/en/irma/644/interculturallivinganurgentchallenge
Congregação das Irmãs de São José de Chambéry | International Commissions

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  • International Commissions

    05.22.2019

    Intercultural living - an urgent challenge

     

    On Sunday, I attended the Party of the Peoples held in the Cathedral of Rome, Saint John Lateran. This event, bringing together more than 50 nationalities and different ethnicities, takes place every year on the third Sunday of May. The wealth of cultural expressions, symbols, songs, food, colors, prayers and dances, brought to mind the theme of the intercultural which we are studying as a congregation.

    Today, the term intercultural, which entered into circulation internationally during the 80’s, is a call for the survival of communities of consecrated life with multicultural and international features. In the document, New Wine, New Wineskins in 2017, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life reminded us that, "many congregations, especially of women, have begun to give priority to new foundations in the church and multiculturalism, going from almost solely mono-cultural situations," noting how these congregations were forming international communities. These new communities were causing changes, not only in relation to traditional formation, perhaps not suitable for new members and for the new contexts they were entering, but also in lifestyle, cultural models, and the forms of expression of spirituality, etc.. These initiatives are undoubtedly a great wealth, but also a source of tension and disruption if they are improvised, without proper monitoring and review of styles, structures, mental and cultural knowledge schemes that allow for true enculturation and integration.

    But, how can we define or characterize the intercultural in order to understand and navigate the experience of building truly intercultural communities? Do we know how to differentiate the variety of prefixes that incorporate the root "cultural" (mono, multi, pluri, poly, inter, eco, cross, trans). Are we open and available to look at together, without prejudice, censorship or judgment, the cultural makeup and daily life of our communities? Growing in awareness about the intercultural for study, reflection, development and conversion of heart is what the committee on the intercultural and the General Council aim to propose to the Congregation in the next years.

    Some possible answers to the questions above are being posted on our website or in the CSJournal, and will be the subject of seminars or workshops prepared and organized by the commission.

    Sister Adriana Milmanda, SSpS, speaking to more than 850 superiors at the UISG Assembly in May, 2019 said, "the contact and exchanges between cultures of the most diverse corners of the world are increasing and more and more, are becoming a requirement for the consecrated life.” There are few groups that remain isolated from contact and interaction with others, because they are today, more than ever, favored by the media and transport of our globalized era. Consecrated life is also affected by this global trend. We are on the move geographically and culturally, but perhaps we are not so aware of cultural multiplicity. Having grown up in a fairly homogeneous context, marked by a process of cultural assimilation, we don\´t strive to acquire new modes of living that are more open, more flexible, more able to interact with diversity, in a rich cultural exchange with each member. We have some interesting experiences of internationality and multiculturalism in our Congregation. The challenge before us is to respond to the call of the intercultural experience that surpasses the coexistence of diverse cultures under one roof. Living the intercultural is a vocation and a counter-cultural option and, as such, calls for faith and a life of grace. It is a process of formation and inner transformation.

    Sr. Ieda Tomazini ( General Council)

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