The two years that have passed between the time of that election - which took place precisely at the time of the emergence of Covid-19 - and today, have not been an easy period, for all of humanity, as well as for Fr Á.F. Artime. All the difficulties generated by the pandemic itself, the limitations on travel, the need to recalibrate the "presence" in times of social distancing... Without forgetting also the trials experienced on an individual level, such as his father, Ángel Fernández Fernández, passing away last September; and with the terrible war that began a few days ago in Ukraine, which is causing so much suffering and has set the world back in fear.
But in the face of all this, the Rector Major proposed to respond by having recourse to Salesian resources: he pointed to hope as the stimulus that moves every Salesian in service; he recalled the luminous figure of St. Francis de Sales, the root of the Congregation, so that every activity and service be done always and only "through love".
As soon as the situation allowed it, he also resumed traveling and animating his confreres in presence: his recent visits were to Ecuador and Brazil, to animate the Spiritual Exercises with the Provincial Councils of the Inter-American and South Cone American Regions; and he will soon travel to Cameroon, to repeat the same experience of service and accompaniment in the Africa-Madagascar Region.
More generally, these first two years of Fr Ángel Fernández Artime's second six-year term as Rector have been a continuous, intense and passionate commitment to carrying out the mission entrusted to him by the 28th General Chapter, in order to make the service of Don Bosco's Salesians to the youth of today ever more effective.
As the spokesperson of the entire Salesian Family, today, on behalf of the Salesian iNfo Agency we thank don Ángel for all his service so far and we wish him well in the continuation of his mission.
