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T he theme of the VIII General Chapter, “To be Saint Paul living today”, the content of its general objective and the operative line regarding the programmatic theme indicated for an annual Letter of the Superior General, emphasize the constant awareness and renewed interest of the Paulines in regard to Saint Paul.

Precisely because thought of beforehand, when Pope Benedict XVI, on 28 June 2007, proclaimed a “Pauline Year” from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, as Paulines we have felt ourselves even more motivated and as General Government we have been stimulated to organize this appointment also in the name of the whole Pauline Family.

The intention through the Seminar is to offer an additional opportunity to study in depth the specific vocation of the Apostle Saint Paul in his evangelizing mission of the communities of the early Church, and his role of model for the Pauline called to be a missionary in the communication of every epoch.

Knowledge, meditation and assimilation of the “Gospel” of Paul and of his evangelizing style constitute the base for the strengthening and reelaboration of the identity of the Pauline charism, in a context of society, culture, Church and communication that evolve rapidly.

Contents. The main objective of the Seminar is to place in interpretative relation the originality of the mission of Saint Paul among the Gentiles in his preaching realized among the primitive Christian communities, with the mission of the Paulines sent to evangelize in communication today, whether by media, multimedia or internet. The topic is developed in three successive stages:

1. The specific in the experience of faith and pastoral action of Saint Paul in the communities of the early Church, taking into acccount above all of his evangelization among the Gentilers that motivate him to rethink the contents of the faith and the manner to propose it. The exegetical, theological and pastoral aspect. From Sunday 19  to Friday 24.
2. The mediation of blessed James Alberione in assuming Saint Paul as the model of Pauline charism. The historical-charismatic aspect: blessed Alberione as interpreter of Saint Paul. Friday 24 and Saturday 25.
3. The specific in the experience of faith and pastoral action of the Pauline in the Church of today, taking into account his mission of evangelizing in communication. Hermeneutical aspect: Paulines aim to be “Saint Paul living today”. From Sunday 26 to Wednesday 29.

These stages of reflection of the Seminar intend first of all to be a deepening of Saint Paul with the help of experts. The exegetical contents, successively, must become an effective help for Paulines in view of actualizing their charismatic identity in its totality. The proposed objective is to succeed in realizing a synthesis between the “Gospel” believed and preached by Saint Paul, the interpretative mediation of the Founder and the requirements of Pauline evangelization in the modern context of Church, society, culture and communication at the start of the third millennium.

The Seminar, in fact, must influence Pauline spirituality, formation, apostolate and consecrated life so that they be lived better and proposed better to the youth of today. Deepening Saint Paul for a more complete understanding and for a more enthusiastic living of the Pauline charism for those who already belong to the Pauline Family, must produce also a vocation commitment to propose to the youth the “fascination” of our style of life characterized by a hardworking contemplation of God in history, with the mission to make possible encounter with God even through every form of  present-day communication.

Fraternally in Saint Paul, inspiration and model of the Pauline Family.

Rome, 15 January 2009