Elders and prophecy

Open my eyes
That I may consider
the wonders of your law

Psalms 119:18

It was in 1986 when, during a community retreat, a prophecy came to the fore, confirmed also by a person who – although not present at that meeting – had had the same intuition: the Lord desired that at the center of the Community “beat a heart,” a body of brothers and sisters, who stood before God to give the whole Community prophecy. To put it in an image, Tarcisio Mezzetti once evoked that of the Major Fountain in Perugia’s Main Square, where, from a central spring, water reaches every part of the fountain itself through many spouts: a fountain of life and unity.

In the prophetic confirmation of that person who had not been present at the retreat-it was Agnese Mezzetti-this body of brothers should have been called the “council of elders.”

Since that time, in the course of the community’s history, there has been a troubled development of this prophecy, moving from the idea that they should have led the community in governance roles to returning to the original intuition as they are defined by the Statute approved by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.

Among the Allied members, some are recognized as Elders for a special prophetic charism to guard and develop the spiritual heritage of the Community. They are elected, every six years, by the General Assembly, upon the proposal of the Fraternity Leaders. The Elders, every year, gather at least once to pray and reflect on the life and mission of the Community. They also attend – up to representing no more than one-third of the total number of members – meetings of the General Assembly.