"Ad charisma tuendum" concretizes the figure of the Prelature of Opus DeiOpus Dei outlines its Extraordinary General Congress on the occasion of "Ad charisma tuendum".Opus Dei will adapt its statutes to the indications of "Ad charisma tuendum".Rome is currently hosting the extraordinary general congress of the Prelature of Opus Dei. This congress was convened by the prelate, Fernando Ocárizwith the objective of "carrying out what the Pope has asked of us regarding the adaptation of the Statutes of the Work to the indications of the motu proprio '....Ad charisma tuendum'". In this apostolic letter, published in July 2022, Pope Francis asked that some points of the document defining the mission and regulating the life of the Prelature be renewed to bring it into conformity with the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium.
On October 6, 2022, in a letter to the faithful of Opus Dei, the prelate announced the congress that is taking place in Rome these days. He also asked the faithful for specific suggestions on questions related to the Statutes in order to present "concrete proposals" at this extraordinary congress.
Who participates in this extraordinary general congress?
274 faithful of Opus Dei will gather in Rome from April 12 to 16, together with Fernando Ocáriz, the auxiliary vicar, Mariano FazioThe Vicar General, Antoni Pujals, and the Vicar Secretary, Jorge Gisbert, to reflect on the statutes of the Prelature and adapt them to the motu proprio.Ad charisma tuendum". There are 126 women and 148 men, of whom 90 are priests.
The congress participants come from the five continents: Africa (6.6%), the Americas (36%), Asia (6.2%), Europe (50%) and Oceania (1.1%).
The congress will begin with the celebration of a Mass to commend these works to the Lord. Afterwards, the congress participants will divide into working groups to discuss proposals for adapting some of the points that make up Opus Dei's statutes.
The conclusions of the Congress
As the Prelate of Opus Dei reported on March 30, there will be no immediate publication of the conclusions of the work carried out during these days.
This is because this work must be presented to the Dicastery for the Clergy, on which the personal prelatures have depended since last summer.
Once the work has been reviewed "the Holy See will communicate the final modifications to the statutes approved by the Pope, who is the legislator in the matter".
Opus Dei today
Currently, 93,600 people belong to the Prelature of Opus Dei, of whom 60% are women. The majority of the members of Opus Dei also have a total belonging to their usual diocese and live the natural obedience to their diocesan bishop.
Many more people, cooperators and friends of the faithful of Opus Dei, participate in Christian formation activities or feel identified with the charism of encountering Christ in work, family life and other ordinary activities.
