If we lose it, we lose everything. A General Chapter without charity and union would be a hell. Preserve union with care, we can imagine our Founder saying to us today, if you want your General Chapter to succeed. God in his Providence, that is to say, in his love and concern for the life and mission of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and of Lasallian partners and associates, has called us together as representatives of our Brothers. A few of us are here by right of office or appointment, but most have been elected by the Brothers of our sectors and sent to Rome as their delegates.
Religious situations are strikingly different.
One region has 194 Brothers in temporary vows, while two regions have only one. We are conscious of our numerical diminution. We are perhaps not aware, however, that of some 500 religious institutes of men, we rank number six, after the Jesuits, Franciscans, Salesians, Capuchins, and Benedictines. Following us are the Dominicans, Divine Word Missionaries, Redemptorists, Marist Brothers, and Oblates of Mary Immaculate. As delegates we bring these realities to the General Chapter, together with the challenges, questions, and proposals of our Brothers.