"Your XXVI General Chapter comes at a time of great social, economic, political change; of worsened ethical, cultural and environmental problems; of unsolved conflicts between different ethnic groups and nations": this was said this morning by the Pope, as he received in audience the members of the General Chapter of the Salesians, which is coming to its final stage and which saw the renewal of father Pascual Chàvez as its Rettore Maggiore. Benedict XVI added that, "in this day and age, there are, after all, more intensive communications between the peoples, new opportunities for acquaintance and dialogue, a livelier debate on the spiritual values that give meaning to life", speaking of "situations that deeply involve the Church and its ability to announce the Gospel of Christ today with all its charge of hope". Then the Pope invited the Salesians to "fully live the faithfulness to the calling to consecrated life", recalling that "unfortunately the process of secularisation, which is moving on in contemporary culture, does not spare the communities of consecrated life either". (CONTINUED)
