Rex Salvilla, CICM
Vicar General
It has been two years since 2023, when the last Chapter was held. Its theme was “Witnessing to the Gospel in a Changing World.” The capitulants produced the booklet entitled “Acts of the 16th General Chapter,” which contained four Exhortations, fourteen Recommendations, and six Decrees. The most notable one is the Decree, which is about a serious case of financial mismanagement or fraud. Two years have passed. Four Roman Periods were held. Our witnessing to the Gospel continues. The world keeps changing.
Decree #1 states, “the 16th General Chapter decrees that any case of grave financial mismanagement or fraud be severely punished, requiring from its author reparation and restitution. In case of proven refusal to do so and lack of collaboration on the part of the person concerned, the competent authority shall use the procedure for dismissal from the institute. “
I believe this is the most serious decision in the Chapter, and the General Government is taking it seriously. Internal auditing of the Provinces is maintained. In the General Government, we do not let financial mismanagement and suspected financial abuses go unaddressed. We hope that the Provincial Superiors will do the same.
So many concerns were dealt with since the last Chapter. We discussed problems, appointed confreres for positions, witnessed the handover of the Provincials' Office, visited Initial Formation communities, talked with confreres, sent possible formators for training, planned for further studies, and much more.
In the year 2024, the new Provincial Governments of all our eight Provinces were formed. The appointment was not easy for the General Government, considering the consultation votes received by individual confreres, the multi-cultural character of the Provincial Government membership, as well as the competence, moral standing, health, and other relevant factors to consider. We have to find the right chemistry in the team because they have to work together. Confreres in the PG represent the whole Province, not specific works nor particular geographical areas.
From our discussions, from the readings of confidential documents, from the letters of the confreres, and from the visits to the Provinces, I learned many insights about our congregation. Here are some of my insights:
1) The most important of all is the authenticity of our CICM vocation. This is non-negotiable. The absence of a CICM vocation is the mother of all problems. After discussing a recurring problem, I have to conclude that the bottom line is the lack of CICM vocation.
2) Educate candidates who want to join our seminary that the CICMs, if needed, should be ready to go to poor places and frontier situations. Further studies are in function of our mission, and not our primary goal.
3) Follow the CICM policy when dealing with construction. Our policy is clear. But following it is beyond the comprehension of some confreres. Ignoring our construction policy creates a long-term problem that other confreres will have to face.
In 2026, halfway through our term in the General Government, we will review our accomplishments since 2023. The Convocation Letter for the General Conference has been sent by the Superior General.
An excerpt from the Convocation letter (27 June 2025):
The 2023 General Chapter challenges us to do away with the cultural entitlement, where we think we bring salvation to others. Our mission is to deepen our relationship with God and to collaborate with others. We are continually called to return to God, for without the Lord, our mission becomes our initiative. We do not own the mission. In light of this call for the 16th General Chapter, we have chosen the theme: "Put Out into the Deep" for our General Conference.
"Putting out into the deep," as I have experienced in CICM, can usually mean going out to uncharted places, to new ventures, to the frontier situation, to the marginalized, to the poor and the oppressed, to the fringes of society. In these past few years, we have opened a mission in Mongolia, a mission in Malawi, and many other difficult places. As we put out into the deep, we dig deeper into our pockets. Yes, there is a price. When we dare to go to new places, we need human and financial resources. This is the normal way the mission operates.
Article 2 of our CICM Constitution states, "We are sent to the nations to announce the Good News, wherever our missionary presence is most needed, especially where the Gospel is not known or lived…"
I do not doubt that we are faithful to Article 2 of our Constitution. We go to new places. We venture to areas where our missionary presence is most needed, especially where the Gospel is not known or lived. Going to new places has its demands: human and financial resources, visas and other legal requirements, contracts with the bishops, only to name a few.
I wish to propose another way of looking at things by posing this question: Are there new missionary situations in the places where we are now?
In the secular world, business people innovate and identify unnoticed needs. They search for a "niche." A niche is a part of the consumers who are not served or who are underserved. For example, a regular shampoo product is meant for washing the hair. But are there people who have special needs because their hair is too dry? The business people try to address this need and come up with different types of shampoo. A visit to Amazon's website will reveal many possibilities for a shampoo product. There is a dry shampoo that absorbs oil; an anti-thinning shampoo; a shampoo that reduces the signs of aging gray hair; a shampoo that slows gray hair growth; a hair fall defense shampoo; a nutritive gray hair shampoo; a root activator shampoo for men, etc. I get dizzy if I examine all those niches. I will not be surprised if, later, there will be a shampoo for increasing one's intelligence. Innovation never stops.
We can apply this creativity and innovation in our approach to the mission. Supposing a confrere is working in a parish. He can ask questions: Are there real missionary situations in my parish area that are not being addressed or are being addressed inadequately? What percentage of Catholics come to church, 30 percent? Is the 70 percent not a missionary situation, and how can it be addressed? Are there far-flung areas in the parish that are not being reached, and how can they be served instead of opening a mission in another diocese? Are there special groups, like the miners from other places, who need a special kind of pastoral care? Are there sick, disabled, or very old persons who cannot come to church?
Confreres can stimulate their creativity and innovation more actively in doing their mission. Let us revisit the Acts of the last General Chapter. For the participants of the General Conference 2026, we hope for engaging and fruitful meetings.
