4. The indications of the document "Consecrated Persons and their Mission in Schools, Reflections and Guidelines (October 28, 2002)

On the occasion of the XXXVII anniversary of the promulgation of the declaration Gravissima educationis  of Vatican Council II, the Congregation for Catholic Education, considered opportune to publish the document Consecrated Persons and their Mission in Schools.

        The document has an introduction (nn. 1-6), a conclusion (nn. 81-84) and two parts, of different length. The first one is entitled: "Profile of Consecrated Persons" (nn. 7-28) and the second one: "The Educational Mission of Consecrated Persons Today" (nn. 29-80). The first part is articulated in the following four sections: "At the School of Christ the Teacher" (nn. 7-11);  "Radical Response" (nn. 12-14); "In the Church Communion" (nn. 15-21); "Before the World" (nn. 22-28).

        The document, which had a long gestation period, was finished after the apostolic Letter Novo millennium ineunte and after the Instruction Starting afresh from Christ. In fact, these two documents are quoted and have been used. This document was finished and published before the publication of the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae.  This is not the moment to examine all the points of the document or to make an evaluation of all its content. In no way do I intend to deny its merit. My task today is to examine and evaluate the presence of the elements of the programme "Starting afresh from Christ with Mary" in these documents.

The concrete formula "Starting afresh from Christ" was never used in the first part. In the center of the content of this part, nevertheless, is found Christ, the Teacher, from whom consecrated persons have to start afresh in order to exercise, in an adequate way, their educational mission in the school during the new millennium. In the first part, in fact, is presented the profile of consecrated persons especially from the Christological point of view. It begins treating this by a long quotation from the beginning of the exhortation Vita consecrata.  Then the work is continued proposing again and using determinate Christological expressions of numbers 5, 18, and 22 of the Exhortation.  The document then presents an identity card of consecrated persons which is highly Christological: "By the force of their identity, consecrated persons constitute 'a living memorial of Jesus' way of living and acting as Incarnate Word in relation to the Father and in relation to the brethern' (VC 22)"  (n. 25). The document deserves to be praised for the way in which it has presented this point, which is the central point.

        The formula "Starting afresh from Christ" appears only in the conclusion of the document.  It is concrete and it is commented as follows: "It is a matter of discovering and renewing an awareness of one's own identity, finding again the inspiring nucleuses of a skilled educational professionalism to be rediscovered  as a way of being that represents an authentic vocation.  The root of this renewed awareness is Christ. Consecrated persons working in schools must start from him to find again the motivating source of their mission.  Starting afresh from Christ means contemplating his face, pausing at length with him in prayer to then be able to show him to others. It is what the Church is called to accomplish at the beginning of the new millennium, conscious that only faith can enter the mystery of that face (cfr, NMI 19). Starting again from Christ is, therefore, also for consecrated men and women, starting afresh from faith nourished by the sacraments and supported by a hope that does not fail : 'I am with you always' (Mt 28, 20)" (n.82).

          The Marian aspect of consecrated life is not proposed in the document in an adequate manner. To it are dedicated only the eleven lines - which are the best - of the last number of the first part. The first two lines read:  "Consecrated persons find in Mary the model to inspire them in their relations with God and in living human history" (n. 28).  The Marian description of consecrated life given in number 28 is certainly incomplete. In it, for example, is completely absent the aspect of "Mother". Mary is never presented as Mother of God, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christians or Mother, in a particular way of consecrated persons. In a document of this type, it would have been very appropriate, for example, some brush-strokes on Mary, "educator of Jesus", and "teacher" of the form of life of consecrated persons.

        The reader experiences a certain sense of disillusionment when being aware that also in the whole of the second part there is no mention at all concerning the convenience of educating, at least in the Catholic school, also to a Christian life which is solidly Marian. The name of Mary appears only once in the 84 numbers of the document, that is in number 28 already mentioned.

         In conclusion this document offers to consecrated persons good guidelines to "start afresh from Christ" at the beginning of the new millennium in the exercise of their educational mission in the school. On the other hand, the orientations to do "with Mary" are not sufficient. Therefore, even after the publication of this document, the most solid and complete description of the programme "Starting afresh from Christ with Mary" as consecrated persons is found in the exhortation Vita consecrata.