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Context … the Story
The call to religious brotherhood-"a state of life complete in
itself "(Perfectae Caritatis §10) - is a call to grow to the full potential of
our manhood. We draw on our personal gifts, accept our limitations and avail of
the opportunities to choose life in order to grow to maturity as balanced and
integrated persons.
The Gospel vision of life in its radical vowed form is at the heart of religious
life giving it meaning and direction. Any serious diminishment in living the
gospel vision whether in our personal lives, as communities or in our ministries
leads to death rather than life.
There are signs of death in our congregational story. Such signs include undue
severity of discipline, harshness in community life, child abuse, an addiction
to success, canonising work to the neglect of our basic human needs for
intimacy, leisure and love. Today we have been made painfully aware of these
aspects of our sinful history.
We acknowledge and accept the truth of our fragility. Our eyes have been opened
to our deficiencies in the areas of psychosexual development and the affective
dimensions of our lives. We accept that those aspects of our congregational life
which do not foster human growth need to be addressed.
Direction … The Dream
We as brothers acknowledge and share our brokenness and fragility and claim the
growth that God's healing brings to us.
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