On October 22nd, 1999, as the Synod for Europe was ending, the Bishops made a strong plea not to lose hope and those are my feelings as I address the Brother Visitors of Europe gathered in Vienna. May the God of hope and life be with us!

The Bishops said: Humanity cannot live without hope: life, without meaning, will become unbearable. But this hope is weakened, attacked and destroyed every day by many forms of suffering, anguish and death that pierce the hearts of many Europeans throughout the Continent. We cannot avoid being aware of this challenge.

But at the same time the Bishops were aware that hope is a reality because Jesus is the God-with-us, he is the Risen One, ever alive in his Church which works for the salvation of mankind and society.

Animated by this faith they recognized the many "signs of hope", big and small, called forth and sustained by the Spirit. Among other things, they highlighted:

• the great number of martyrs who have lived during this century, from both Western and Eastern nations;
• the holiness of many men and women of our time, not only those who have been officially proclaimed as such by the Church, but also those who, with simplicity in their daily lives, have lived out their fidelity to the Gospel with generous dedication;
• the freedom of the Churches in Eastern Europe;
• the growing involvement of the Church in her spiritual mission, along with her commitment to live out the priority of evangelization, also in her relationships with social and political realities:
• the presence and the spread of new movements and communities, by means of which the Spirit calls forth a type of Christian life, marked by a greater Gospel radicalism and a missionary impetus;
• the spread of a renewed dedication to the Gospel and of a generous readiness for service, called forth by the same Spirit among consecrated persons, lay associations, prayer and apostolic groups, in various communities among the young;
• the growing presence and activity of women in institutions and in other places within the Christian community; the traveled ecumenical path.

I would like to read these signs along with you using a Lasallian key and I am sure that along with me you will also discover the Lord's presence. As the Psalm says the Lord has done great things in us and we are glad indeed.

• We also have had an extraordinary number of martyrs in Europe;
• There have been many Brothers and members of our family who have sanctified themselves in this region;
• We are being reborn in Eastern Europe;
• We are looking for new forms of evangelization which are adapted to new realities;
• Rich experiences of association are emerging, there are new movements and communities which we do not know where they will lead us but we are sure that they are for us a type of kairos, a time of grace for our Institute;
• Youth groups are growing stronger regarding the Gospel;
• Our charism is enriched by contributions from women;
• Our schools are becoming places for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue within a reality which becomes more pluralistic day by day.

Brother Visitors, using the panorama that I just presented as a type of background curtain, I would like to share with you some of the priorities in light of the General Chapter which I consider important for the Institute and in a special way for our Institute today in Europe.

I would like to start with a definition of what a Brother is today. For me this means above all a man who is consecrated to God in community for the educational service of the poor and, starting from the poor, he is involved in the education of young people. This definition brings me to the following reflections:

• Our Institute was came into being on the border of a type of dehumanization: a world in which young people were far from salvation, with no possibility of achieving neither human nor Christian fulfillment. To be faithful to our charism today means for us to respond creatively to the new forms of dehumanization, to the new forms of poverty, to the calls that come to us from the world of those who are excluded. A presence which is supportive ought to encourage us in productive creativity in our own initiatives and in collaboration in foreign initiatives.
• Aware that our Institute has as its purpose the educational service of abandoned youth, in accord with diverse situations and local needs we should look for a suitable policy by means of which this option might become an effective priority at the different levels of Institute life. In the last 30 years we have made a tremendous effort within the Institute to discover and remain faithful to our roots. We should make a similar effort today in developing our "antennas" and responding creatively to new problems which present themselves to us today. I am thinking of the new forms of poverty in Europe: immigrants, drugs, young people who have no meaning in their lives, the young in search of a spiritual guide...It is important also that young people that we teach who are more fortunate are sensitized to these realities since every Lasallian school should make its own the cause of the poor from which it came into being.
• For a refoundation of our life I think that without ceasing to make efforts in the total renewal of all our communities and ministries we should provide, in each District, for the existence of one or more communities and ministries that would be considered "islands of creativity" (Joe Holland), pilot experiences that may open paths for the future. Faced with the diverse realities of the Institute, shouldn't we think about an Institute running at two or more speeds, as was said about the European Union some time ago?
• One challenge developing in the Institute is how to integrate a reality which is day by day more multi-cultural with a world which is more and more globalized. In the last thirty years we have given the principle of subsidiarity and local policies a privileged place, in accord with the signs of the times as seen in Regions, Districts, communities, educational centers. Brothers and our Associates have been given greater autonomy and responsibility. Without giving up our achievements, how can we also favor the global world in which we live today, a central policy based on the principle of interdependence that may allow for greater dialogue between Regions, in our case European Regions, greater mutual understanding, greater exchange, greater inter-District solidarity.
• Expecting more vocations today in the Third World, the Institute within 7 years will have a more multi-cultural face. We should open ourselves to this reality and be very sensitive to this reality by fostering the development of these areas and little by little, by means of leadership formation, they themselves will be able to take on the task of leadership. The European missionary Brothers who have done such extraordinary work in these areas should give priority to this dimension. What is most important is the establishment of the Institute at the local level if we want to ensure its future. I make my own the words of the French philosopher Edgar Morin: To think about Europe means to think about the world.
• In light of the 43rd General Chapter and continuing the excellent work of CELAS at the European level, the topic of Association should be a priority. The Chapter invites us to strengthen or to foster new forms of Association that will ensure the future of our charism. We should look for a way to cover the various possibilities of living out the charism (consecrated members, associates, partners, volunteers, Lasallian teachers, youth groups...) without putting the first identity in danger, the original and always necessary one of the Brother (recovering the centrality of our fourth vow) and the concern for the Pastoral Ministry of Vocations. And within this new association which the Institute is opening up to today, the Brothers' community plays a fundamental role. Relationships that are gratuitous, egalitarian, helpful and in solidarity with the members of the community, as well as the relationships of the community itself with other groups, are the best form of witness in a world which tends towards relationships that are commercial, discriminatory, utilitarian and unsupportive. The Brothers' community should be the laboratory of just and fraternal living together for other associated members and for society.
• To live as an Institute there needs to be a new, vital synthesis between the "mystique" and the "mission", between the foundational experience and the historical reality. I am convinced that if we know how to unite mystique with mission, the Institute will be able to live out a new springtime, many young people will feel called to out way of life and initial and continuing formation will produce Brothers and Associates with "spirit" as a result, capable of responding to the needs of today. The ultimate end of our lives as Brothers is to search for the glory of God above all, to make God our Absolute. It can be that this is our greatest gap. To what extent is our religious life an experience of God? Is there a time in which there is an awakening of the search for transcendence, when we are able to offer a mystique that will attract? To strengthen our spirituality and keep alive the question about God should be ideals for the Brother today in Europe.
• I think that there are three Chapter propositions which should be given special attention in Lasallian Regions of Europe. I am referring to proposition 1 and together with it would be all references to Association. As I pointed out earlier this topic should be for the Institute a priority, but even more so in the European reality with the drop in the number of active Brothers, which unfortunately looks to be set to increase in the coming years. Very important especially for the younger Brothers is proposition 22: it is important to draw up a plan concerning the future changes in establishments and to change the structures that need to be changed in each District. We should not wait until the water is up to our necks! Thirdly, proposition 18, which I am not limiting here to the year devoted to community but to the renewal of our community life in line with what was highlighted in sharing the experience of God and being expert guides in the spiritual life. I am convinced that the result of the experience in these three areas will have an impact on a pastoral ministry of vocations that is more attractive and effective.
• Finally I do not want to forget about one the great concerns of many European Districts. I refer to the topic of our senior Brothers. I believe that it is a grace to be able to count on their very considerable numbers because their fidelity is a parable for the entire Institute in that it is possible and it is worth the effort to devote one's entire life to the greater glory of God by means of association for the educational service of the young, especially the poor. Younger Brothers and Districts need this form of witness. The Chapter makes a call to retired Brothers who are able, to continue offering educational service to the poor and for all retired Brothers to continue their mission in some apostolate adapted to their own situation and to offer their presence and their prayers (cf. Proposition 21, Recommendation 20). I believe that this should inspire District or Regional policies in this regard without forgetting about the economic, human and spiritual needs of these wonderful Brothers.

CONCLUSION

The Brazilian Jesuit Marcello de C. Azevedo, SJ, in his article "Challenges to European Religious", published in "Religious Life Review" (Ireland) several years ago asked European religious to open themselves to their social situations, to raise prophetic voices in their own cultures and to support instead of crushing the new role of religious life outside of Europe. He asked that they not devote themselves to the needs of the past, but that they face up to the great problems which today affect and divide people.

I believe that it is important today in Europe that we determine what our concerns are. If this is done along the lines of individual development, comfort, private spirituality, the conservation of archives or simply maintaining our ministries I think that we will not have much future. But if we are a sign of hope beyond the numbers and ages of the Brothers, if we make Gospel values visible, if we offer alternatives and meaning to young people and responses for the new forms of poverty, no doubt our life will create questions and - why not? - young people willing to follow in our footsteps.