Collegial government

The apostles and elders gathered
to examine this problem

Acts of the Apostles 15:6

In order to embody its vocation in an orderly and faithful way, the Magnificat Community has developed a series of ministries of responsibility. Each of these ministries is composed of a number of brothers ranging from three to five; in each of these a moderator is elected, with the task of representing the ministry externally.

The Community believes that decisions to be made in every sphere should be the result of common discernment, lived in prayer, in the constant search for God’s will. For this reason, the ministries of those in charge, in their pastoral action of governing the fraternities or in the general sphere, always put in first place common prayer to invoke from God the charisms necessary to serve the brothers and sisters entrusted to them and, once they have examined the matters within their competence, especially those of greater importance, they return to ask, in prayer, the Lord to enlighten them also through his word.

It follows from this way of doing things that the Community’s governing bodies always try to arrive, with simplicity, at unanimity in every decision.

It is therefore a collegial type of government that the Community uses to seek to walk humbly with its God (cf. Micah 6:8).

Below we give some hints on how the Community is governed at the Fraternity level and at the general level.

At the fraternity level

Each fraternity-at three-year intervals-from among its constituent allies elects three or five leaders (the number varies depending on the number of allies that make up the Fraternity); at most, one can hold the position of responsible only two consecutive times. You can only be elected if you have already been an ally for at least three years.

Called to make the life of the Fraternity fruitful and orderly, they have various tasks. These include the following: promoting the activities necessary for the development of fraternal life and the formation of allies; implementing the Way of Growth; taking care of the formation of spiritual companions; and fostering the Fraternity’s works of apostolate.

At the general level

The main governing body is theGeneral Assembly which meets at least once a year to deliberate on matters that affect the whole Community; it includes all the Moderators of the Fraternities, the General Managers, the General Treasurer as well as the Elders, and holds office for three years.

The duties of the General Assembly are:

(a) establish the general guidelines of the Community;

b) elect the General Managers and, among them, the General Moderator;

(c) elect the general treasurer;

d) elect Elders upon the proposal of the Fraternity Leaders, as well as dismiss them;

e) Propose to the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, amendments to the Statutes approved by a two-thirds majority of those voting;

(f) Approve the Rules and Regulations and any amendments;

(g) annually approve the Community Budget and Statement of Accounts;

(h) pass resolutions on economic management;

(i) pass a resolution to dismiss the General Manager for serious failure to perform the duties proper to the position.

Executors of the guidelines that the General Assembly establishes are the five General Managers, who hold office for three years and may be consecutively re-elected once. From among them they elect the Moderator General who represents the Community externally, convenes and presides over meetings of theGeneral Managers, theGeneral Assembly, the College of Elders, and the College of Consultors.

The main tasks of General Managers, among others, are:

– Establish initiatives to pursue the purposes of the Community by transmitting its spiritual heritage;

– Prepare the annual Growth Path;

– To carry out all acts of ordinary and extraordinary administration necessary to achieve the purposes of the Community.

– Decide on the establishment or suppression of fraternities and fraternities in formation.

The general managers, in their service, are assisted by the General spiritual adviser, a priest who helps the Community situate its goals and programs in the context of the Church’s mission, according to its specific calling; his term of office lasts three years, coinciding with that of the General Managers, and is only renewable once. The General Spiritual Counselor participates in the meetings of theGeneral Responsibles and theGeneral Assembly although without voting rights. Finally, another ministry helps the general responsibles in their service: the College of Consultors. These are seven Community Elder members elected every three years by theGeneral Assembly when the General Managers are elected, and their term of office is renewable. They give non-binding opinions to the General Responsibles on all matters on which they are asked, but particularly on more serious matters such as the establishment or suppression of Fraternities or the revocation of the office of Responsible.