The improved text will be presented to the new Rector Major during General Chapter 29, who will decide how and when to promulgate it.
After having studied the text over three sessions (summer 2023, winter 2023-2024, and summer 2024), the Rector Major, Fr Angel Fernandez Artime, with the General Council decided to submit it to the scrutiny of a team of confreres (cf. letter of the Rector Major to provincials, 13 July 2024, prot. 24/0362) for fine-tuning and final drafting.
The work on the Ratio is a response to the Rector Major’s invitation to the Formation Sector to carry out “a serious and demanding work of updating the Ratio” (GC28 p. 34). The Sector has been working since 2020, with multiple consultations over the whole Congregation. It currently has versions in two languages, English and Italian.
The last major revision of the Ratio dates back to 2000. The two partial revisions carried out in 2009 and 2012 were incorporated into the fourth edition of 2016.
The 2000 booklet "Criteria and norms of Salesian vocational discernment" is now incorporated into the new draft of the Ratio. The "Guidelines on Salesian Studies" (2005), duly updated, will be included as one of the 10 appendices.
Ivo Coelho, SDB
General Councillor for Formation
