Talk Show with the President General. A  look at the day-to-day workings of the Council General International.

The last Talk Show of President General Renato Lima de Oliveira was held on February 5th, 2023. His term of office is coming to an end and members asked many questions about his experience and resumé of these years, and others about his future within the SSVP.

The President General was emphatic, affirming that service positions should be assumed as they come, that they should not be sought or desired but accepted with Christian joy, placing yourself in God’s hands and in the trust placed in you by members. 

Renato Lima said that as soon as he finishes his mandate he will write a book about his experience because he believes it is important to record everything that it means to assume the responsibility of the general presidency of the SSVP and thus help, with his testimony and availability, those who will take over from him.

Members from all over the world also asked questions about a wide range and interesting topics. For example, Renato Lima answered questions about the importance of formation and the General Council’s commitment to structuring universal Formation Themes that help us understand the service and values that sustain the Conferences throughout the world. 

Members also asked about the Thematic Years initiative and the International Literary Contest to learn more about the founders of the SSVP and other important figures in the history of our beloved institution. The President General replied by reaffirming the need to know the origins and the foundations on which our mission in the world was founded, a mission of charity towards the poorest through fraternal life and the deepening of the members’ faith.

The President General also spoke about our responsibilities, stating that when conferences decrease in number or charitable activities cease, we have to look, first of all ourselves  and ask if we had enough zeal and concern for this not to happen, commenting that there can always be excuses to justify a failure as important as the closure of a Conference, but that the real cause must be sought within ourselves.

The Circular Letter was also discussed, a document that the President General published in each year of his term of office. Renato Lima sees it as an intimate and personal writing in which he offers to each member his thoughts, concerns and learnings. It is a means of direct communication with the grassroots of the Society from which “we must never dissociate ourselves”. In this sense, he also spoke of the importance of being present in the different territories in which the Vincentians carry out their work, and touch the reality that our conferences live throughout the world.

There were questions about the current socio-political situation and the response of the SSVP to various tragedies, specifically the war in Ukraine and the phenomena that trigger Vincentian emergency aid and the medium and long term work of the conferences.

The President General reported on the process of Ozanam’s canonization and the progress made in recent years, as well as on the upcoming General Assembly in Rome, to be held in June, which will culminate with the election of the next President General. 

Renato Lima said goodbye to all the participants of the Talk Show, assuring that he will spare no effort to fulfill his mission until the last moment, to respond with his service to the trust placed in him and for which he will be eternally grateful.  

You can enjoy the talk show again by clicking here.