The subject of the third day was centred around interculturality.

The morning was opened by a paper by the Camillian religious Fr. Laurent Ouédraogo who, starting from the letters that St. Camillus wrote to Fr. Oppertis in which we can find certain points relating to formation, offered useful points for vocational discernment and the stages of formation. ‘Discernment’, Fr. Laurent exhorted, ‘seeks to verify the veracity of the signs that express the authenticity of the vocation (call-response) of a candidate for the Institute. Both the candidate and the provider of formation must discern the vocation in joint activity through prayer, listening to the Word, and fraternal dialogue’. When ending his paper, Fr. Ouédraogo provided, as a guiding horizon, some expressions with which St. Camillus exhorted the providers of formation of his time:

• Accept those whom you believe in.
• Only choose the good.
• Be very careful about whom you accept in the Order because you well know how important this is.
• Even if there are many and good aspirants, make sure that there is present that maturity of spirit.
• As regards re-admissions, see if this is advisable.
• As regards admitting to perpetual profession, see if the candidates has progressed in the ways of the Spirit.
• Before admitting them to priestly ordination, one should consider well those who are to be promoted to such a step, not so much as regards abilities in learning as the grounding required by such an important thing. It is advisable to reflect a great deal and pray.
• Be very careful and vigilant as regards the abominable vice of excessive desire because where this vice is widespread woe be to our Order.
• If one of our religious performs miracles but holds no affection for our holy ministry, do not in the least believe in him.
• Our Order requires perfect men who do the will of God and achieve perfection and holiness. These are they who will do good to themselves but will also build up the holy Church and the whole of the world. In contrary fashion, those who are sensual, of little religious spirit, mortified, will ruin the Order.

The morning ended with a first discernment regarding the Rule of Formation carried out in the individual groups.

     In the afternoon Fr. Matthew Wattamattam (CMF) gave a paper on vocational discernment in an intercultural world. Every diversity, Fr. Matthew emphasised, is riches, but when can a candidate grasp such riches? When, during his formation, beyond the cultural data that he receives, he explores his vocation and confirms his answer to the call of God. The candidate, therefore, must contextualise his membership of his culture to promote his response and belonging to God. What, therefore, are the challenges for interculturality in our communities? We should be careful about stereotypes and prejudices; the cultural domination of majority groups; feeling victims and having complexes of persecution; hunkering down behind one’s culture; giving advantages to minorities (privileges for members who come from minority groups); we should have a suitable attachment to our native culture and overcome problems of communication and misunderstandings.

The day ended with a concelebration of the Eucharist presided over by our Father General Leocir Pessini who during his homily thanked those who were taking part in the meeting and exhorted them to construct the future of the Order through a revision of the Rule for Formation, our ‘Camillian GPS’.