Cor Unum
This past week, the three communities in Rome—the Central Government, the General House, and the International Roman Scholasticate—took part in a safeguarding workshop on the protection of minors and vulnerable adults. We affirmed that integrity of life, together with a just and unwavering commitment to protect the most vulnerable, stands at the heart of our Oblate Mission.
It leads us to acknowledge that the integrity of life is linked to our responsibility to be accountable for the vocation we profess. Religious life is a gift of the Church’s missionary witness in the world and belongs as a collective expression of faith by all the baptized, even though it is initiated by a personal commitment. In this spirit of shared ownership, rooted in the ‘white martyrdom’ of the early Church, we owe an account to all the baptized of how we live out this calling.
Such accountability calls us to be open to correction and to a willingness to be challenged by the people of God so that we may offer a stronger and more prophetic witness to Jesus Christ in the world today. We recognize that within ministry, people turn to Oblates because they are searching for God, and therefore, we have a responsibility for that ‘encounter.’ Likewise, we are bound to speak out and act on behalf of the weak whenever they suffer injustice.
At the Inter-Chapter, we were asked to view our Constitutions and Rules through the lens of ‘lived experience’: how, in practice, do we embody what we profess? As we approach the foundational anniversary of our Congregation in 2026, we are invited to celebrate these roots with a sincere desire for renewal, which qualifies our witness to Jesus Christ.
Our vocation is a gift sustained by the generous faith of God’s people, who desire that our witness reflect their hope. Evangelization, therefore, is accomplished not only by what we do, but even more by who we are.
Charles Rensburg, OMI
General Treasurer
