The General Assembly held its triennial meeting in Lisbon (Portugal) from 14 to 20 June 2026

Title: “Frédéric Ozanam: Precursor of the Social Doctrine of the Church”
Motto: “Friendship in faith”.

In addition to the discussions inherent to the Assembly, the event consisted of several working meetings: the Standing Section (convened as the Board of Directors of the Confederation, in accordance with Article 5.1.2 of the Statutes), the Executive Committee, the Board, the International Committee for Aid and Development (CIAD), the Concordat, Twinning, the meeting of National Presidents, and the in-person meeting of the Territorial Vice-Presidents, led by Julio Marques de Lima, Vice-President for Structure and Special Projects.

The presence of 112 countries was confirmed, and 28 visas were refused, excusing the attendance of those concerned, the vast majority of whom were from African countries.

The Assembly began with a few words from the Patriarch of Lisbon, Monsignor Rui Valério, who highlighted the fraternal spirit of the Conferences and their quiet work in close proximity to the most disadvantaged, encouraging those present to persevere in the spirit of the Gospel.

ADDRESS BY THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF PORTUGAL

After the prescribed prayers, the President of the National Council of Portugal, Fernanda Capitão, thanked everyone present for attending and conveyed the gratitude of the National Council and the Conferences of Portugal, acknowledging that “it is an honour for us to hold this very important meeting here; your presence reflects the universality of the Vincentian charism and our common commitment to serving those most in need. Faced with the current challenges of poverty, exclusion, migration and conflict, we are here to renew our commitment to charity, human dignity and hope”.

She also expressed her solidarity with the representatives from Africa and Asia who had been unable to participate because of difficulties in obtaining visas.

“Portugal welcomes you in a spirit of hospitality, friendship and fraternity. We hope that, in addition to taking part in the work of this Assembly, you will be able to enjoy the cultural, historical and spiritual richness of our country”.

To conclude, she expressed a wish: “May this Assembly strengthen our fraternity, foster the exchange of experiences and help us to prepare the future of our mission”.

She also thanked all those who had made this meeting possible and asked for the intercession of Saint Vincent de Paul, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and Our Lady of Fatima during these intense days of work.

ADDRESS BY THE PGI

Juan Manuel B. Gómez, the President General, then gave a brief opening address, highlighting the friendship that lies at the beginning and from which the Conferences were born, and the importance of strengthening, through a sense of fraternity, the International Confederation, which is everyone’s home.

He presented the management report for the past three years, with important progress in spirituality through the programme “Growing Together in Faith”, the positive impact of the International Vincentian Day, and the creation of the Global Foundation, based in Geneva (Switzerland), which will shortly be placed at the service of the Confederation in order to promote twinning and international cooperation projects. He also highlighted the relevance and impact in the international media of the Annual Global Report — the two most recent reports were presented in Madrid and Rio de Janeiro — which shows the significant figures and the high level of social activity carried out by our Conferences worldwide.

He also highlighted the efforts made in favour of volunteering and young people, including the recent international meetings and the new International Youth Exchange Programme.

The PGI stressed that the Vincentian mission requires both good spiritual formation and adequate training in management, leadership and the transparent administration of resources in order to serve those in need better, a commitment to effective management and good governance which, he pointed out, “is also another way of loving”. He announced that an action plan in this regard would be presented shortly.

Finally, he thanked the collaborators, volunteers and employees for their loyalty; he thanked the Conferences of Portugal and, representing them, their National President, the Patriarch of Lisbon, Father José Alves CM, adviser to the Portuguese Council, and all those present for attending. Special mention was made of the countries of the Concordat that contribute to the support of the CGI, for their commitment and increased contributions.

He remembered the deceased members, asking for a prayer for their souls, and in particular named our deceased brothers who had served on the General Council during the past three years.

To conclude, the President encouraged everyone to continue, with faith and hope, the Vincentian mission of bringing the love of God to those most in need.

SPIRITUAL REFLECTION

Father José Francisco Orozco CM, adviser to the General Council, prepared a reflection entitled “A New Heart”.

This text explored in depth Ezekiel’s prophecy about replacing the “heart of stone” with a “heart of flesh”, applying it to the urgent need to renew our present-day world, marked by individualism and indifference. Faced with dehumanisation and the “throwaway culture”, Father Pepe draws on the teachings of Pope Leo XIV to exhort our Conferences not to resign themselves.

“From this inner transformation comes a new way of building our common life: no longer from rivalry, selfishness or indifference, but from love that gives itself and becomes service. As Vincentians, we are called to bring God’s consolation to the world, putting love where there is hatred, forgiveness where there is offence, hope where despair is growing and light where darkness prevails”.

Finally, he made a direct appeal to our community to act as artisans of a new creation, inviting us to revive the legacy of Saint Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frédéric Ozanam through active service, love and generous self-giving towards the poorest and most vulnerable.

COUNTRIES IN CONFLICT

The PGI then gave the floor to representatives of some of the countries and territories currently in conflict, including Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Ukraine, who described the emergency and disaster situation in their countries and asked for prayers for peace, especially for those wounded in the war and for the souls of deceased fellow Vincentians.

Speaking for Lebanon, its National President, Naji El Kaddoum, commented on the situation of enormous violence and suffering that exists above all in the south of the country, as the peace agreement has still not been signed.

Elías Hana told us about the dramatic and tense situation in Jerusalem, now deserted. Our sister Mbariki Shiri, accompanied by our fellow Vincentian Ricardo Hani, spoke to us with hope and great emotion about the tragic situation being experienced in Palestine. She was seriously injured by an Iranian missile and continues to suffer significant physical after-effects.

Finally, from the Conferences of Ukraine, our fellow Vincentian Liudmyla Lohush spoke to us and described the harsh reality of the war against Russia, where the destruction is total and more and more young people are dying on both sides, a war that seems to have no end.

The speakers expressed their thanks for the resources provided through twinning and by the CIAD and, in a highly emotional tone, explained how the close assistance provided by the Conferences to the most vulnerable and to the wounded is carried out, overcoming the risks and great difficulties they face in making this aid effective.

PRESENTATION OF REPORTS AND ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

The prescribed reports of the Presidency, Secretariat and Treasury were presented by the PGI, the Treasurer Alfons Ten Velde and the Secretary Antonio Gianfico. The Treasurer presented the 2025 Financial Report, audited without qualification, an update on 2026 and the budget, demonstrating the economic and financial solvency of the Confederation. After a brief debate, the matter proceeded to a vote, and the reports were unanimously approved. The establishment of the SSVP Global Foundation was also ratified.

REVIEW OF THE STATUTES AND STRATEGIC PLAN

The Statutes Commission, through its representative and National Vice-President Ralph Middelcamp, presented its revisions, principally concerning transparency in management, governance, elections to the office of PGI and termination of office, the strategic plan and the possibility of remote voting, all of which were approved. The Commission is continuing its work and will present some further amendments to be submitted to the 2029 Assembly.

As regards the strategic plan, presented by the Vice-President delegated for this Plan, our Australian fellow Vincentian Marc Gaetani, he announced that it focuses on five pillars: a) Spirituality, Vincentian identity, leadership and young people, seeking to provide training for leaders, b) Community development and international solidarity, c) Strengthening the General Council, with attention to governance and accountability, d) Improving institutional management in order to ensure transparency and e) Digital transformation, modernising the technological tools of the global network.

CANONISATION OF FRÉDÉRIC OZANAM

The postulator, Father Giuseppe Guerra CM, explained the difficulties in obtaining approval from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for the current case presented by the Archdiocese of Mariana (Minas Gerais, Brazil), concerning the alleged miraculous healing in 2014 of a foetus suffering from anencephaly. Although efforts will continue in relation to this case, following consultation with the Prefect of the Congregation, Cardinal Semeraro, another new case of a possible miracle in the same Brazilian archdiocese will be presented. This concerns a possible extraordinary cure associated with a serious condition caused by a gunshot wound to the head, a case that requires confidentiality for its validation.

FORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

The presentation on Formation was given by Vice-President María Luz Ramírez, who focused her address on the Vincentian Spirituality programme, encouraging the sharing of the materials uploaded to the website as part of the “Growing Together in Faith” Programme and prepared by the spiritual adviser, Father José Orozco CM. In her presentation, she spoke about promoting values such as humility, empathy, direct personal contact with people in need, effective charity and the importance of the Social Doctrine of the Church in relation to the development of the principles of justice and peace that guide social action against poverty and inequality. She announced that a meeting for international Formation leaders would take place in Paris next September.

In Communication, Isabel Garzo, head of the International Communication team, commented on the improvements made to the website and social media, providing impact figures. She also explained how artificial intelligence can be a major tool for securing financial and human resources. She explained how holding an SSVP day in each country, making known the social activity being carried out, can have a positive impact in the media and improve social recognition at all levels. She announced that, next November, at the initiative of the North American National Council, an International Communication Day is planned in Miami (USA).

OTHER PRESENTATIONS

• Youth Delegation: Juliana Rosa da Silva, the International Youth Delegate, reviewed the past few years, highlighting, among other meetings because of its importance, the one held last July in Rome, where the 3rd Vincentian Youth Meeting took place under the motto “Faith that inspires, love that transforms”. The event brought together more than 120 young Vincentian leaders from various countries, providing intense moments of formation, exchange and spirituality.

She stated that the main objective of the meeting was to “persevere in the direction we have set ourselves through this Youth Council, that is, to strengthen youth leadership within the Vincentian Movement, share knowledge, foster commitment to the mission and, above all, motivate young people to persevere on their path of faith and service which, for many, is not without challenges”.

She also recalled, as an example for young people, Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, patron saint of Vincentian youth since 2017, who was canonised by Pope Leo XIV on 7 September 2025.

The Youth Delegate encouraged the National Councils to support two initiatives during the month of July:

1.- Ask all Conferences and Councils to make a donation to promote the activities of Vincentian youth.

2.- Become involved in the Youth Exchange Programme. For more information, please visit the website or write to this email address: cgi.delegate.youth@ssvpglobal.org

• SSVP Identity: John Berry, the National President of the USA, highlighted in his presentation that our identity consists in being rooted in love and being bearers of hope, following the example of Christ. “Authentic love is not limited to words, but is expressed through concrete acts of service and personal encounter with those who suffer”.

He warned of the danger of turning assistance into something merely transactional, recalling that the poor are people with dignity, not problems to be solved. He also stressed that our Vincentian mission must unite charity and justice, meeting immediate needs and working for structural change: “Vincentian identity is distinguished by humility, compassion and shared spirituality”.

Finally, he encouraged us to remain faithful to our roots, open to innovation and persevering in hope, even in the face of difficulties.

• FAMVIN: On the importance of the identity of the Vincentian Family, Sister Ellen Marie HC, Executive Director of the FAMVIN Office (OFV), was invited to speak and assessed the joint work being carried out as FAMVIN across the five continents.

She highlighted the First Continental Congress of the Vincentian Family in Africa and Madagascar, to be held on 19 June 2026 in Kenya. The event aims to bring together young people from the SSVP and other lay Branches, as well as the Daughters of Charity and the Vincentian Fathers. Fifty delegates from 16 countries are expected. The main milestone of this meeting will be the birth of VIFAM (the Vincentian Family of Africa and Madagascar), marking a key step towards enabling the different Branches in the region to walk together under the same charism and shared vision.

She also highlighted the 13 Houses Campaign in favour of those who live on the streets for various reasons: poverty, refugee status, war, exile, etc., and conveyed to us a message of hope, unity and renewal, emphasising the value of the charism, prayer and service.

• Safeguarding and “Laudato SI”: Two further presentations were also given by our sister Claire Victory from Australia, prepared with Elaine Heyworth, Deputy Vice-President General. One concerned the importance of Safeguarding and the protection of young people and individuals. To this end, strict principles are established to prevent any harm and guarantee the safety of minors and vulnerable people, in line with the regulations of the Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. The other concerned the membership and journey of our association within the “Laudato Si” movement, as a network of prayer and action for the care of Creation.

• Charity Shops: The different countries, mostly English-speaking, that operate charity shops were invited to this Assembly to share their experiences with countries interested in implementing this resource. The presentations were very informative, as they explained how these shops carry out their activity not only to obtain financial resources, but also as points of contact for making our charism and social action better known and thus encouraging volunteering and the growth of the Conferences.

At the end of the presentations, representatives of the Fiji Islands, together with our brothers from Australia, spontaneously went up onto the stage and sang “Isa Lei”, a traditional farewell song that moved the audience present.

The meeting was enlivened at various moments by the song that has now become an anthem celebrating our Vincentian charism, composed by Lorenzo Alejo and sung with great enthusiasm by the participants. Special thanks go to our brother Lorenzo from the Dominican Republic for his total dedication and service at this event.

The Assembly concluded with a solemn Eucharist celebrated by Fathers José Orozco CM and José Alves CM. The celebration was experienced in profound fraternal communion, devotion and spirituality, awakening in all those present a strong sense of belonging.

It was a meeting in which friendship, harmony and spirituality prevailed, thanks to all the participants giving the very best of themselves to make it possible.

In Lisbon, the motto under which it was held became a reality: “Friendship in Faith”, as a strong bond of fraternal love and in the Vincentian spirit flowing from our first founders. Through our witness, we have shown that we are a great community of love, a group of friends united in faith, that is, what our principal founder Frédéric Ozanam longed for: “One single Conference moving throughout the world”.