promise and vow chastity, poverty, obedience, association for the educational service of the poor, and stability in the Institute…”[25] .What is differentiated the lasallian Brothers from the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Cistercians and all the other congregations is the 4th Vow and “ At all costs we have to avoid thinking of our vocation first in terms of “ religious life in general” and second in terms of “religiuos life in particular.” It has become in commonplace today to assert, correctly, that “ religious life in general “does not exist, that only particular institutes exist.”[26] Later, Brother Alvaro, his successor, confirmed radically in his Pastoral Letter of 2005 : “ We cannot live an anonymous religious life”[27]
In fact, our superiors tried to make clear this characteristic spirit of the 4th vow to suscitate the Brothers to live” integrally the dynamic revealed in the formula of Consecration”[28]. At first,” the Participants of the 41st General Chapter reaffirmed our 4th vow”[29] called the vow of “ educative service of the poor ”. Since that year this vow called “ Association for the educative service of the Poor “[30]and he wanted by so several ways to deepen this spirit of association and transfer it to the brothers . This spirit appeared under the words and expresions being familiar to all the lasallians today.
a. Interdependence.
This term is introduced into the terminology of the Institute since the Chapter of 1986 ( 41st General Chapter ) .The Chapter wanted to say that the Institute of the Brothers is not a “federation” in which its members are “independent or dependent “, but “ living in relation with each other ”. “ the interdependence is the lived expression of Association”[31]. It asks for all its members “ the possibility to live as brothers and the sharing of sources in personnel and in goods “, considered as an urgent appeal from the Superior , to the whole Institute , to live practically this interdependence by helping explicitly regions, sub-districts , delegations in difficulty. Brother John Johnson addressed this topic of interdependence 4 times consecutively: in his speech of closing at the General Chapter of 1988 , in his Pastoral Letter of 1987, 1988,and 1989, doing this to “incite us to live our fraternity more deeply and more well-heatedly”[32]. When introducing this word Interdependence in the vocabulary of the institute ,the Capitulant Brothers showed their total submission to the instruction of the Church : “the question is, firstly that fact of the Interdependence, felt like a necessary system of relations in the contemporary world, with its economical , cultural ,political and religious components, and lifted to the rank of ethical morality”[33].
This word seems new to us, to the Vietnamese brothers. The translator-Brothers tried to create a compound noun “Tuong tuy” which does not exist in Vietnamese dictionaries yet . It means , nevertheless “ dependence one another “ and invites us ” to live not only like a child or an individual but also like a mature person, eager to love, to make confidence, to take the risks , to share, to contact un-reasonable commitments and to be faithful to them .”[34] It was understood that, in this occasion, the thinking just existed in the interior of a particular language and the “missing” words invode absent ideas.
b-Solidarity
“ The brothers determined with one spirit to be brothers among themselves, brothers to the adults they deal with, and older brothers to the young people confided to their care.” This article 53 of the Rule of the Brothers is the source of inspiration allowing to deepen the itinerary of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. The solidarity according to the lasallian meaning, has a more opened and universal sense of fraternity : solidarity towards everyone , especially the poor as the article 32 of the Rule says :” by their poverty lived according to the gospel,the Brothers become poor in order to follow Christ who was poor and in order to serve better all persons as their brothers and sisters, especially those most in need.”
Obviously, being disciples of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, our importance priority is the “ solidarity with our founder “[35]. It is the Rule that expresses “ the intentions of the founder in a world very different from his “[36] The Holy See recognized in these texts “ the expression accurate to Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the tradition of the Institute”[37]. But, “ solidarity with the poor “ is a preferable and clear “option” said in the Rule :” The purpose of this Institute is to provide a human and christian education to the young, especially the poor “. This solidarity with the poor appeals the brothers “ not only in virtue of their lasallian identity but also of our human condition and of our baptism “ responding to the needs of starving persons, the necessitous persons, the homeless ones, the sick persons , the discouragers “[38],the sayings without compromising of the Pope when showing “ to ignore them means to identify oneself to “ well-living rich “ who pretended not to know Lazare, the beggar lying on beside his gate”[39] .A message of the Superior John , addressed to all the Institute on the Solidarity, summarized the entire itinerary of the Brothers’ Mission : grow up in Solidarity[40] required us to “ take concrete precautions such as the followings”[41]
1- to live as those who have a common means or a modest condition of life according to the article 32 of the Rule : “ The Brothers live simply as persons of ordinary means , having everything in common “. Because according to Saint John Baptist de La Salle , in his Testament, if we got too “familiar” with the economically at easy comfortable persons, “ you will take the taste like them in action[…] you could not defend yourselves , by policy, to praise to their discourse, though they are very pernicious”, and so, we would close ourselves off from God and become as strangers to the poor”[42].
2- Approach of the Place : The brothers need to get “ the direct contact with the poor and with the world in which they live”, to “see” more alive and to feel “ more intensive the poverty existing around the world, in our towns, and maybe at our door ” and to try “to discover the cause from it”
3- The studies of the social teachings of the Popes and the other Vatican authorities ,the international conferences or the national bishops, the religious…to deepen our knowledge and our comprehension about the social problems today “.
4- Help the children especially those who belong to the easy places to apply oneself to much more social problems under the light of the teachings cited in No 3.
5- Priority to missionary activities: engagement to other services” there where the needs are more felt evident”[43] confiding to “other undoubted works” ( or to the particular responsibilities inside our works ).
6- According to the spirit of the article 40a of the Rule, priority to the service of the poor by means of forming “ substitutes in order to remove the brothers for this service of the poor”: “tot liberate a certain number of persons for the missionary activities, to discharge them to work in the existing works in favor of the poor ; to form a new community for this educative service of the poor ; to create an educative service in favor of them.”
This theme of Solidarity is re-appeared in the Pastoral Letter of 1993, named “ Solidarity with the Poor “[44] trying to persuade the brothers that “ if you look for the peace , go to the meeting with the poor “, basing on the article 40b of the Rule: “ the brothers aimed their own personal and community blowing , intellectual and spiritual , under the light of a progressive conversion to the poor “, living as “ persons of ordinary means, having everything in common” ( Rule 32 ), this is already mentioned above. Association with the laic colleagues by proposing them “ a transfer of some of our activities “ and our initiatives in favor of the
Economical poor, the illiterate persons , the victims of social injustice, the voyagers, the young with all kind of character problems ,the minded or physic handicaps and the young having schooling difficulties”[45]
est aussi particularly emphasized , all always referred to the Spirit of the Founder displayed in the Rule and recalled by the Holy Pope : “ The fidelity to your charisma must not be static, anchored in the past. It must be dynamic and capable to fit with the multiple cultural and social situations in which the Lord call you to go to work.”
This objective of the service of the poor are recalled several times in almost Pastoral Letters of Brother John Johnston: the Pastoral Letter of 1994, on the pages 40 and 45 , addressing “ educating the poor: constitutive dimension.”,” our missionary engagement ”, “ our specific role” is analyzed on the page 47 remembered us that “our key-Role is to be the first witnesses of the spirit and the charisma of the founder” and we have to “ make ourselves ready to the educative service of poor”[46]
In his Pastoral Letter of 1995,John Johnston developed the theme of Charisma and also again “ our specific role” and our Mission under the light of the spirit of John Baptist de La Salle. He concluded this passage asking that “ a school be a sign of the kingdom , be a means of salvation, always to be renovated, and accessible to the poor […] and be among the principal means to help the poor liberate themselves from the misery’[47], this had affirmed in his Pastoral Letter of 1993 : “ like the Founder, running in community the schools or christian Centers of Education in favor of the poor “[48]
A subtitle of the Letter pastoral of 1996 attracted the attention of all the lasallian readers : “ understanding ourselves today”. Brother John wanted us to take conscience of what we are today, in this sociaty, may we live not only with what we say and do but with what we are and “ what we signify”[49] .
From there,” as individuals and as communities , we emit ”non-stop “[50] messages to all the persons “to whom we are in contact ,especially to our in difficulties children “ those who complain […] they rarely have occasions to communicate personally with the brothers.”[51]
The Pastoral Letter of 1997 entitled “ Being brothers today , the enduring challenge of the declaration 1967-1997” presents in the 2nd party “ Living as brothers today” , the whole program both theoretical and concrete of .a lasallian brother in such a moving world . Moreover its subtitle on the page 72” To respond respond generously and boldly to people the world neglects ( Vita consecrata[52],63) makes us clear the “ option in preference “of the Church for the poor:” The solidarity with the poor, in solidarity with the poor TODAY , defend and promote the rights of the children”. These are the topics addressed in this party of the Pastoral Letter of 1997.The Project 100+ appeal the volunteers ,brothers and lay persons, for the mission in the most needed countries is the concretization of the spirit of the Association and the Shared Mission.
It is important to real that orientation must lead the activities and initiatives already existing in the schools, the new ones or the recent centers: “ our specific mission had been and continue to be , an offer to the poor not a nonsense of service but the service of education “.[53]
The Pastoral Letter of 1998 prepared the brothers to” look forward to the future as the persons of Hope “ in building “ the today-communities being renewed, creative and sacred , in living “ our full consecration to God, engaged in a ministry of Charity with the real loving hearts”…
Having prepared the Pastoral Letter of 1999 his last one as being Superior General ,he addressed and oriented directly the Lasallian Mission for those who dared it :” In defending the children, the Kingdom of God and the lasallian Mission” . This message is not only addressed to the Brothers but also “ to all the members of the lasallian Family”[54], a numeric power that “ has few groups , associations or organisms in education”[55] basing on the long history of the Institute ,” an enormous force , a potential we tried effectually ,thanks to God, to put in use ”[56] . The subjects addressed in this Letter :” violation the rights of the children, the abortion, the poverty, the street children , the sexual ill-treatments, the health, the mental and physical handicaps , the alphabetic, the children working , the children and the armed conflicts , the violence of youth , the infraction of youth , the refusal of childhood to the children ,”.
It also mentioned the subjects of “ defense the rights of children” that is required by the International Convention , “ seen the situation of the poor and abandoned children”,” the defense of the children: a new objective for the lasallian mission, new answers to new problems, the solidarity with the poor”. The solution to the question “ how can we live in solidarity the children and the poor young today?” mentioned a “list of possibilities” of concrete actions suggested to the Brothers and other lasallians “[57]
Taking once more the article 11 of the Rule to conclude this Letter “ paying attention first to the needs of the poor…”, Brother John Johnston wanted to transfer us this radical message to come back to the source: “Being those who are totally consecrated to God in the ministry of the Youth, especially the poor one , and as animators of the Lasallian Family , we are not allowed to be afraid of the tragic situation of the exploited children or to turn back from it” . On the contrary, we must be attentive and respond to their expectance.[58]
* * * * *
The new mandate ot the Brother Superior started by a General Chapter . The 43rd took place in the year 2000 and the Brother Alvaro Rodriguez Echeverria was elected as Superior , successor of the Brother John Johnston. He always continued the tradition of his predecessor , sending regularly a Pastoral Letter to all the Brothers at the beginning of each year , inspired however by the acts of the General Chapter of the year 2000.The appeal of the General Chapter emphasized on the association for the educative service of the poor as the Letter of the superior and his Council expressed three months later after the Chapter.
“[…] A renewed Conscience of our common appeal to associate ourselves for the educative service of the poor focusing our efforts to respond to the challenges of the 21st century”
It seemed that the capitulants made a decisive effort to convince the brothers and to convert their concept on the lasallian identity and mission by a deeper examining the charisma of The Founder. The acts of the Chapter have 6 chapters focusing on this topic.
The Chapter 1, entitled “ Associated to respond to the challenges of the 21st century” treating the topics : associated for the educative service of the poor ; structures of animation and accompaniment ; the joining of the lasallian associates at the entreaties concerning the lasallian mission ; formation of the brothers and partners for the lasallian mission . All these 4 last topics being in relation with the partners aimed however the mission of “ the educative service of the poor “ .
The Chapter 2 has the title “ the mission today: urgencies and hope” in which the first point also the :treated the “ educative service of the poor “, there one can find the Proposition 12 that the inter-capitulant session in 2004 chose as objective for an evaluation. The second point entitled “ Facing our demographically reality and living the association for the educative service of the poor” called the brothers
even aged for an “ apostolic engagement in favor of an educative service in response to the appeals of the District or of the Institute for the actual works or the the new created ones.” (proposition 20).The third and fourth point worked on the “ formation of the brothers” and the “ animation of the Vocation pastoral of the Brothers” assuring a promotion of a “ process of conversion for the educative service of the poor” (proposition 24).
The Chapter 3 and 4 finally addressed the subjects : “Government and gestation” et “The Rule “ that are necessary to stay always updated .
****
Being impregnated by the spirit of the Chapter , the successor of Brother John Johnston wrote his first Pastoral Letter on the month of December ,2000, addressed to all the brothers of the world entitled “ the visage of a Brother today , the central place of our Fourth Vow ‘, which was explained clearly in this thought, p.24 : “ I think today […] ,the children and the poor youth , to whom we are consecrated by our 4th vow, are a sacrament of Christ who makes us feel the divine fatherhood and our indigence, and at the time they push us towards a solidarity service. Is that one of the most characteristics of the visage of a Brother today ?”
The themes of the 2nd Pastoral Letter of 2000 and the third of 2002 are focused on the lasallian spirituality: common Life and prayer life basing on the chapter 3 of the verb: the community of the Brothers must be a community of Faith, and apostolic community, a community of fraternity, a community of prayer. The final prayer of this Letter showed us the necessity of a common Life properly so called for this mission : the educative service of the Poor.
Lord Jesus, we demand you by the intercession of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the brothers of our origins inspired by the example of those who proceeded us and they found the support and the courage from the community to bring your salvation to the poor children and from them, to the entire youth.[59]
b- The fourth Pastoral Letter , April 20th 2003
A special Pastoral Letter issued on the 20th of 2003 entitled :” The Vocation of the Brother Today “ appealed the brothers of each Region of the Institute to “ re-dynamite the pastoral of vocations”[60], being conscientious “ The words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle are still true: “ the need for this Institute is very great” the young, the poor, the world and the Church still need the ministry of the Institute “ (Rule of the Brothers, art. 141).
The Pastoral of Vocation required firstly the confidence in one’s mission, a firm conviction of its necessity, a clear vision of the why of its existence here, in this Institute. When entrusting in the value of the religious life and when identifying his mission one is capable to invent , to run the risk of new significant Initiatives which respond to the present needs. “ He who gets a “why” to live can sustain almost any “how” ( Nietzsche) “ [61].
Brother Alvaro appeals the brothers to take conscience that “ the Brothers’ involvement in the pastoral ministry of vocations is a sign of vitality and a gage of the future of the Institute “ ( Rule,148).But the first condition to involve in this way is to entrust in oneself ,in the value of the religious life and especially to the lasallian life in which one lives. “ This is essential. Without a deep faith in what we are, we cannot capable to influence the others so that they could follow us , especially in such a world where, as that same post- synod document told us, many people doubted of the sense of the consecrated life : “ Today a lot of young felt perplexing and wondered : the consecrated life what for, why to choose this type of living while there are so many urgencies, in the domain of charity and of the evangelization itself , to which one can also answer without charging any particular involvements of the consecrated life?” ( V.C. 104) “[62] . It is obviously true that th pastoral of vocation is a living question, but for the young who want to adopt he brothers’ life , apart what the brother is , they have to know also what the brother do and their influence on the society because “ a part of our identity appears in our actions, not being by the quality of the last ones but because to act is always to act for, we act in making ourselves to the position of he whose action is destined . The action is and marks a place , a way to position oneself”[63]
Being conscientious of this reality, Brother Alvaro reaffirmed clearly that the Lasallian Mission is the answer to the call to the poor and the young: “ However , the principal thing is not to survive , not to die. What is essential , is to respond to the growing needs of the poor and the young , to answer faithfully to their calls. They are our just reason able cause.”[64] .
c- 5th Pastoral letter, on the 25th of December 2003
More and more , Brtother Alvaro gets directly and concretely into the level of the brothers' mission. This Pastoral Letter entitled “Associated to the God of the poor , our consecrated life at the light of the 4th Vow “ is the proof . In fact, at the introduction ,he mentioned the article 5 of the Rule saying:” The brothers are entrusted with their mission by the Institute, a mission especially to the poor
As a community they become increasingly conscious of the reasons for the poverty that surrounds them and so become earnestly involved in the promotion of justice and human dignity through the educational service they provide “. The brothers’ mission is then without any ambiguity “ together and by association to the educational service of the poor” which is in fact our 4th vow of adhesion to the Institute.
In his whole letter, Brother Alvaro analyzed this 4th vow and by his reflections , he arrives to persuade the brothers to the strict liaison between him and the three other vows. Being “ the founder’s original intuition” , the originality of this vow keeps “ its importance and its actuality” having “ a central place” of the Charisma and the spirit of the Institute. For instance , from the promotion of the justice , he makes a liaison between it and the 4th vow when writing :” Building a world where th education becomes the patrimony of all and where the children and the poor young have the possibilities to participate and to grow up”. This is the lasallian Dream. […] .It is in this prospect that our 4th vow of association for the educational service of the poor is located.”
The last pastoral Letter of Brother Lavaro before the end of his first mandate has the title : “ associated to, together look for God, follow Jesus-Christ, and work for his Reign”. Brother Alvaro re-affirm once more that “ We cannot live an anonym religious life “.[65] However , It’s just in Love and as love passion that this choice of life is meaningful : passion for Christ and passion for humanity”. This passion for the humanity goes especially on solidarity , presence , welcome, and accompaniment”[66] . The challenge is over particular .
d- Towards the future
From a year now, the brothers all over the world are working for the preparation of the 44th General Chapter. Documents are widely published and, in Viet Nam particularly , we tried to translate in Vietnamese as many as possible these documents that seem necessary to our studies or to discuss them in community.
A document entitled “ Being brothers today “ is already in their hands in order to prepare this 44th General Chapter of 2007. Nevertheless ” it is not just a text , it is a process inviting us to deepen our certainties and our convictions on the mystery of being brothers in the Church and in the world today” (Presentation of the brother Superior General ).
“ Being brothers today”, the preparatory comity of the Chapter want to remember us that “ all, brothers of yesterday and brothers of today, we are called to ask ourselves what do we understand by “ Being brothers today “, basing on the new interrogations and the new realities seen in the last forty years”
So many questions are sent to all the brothers , appearing in this Letter ,however as the Superior said : “ we do not try to define a new “ backbone” for the General Chapter . But we really want the brothers to have the chance ,thanks to an interactive process , to reflect on the mystery of our vocation and the new role of our community, as the first form of our association , which has to have in the very center of the great lasallian association for the educational service of the poor .
“The 44th General Chapter took place from the 30th of May to June 2nd 2007 in Rome. “ It ends and it is the departure “. By the Opening ceremonies , he put capitulants “ into a biblical demarche of Exodus to discern in the Faith what God asks for to the Institute today” by asking them to have “ opened eyes and burning hearts “ for the love of God and for the poor.
During days of prayers, reflections and discernments , the Capitulants have enough time to understand “ the importance of the lasallian vocation towards the world and the Church today”. While studying the realities of the world, the Church , the lasallian Family and the Institute, the Capitulant Brothers
Realized that “ an urgency of a conversion to Jesus spirit is required to renew ourselves deeply in order to complete our confided mission and to accomplish it in the world and the situations which are ours”. So, the themes are centralized on :
1- Association for the educational service of the poor;
2- Educative service of the poor;
3- Community Life;
4- Internal Life ;
5- Pastoral of Vocations
6- Government and animation;
7- Accompaniment of young brothers
The stand-blocks of the mission of the brothers are numerous : “ new items about The Rights of children; of the life; from the starting to the ending; the problems being created by emigrated movements …” The Chapter then sent a message to all the lasallian brothers around the world and another one to all the members of the lasallian Family to invite them to respond to it and, despite their age, they have their role-play in the vitality of the Institute and may their hearts be opened to the God call for the poor. The following chart can summarize this message.
The General Chapter invited brothers and collaborators to have their opened eyes and burning hearts to the Christ and the humanity in association for the educational service of the poor . Each district around the world assumes the responsibility of concreting this orientation according to the situations of each country, by an urgent conversion of their community and internal Life.
3. District Chapters
Since 1975,the district chapters are held once every 4 years : the 4th Chapter in 1980,the 5th Chapter in 1984, the 6th Chapter in 1987, the 7th Chapter in 1991,the 8th Chapter in 1995,the 9th Chapter in 1999,the 10th Chapter in 2003 and the 11th Chapter in February 2007.
The 4th Chapter , the first one after 1975 was carried out during the shaking epoch as it was told in the second Part . The Brothers capitulants were pretty prudent in discussing on the lasallian identity and in adopting a direct proposal . In fact, the proposition 6 expresses one of the characteristics of the lasallian life, the community life which has some relation to the identity: “ Living in community is an obligatory and
special factor of the lasallian life.” However, this proposition could be considered as an “introduction” to the next one :” the brothers who live a retired life form a community and have an elect-director approved by the brother Visitor . The brother director and the members of the community organize the way by which they can communicate themselves and can help each other as well as to be in relation with the Brother
visitor and with the District “. The “ community in Diaspora “ was born from then : a solution for the “bad step”.
The proposition 10 reveals an anxiety and a groping in the search of the how to live the lasallian Mission: “ Founding a team of apostolic volunteers under the government leading of the District to reflect, study on the apostolic lasallian activities in order to lead , to encourage and to gather the brothers .
Here are some orientations used as topics for a group reflection at the beginning :
- Searching a “ theology” for the lasallian activities in the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam .
- Studying concretely the “How” to help the brothers to engage themselves into the teaching of catecheses in the parishes . “
The proposition 11 takes the theme “authentification” of the individual activities, this is also an attempt
to go out off the false step , trying to “cure “ the lack of “disentangling time to live one’s vocation “ :
“ putting in question seriously the problem of authentification” of the individual activities so that each brother could feel “being sent” and supported by the community.
The proposition 9 of the Chapter in 1984 was just about the Subject of the religious apostolate in a pretty indeterminate and general way and not especially lasallian: “ the religious apostolate stayed firstly in the witness of the consecrated life which must be feeded by the prayer and the mortification”.
It must be till the year 1987 , a small ray of the identity can be seen at the end of the tunnel through the 6th Chapter concreted in the proposition 2 : “ In order that our Mission could take again its original vitality, the District Chapter invites each Brother to live their Witness by prayer ,sacrifice and opened mind in front of the world and the Church aspirations today , particularly of the youth ( The poor are not mentioned yet in spite of their presence is always in the Rule ) and to assume some following apostolic activities :
- Joining the catecheses.
- Contributing to the Human promotion , especially in the milieu where we live .
- Sharing our mission with the members of the Lasallian family, particularly with the lasallian Sisters.”
- The report of the 8th District Chapter in 1995 seemed more structural and having a lot of initiatives
In different domains of the religious life , the formation and the administration. The Comity of Mission suggested the propositions as following :
Mission :
· To get into the Common orientation of the 42nd General Chapter and to put in use the proposition of the 435th Circular about the Mission;
· To realize the functions of the lasallian charism facing the pressing needs of the Church and the Youth;
· To renew the district itself aiming the 3rd millennium;
· To accomplish the vow “ Together by association “
The Chapter requests :
Catechese:
1- To perfect the formation sessions of the ready existing Catechism .
2- To invite the brothers to attend more numerous to the catechese.
Here is the response from Rome regarding the 8th proposition about the Mission :
[…] As you emphasized the vow of Association as priority in your proposition, it is important for us to mention litterally the complete sentence : “ Association for the educative service of the poor” to give more force to the direction of your apostolate .
“Maybe the No 2 “ that a great number of brothers participate to the Catechism “ is still a wish if you don’t state precisely some modalities to help more brothers engage in this apostolate .
In fact, in 1995 almost 10 years after the so called “ renewal “ of 1986 , the non-precise propositions of the 8th Chapter showed a certain in affirming a clear way, easy to follow.
a- 9th District Chapter: Here are a few extracts concerning the lasallian mission in Viet Nam :
1- Observation :
[…]
1.6 About orientations of the Circular 447
· Putting in relief the identity,the lasallian charism into the program of Formation
· Needing an official document on the lasallian Spirituality being able to share with the lasallian partners.
2- Orientation :
2.1 The identity of the lasallian brothers is showed clearly in the effort to “ unify harmonically in each one the dimensions of the lasallian vocation “.
* The educational mission,especially in the domain of the poor .
2.2 Needing to deepen the lasallian identity by a work flying back the values of the 4th vow “together and by association for the educative service of the poor” which , in this prospect , clarifies our vew on the other vows.
[…]
2.5 The formers have to emphasize the following points :
* Sensitizing the young brothers in the educational servive of the poor .
* being conscious deeply of the social justice .
Comments of the author: ( It is only in the 9th Chapter of 1999 that one discusses directly on the mission and
The lasallian identity. This shows that a long required period of reflection and hard works with living experiences, studies about the reality to dare treating this subject )
· Opening on the association with the Partners.
3.Recommendations
[…]
3.4 The district has to publish quickly a document on the Spirituality and the lasallian charism.
4.Propositions
[…]
4.3 The district will organize a Session for the acctual and coming Responsibles to help them animate and accompany effectually the brothers in their community .
APPROBATION OF ROME
Commission of Mission
The 4 Resolutions of this Commission open the prospects towards the future. We applaud the 2 projects for the Great Jubelee being directly according to the priorities and orientations of the Institute today […] . The second for the unfortunate children, continues the direction from which you already seized more and more.
Reinforcing your catechetic work (2) gets its own consequences, today or for the coming days,especially on the preparation of your young brothers to get on and to widen this basic apostolate for our Institute.
b. Chapter 10, in 2003
THE MISSION
A- Educational service of the poor
1- Certified Reports
1. Four years ago, the Care of the educational service of the poor became more and more evident through out a certain number of concrete realisations of the District .
2. However, this service always required an endless conversion of the heart and the life style of
each brother in the district .
3. The priority choice in favor of the poor concerns also the lasallian Associates, capable to co-operate with the Brothers .
II.ORIENTATIONS
III . RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 5
· To stimulate the conversion according to the Gospel spirit of poverty , the district will establish concrete structures to heip :
* the persons beingin formation to get in contact with poor children .
* the young brothers in community to get occasions to live in some time at the remote and far away areas before their Perpetual vows .
IV. PROPOSITIONS
Proposition 5
· With the view of developping the educational service of the poor .
a. that the district evaluates every year this service in communities and in the centers created for this goal according to the lasallian spirit , and informs each community the results of this evaluation;
b. that the district supports concretely these Centers and intervenes in time to help them consolidate and develop themselves ;
c. that the district encourages the lasallian associates and gives them chances to re-inforce their collaboration .
Proposition 6.
· That each community bears witness to his solidarity with the other communities having works for the service of the poor and help them pratically.
Without needing to add any superfluous comments , this text of the Chapter confirms the progress to readers, the concretion and also the audacity of Capitulors of the Chapter 10 to take such clear and direct propositions concerning the Identity and the today lasallian Mission . The approbation of Rome below is the most objective appreciation and the most relevant as well.
Mission
Educational service of the poor. The two propositions in this Chapter try to re-inforce the apostolic activities of the educational service of the poor of your District in an appreciated way. We send you Compliments for your efforts to facilitate the collaboration of the partners to participate more fully to this mission as well as the appeal to the communities to associate themselves with the district in the educational service of the poor.
* * * * * * * *
4. Investigations :
I would like to cite an investigation done by brother Ho Quoc Thang . He sent it to 90 brothers of the District of Viet Nam . This is a Questionnaire on the Re-structuration of the countries belonging to the “ Pacific Asia Region , PARC “ and got 54 feetbacks . The followings are the questions concerning The Mission of the Brothers today. The response to the question 10 reflects prettily the comprehension or the concept of the vietnamese Brothers about the Mission.
[…]
10- It seems not to be clear about the Goal/Mission of the District ?
a-It is the work of the next District Chapter 24
b-The task belongs to all the brothers 03
c-The work of the District Council 02
d-Necessity to relate and to make it public largely 01
e-It is clear but not affirmed/smitten yet 04
The Total of the responses a,b,c,d,e is 30/54 . A pretty high percentage . Really, these answers, despite of their obvious differences , did not display more or less that they could not seize so clearly the lasallian Mission in the District . On the District level , after finishing the correction of the “ Chapter Acts” , the secretariat had it printed ,translated into French and English and sent it to each brother a copy in Vietnamese . Moreover, a post- Chapter commission was elected to reach every communities so that the brothers could be sensible to the spirit and the propositions of the Chapter . On the other hand , the Pastoral letters coming from Rome are all translated into Vietnamese and offered to each brother , especially to those who wanted . The Topic of the yearly Retreat is the one of the Pastoral Letter of the year . In any cases , to be conscious to the Goal/Mission of the District, the collaboration and the personal effort are mainly required .
Maybe because those who did not accept the difference between Teaching and Education , they did refuse
to engage fully themselves into the new way by a clear incomprehension . The answers to the question are the proof (brothers and lay persons including ) .
[…]
1- Is teaching different from education ? 141 answers
-different 63
-the same 67
More the haft of the answers did not distinguish the difference between Teaching and Education
For the Question : “ What do brothers and people in Viet Nam think about the lasallian Identity?”
It is not relevant to ask this question after 30 years of efforts and attempts to re-find the Way. But I mean here that people (and even brothers ) those who know the Brothers , do not understand the difference ( or refuse to understand ),it’s the same !
· What do you mean lasallian Identity ?
[67]LVN (Br. Desire’) If we mean lasallian identity what the Christian brothers did at the view of people ( Running schools ) , the fact that the brothers lost all their schools in 1975 made us think of more one added, christians, priests, even of some brothers that the lasallian Mission ended with these events. The same question :” Why don’t you want to be Priest ? “ was put to some brothers ,including me.
Personally, I experienced such a doubted moment . The judgment I did and by it I could stand on was, I think so, to continue to work with the brothers through the brothers around the world…
I think of the communion of the Saints. I would think of the 4th Vow : Together and by Association . I thought especially of the Fidelity ( Vietnamese Value ). It is our 5th vow ! For once, I have the occasion to live this 5th vow. To tell the truth, I did not think of it obviously. It was so confused as a certain underground base, a basement… Being faithful to my vocation, loyal to my brothers !
We got more or less same ideas from others….Let cite some of them :
TLS : ( ex-brother TRINH LAM SON ) . At that time I thought that the identity and the lasallian Mission
still existing but sleeping :I was formed to Teach and to Educate the young in the schools; For me, without school, it is extremely hard ! [68]
HT : ( brother HOANG THAI ). Nevertheless, I do not see so clearly the specific character of Education in my work . There was always a sort of non-clear dream to live otherwise . [69]
NCQ : ( brother Valentin NGUYEN CAO QUI ). At that time I thought that the Arrival of the Communists meant the Sentence to death for the Brothers , at least in public .[70]
TP : ( brother Jose-Mary TRUONG PHI, young) . At that time, after me , a Brother is he who engages to the religion basing on the Holy Bible and on the writings of great authors conforming to the youth mentality and this was both religious and teachers .( the response of a young brother who has no knowledge of the Past of the Christian Brothers ).
The feetbacks from old brothers may help a litle know about the vows :
NVT : What do you think about the Future of the Institute nowadays ? [71]
NPK : ( brother NGUYEN PHU KHAI ). Very vaguely . I don’t know how our brothers become in the coming days. However, I decide to stay with the brothers till the end .( Comment of the author : In fact, once he asked to be priest! I never know for what reason ! )
NVT : Do you think that the brothers can realize their Mission of Education withoyt schools ?
NVK : No, We have to have big schools to get the possibility to accomplish our Mission of education . All what we do now is just a new-plastered programme .
NVT : You always hope and stay there to wait for our schools being returned one day?
NPK : Everyday I pray God for this intention .
NVT : Is at school Educating and Teaching different from each other ?
NVK : They are different. However, we cannot do education without schools .
[…]
NPK : We must re-define the Identity of the Brothers, the lasallian Mission.[72]
TRAN QUANG ĐANG (old boy ) : I see in the Brother a “wonderful” educator, thanks to them I become what I am today: a person who only thinks to the interets of others, owns nothing. I remember that a brother receiving some money from his director for his taxi fee and when coming back, he returned the rest of the sum to the director. This act impressed me so much.
NGUYEN VAN CONG (old boy ) : The image of the brother is according to me both a good teacher and educator . The proof is that all the students of Taberd are never inferior to any other students of other schools.
We are conscious that the brothers encountered so many difficulties, especially in the domain of formation of young brothers .We would like to support the brothers in this domain in order that our future brothers could get the level of our “teachers” and they were able to respond to the recent authorities’ requests and their students surpassed us or at least … reached our level !
Regarding the question of the “image of the Brother “ , the responses are so multiple .There are only 74 persons having “ right answer”.
1-For you, what is a lasallian brother ? ( this is a multiple choice , and as a result =263 responses)
- a teacher : 21
- an educator : 35
- a religious : 26
- a religious-educator : 74
- a brother : 35
- a friend : 30
- an accompanist : 37
- like all other instructors : 05
&&&&&&&&&&&
We are in 2007 on which the diocese of Nha Trang celebrates the 50th anniversary of its foundation. On this occasion, a superb 340 colored page- Palmares was published with all the diocesan activities during the 50 past years . Twenty-three religious congregations were installed so far in this fertile land (the lasallian brothers for instance, were present there since 1933) . Each congregation had one/two pages to present to the readers its religious image : Mission and activities by photo-illustrations . The author of the article concerning the Lasallian communities wrote : “ The apostolic Mission of the Lasallian brothers is essentially to live well their vocation of religious in his simplicity and modesty…”. Maybe It is a new definition of the Christian brothers life, which had any relation with that in the Rule : the lasallian mission is to give a Christian and human education to the youth, particularly to the poor” , this is expressed precisely in Chapter 2 of the Rule of the Christian brothers Institute .This “new definition “ou “ spontaneous re-definition” still showed an unconscious non-comprehension of the meaning of Education [73] .
The 11th District Chapter will be organized in February 2007. The provincial Visitor and his Council will make an evaluation to all the brothers about what they did and also what they could not do conforming to the lasallian mission in such a situation in Viet nam. Nevertheless, the District Chapter will follow the General Chapter in order to apply the decided propositions
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
What is then “ Being Brothers today “ ? An irreversible research turning back to” our roots” : A Burning Love to God and to the poor in the heart of the foundation “ [74] is studied seriously and radically in the 44th General Chapter and especially in response to the actual needs because “ all the brothers “ are convinced that :
“ In the writings, the life and the work of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, their Father, the Holy Spirit manifests himself in a privilege way and that they have to draw out today the living principle of their conduct “ (D5)[75]
We would like to say that” the itinerary followed by Saint John Baptist de La Salle and his first associates constitutes us an important image of foundation, this means his personality, the events, and the evangelic cross-roads of his life constituting as a window helping us link into the space and the time the realities we live in different continents.”[76].
[1] Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools .(1718).ch.1,art.1
[2] Idem.,art. 3
[3] Idem., art.4.
[4] Rule of the Christian School Brothers (1978),Ch.1,art.6
[5] Michel Sauvage,Relecture de la fondation,Cahiers lasallien No55,p.268.
[6] Idem.
[7] Idem,
[8] Idem
[9] Idem
[10] Idem.,p.269.
[11]Michel Sauvage, Relecture de la fondation, Cahiers LaSalle No55,p.270
[12] Idem. No 55,p.270
[13] Declaration no11.13
[14] Michel Sauvage, Recherche de la fondation, Cahiers lasalliens No 55,p.274.
[15] Idem.,p.283.
[16] Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools,p.7
[17] J-Paul II, encyclical Vita Consecrata,Rome,25 Mars,1996
[18] C/o John Johnston, Pastoral letter,2000,page 21
[19] C/o Idem.
[20] C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale,1997,p.10
[21]C/o Idem. p.11
[22] C/o Idem,. p.18
[23]C/o Lettre Pastorale ,1991,p.17
[24] John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale 1991,p.19.
[25] Rule of the Bothers of the Christian Schools.
[26] John Johnston, Pastoral Letter,2000,p. 28
[27]C/o Alvaro Rodriguez Echeverria, Lettre pastorale,2005,p.22.
[28] John Johnston, Pastoral letter ,2000, p.28
[29]C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale,1987,24
[30] C/o Regle des Freres des Ecoles chretiens,art.25
[31] C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale,1987,p.25
[32] C/o John Jonhston. Lettre pastorale, 1989.p.21.
[33] C/o Jean-Paul II , Sollicitudo Rei Sociali,paragraphes 38,49.
[34] C/o John Johnston , Lettre Pastorale,1989,p. 27.
[35] C/o John johnston ,Lettre Pastorale, 1989,p.10.the
[36] C/o Idem.,p.11.
[37] Decret,CRIS , 26 Janvier 1987, cf Johnston , Lettre pastorale ,1989,p.11.
[38] C/o John Johnston ,Lettre Pastorle,1989,p.29.
[39] John-Paul II Sollicitudo Rei Socialis,paragraph 42,cf.John Johnston,Lettre Pastorale ,198 p. in particular,p.31.
[40] C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale ,1987, en particulier ,p.11.
[41] C/o John Johnston, Lettre pastorale,1989,p.30
[42] Rule art 32,c/o John Johnston, Pastoral Letter,1989,p.31.
[43] Rule art.32,c/o John Johnston. Lettre pastorale,1989,p.31.
[44] C/o John Johnston , Lettre Pastorale,1993,p.28
[45] C/o John Johnston ,Lettre Pastorale,1993,p.35.
[46] C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale, 1993,p.47.
[47] C/o John Johnston ,Lettre Pasterale, 1995,p.57.
[48] C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale, 1993,p.34
[49] C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale ,1996,p.18.
[50] Idem. p.18
[51] Idem. p.18
[52] Jean Paul II, Encyclical Vita Consecrata, Roma, Mars 25th 1966.
[53]C/o John Johnston, Lettre pastorale,1993,p.35.
[54] C/o Idem.,p.9
[55] C/o Idem.,p.9.
[56] C/o Idem.,p.10
[57] C/o Idem.,p.50…
[58]C/o John Johnston, Lettre Pastorale,1999, p.65
[59] Alvaro, Pastoral Letter ,2001,p.42
[60] Alvaro, Pastoral letter , April 25th 2003,p. 4
[61] Idem. p.7
[62] Idem. p. 7-8
[63] Patrick Tapernoux, About an investigation…p. 127.
[64] Alvaro, Pastoral Letter, April 25th 2003,p.10.
[65] Alvaro, Pastoral Letter, December 25th 2005,p.22
[66] Idem. p.60
[67] Annexes 1,page 2,line 36
[68] Annexes 1,line 105
[69] Annexes 1,line 150
[70] Annexes 1,line 199
[71] Annexes 1,line 269
[72] Annexes 1,line 291.
[73] This Brother is 70 and assumed different charges in the Institute before and after the event of 1975
[74] “Being brothers today “p.63
[75] “Being brothers today ‘p. 63
[76] “Being brothers today “p.64