Chronicle: 5 September 2025

ORDINARY GENERAL CHAPTER 2025
Chronicle, 05 September 2025 (Friday)

We began the day with Holy Mass presided over by Fr. Javier Barba, OSA, General Assistant, who in his homily invited us to reflect on the power of one’s gaze, which can be influenced by circumstances, whether past, present, or future. No gaze is complete, and a new perspective of reality can only be obtained from that beauty, ever ancient and ever new, which is Jesus, the measure of the beauty of all novelty. This is the message of the new garment and the new wine: from this novelty, with Jesus at the center, we can renew our precepts, programs, and actions. Our hearts are the wineskins of the Gospel into which He pours the new wine. The only gaze that is certain is that of hope. Newness in the Church can arise when we take the most important step: the next one.

The morning session was moderated by Fr. Martín Davagan, OSA. After some announcements, messages addressed to the General Chapter were read: one from the Superior General of the Augustinian Missionary Sisters and another from the Bishop of Timika, Indonesia, Bernardus Baru, OSA. Afterwards, the scheduled reports resumed, followed by a space for questions or interventions. The order was as follows:

1. Report on the General Houses dependent on the Prior General and his Council, prepared by Fr. Joseph Farrell, OSA. These are: the Parish of St. Anne in the Vatican; the Papal Sacristy; the Basilica of Peace (Hippo, Algeria); the General Curia itself; and the International College of St. Monica. All of these communities have an international character, with their own peculiarities, and are financed with subsidies from the General Curia. In addition, a report was given on the Delegation of Brno (which recently inaugurated a new school); the house in San Gimignano (which, although under the jurisdiction of the Province of Italy, is made up of religious sent by the Prior General); and the international house of Nairobi (a formation house involving several African circumscriptions). In a world marked by divisions and fragmentation, these communities show that through the internationality of the Order—across different languages, cultures, and ages—it is possible to give witness to fraternity.

2. Report of the Procurator General, Fr. Edward Daleng, OSA. Statistical data of the Order can be found in the relevant reports included in the chapter documentation. Cases were reported concerning dispensations from simple and solemn vows, for both friars and nuns, as well as situations related to permissions to live outside the religious community (absentia a domo religiosa), exclaustrations, and temporary or permanent incardinations. Cases of expulsion from the Order were also reported, due to negligence in the religious state or illegitimate absences, as well as those concerning delicta graviora. A reflection followed on the reasons for leaving religious or clerical life, along with guidance on procedures for various situations. Clarifications were provided and other guidelines of interest to the capitulars. The Procurator General emphasized the importance of sending updated information to the General Secretariat regarding friars: admissions, professions, ordinations, transfers, and specific situations.

3. Report of the General Treasurer, Fr. Franz Klein, OSA. The financial balance of the General Curia for the period from September 2019 to June 2025 was presented, with an annual summary of main revenues and expenses. The economic situation of the General Curia is stable, thanks to the collaboration of most circumscriptions of the Order, primarily through the rata pro Curia. Several circumscriptions facing financial difficulties are in the process of balancing their budgets, receiving subsidies from the Curia. Special thanks were expressed to the circumscriptions of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, which, together with the nuns, help to subsidize various needs. The main subsidies of the Curia go to the general houses, the Patristic Institute, the administration of the general government, and some circumscriptions. The General Treasurer also manages a special scholarship fund. The years 2020–2021, during the pandemic, were particularly difficult, but resources were managed properly, and financial health is expected to be maintained for the next six years, despite the volatility of the global economy. Nevertheless, prudence in the use of resources and investments is always necessary, based on ethical and religious criteria, as has been sought up to now.

The session was interrupted for midday prayer, lunch, and rest. Activities resumed in the afternoon session at 16:00. As usual, the session began with the invocation of the Holy Spirit and was moderated, on this occasion, by Fr. Marco Antonio Luna, OSA. The entire afternoon was dedicated to group work (three Spanish-speaking groups, three English-speaking, and one Italian-speaking). The groups addressed all topics discussed since the beginning of the Chapter and others depending on the circumstances of their respective circumscriptions. Each group was asked to identify three challenges for the next six years. The plenary session reported that numerous topics were indeed addressed, and each group identified between three and five challenges, whose reports were submitted to the Secretariat of the Chapter for consideration in later work. At the end of the session, some groups offered clarifications. The situation in Cuba was shared, and it was reported that the property of St. Patrick’s Convent in Rome has already been sold, while the church continues to provide religious services, attended by the Paulines. The session concluded with a break, followed by Vespers and dinner.