Rome, Italy, Sep 11, 2007 / 08:55 am
Father Robert Prevost has been re-elected Prior General of the Augustinians at their General Chapter which is being held in Rome, coinciding with the 750th anniversary of the founding of the order.
In a telegram to the religious order signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the Augustinians to persevere in their fruitful witness to the Gospel in accord with their own charisma. He also exhorted them to renew their devotion to Christ in order to respond to the challenges of today’s world.
Cardinal Frank Rode, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, sent his own message to the Augustinians expressing his hope that the meeting would be a source of encouragement and renewal for the members of the order.
Noting that during their chapter meeting the Augustinians would be discussing such issues as the role of their order in evangelization, revisions to the order’s constitutions, social ministry and formation, Cardinal Rode stressed their importance for consecrated life, which faces new and sometimes dramatic situations in today’s world. He encouraged the order to meet these new challenges in fidelity to “the Augustinian spirit.”