Fratelli Tutti: Sister Kafka (UISG), “historic day for male and female religious life” in a synodal perspective

“It is a historic day when the representatives of the two Unions meet in a joint assembly”. Sister Jolanta Kafka, Superior General of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate and President of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), said this in her opening remarks at the first Joint Assembly of the UISG and the Union of Superiors General (USG) on the theme “Becoming sisters, becoming brothers. Consecrated life at the service of fraternity in a wounded world” held online from 26 to 28 May. “Religious life has responded with joy to the ‘Fratelli Tutti’, as we seek together the light for this difficult time. We want to give voice to our vocation to follow Jesus, a vocation we share with the whole Church. So - Sister Kafka asked - how can we take care of humanity? How can we approach the wounded? We must take care of our common family. There will always be a wounded person that needs care, but together we have to find ways for our religious life not only to be ‘outgoing’, but also able to bend down and kneel, able to come together to take care of our brothers”. “The Church is undertaking a synodal journey, and we have already started it”, the UISG President concluded: “It is an exercise of dialogue in which we are equal in contributing to the Church’s journey. We should make joint decisions that make our commitment visible”.Riccardo Benotti