Prot. N. 1989/09

Circ. 02/09-14                                                                                                                    Rome, February 2, 2009

Presentation of Christ

 

To the International Councilors

To the National Councils

To all the Brothers and Sisters of the

Secular Franciscan Order and the Youfra

 

 

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters

The Lord give you Peace!

 

Following the first circular letter of the sexennial 2008-2014 that was recently sent to you, I am writing this letter on an important feast day, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, which for me signifies a sort of “welcome” that the Church gave to Christ. It is the feast of encounter. The encounter of Christ with his Church. It is the feast of the recognition of Christ as our God and Lord, which projects us towards a future of love, conversion and redemption.

 

Thus, in this climate of feast and encounter, I am sending you some news regarding the “XII General Chapter” of our Order that was celebrated in Hungary during the closure of the biennial celebration of the birth of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, in the year in which the Pauline Rule celebrated its 30th anniversary and at the beginning of the celebrations for the “8th Centenary of the Franciscan charisma”.

 

The Chapter reflected and worked with all seriousness, elaborating the themes proposed for its celebration which should set the course for the life of our Order in the immediate future. In continuity with preceding Chapters, the works were of a strong formative and informative nature and many important and necessary decisions were taken for the Secular Franciscan Order throughout the world. Especially noteworthy were the presentations on the central theme of the Chapter: “The Profession of Secular Franciscans and their sense of belonging to the SFO”, which had a strong impact on the capitulars in capturing the relevancy of Profession, which involves our entire life and delineates our belonging to the Order, the Franciscan Family, the Church and society, through our complete and faithful involvement in the life of our own local fraternity.

 

 

The Chapter:

  • Elected the CIOFS Presidency, who will carry out its services from 2008 to 2014 (Enclosure 1).
  • Approved the report of the General Minister which dealt not only with the workings of the Presidency and its Commissions, but also presented several challenges for our Order in the coming years. Although this document is for internal use, and will not be published in the web page, we ask all of you to please circulate the most important aspects contained therein (Encl. 2 and related documents);
  • Approved the financial reports for the years 2005-2007 and the triennial budget forecast for the years 2009-2011 (Enclosures 3 and 4);
  • Especially noteworthy was the presentation by the President of the Elective Session, Fr. Marco Tasca, General Minister OFMConv., on the beginning of the charisma, for which we are preparing to celebrate its “8th Centenary” with great hope and responsibility, together with the entire Franciscan Family (Published in our web page).
  • Approved an important document which, in accordance with GGCC 5.2, provides a practical interpretation of article 89.4.b of our Constitutions, and which will be divulged in a separate circular letter;
  • Modified several articles of the International (FIOFS) Statutes, in accordance with art. 6.1 of the General Constitutions, which will also be sent to you in a separate circular letter;
  • Approved a manual to facilitate and clarify the “Incorporation of the members of the Franciscan Youth in the Secular Franciscan Order”. We kindly ask that each national council carefully study and effectively divulge this document to all the regional and local fraternities for their knowledge and application, not only to the Franciscan Youth but to the Secular Franciscan Order as well (Enclosure 5);
  • Approved a motion directed towards the entire Franciscan Family that, in the year of the celebration of the 8th Centenary of the official beginning of the charisma, important initiatives be undertaken to promote the presence of all the young people of the Family in ecclesial or social convocations, especially in the World Youth Day of 2011 (Enclosure 6);
  • Prepared a message for all the Order (already sent with the first circular of this sexennial);
  • Wrote a message of solidarity to our brothers and sisters of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are living a vicious war with thousands and thousands of victims; and sent an appeal to the General Secretary of the United Nations for a rapid intervention aimed at restraining the increase of violence, and to propose and take decisive decisions to establish a situation in which the rights of the weak are respected and the acts of violence and genocide are stopped (sent with the first circular as mentioned);
  • Approved the draft of the Conclusions, establishing the priorities of the sexennial which have already been brought to the attention of the entire Order; having consigned the provisional document to the international councilors; we are enclosing the final text (Enclosure 7);
  • Thanked the Lord for all the gifts received during the time of grace which the Chapter signified for all the participants. We, capitulars, must take the responsibility upon ourselves to make this, also, a time of grace, of maturation and growth for all the brothers and sisters of the Secular Franciscan Order.

 

On behalf of the Presidency, I would like to remind all the capitulars of their commitment to effectively increase communications in the CIOFS and I ask the national councils to seriously reflect on the decisions taken in the Chapter and to rapidly put them into practice, opening a time of hope and certainty for all our brothers and sisters..

 

The Presidency requests that special attention be given to the table on the emerging national fraternities – an enclosure of the report by the General Minister – especially those who do not have a national constituted council who can accompany them, in order to choose one of these fraternities for the purpose of offering fraternal attention and assistance, especially in their walk of formation and discernment. It will be a reciprocal grace of God and reason for mutual enrichment.

 

The Presidency, in rendering itself available to everyone, would like to unite novelty and continuity in its service to the SFO, so that the Order will continue to develop in harmony, with the assistance, serious and responsible commitment and enthusiasm of all its members. We entrust all of you to Saint Francis and Saint Elizabeth and to the Blessed Angela of Foligno (whom we are now commemorating the 700th anniversary of her death), so that thanks to their intercession before the Lord, we will be granted the most necessary gifts for the life of each and every one of us.

 

Fraternally,

 

Encarnación del Pozo

Ministra Generale SFO

 

 

ATTACHMENTS: