Bro Kim Emmanuel, National President
From the President's Desk
With gratitude to God I am delighted and privileged to present the fourth edition of the Nigerian Manual of the International Confederation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (ICSSVP). It would be observed that the Rule and the International Statutes are the basic requirements for drafting the Internal Statutes of each National Council of the ICSSVP.
The Confederation, although pursuing the strategic objective of maintaining a close and strong relationship with the Hierarchy as one Mystical Body of Christ in the Church, had been seeking “Private Canonical Juridical Personality”, a kind of autonomy especially following the Apostolic Letter, “The Service of Charity” referred to as ‘Intima Ecclesiae Ntura’ (IEN) issued on 11th November, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, the provisions of which were to be reflected in the statutes of all charitable associations.
Cur Unum, the Pontifical Council that represents the Holy See for the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul was charged with this responsibility and already its policy was to ensure the autonomy of the Confederation. The expected changes were proposed for discussion at the 2016 General Assembly in Rome under the procedure, “Partial Reforms, Amendments and Additional Statutes”.
These amendments were discussed and approved with effect from 7th June, 2016. This then became the compelling need for the 4th review of the Manual of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul National Council of Nigeria. Besides, it had been overtaken by obvious social and economic realities of the current time and over time, it was in short supply and the demand for it was high but as it were, it was not advisable to just reprint it in that form.
The new manual provides an overarching framework, covering multiple dimensions of improving the coordination and management of the Conferences and Councils and the welfare of the poor in Nigeria. In fact, it is a compendium of readings, prayers and activities of the Society and I believe it will be a good reference material and an indispensable companion that will satisfy the yearnings of the ever growing population of Vincentians in Nigeria, whose number is well over 8,936 members, with over 3,000 youths in 9 Metropolitan Councils, 50 Central Councils,169 Particular Councils with ever increasing number of Conferences that stand at about 931 in June, 2016, 56 years after the first Conference was established at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Ebute Meta Lagos in 1960.
It is my prayer therefore, that the best use will made of it so that our mission of bringing the Good News to the poor, the vulnerable and the excluded will be fulfilled and that members will increase in their knowledge of the Society, deepen their love and service to the poor of Christ and above all, commitment to the Vincentian vocation to which we have all been called.
Bro. Kim Emmanuel,
National President
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
National Council of Nigeria
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