Pascual Chavez Villanueva – “Inculturation of the salesian charism “So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could” (1Cor 9,19)” in “Acts of the General Council of the Salesian Society of St John Bosco”

The Rector Major begins by marking the start of three years of preparation for Don Bosco’s bicentenary, urging readers to embody Don Bosco’s love for the young. Drawing from Saint Paul’s example of selflessness in evangelization, the author emphasizes the importance of identifying with those they serve. They then discuss the pressing need for inculturating the Salesian charism, stressing the challenge of adapting to diverse cultural contexts while remaining faithful to the core values of the Salesian mission.

Contents:

• “The Law of all evangelisation”
• Changing cultural paradigms
• • Globalisation
  • Interreligious dialogue
  • The youth situation
  • The digital world, a continent to be leavened

• The early Church, a model and norm for inculturated evangelisation
• • A mission which succeeds because it is well inculturated
  • Unity in faith, diversity the way it is lived
  • Remembering the poor
  • A living together that brings problems with it
  • The fact and the principte
• Looking at Don Bosco
  • A gesture very much to the point
  • “Some special souvenirs”
  • “We want souls and nothing else”
  • “Always remember that God wants us to exert all of energies for poor and abandoned children”
  • “A mission having been started efforts should always be made to set up and consolidate schools”
  • “God called the poor Salesian Congregation to promote ecclesiastical vocations among poor youth”
  • “Absolutely all of you can become true evangelical labourers”
  • “Let the world know that you are poor”
  • “With the gentlenesss of Saint Francis of Sales the Salesians will draw to Jesus Christ the peoples of America”
  • “Constantly promote devotion to Mary Help of Christians and to the Blessed Sacrament”
• Conclusion

Reference time period: 2011

Reference institution:
Direzione Generale SDB