CLOSING SPEECH
I thank the Lord that throughout these days He poured His Holy Spirit into us, guiding us in the work of the Chapter and above all opening our hearts and minds to listen to the cry of the suffering world, discerning the will of God. The spiritual environment and the opportunity given to us by the Pauline Fathers at the Shrine fostered an atmosphere of discernment and prayer.
I wish to thank the whole Family of Saint John of God for the trust placed in me, as Superior General, to guide the life of our Order: a call from the Lord to carry out this service to the Church and the Order. t is a great responsibility which I take on with faith and hope, certain that you will not fail to help me, and I trust in the grace of God ready to support me along the way despite my poverty and limitations. place this Sexennium under the protection of Mary, Our Lady of Patronage, St John of God, our Founder, and all the Saints and Blesseds of the Order.
I thank the Chapter for the confidence given to the Brothers with whom I shall carry out this mission in communion and co-responsibility: to each one of them a heartfelt thank you. From now on we will need the support and prayers of the whole Family of Saint John of God.
2. A Good Samaritan for our time
"John of God was a great saint of the Church in the 16th century and the testimony of his life continues to be relevant in our time. He was a man strongly touched by the grace of the Lord, a man who did not resist divine grace. He committed himself to the generous fulfilment of God's will in his life under the guidance of St John of Avila, his spiritual director. St John of God is called the Saint of Charity, the Father of the Poor, because he truly identified with the marginalised, to whom he devoted his best energies with true charity'. May he himself give us the apostolic courage and the sensitive heart to alleviate the sufferings of Christ who always knocks at our doors in the guise of the recipients of our mission.
3. The pillars to shape our future
We have reached a turning point in our common journey, a challenging time, but one that holds great promise for the years to come. Faced with the challenges that await us, our commitment can only be profound and courageous. I would like to highlight a few points enriched by the Lines of Action approved by the Chapter that will guide our steps and direct our mission over the next six years
a) Rekindling the flame of our vocation and consecration
In a world changing at an unprecedented speed, it is essential to return to the source of our commitment. The message of the Gospel and the example of our founder, St. John of God, invite us to bold radicalism and radiant simplicity. Let us take root every day in an authentic spiritual life, nourished by prayer, discernment and fraternal support. Let formation, initial or ongoing, help us to deepen our charism and embrace the realities of our time with faith and hope. Together, let us keep the spirit of our consecration alive, so that our every action bears the imprint of Christ's love.
b) Transmitting and sharing a common culture of hospitality
Our mission can only be fully realised in communion. To all the lay people who share our mission of hospitality: you are our fellow travellers, co-responsible for this adventure which is also yours. Let us build together an inclusive "governance" in which everyone, Brothers and lay co-workers, feel part of the mission. Let us forge a strong and stimulating common identity, capable of overcoming cultural boundaries and uniting people around the values that unite us. We ensure that the formation we offer everyone is imbued with our charism, but also open to contemporary issues. We encourage participative leadership, based on respect, listening and mutual trust, and we enthusiastically pass on this torch of hospitality to future generations.
c) Cultivating boldness and creativity to meet emerging challenges
We must be attentive to new forms of vulnerability and suffering. The needs of the most vulnerable are changing and it is our responsibility to innovate in order to respond to them carefully and effectively. Let us strengthen our care practices by integrating bioethical dimensions, involving recipients and paying special attention to the mentally distressed, the isolated, the homeless and those living their last days of life. Let our care be characterised by humanity, humility and spiritual quality, respecting the dignity and freedom of each individual.
Together, Brothers and lay collaborators, the future of our Order can rest on our ability to embody these guidelines with courage, respect, inclusiveness and determination.
May the Holy Spirit enlighten and strengthen us so that, in every act of our mission, the love and acceptance of Christ may shine forth. Together, let us advance with faith and perseverance along this challenging and profoundly liberating path.
d) Discerning with serenity about our structures
The Hospitaller Order is at a turning point in its history. Some of our structures no longer reflect today's reality. The figures are clear: we must urgently rethink our organisation. Refusing to evolve means abandoning our mission of Hospitality. It is essential to explore new avenues, to consider interprovincial collaboration or even merger, to optimise our resources and our impact. L et us step out of our comfort zone, out of our routines, out of those patterns that close us to change! Our goal is clear: to embody modern, innovative and collaborative hospitality.
Our government has the responsibility to guide the Order towards this transformation. Collective discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit and fuelled by everyone's ideas, is essential.
Let us analyse the data objectively and courageously embark on the path of change. Let us not let fear paralyse us. Let us seize this unique opportunity to perpetuate the work of St. John of God. Let us act with boldness, innovation and hope. Together, let us build a solid and relevant Order for the 21st century.
4. Style of Government
We want our Government to have as its starting point dialogue to strengthen communion, collegiality with the Provincial Superiors, while recognising their responsibility and authority. Synodality by using the experience gained during the preparation of this chapter to give more space and voice to the whole Family of Saint John of God.
the work in the various regions in coordination with the General Curia through the General Commissions. Involve members of Our Family more in the commissions.
5. THANKS TO BROTHER JESUS ETAYO
I would like to sincerely thank Brother Jesus Etayo, who has been our Superior General these past twelve years. Thank you for your indefensible love for the Order and the Church, expressed with generosity and great dedication during these years full of passion for Christ and St John of God.
souhaite exprimer ma profonde appréciation et ma gratitude pour le service dévoué à l’Ordre au cours de ces longues et complexes années. Avec conscience et lucidité, vous avez su naviguer au milieu des défis parmi les plus ardus que nous ayons jamais rencontrés ! Avec une vision claire, vous n’avez jamais laissé place à des choix contraires à la logique du respect de la dignité humaine.
Affection, skill, prowess, esteem and understanding. This is how I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude for his service to the Order over these long and complex years. Consciously and with lucidity, he had the ability to move in the midst of the most complicated challenges ever! With the clear perspective of leaving no room for choices that would have gone beyond the logic of respect for human dignity. Under His guidance, we learnt how to overcome new challenges with rationality and above all with humanity. Facing adverse events (ebola, wars, covid 19...economic crisis etc) and coming out of them limiting the damage; this was the true humanitarian achievement for me. Your ability to lead the crisis with empathy and integrity will leave an important and lasting imprint on me and others. I hope to continue to build on these solid Values that you placed as fundamental, that you always put first, the future of our Hospitaller Order in order to honour your service through the future successes of us all. Thank you for living up to them, you have been an inspiration to me.
I wish you all the best for your future, and I am sure that you will continue to serve our beloved Order with the same courage and commitment as always. I personally know that I will be able to continue to rely on your experience and your closeness.
Thanks also to Brother Brian O'Donnell and Brother Donatus Forkan, former Superiors General of the Order, for their support, their vision for the Order and their closeness. Here I would also like to recall the memory of Brother Pascual Piles, former General and Brother Giampietro Luzzato former General Councillor. (...)
6. Conclusion
"Hospitality In a Changing World": these few words sound like a call, the one we have chosen to lead this 70th General Chapter. It is a call born out of deep reflection, guided by more than one hundred groups in our Provinces, who have explored the ways of renewed hospitality in a changing world.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, here we are, Brothers, co-workers and lay people, forming a vibrant mosaic of over 110 souls, united in the same fraternity for a month. In these first two weeks, with our lay co-workers, we have forged strong bonds, exchanged ideas and hopes, and mapped out the path together for the next six years.
Like the grain of wheat that gives itself to the earth to be reborn as an ear of wheat, we aspire to be transformed, to 'die' to our individuality in order to grow in unity, mutual help and cooperation. It is in this spirit of communion, the precious legacy of our Father St. John of God, that we will be able to respond to the cry of the most fragile, those who suffer in body and soul.
We listen to the suffering of the world, we go forward with courage and confidence, hand in hand. We are not afraid to go deep, because the Lord, Our Lady of Częstochowa and St John of God are watching over each one of us. As they watch over our Brothers, co-workers, volunteers in Ukraine, the Holy Land, Benin, Cameroon and Mozambique.
The St John of God family gathered here during this Chapter showed its solidarity by collecting the sum of 140,367 Euros for the project to be carried out in Ukraine.
Wishing you a safe journey home, please convey our dear greetings to the whole St John of God family; our sympathy to those who are sick. Do not forget to pray for the General Government.
May the Lord, our merciful Father, Our Lady of Czestochowa, who accompanied us throughout the Chapter, the Archangel Raphael, our Elder Brother, our Father Saint John of God, and all our Saints and Beati accompany us, protect us, guide us and help us throughout the sexennium that is about to begin.
Thank you all