The Conference of Redemptorists for Africa & Madagascar (COREAM)
The Conference is the intermediate structure between the General government and individual provinces and vice provinces. It includes all Redemptorists who live and work within Africa & Madagascar.
The Assembly is the decision making body of the Conference. The three principal functions of the Assembly are to:
- Determine the pastoral priorities of the Conference and revise them in accordance with the missionary character of the Congregation;
- Enact, amend, authentically interpret or abrogate the Conference Statutes;
- Propose three candidates for the office of Co-ordinator to be presented to General Government.
The statutes of the Conference of Africa and Madagascar detail nine additional areas of responsibility for the conference.
The Co-ordination of the Conference (COREAM)
The Co-ordinator is the Chairman of the Conference and the Assembly. The current Co-ordinator of COREAM is Fr. Noel Sottima CSsR, born in Benin, and a member of the Redemptorist Vice-Province of West Africa.
Fr. Noel Sottima
The Co-ordinator is normally assisted by two Consultors. One of these positions is currently vacant, as the previous Consultor became Coordinator on the death of Fr. Zephirin Luyila. Fr. Gerard McCabe CSsR (South Africa) is the current consultor.
Fr. Gerard McCabe CSsR
The co-ordination team of COREAM work closely with the Consultor from Africa & Madagascar elected to the General Government.
This Consultor is elected by the whole Congregation every six years. Nicolas Ayouba Issifi CSsR from Niger is the current Consultor.
Fr, Nicolas Ayouba Issifi CSsR
The role of the Co-ordinator of COREAM is to:
- To guide the process of missionary discernment of the Conference, that will determine the pastoral priorities according to the spirit of the Constitutions and General Statutes and the guidelines offered by the Statutes of the Conference.
- To preside over the Review of Life of the Conference, guided above all by the pastoral priorities.
- To stimulate and encourage the Conference to take new missionary initiatives in response to the pastoral challenges of the continent, especially in the areas of immigration, social apostolate and inter-religious dialogue.
- To conduct a process of analysis of the more fragile Units; to do a documented presentation of the situation and propose solutions to the assembly for a broad discussion.
- To dialogue with the Units involved ensuring that the Conference has adopted good structures for initial formation. To this end, with the contribution of the Conference’s Secretariat for Formation, to present a study of the situation along with propositions of a solution for discussion and decision-making in the Assembly. To maintain a permanent dialogue with those in charge of the houses of common formation.
- When an international community is to be formed, to establish and supervise, with the contribution of the Secretariats for Evengelization and for Formation, a programme for the preparation of the confreres who make up the aforesaid community (see chapter II, No 13, above).
- To animate and support the Secretariat for Formation in the elaboration and execution of programmes that will contribute to the permanent formation of confreres at different levels.
- To act in conjunction with the General Council on all the questions concerning the conference.
- In order to contribute to the knowledge of the reality of the Conference, the Coordinator can be invited to participate in the Chapters and Assemblies in the Units as an observer with a right to vote when it is a matter concerning the Conference.
- He will participate also in the Visitations of the General Government according to what is established by the Superior General.
- When the Coordinator is an envoy as delegated by the Superior General for specific issues, he acts with authority that comes from the delegation.
- Other forms of relations between the Coordinator and the Units can be proposed by the Units and by the Assembly of the Conference..
Structures:
