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 accountability services. Each of these is composed of between three and five brothers; a moderator is elected from each of these, with the task of representing the body of leaders externally.

The Community believes that decisions to be made in every area should be the result of common discernment, lived in prayer, in the constant search for God’s will. For this reason, those in charge, in their pastoral action of governing the fraternities or in the general sphere, always put in first place the common prayer to invoke from God the charisms needed to serve the brothers and sisters entrusted to them and, once they have examined the matters within their competence, especially for 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 member allies elects three or five leaders (three for Fraternities with fewer than 30 allies, and five for the others); at the most, one can serve as 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 (in a number not exceeding 1/3 of the total membership) 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 serve three-year terms and may be consecutively re-elected once and no more than three terms in total. The General Moderator, elected from among them by the General Assembly, represents the Community externally, convenes and presides over meetings of the General 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 presbyter designated by them, who assists them and the General Assembly by stimulating sacramental life, theological and biblical formation, and in ensuring fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. His or her term of office lasts three years, coinciding with that of the General Overseers, and is only renewable once. The General Spiritual Counselor participates in the meetings of the General Responsibles and theGeneral Assembly although without the right to vote.

Finally, another body helps the general managers in their service: the College of Consultants. These are seven Elder members of the Community elected every three years by theGeneral Assembly when the General Manag ers are elected, and their term of office is renewable only twice consecutively. It gives 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 removal of the office of Responsible.