The Curia Informs - Passio Christi

The Curia Informs
Circular Letter to the Congregation and to the
Passionist Family on the occasion of the
25 th Anniversary of the Approbation of the Constitutions
Dear brothers of the Congregation and the sisters and
brothers of the Passionist Family,
In 2009 we are celebrating the 25 th Anniversary of the
approbation of the Constitutions by the Holy See through
the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes,
signed by the late Cardinal Eduardo Pironio, now the
“Servant of God”.
We want to celebrate the 25 th Anniversary of their approbation
in a spirit of faith, immersing ourselves in them once
again as if we were washing ourselves in the pool of
Siloam that refreshes us and heals us, giving us the capacity
to open our eyes to the light of life like the man born
blind in the Gospel of John (Jn. 9:1-41). Therefore I invite
the Configurations, the Provinces, the Vice-Provinces, the
Vicariates, the communities and the Passionist Family to
celebrate this year as a special event for remembering and
deepening our appreciation of the values and the contents
of the Constitutions by means of studies, symposia, community
meetings and special liturgies,
assemblies, publications and whatever
other means that might be useful in each
particular setting and culture.
It is surprising how after twenty-five
years the Constitutions still have the
same freshness and authenticity as
when they were first approved and published.
They were composed through
dialog, discernment and prayer during
the General Chapter of 1982 that was
celebrated at Sts. John and Paul, I
remember the enthusiasm of the
Chapter, the first one that I attended.
The Constitutions were the fruit of a
process that began during the years following
World War II and which
received significant growth with Pope
John XXIII and with the celebration of
Vatican Council II.
They have visible roots, not only in
their inspiration, but also in the formu-
The Decree of Approbation of the Rule of 1984
Eduardo Cardinal Pironio
(1920-1998)
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