a) Formation: Inalienable right and duty of every institute

7. Before entering into specifics, it seems necessary to recall that formation is an inalienable right and duty of every institute.(¹⁴) This fundamental principle is basic to this entire document and needs to be given prominence right from the beginning so that collaboration among institutes in the overall formative process can be properly understood.

7.1. Every institute has a primary responsibility for its own identity. In fact, “the charism of the founders, an experience of the Holy Spirit transmitted to their disciples to be lived, safeguarded, deepened, and constantly developed by them, in harmony with the Body of Christ continually in the process of growth”,(¹⁵) is entrusted to each institute as its original patrimony for the benefit of the entire Church.(¹⁶) Cultivating their own identity in “creative fidelity”,(¹⁷) then, means harmoniously blending in the life and mission of the People of God, the gifts and experiences which enrich it,(¹⁸) as well as taking care that religious not “become part of the life of the Church in a vague and ambiguous way”.(¹⁹)

It follows that each institute is recognized as having a rightful autonomy of life, especially of government, by means of which it has in the Church its own discipline and can keep intact and develop its spiritual and apostolic patrimony. It is the responsibility of local Ordinaries to preserve and safeguard this autonomy.(²⁰) Autonomy of life and of government implies a corresponding autonomy in the area of formation, because “the first responsibility for the formation of religious belongs by law to each institute”.(²¹)

7.2. It is in the process of formation that the charismatic identity is acquired. This identity is necessary not only for the maturity of the members in order to live and work in conformity with the foundational charism, but also for the identity and unity of the institute, as well as for the authenticity of its expressions in diverse cultures,(²²) and for the Church's communion-mission. “In fact, taking into consideration that initial and continuing formation in regard to one's own charism is the responsibility of the institute, inter-congregational formation cannot entirely fulfill the task of the continuing formation of the members. This formation must be imbued, under many aspects, with the characteristics proper to the charism of each institute”.(²³)

Thus, in keeping with these principles, when the Code of Canon Law speaks of formation in the strict sense, it refers only to the formation of religious within the context of their own institutes.(²⁴) This does not preclude, however, the possibility of collaboration which is indeed recognized and encouraged by Pope John Paul II in his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Vita consecrata. He asks that “in the perspective of a communion open to the challenges of our time, Superiors, men and women, 'working in harmony with the Bishops', should seek 'to make use of the accomplishments of the best members of each Institute'”.(²⁵)

7.3. For its part, the Church must safeguard and promote the proper character and the charismatic awareness of the institutes, making of both one of the fundamental principles of renewal for the institutes,(²⁶) because the state which is constituted by profession of the evangelical counsels is a “precious and necessary gift for the present and future of the People of God, since it is an intimate part of her life, her holiness and her mission”.(²⁷) Further, since the charism of each institute is an original and singular gift which the Spirit makes to the Church, she is concerned to assure the spiritual conditions and the juridic instruments which guarantee its fruitfulness, development, and harmony in the ecclesial communion.(²⁸)