Considering the peculiar situation in Argentina, a country with two Superior Councils of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP), which is not allowed according to the International Rule of the SSVP and its International Statutes, and after several attempts to solve the problem, a special Committee was created to study the case and propose solutions.

The Committee concluded its work in June 2018 and submitted a number of proposals to the Board of Administration of the Council General International to resolve this issue. Based on this study, the Council General announces now its decision through this announcement, whose content should be widely disseminated in Argentina, especially to the Church, the Vincentian Family, the press and other entities related to the Society of St. Vincent of Paul in charity services for those in need.

Public announcement

The Statutes of the International Confederation of the SSVP define that, for a National or Superior Council to be an official member, it must submit a written request to the President General. In this request, it should state its acceptance of the Rule and the Statutes of the Confederation.

The proposed Council should also be legally created, according to its national legislation, as a non-profit entity. Besides, the Superior Councils should develop Internal Statutes which, to become valid, will require compliance with the Permanent Section of the Council General.

In this situation in Argentina, the Superior Council, located at Calle Serrano, 740, in Buenos Aires (Legal Personality 300), has fulfilled these requirements – it submitted an application letter in 2003 and received the approval of its Internal Statutes from the Permanent Section in 2006.

Thus, the President General, together with the Board of Administration, and using the attributions granted to him in Article 3 of the International Statute, publicly recognizes the Superior Council of the SSVP in Argentina located at Calle Serrano 740, in Buenos Aires, as the only official member of the Confederation in Argentina.

Only the Central Councils, the Private Councils, the special works and the Conferences that are under this Superior Council are linked with the Council General International and recognized as Vincentian units that comprise the SSVP.

Paris, July 2018.

Renato Lima de Oliveira
16th President General
On behalf of the Board of Administration
of the Council General International