2. Seeking and identifying directions for the consecrated life in today’s world

    The USG, especially since 1968, has tried to meet the challenges which the world and the Church today present to the consecrated life. The principal means to this end have been the bi-annual meetings, the publication of conference papers and Minutes of these meetings, the organization of Conventions and other projects, such as vidimusdominum, the Internet site that ran for two years.

    The meetings and bi-annual Assemblies (which last three full days) have analyzed and covered varied and topical themes. The study of these themes has been extremely useful to the consecrated life. Thanks to the Superiors General and, for the last four years, the publication of booklets containing the conference papers of each Assembly, the consecrated life has had access to some valuable pointers for its renewal.

    I think it is worth listing the themes of the last 32 years, i.e. starting from 1968:

    - Collaboration between the USG and the CRIS

    - Religious life and secularization

    - Formation for the religious life. Missionary attitudes in the young Churches

    - A new kind of religious. Attitudes of the Superiors General in the face of present changes

    - New methods of participation and government in religious Institutes

    - Ministerial priesthood (in preparation for the 1971 Synod)

    - Conclusions of the Synod for Bishops: Ministerial Priesthood. Justice in the World

    - Life in community

    - Prayer

    - Religious vocation today. Relationship between the CRIS and the Superiors General

    - Evangelization and humanization

    - Evangelization and the religious life

    - The existential meaning of the vows today

    - Religious formation based on candidates’ beliefs and motivations

    - Continuing formation

    - Relationships between psychological and spiritual growth

    - The catechism, especially in relation to young people

    - Commitment of religious in the promotion of human dignity

    - Central Government. Motivation and team spirit

    - The contemplative aspect of every religious life

    - "Confirm your brothers"

    - The Christian family

    - The charism of the religious life

    - Mutuae Relationes: understanding and applying the document

    - Creativity in religious life

    - Vocations

    - Reconciliation and penitence

    - Motivation and government

    - Inculturation

    - The Brothers in our Institutes

    - Religious life twenty years after Vatican II: assessment and perspectives

    - Liberation theology

    - Religious in the face of the Synod

    - The new Mariology and its impact on young religious

    - Sollicitudo rei socialis and the questions it poses to religious

    - Religious poverty today

    - Formation of priests today

    - Religious and lay in the new evangelization

    - Authority in the religious life today

    - Religious life in Africa

    - Religious life in the Church: gift and continuing service

    - Religious in the organic communion of the Church

    - In the evangelizing mission of the Church

    - Instrumentum Laboris for the Synod on the Consecrated Life

    - Synod on the Consecrated Life. Study and reflection

    - Young people question the consecrated life

    - Vita consecrata. Dynamic fidelity to the Spirit for the Kingdom

    - The challenge of communication. Means of social communication and evangelization

    - Spirituality, the unifying experience of the consecrated life

    - Towards the future with the young religious: challenges, proposals and hopes

    - The Mission ad gentes in the life of our Institutes. Understanding, problems, challenges and perspectives

    - For a creative fidelity: refounding, re-situating charisms, redesigning presence

    - Vocations to the consecrated life in the context of modern and post-modern society

    - Charism and spirituality. A consecrated life open to the laity.