From left to right: Fr Manuel, Fr Thaddée, Fr José Antonio, Fr Benzy, Fr Fiorenzo
At its meeting on 26 January 2024, the new General Council set up the new International Commission (CEFO), which will be accompanied by Father José Antonio Rivera Ruiz, a General Consultor.
Since the new committee comprised 12 members, it was necessary to hold a meeting of a working group before the first meeting of the full committee in order to discern the way forward and prepare for the committee meeting.
For this purpose a small group ("working group"), made up of Father José Antonio, Father Fiorenzo Salvi, Father Mupapa Thaddée, Father André Guitton and Father Manuel Barbiero, was convened in Rome on 2 and 3 July 2024. Father Guitton, because of his age (97), took part in the meeting by zoom on the morning of 3 July.
The "working group" met in Rome on 2 and 3 July.
On the first day we looked at the expectations of the General Chapter and the General Council and identified two priorities:
- To prepare a new generation of experts on Father Eymard;
- To suggest new projects to promote better understanding and knowledge of Father Eymard.
On the morning of the second day, we had a meeting by zoom with Father André Guitton. We informed him of what the General Council was asking of CEFO and of the discussions it had had with us.
Father Guitton shared his thoughts with us. He also highlighted the problem of transmission and the problem of forming researchers.
We live in very different times to those in which Father Eymard lived, so the questions we must ask ourselves are: how can we continue his charism, how can we insert ourselves into the journey of our world and our Church with the charism of Father Eymard?
We must always situate Father Eymard's thinking and at the same time be attentive to the challenges of today's world.
There is also the challenge of inculturation. How do you translate Father Eymard's thinking into a different cultural context (Asian, African, American, etc.)?
Instead of looking for what Father Eymard had to say on themes that are our own (synodality, the role of women, etc.), we need to let ourselves be inspired by him, by his life, by his love for the Eucharist, by his openness to the Spirit, and so on. It is up to us to find the answers for today.
We cannot do everything, there are choices to be made. We need to draw up a simple and objective programme.
Father Guitton recalled that in 2025 there would be the centenary of the canonisation of the Curé d'Ars. In 1925 the Curé d'Ars was declared a Saint (31 May) and Father Eymard was declared a Blessed (12 July).
Before closing the CEFO meeting, we outlined the commission's short-term objectives.
First of all, a meeting with the whole group for a formation session.
We mapped out how this meeting might go.
- Introduction: watch the film/documentary "Saint Peter-Julian Eymard, the sun of the Eucharist" (2018). Give an overview of the historical, ecclesial and social context.
- Trace the history that led the Congregation to produce the electronic and printed edition of the "Complete Works".
- Present "the criteria for interpretation and literary genres"; the "Introductions" to the four sections (Correspondence, Personal Notes, Rules and Statutes, and Preaching); the website (www.eymard.org) and the various ways of using the site.
- For the continuation of each person's personal formation, a Eymardian bibliography and a list of documents on the Eucharist will be provided.
We have indicated the dates: 12-17 May 2025; 19-24 May 2025; 30 June - 5 July 2025; it will be up to the General Council to choose and indicate where the formation session will take place.
We have not specified the possible projects and contributions of the CEFO.
In the immediate future, we suggested that priority should be given to the journey begun with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the approval of the Rule of Life, and to accompanying the Rule of Life with Father Eymard; that another area of work could be his correspondence (his counsels about for family life, spiritual guidance, etc.).
Father Manuel told us that he has begun work on the Saint-Maurice Retreat, Father Eymard's last personal retreat, his spiritual testament.
And finally, given that 2025 is also the year of the Jubilee, we will simply have to recall the anniversary of the beatification (12 July 2025).
Father Manuel Barbiero, sss
