Sodalitium’s Superior General in an audience with Pope Francis

As part of his visit to Rome, last Saturday, October 30, our Superior General, José David Correa, was received in a private audience by the Holy Father Francis in the Library of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. During the meeting, our Superior General shared with the Pope the changes that are being made in view of the comprehensive renewal of our community after the election of our new authorities at the V General Assembly in January 2019.

Pope Francis and José David Correa in the Library of the Apostolic Palace (Vatican)

José David thanked Pope Francis for the support that the Holy See has been providing to our community over the years through the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA). Especially through its delegates. Currently the Sodalitium has three pontifical delegates: Fr. Fray Guillermo Rodríguez OFM, Delegate for the general government; Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda SJ, Delegate for formation and advisor for the reform of the Constitutions; and Card. Joseph Tobin CSsR, Delegate for Economic Affairs.

In the dialogue, our Superior General informed the Holy Father about the current situation of Luis Fernando Figari. As well as the state of fulfillment of the measures that were given by the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in 2017.

Our Superior General also shared the situation of the Society in the various cities of the nine countries where we developed our apostolic service. They talked about the changes introduced in the initial formation and the renewal of the Ratio Formationis, the basic document of the whole sodalite formation. The Holy Father showed special interest in people who approach the community with vocational concerns and in the changes that have been introduced during the initial formation process.

José David Correa (accompanied by our brother the Deacon José Miguel Montoya) gave Pope Francis an image of Saint Joseph made by a Peruvian craftsman

They also discussed the progress of the Commission for the Revision of Constitutions, which has just concluded a meeting in Rome.

The Holy Father also received updated documentation from our Superior General on the process of listening, caring for, and repairing victims. As well as the actions carried out in the line of the prevention of abuses inside the communities and of the apostolic works of the Sodalitium; on the situation of current legal processes in Peru; and also on the economic situation of the Society, which is audited and sent periodically to our Pontifical Delegate, Card. Joseph Tobin, CSsR.

As part of the “Year of St. Joseph” that the whole Church lives, our Superior General presented a Peruvian craft with an image of St. Joseph that the Holy Father called “St. Joseph in Glory.”

Other activities in Rome

During his official visit to Rome, José David Correa met on several occasions with the Secretary of the CIVCSVA, Mons. José Rodríguez Carballo OFM. He has also accompanied the meetings of the Commission for the Revision of the Constitutions that took place in person in the first days of October in this city.