A Mission Inseparable from Justice
We, the Claretian Missionaries, have received, like the Apostles, the sending forth of the Risen Christ: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel” (Mt 28:19). To evangelise means to make present the Kingdom of God, his plan of love for humanity and for all Creation. This mission cannot be detached from social commitment: “The Church’s social thought is primarily positive: it offers proposals, it works for change, and in this sense it constantly points to the hope born of the loving heart of Jesus Christ. The Church is aware that if this proclamation is to be effective, it must also include an unceasing concern for human advancement” (Evangelii Gaudium 176).
Solidarity and Mission (SOMI)
Since 2015, the Congregation has organised, under the name Solidarity and Mission (SOMI), a way of coordinating social ministries, initiatives for justice, peace and care for Creation, Mission Procures, and representation before international bodies such as the United Nations. However, SOMI is not something new, but rather a current expression of the charism of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, who since the 19th century promoted educational, social and human development initiatives in the service of the poorest.
Identity and Spirituality
To speak of SOMI is not only to speak of projects, but of spirituality. It is a transversal axis that runs through the life of the Congregation: prayer, fraternal life, formation, economy and mission. As Pope Francis reminded us: “Those who really wish to give glory to God with their lives are called to spend themselves by living out the works of mercy” (Gaudete et Exsultate 107). The Claretian mission is embodied in gestures of compassion and in the search for authentic social change that combats the structural causes of poverty and promotes the dignity of every person.
A Preferential Option
Recent General Chapters have insisted on the inseparability of faith and commitment to justice, peace and care for our common home. “We dream of a Congregation committed to universal fraternity, justice, peace and the care of our common home” (QC 43). For this reason, SOMI embodies the preferential option for the poor and marginalised, echoing the Gospel and the living tradition of the Church: “The inseparable bond exists between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace” (Laudato Si’ 10).
Organisation and Global Presence
The General SOMI Team is composed of people who play a central role in coordinating and supporting the Congregation’s efforts in Solidarity and Mission. It includes the General Prefect of Apostolate and several persons appointed by the Superior General of the Claretian Missionaries: the General Secretary of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC); the General Mission Procurator; and the members of the Claretians at the UN team. Together they promote projects of evangelisation, integral human development and care for Creation. Priority areas of action include attention to migrants and refugees, accompaniment of indigenous peoples, peacebuilding, and advocacy on global ecological issues.
A Claretian Way of Life
Beyond structures, SOMI is a way of life that invites us to proclaim a Gospel that unites inseparably faith, justice and care for life. As Saint John Chrysostom recalled: “Do not honour Christ in the temple and then neglect him outside, where he is cold and naked in the person of the poor.”
Solidarity and Mission is, in short, the concrete expression of Claretian compassion: a path that reminds us that there is no authentic evangelisation without commitment to the poor and to Creation.
