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

The Salesian Priest and The Salesian Priest and the Salesian Brotherthe Salesian Brother

Originality, reciprocity, complementarity

Discussion…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?


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?


Other factors◦Clerical mentality: e.g. novice masters

discouraging candidates to the Brotherhood◦Subtle or more open discrimination: looking

down upon Brothers◦Unhappy Brothers

Salesian Constitutions (1972)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

Salesian Constitutions (1972)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

The Salesian priest (1972)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”

The Salesian brother (1972)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

Salesian Constitutions Salesian Constitutions (1984/2003)(1984/2003)

The two articles of 1972 are combined in 1984 into a single article 45

Which expresses unity, specificity, reciprocity

Vocational unityVocational unity

The salesian vocation is the same for bothOnce 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


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)


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’)

Specificity: the BrotherSpecificity: 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)


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’)


“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 mannerHis lay status makes him particularly

“close… to the young and to the realities of working life”


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 OneBut 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


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

Specificity: the Priest/DeaconSpecificity: 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


From standpoint of purpose of Christian life: primacy belongs to common priesthood

From standpoint of sacramental efficacy: ministerial priesthood has an essential role


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


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)


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)


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

ReciprocityReciprocity

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


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


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

Terminological clarificationsTerminological clarifications

[See the notes for these distinctions]Laity, as distinct from clericsBoth can become religious “Their secular character is peculiar to the

laity” (LG 31)Secular laity and religious laity

GC26: Two forms of Salesian GC26: Two forms of Salesian vocationvocation

The Brothers opted not to have a separate article on the Brother

The consecrated Salesian life takes priority over the diversity of forms (Cereda)


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


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

The question of identityThe 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


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 aspectThe SP: sacrament of Christ, Pastor and HeadThe SB: witness to transcendence in the secular

world


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

Documents

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