“The provincial economer is not so much an administrator or a technocrat, but rather a charismatic figure at all levels (House, Province, Congregation), who offers his services and carries out his responsibilities in all the aspects of Salesian life and mission, especially whenever the decisions taken at Province level produce inevitable economic and financial effects. It is important to point out that the role of the Economer within the Council is a very special feature of ours not to be found in all other Congregations and religious Orders” was what Bro Jean Paul Muller, Economer General of the Congregation stressed. He was the one who promoted this formation course.
During the event attended by Provincial Economers from as many as 21 circumscriptions across all seven Salesian Regions, a wide variety of topics related to all the different dimensions of the Economer's work were discussed: the ordinary management of provincial assets, the laws, norms and procedures governing his action, accounting, ethical criteria and the tools available to evaluate the different financial options, the management of solidarity, collaboration with NGOs and other relevant offices and bodies, as well as the aspects proper to the spirituality of those who through the Economy participate in an eminently religious and social mission.
To give structure and content to this quantity of topics, the Economer General’s Office made use of a team of prominent and competent speakers and experts who offered their contributions. “Given the complexity of the economic and financial issues it is now almost impossible to do so without collaboration” Dr Janko Jochimsen, a collaborator in the Office, said in his address.
He reminded also “the ultimate responsibility for administrative, economic, or financial decisions can never be handed over to members of the laity or to those of other Institutes.”
Speaking in the part dedicated to canonical and institutional regulations, economic offences and procedures, the Congregation’s Procirator General, Fr Pier Fausto Frisoli, observed: “What regulations govern church property? The assets of canonical public juridical persons are ecclesiastical assets and are, as such, subject to canon law: Universal law: CIC Book V "The Temporal Goods of the Church" cc. 1254 - 1310; Particular law: norms established by Episcopal Conferences and individual dioceses; Proper law: rules laid down in the Constitutions and General Regulations and in the Provincial Directory”.
Shedding light on the relationship between prayer and mission, on the concluding morning of Friday 10th, the Rector Major Emeritus, Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva, explained: “Jesus immediately defines his life as an evangelising mission, as a mission to preach, to proclaim the Gospel and to deliver from the evil one, from disease, from everything that makes human life a prisoner of sin and death, incapable of good, of joy, of love. Certainly, Jesus gave Himself moments of solitude, of retreat, of prayer in the night and in the desert, but for Him they were not an alternative to the mission, nor were they times in function of the mission. For Him, praying and going out to preach, to heal and to deliver from the evil one, were two aspects of a single reality. And this unity was what Jesus wanted to draw his disciples to. To be a disciple of Christ is precisely to enter into the unity of prayer and mission that Jesus lived. That is why it is important to understand what this unity meant for Him”.
Finally, in the closing words of the course, Bro. Muller offered reassurance and a guideline to all participating Economers: “Your service to the congregation is essential and we at headquarters are here to assist you. Do not hesitate to ask (…) And remember: the texts of the Congregation and the Doctrine of the Church are of fundamental importance to be able to carry out your service precisely and accurately.”
