Objectives of the document

6. In light of these new situations, the purpose of this document is, above all, to support the efforts made by many communities of religious, both men and women, to improve the quality of their fraternal life. This will be done by offering some criteria of discernment, in view of authentic evangelical renewal.

This document also intends to offer reasons for reflection to those who have distanced themselves from the community ideal, so that they may give serious consideration again to the need for fraternal life in common for those consecrated to the Lord in a religious institute or incorporated in a society of apostolic life.

7. For this purpose, the document is structured as follows:

a) Religious community as gift: before being a human project, fraternal life in common is part of God's plan and he wishes to share his life of communion.

b) Religious community as place where we become brothers and sisters: the most suitable channels for building Christian fraternity by the religious community.

c) Religious community as place and subject of mission: specific choices which a religious community is called to carry out in various situations, and criteria for discernment.

To enter into the mystery of communion and of fraternity, and before undertaking the difficult discernment necessary for renewing the evangelical radiance of our communities, we must humbly invoke the Holy Spirit, that he may accomplish what he alone can do: "I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. You shall be my people and I will be your God" (Ez. 36:26-28).