01. The Coordinator of the General Chapter declares the opening of the consultation.
02. Prayer and personal reflection on leadership, governance and consecrated life.
03. Definition of profiles and proposals of names for Government responsibilities. By Linguistic Groups and by Regions of the Institute: PARC, RELEM, RELAL, RELAF, RELAN.
- Personal reflection
- Session to Exchange views
- Session to define the proposals per group
04. Plenary session to nominate candidates by linguistic groups and by Regions.
05. In private, the Coordinator shall consult with the Brothers about their willingness to participate in the process.
06. A first round of voting is held to narrow down the list of eligible Brothers.
07. On the day of retreat, the Brothers will reflect personally on the suitability of the proposed Brothers and the future of the Institute.
08. In Plenary Assembly, the provisions of Canon Law and the Rule of the Brothers are read, and the Holy Spirit is invoked with the chant "Veni Creator Spiritus".
09. The first round of voting shall take place
- Delivery of ballots .
- In strict silence, each Brother writes a name on the ballot paper and places his vote in the ballot box.
- Scrutineers publicly review and count the votes.
10. The three Brothers with the highest votes leave the room and the Brother Capitulants exchange their views about them.
11. The second round of voting takes place.
12. The Chapter Coordinator approaches the elected Brother to ensure his acceptance.
13. The Chapter Coordinator formalises the appointment of the Brother Superior General.
14. The Brother Superior General and the Brother Capitulants go in procession to the Sanctuary of the Founder.
15. In front of the relics of the Founder, the Brother Superior General offers his service to God and there is a moment of community prayer.
16. The following days will include the election of the Brother Vicar General and the Brother General Councillors.
Symbols .
Bells –
Joy and hope:
Once the name of the Superior General has been announced, the bells of the Sanctuary of the Founder ring out for several minutes.
Embrace –
fraternity:
The Brother Capitulants greet the Brother Superior General after his name has been announced.
Procession –
Unity and vitality:
The Brother Superior General, the Brother Capitulants and the staff of the Generalate go in procession to the shrine of St John Baptist de La Salle.
Seal –
Representativeness and authority:
The Superior General receives the official seal of the Institute.
Prayer in the Sanctuary –
Presence of God and community.
In front of the relics of the Founder and as his successor, the Brother Superior General offers his service to God, prays in silence for the ministry he has received and shares this moment with the Brothers and lay people present.
To The Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools:
126. The Brother Superior General is elected by the General Chapter and he exercises his authority over the whole Institute, in accordance with the norms of Canon Law and Institute legislation.
At the time of his election, he has to have at least ten years of perpetual profession in the Institute. His mandate runs until the following ordinary General Chapter. He can be re-elected.
He and his Council normally reside in the Generalate.
He can be deposed for reasons stated in article eleven of the Bull of Approbation of the Institute.
119. The Brother Superior General makes a report to the General Chapter on the manner in which he and the Council have carried out their mandate. This report includes also the activities of the General Services of the Institute.
120. The ordinary General Chapter elects the Brother Superior General.
It fixes the number of General Councilors, which must not be lower than six. It can also designate the principal functions certain General Councilors would carry out.
It elects first the Vicar General, who is the first among the Councilors. It then proceeds to elect the other members of the Council.
Each and every one must be elected by an absolute majority of the votes validly cast, no matter how many ballots are necessary to obtain this majority.
120.1 The election of the Brother Superior General may be preceded by a period of consultation, the practical details of which are specified by the General Chapter itself.
20.2 To prepare for the election of the Brother Vicar and of the other members of the General Council, the newly-elected Superior General gathers whatever information is useful and passes it on to the capitulants.
If he judges it opportune, he can suggest a sounding vote within the Chapter and then propose to the electors the names of the Brothers he considers suitable for the role.
123. Responsibility for the government of the Institute is entrusted by the General Chapter to the Brother Superior General. He is assisted by a permanent council known as the General Council.