The 3rd general assembly of the superiors major of male religious orders operating in Russia (CORSUM) was held near Moscow in recent days, with the participation of over 40 delegates from all over the Russian Federation and representatives of religious from Ukraine and Latvia. “The lessons of the past, the evaluation of our methods and the style of our mission oblige us to look to the future – said the President of CORSUM, Father Mariano Jose Sedano in his introductory address -. In this culture, profoundly marked by Christian roots and rich in possibilities, we have – he continued – the opportunity to give a new face to the religious communities of the universal Catholic Church”. For the first time, a Russian Orthodox monk, from the monastery of the Trinity of St. Sergius Dionysius, participated in a CORSUM assembly. He spoke of the role of monasticism in the evangelisation of Russia and in Russian culture. Bishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewic of Moscow also addressed the participants. He thanked the institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life that fifteen years ago responded with generosity to the appeal of the Russian bishops to help them in their pastoral activities, due to the lack of local vocations. The bishop asked the religious to participate more regularly in meetings with diocesan priests to clarify the problems that often arise between diocesan clergy and religious. “There are already too few of us Catholics in Russia – said Kondrusiewicz – so there’s no need for any divisions among us”. The Bishop of Moscow also proposed that contacts with Orthodox religious be stepped up and a joint conference be held on the theme “Western and Eastern monasticism in response to the needs of our time”. Msgr. Kondrusiewicz also asked superiors to provide seminary training for religious in Russia, and not abroad, so as to avoid subsequent problems of inculturation.
