Pope advises religious: Don't give in to pessimism over lack of vocations

Source: Vatican News

Pope Francis has advised religious not to give in to pessimism over a lack of vocations and to pray with him to "deliver us from the presumption of self-sufficiency and the spirit of worldly criticism."

Addressing representatives from the Claretian Institute of the Theology of Consecrated Life on the occasion of its 50th anniversary at the Vatican on Monday, the Pope asked the religious to pray with him: "You who feed us with tenderness, deliver us from self-referentiality, from the diabolical deception of polarizations, from 'isms.'"

Pope Francis warned that consecrated life today should not be discouraged by a "lack of vocations or by aging."

"Those who allow themselves to be caught up in pessimism set aside their faith," he continued.

"It is the Lord of history who sustains us and invites us to faithfulness and fruitfulness. He cares for his 'remnant,' looks with mercy and benevolence upon his work, and continues to send his Holy Spirit."

Departing from his prepared text according to Vatican News, Pope Francis praised the Claretians for having "humanized so, so much of consecrated life" and for their desire to implement what their founder "valued so much."

Pope Francis said religious life would find hope through the Word of God and the history and creativity of its founders.

"Religious life is understood only by what the Spirit does in each of the people called. There are those who focus too much on the external - the structures, the activities - and lose sight of the superabundance of grace in people and communities."

"Do not tire of going to the frontiers, even to the frontiers of thought; of opening paths, of accompanying, rooted in the Lord to be bold in mission," Pope Francis said.

"The Gospel teaches that there is a poverty that humbles and kills and another poverty, that of Jesus, which liberates and makes happy. As consecrated people, you have received the immense gift of participating in Jesus' poverty. Do not forget, either in your lives or in your work at the university, those who live the other poverty."

Statement from the Conference of Religious of England and Wales on the publication of the final report by the Panel of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse:

The Conference of Religious of England and Wales (CoR) would like to thank IICSA for bringing to light the acute suffering that has been inflicted over many years, and for giving victims and survivors the chance to recount their experience and to share the impact that abuse has had on their lives. We are wholeheartedly committed to learning lessons from this Inquiry and making every effort to ensure that such abuse can never happen again.  

We would like to express profound sadness and sorrow to all individuals who have been the victims and survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy, men and women in Religious congregations and those in positions of responsibility within Roman Catholic institutions.  

We are hopeful of the new structure that is now in place – the Religious Life Safeguarding Service – which has been created to replace the previous alignment arrangements with dioceses.  The RLSS is an independent team of safeguarding professionals, offering safeguarding services to the Religious of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.  

For the last twelve months, we have nominated a ‘Religious Safeguarding Lead’ – in response to IICSA’s recommendation for there to be a lead Bishop and a lead Religious for safeguarding within the Catholic Church. 

As Christians we approach safeguarding with a determination to protect people from harm - especially when they are particularly vulnerable. We acknowledge that in the past the needs of the vulnerable have not been paramount and we wholeheartedly embrace the renewed  approach to safeguarding within the Church – and continue to pray for all those who have suffered.  

FCJ Bicentenary celebrated with scholarship fund at Durham University

CCS Scholarships Students on Palace Green, Durham.

Source: CCS

The Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS) at Durham University has launched a £400,000 postgraduate scholarship fund in partnership with the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ) to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the FCJ Society.

Funded over the next four years, the Sisters want to enhance their apostolic outreach and to support ministries which are aligned with the FCJ charism, ethos and the calls of their 2019 General Chapter.

The partnership with the CCS continues the Sisters' dedication to education and chimes with one of the CCS's stated aims, to form outstanding theologians and scholars of Catholicism who will shape the future from the richness of Catholic tradition in the church, academy, and public life.

Sr Brid Liston FCJ

Sr Bríd Liston FCJ, Area Leader, commented: "it is good to be able to support the development of students in the CCS, Durham University, given the commitment of the FCJ Society to education in the North East of England, particularly in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, for over one hundred and fifty years."

Scholarship applications are open to all (subject to usual Durham University eligibility criteria), and encouraged among those hoping to pursue postgraduate research across broad themes aligned to the FCJ Chapter calls: 'Compassionate Action', and 'Care for Our Common Home'. Applications are particularly encouraged from among women in the North East of England.

Founded in 2007, the CCS at Durham University represents a creative partnership between academy and church: a centre within the pluralist, public academy for critically constructive Catholic studies of the highest academic standing. The CCS offers a wide-range of scholarships and bursaries funded by a number of partner congregations, organisations and individuals.

Rejoicing in the rich heritage of Religious Orders in education

By Sr Brenda Wallace fcj:

Sr Brenda at the launch of ROE

Religious Orders in Education, (ROE) is a collaborative endeavour launched in 2019 whose main purpose is to enrich Catholic education in England and Wales by supporting Religious Orders in their mission as trustees or founders of schools and colleges. To this end we celebrate and build on the rich heritage of Religious Orders in education and support them in continuing to articulate and develop their particular charisms.

Soon after the foundation of our Association, a working party was established to explore the formation of a Collaborative Trust with the aim of providing a service for those Religious Congregations that wish to transfer their responsibilities of educational trusteeship.

The Collaborative Trust has been given the name Gaudete, a name that proclaims that as a new community of schools we rejoice in the good news of the Gospel, we rejoice in the Holy Spirit who is enabling us to create something new and is teaching us what true collaboration means, and we rejoice in the rich heritage of Religious Orders in education. 

The Gaudete Trust will exercise, fully or in part, according to need, those legal, financial, and inspirational responsibilities of educational trusteeship that were formerly carried out by these individual congregations. The Bishops’ Conference formally approved the establishment of the Gaudete Trust as a PJP in Spring 2022 and approved the appointment of the first Foundation charity Trustees at the end of May. Membership is open to any Religious Order but there are five founding congregations: 

• Christian Brothers

• The Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle

• De La Mennais Brothers

• The Faithful Companions of Jesus

• La Sainte Union

As members of the Gaudete Trust, these Religious Orders will be able to remain engaged and involved with their schools.

The Gaudete Trust Vision and Guiding Principles for Education are available here.