Following the formal acceptance of the role and the solemn profession of faith, the two shared a friendly hug, during which they likely exchanged words of promise and gratitude for the responsibility they will carry together for the next six years.
Guiding the 220 members of GC29 through this Spirit-led decision-making process was Fr. Amedeo Cencini, a Canossian priest. Since Sunday, he has been leading spiritual retreat to help the participants adopt the right mindset. The challenge at hand was to identify the best candidate among the 2,701 eligible Salesian priests who meet the canonical conditions to lead and govern the Congregation, based on the profile outlined by the Chapter members themselves.
Over the past weeks, six commissions—composed of Provincials and Delegates from around the world—have established three key criteria for the voting process: defining the expectations for the roles of Rector Major and his Vicar, identifying the specific qualities required for these positions, and proposing potential candidates to assess possible “convergences.”
Fr. Cencini emphasized that the goal is not simply to achieve a majority but to find true convergence. The selection process within a religious family is not driven by typical “assembly” rules but rather by a “synodal” approach. The GC29 Chapter members had already practiced this method in previous weeks when they worked on refining the responses to key themes from Provincial Chapters and turning them into concrete commitments for the future.
On the morning of Wednesday, March 26, Fr. Cencini summarized the various needs expressed by the commissions, drawing encouragement from the first election—the Rector Major’s. He expressed gratitude, saying: “Thank you for the welcome, for the kindness, for the fraternity you shared yesterday. You supported each other with prayer and openness to the Spirit. You found yourselves in the Cenacle of a Pentecost to be lived and shared.”
The ideal profile for the Vicar called for a person who is “serene, discreet, welcoming, a good listener, humble, and balanced”—a high standard that might seem difficult to meet but, as Fr. Cencini pointed out, can be realized through deep spirituality and the spirit of Don Bosco. He also noted that this profile is essentially the same as what is expected of all Salesians in leadership roles, including the Provincials participating in the Chapter: “It is, in a way, a self-definition,” he remarked, both encouraging and challenging them.
After a quick consultation and a brief break, the Chapter members reconvened mid-morning and once again entrusted Fr. Martoglio with this responsibility. His leadership had already been evident during his time presiding over GC29—a responsibility that now formally returns to the Rector Major, Fr. Attard.
With this phase completed, the participants spent the rest of the day in commissions, this time organized by region. Their task was to define the expectations and profile for electing the General Councillors for Formation and Youth Ministry.
