“If we are not structured around compassion, everything we do will be irrelevant.” With these words, Father Alejandro Moral Anton began his farewell address at the end of his twelve-year term as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine. Delivered today within the context of the General Chapter underway in Rome, his speech was both an expression of gratitude and a prophetic charge. After retracing the key stages of his ministry – from formation to leadership of the Order, including trials such as the pandemic and painful decisions –
Father Moral outlined three priority areas for authentic renewal: formation, “solid and continuous, capable of preparing mature religious rooted in the Word”; community life, “less tied to works and more focused on missionary fraternity”; and the sharing of goods, “a Gospel sign of interior freedom and credible witness”.
It is a call not to merely manage the ordinary, but to rediscover the courage of vision: “We possess great values, we have energy and capacity,” he said. “We must simply rediscover the joy of our vocation, the passion for communion, the courage to bear witness.”
(Foto Agostiniani)
A week of listening, fraternity, and synodality
The Chapter, inaugurated on 1 September with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Pope Leo XIV in the Roman basilica of Saint Augustine, brought together friars from around the world, alongside religious sisters, lay people, and members of the Augustinian family. In his homily, the Pontiff urged participants to safeguard a spirit of listening, unity, and humility: “Let no one believe they have all the answers. Let each share openly what they have. Let all receive in faith what the Lord inspires, in the awareness that ‘as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways’.”
In his greeting, Father Moral thanked the Pope for his closeness and renewed the Order’s fidelity to the Apostolic See. In the following days, the Chapter’s sessions included celebrations, presentations, moments of Adoration, symbolic visits, and group work.
Of particular note were the reflections of Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín, an Augustinian and Under-Secretary of the Synod, who presented religious life as a “place of prophecy” to be rethought in light of the present kairos. “The beauty of our history, as Augustinians, is that it continues to unfold,” said Father Joseph Farrell, President of the Chapter. “There is no final chapter. We can always add new pages, guided by hope.”
(Foto Agostiniani)
Rooted in the Word, reaching towards God
Beyond the data, statistics, and analysis, what emerges forcefully in this first week is the desire to return to the essentials: the Word, the charism, fraternity. “Let the one who presides not consider himself blessed because he rules with power, but because he serves with charity,” Father Moral reminded, quoting the Order’s Constitutions. His conclusion, entrusted to a prayer, became a shared invocation:
“Bless our Order, Lord. Grant the new Prior General the wisdom and charity of service. May we, following the example of our father Augustine, live united in heart and soul, reaching towards You.”
It is in this fidelity that the future is measured. The concreteness of numbers intertwines with the hope of communion, as the Chapter continues its path of discernment, amidst official acts and moments of silence, formal meetings and fraternal listening. “It is not enough to administer what exists,” Father Moral reiterated. “We must rethink our religious life in fidelity to the charism. This is the time for renewal.” The first votes are scheduled for Monday. There is anticipation for a surprise visit from Pope Leo XIV.
