Final declaration of the General Assembly 2022

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At the end of the General Assembly of the World Conference of Secular Institutes, we, responsible generals and delegates, challenged by the historical moment which we are living and inspired by the words that Pope Francis addressed to us in his letter of February 2^nd and in his message of August 25^th, conscious of being, “immersed in the world and in history, to be salt, light, a seed of unity, hope and salvation” (cf. Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the CMIS, August 25^th, 2022), according to our charisms, we commit ourselves to:

1) care for the heart of every human creature, in the light of the Gospel;

2) repudiate war as a means of resolving political and economic conflicts and reject every form of violence and oppression, in favor of dialogue and mediation;

3) condemn all abuse of the Earth, our common home, which is compromising the lives of the impoverished majority of humanity and depriving new generations of their future and endangering the very subsistence of the human race;

4) be attentive to the economic and social imbalances, aggravated by the ongoing pandemic, conflicts, exploitation of the planet’s resources and the effects of global warming, which are causing migrations around the world;

5) defend the life, dignity and integrity of every human being, and to accompany him or her from conception to natural death, with special attention to the fragile: children, the elderly, the sick, migrants;

6) stand at the side of women of all cultures and countries to support them in the defense of their dignity by being alongside them for the recognition of their rights.

As Secular Institutes, we commit ourselves to “discover and promote that goodness which God has recognized in the various realities and which not even sin, even if it obfuscates it, has been able to completely destroy it” (cf. Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the CMIS, August 25^th, 2022).

Let us welcome into our hearts the seeds of the Kingdom that are growing today on every continent, and especially the sensitivity to respect for human rights and for all creatures.

In this complex world we want to be “sentinels looking upwards and forwards, with the Word of God in your hearts and love for your brothers and sisters in your hands” (cf. Letter to the President of the CMIS, February 2^nd, 2022).

Therefore, we are ready to work together to build a world according to God’s plan, a world that is just, free, in solidarity and at peace.

Knowing that we rely on the help of the Holy Spirit emboldens our hope and our mission.

Participants of the CMIS General Assembly

Rome, August 27th, 2022