The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

These criteria can become markers along our journey. They will help us deepen our experience of consecrated life, and direct us in the choice of our goal in the journey we are to undergo in these times. Consecrated life, more than ever today, is called to become a fire that ignites other fires and “lights up the heart” (Benedict XVI). It is called to fervor, intensity of prayer, evangelical radicalness, and service in mission proper to the missionary and the disciple. In the last few decades, communities have been offered various proposals: consecrated life present in one’s area, the thrust of renewal itineraries, the Emmaus journey, the preferential option for the poor, the horizon and the process of arriving at a mystical and prophetic life, economy at the service of the mission, new foundations in the periphery, processes of revitalization and reinvigorating the charismatic identity, the commitment for a just and fraternal society, greater sensibility in regard to fraternity in life and in the apostolic activity, prayerful reading of the Word, the mission shared with the laity, restructuring, nearness to the young…. We have the impression of having wanted to change everything, and notwithstanding, we changed very little. It is as if we missed out on the flourishing of a consecrated life that is more faithful to Jesus Christ and the charisms received from our Founders; as if we had need of assuming risks and abandoning false securities. All this presupposes the reform and easing of structures, and using them for animation and revitalization of the consecrated life. The inter-institutional “itinerant” team of Amazon (Brazil) wrote a very enlightening text regarding institutional “lightening up”—a challenge aimed at producing an agile body in view of an abundant and fruitful evangelical life and a renewed mission, in agreement with and at the forefront of the consecrated life. Our institutions are undergoing a profound change of spirit and organization. All over the world, consecrated life is going through a difficult moment of transition: present structures no longer provide the answers like in the past, and 2   new structures must be born and emerge from a new spirit. For this reason, it is necessary to point to a new paradigm.