1. The Salesian Priest and the Salesian Brother Originality, reciprocity, complementarity

2. Discussion… Who is the Salesian Brother? Is his identity clear? ◦Is it given in the work that he does or does not do? ◦Can I state the identity of the Brother in a simple way?

3. Discussion… What contributes to the clarity of his identity, or the lack of it? ◦Vocation promotion: “Do you want to be a priest?” ◦Presentation of the vocation during formation ◦Visibility ◦Numbers ◦Cultural factors ◦‘Failed priests’? ◦The type of work given to Brothers?

4. Discussion… Other factors ◦Clerical mentality: e.g. novice masters discouraging candidates to the Brotherhood ◦Subtle or more open discrimination: looking down upon Brothers ◦Unhappy Brothers

5. Salesian Constitutions (1972) The pre-1972 constitutions made a simple reference to the clerical and lay composition of the Society, and then stressed the bond of brotherly love The 1972 constitutions have 2 separate articles on the priest and the brother, plus one on the young Salesian Context: questioning the role of the priest; re-statement of role of the laity

6. Salesian Constitutions (1972) Headings of C 36 and 37 in Italian: il salesiano prete, il salesiano coadiutore. In English that would be: the priest Salesian, the brother Salesian. ‘Salesian’ is intended to be a noun – a way of stressing the common vocation, the sharing in the one Salesian mission

7. The Salesian priest (1972) All Salesians bear witness to the love of Christ the Good Shepherd The priest does this “in a special way”, especially by “preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments”

8. The Salesian brother (1972) Note: the Italian uses ‘coadiutore’; the English uses ‘brother’ The theme of the Salesian brother was in the foreground in SGC and GC21 ◦awareness of the lay vocation in the Church ◦our own regression from the mind of DB The brother’s vocation: true vocation in its own right, not a second best GC21: the brother can be member of councils at all levels, local, provincial, world

9. Salesian Constitutions (1984/2003) The two articles of 1972 are combined in 1984 into a single article 45 Which expresses unity, specificity, reciprocity

10. Vocational unity The salesian vocation is the same for both Once again, ‘salesian’ is intended to be a noun: the substance of our vocation is our ‘being salesian’ Brother and priest, each responsible for the common mission

11. Vocational unity DB refused to have two classes of Salesians [when other congregations had] “Between the members of the Congregation there are no divisions” (DB) “all its members… enjoy the same rights and privileges” (Rinaldi, 1927)

12. Vocational unity The SDB will not be the same without the two kinds of members, clerical and lay “The sons of DB must stand side by side, complete one another…” (Ricaldone) “single vocation with two fundamental aspects… not simply a case of this or that confrere preferring the ministry or things temporal” (Vigano’)

13. Specificity: the Brother The Salesian brother: “brilliant creation of the great heart of DB” (Rinaldi) “the difference is not defined by a negative quality or a lack, but by a different choice” (Vigano’) [or: a different CALL] A specific, complete, original, meaningful vocation (GC21)

14. Specificity: the Brother Note: “every field of education and pastoral activity” (C 45) is open to the SB – not only the secular fields An educator who shares deeply in the pastoral ministry of the church Precisely as a lay person (the Const. also use the term ‘lay Salesian’)

15. Specificity: the Brother “things that priests and clerics cannot do” [which are these today?] ◦Seeking the KG by engaging in temporal affairs ◦Spreading the gospel and sanctifying in a non- sacramental manner His lay status makes him particularly “close… to the young and to the realities of working life”

16. Specificity: the Brother The vocation of the SB is particularly significant in our secularized world Perhaps here lies the true significance of the Brother: he is a religious, a monk, in a secularized world. Monk: from monos - witness to the One But perhaps also in non-secularized cultures, the Brother is a clearer witness to the One than the priest – simply, or also, because people do not understand his vocation

17. Specificity: the Brother All this is beautifully expressed in C 45 when it reveals the interior attitude underlying the vocation of the brother: his salesian heart anchored in transcendence, lived in temporal realities But: perhaps we are still trying to understand the vocation of the Salesian brother

18. Specificity: the Priest/Deacon The Salesian priest:sacrament of Christ, Good Shepherd [Pastor] and Head Ministerial priesthood and common priesthood: complementary and ordered to one another

19. Specificity: the Priest/Deacon From standpoint of purpose of Christian life: primacy belongs to common priesthood From standpoint of sacramental efficacy: ministerial priesthood has an essential role

20. Specificity: the Priest/Deacon But: avoid domineering, be examples (1 Pet 5,3) ◦Leaders, but also members ◦Fathers, but also brothers ◦Teachers, but mostly fellow-disciples ◦Masters, but witnesses by personal holiness

21. Specificity: the Priest/Deacon Identity and unity of life: “DB is a priest everywhere” The salesian priest feeds his heart on pastoral charity ◦To be a pastor with the heart of Christ: his first and chief task ◦pastoral charity: “revealing the Face of the Father” (Jose’ Luis Plascencia)

22. Specificity: the Priest/Deacon The Salesian priest exercises his ministry according to the Salesian charism, in the context of his community His model is DB: ‘star of the first order’, ‘true giant of holiness’ (Pius IX)

23. Specificity: the Priest/Deacon Within the one priesthood, different roles or ways of exercising the ministry (Vatican II) Common denominator: the fulfilment of his task with a priestly heart; proclaiming the Word; sanctifying/animating a community Gospel, altar, confessional: the priorities

24. Reciprocity The last paragraph of C 45 stresses the essential mutual relationship This means that in the priest, there must be some aspects found eminently in the brother; and vice versa

25. Reciprocity The salesian priesthood has no salesian meaning if not seen in relationship to the brother The lay religious character of the brother does not find true meaning without reference to the priest confreres

26. Reciprocity The priestly and lay components do not imply the extrinsic summation of two dimensions

27. Terminological clarifications [See the notes for these distinctions] Laity, as distinct from clerics Both can become religious “Their secular character is peculiar to the laity” (LG 31) Secular laity and religious laity

28. GC26: Two forms of Salesian vocation The Brothers opted not to have a separate article on the Brother The consecrated Salesian life takes priority over the diversity of forms (Cereda)

29. GC26: Two forms of Salesian vocation N. 55, God’s call: ◦to give priority and visibility to the unity ◦to understand better the Salesian contribution to the ordained ministry ◦to make greater efforts to promote the vocation of the Salesian Brother

30. GC26: Two forms of Salesian vocation N. 59, Situation: Priest: danger of an unspecific pastoral approach, a half-hearted charismatic identity Brother: vocation often not understood, because less visible and poorly presented ◦also because tied to managerial roles, not youth activities ◦Some prejudices ◦Visibility: heightened by significant numbers

31. The question of identity So here, perhaps, is our answer to the question of the identity of the SB ◦His identity is essentially linked to that of the SP (and vice versa) ◦First, because he shares with the SP a common Salesian consecrated vocation ◦Second, because he HIGHLIGHTS a certain aspect of the common vocation – just as the priest highlights another aspect ◦See, e.g., the deacon: the whole church is called to serve; but the deacon is an ICON of service in the church

32. The question of identity In other words, don’t look for clear cut answers: the SP is this, the SB is that…. Note the words used: unity, specificity, reciprocity Both SP and SB are witnesses to the transcendent Each one emphasizing a different aspect The SP: sacrament of Christ, Pastor and Head The SB: witness to transcendence in the secular world

33. The question of identity And finally: it all depends on what God is calling you to If God is calling you to be a SB – by all means, that is what you are meant to be, and there will be happiness nowhere else for you If God is calling you to be a SP – that is what you are meant to be And your happiness in your vocation will be the greatest advertisement