"Only by taking up the cross can we truly follow Jesus"

“Only by taking up the cross can we truly follow Jesus”

(ANS – Rome – July 23, 2026) – In his Good Nite to the members of the SDB and FMA general councils, who were gathered on July 22 at the Salesian headquarters, the rector major offered a profound reflection on the meaning of following Christ in consecrated life today.

Drawing inspiration from the Gospel dialog between Jesus and Peter – when the apostle, after proclaiming Christ as the Messiah, rebuked him for foretelling his own passion, only to be told in reply to “deny himself, take up his cross, and follow him” – Fr. Fabio Attard invited everyone to ask themselves what it actually means to live out this following of Christ in the present day.

The rector major referred to Pope Francis’s teaching on pastoral conversion, recalling that this can’t exist without prior personal conversion: it’s not primarily a matter of changing methods, but of converting the heart of the pastor. Hence the challenge – also highlighted in the reports from provincial visitations – of communities where life risks becoming “a collection of individualisms,” with a lack of joy in being among young people, listening to them, and accompanying them in the schoolyard.

Fr. Attard urged us to recognize the many addictions that threaten inner freedom – not only digital ones, but also toxic friendships and relationships that don’t set us free – emphasizing that it is pointless to concern ourselves with young people if we’re not first and foremost committed to a genuine personal conversion, with the Lord at the center, renouncing self-centeredness. He also warned against “pastoral worldliness” which transforms pastoral service into a quest for personal gratification and recognition.

Referring to the dream of the rose-covered arbor, written by Don Bosco as early as 1847 – just his 2d year at Valdocco – the rector major recalled how the founder had understood from the outset that consecrated life for the sake of young people involves the dimension of the cross: “It’s a matter of the cross, not a walk in the park. It’s the path to Calvary.” If this dimension is forgotten or not embraced, he added, there’s a risk of causing harm to young people, to the mission of the Congregation, and to the Institute.

Fr. Attard concluded by recalling Don Bosco’s promise of an extraordinary future for the Congregation, on one condition alone: fidelity to the Constitutions, that is, to the Gospel as it’s been handed down and set out in the Constitutions. He urged us to have the courage to carry the cross with freedom and authenticity, “because young people are waiting for us, and the future is there: it’s up to us to ensure that it remains so.”