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GENERAL CHAPTER |
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STATE OF THE ORDER Secular Franciscans need to take charge of their identity as an order, and act on the conviction they are equal partners in the Franciscan Family, not just passive members, General Minister Encarnacio del Pozo told some 110 attendees at the order's 12th general chapter on Sunday, Nov. 16. Meeting in Budapest, Hungary, the chapter runs from Nov. 15 to Nov. 22. “I would dare to affirm that, in this historic moment, the SFO feels more responsible than other members of the family,” and plays a unique “unifying” role because of “our Rule,” she said. Noting fruitful, ongoing relationships with other branches of the family – a family ready to celebrate the 8th centenary of the birth of the Franciscan charism -- General Minister del Pozo asserted: “I beg of you -- the SFO must not and cannot trail behind...the other components of our family. The SFO has to re-claim...its own place in these family events. The life experiences of our Order must be known and well present to the rest of the family. I do believe that the First Order, the Second Order and the Third Order Regular at all levels need the knowledge that we can offer,” as people fully immersed “in the ordinary circumstances and problems related to work, family, politics, education and science, including situations of extreme poverty and all kinds of misery.” Del Pozo, whose six-year term ends with the election of new leaders at the chapter, offered some challenges for the future: – deepen the formation process. – intensify and revitalize the local Fraternity, where the life of the Order exists and vocations are developed. – increase the sense of mission in the world. – consider different ways of living within the Secular Franciscan Order, such as family groups, young couples and groups arising from the YouFra (Franciscan youth) – foster the call to holiness, with fraternities becoming home to individuals who, taking their baptism seriously, want to become saints. Del Pozo gave a demographic overview of the Order, while noting some difficulty in getting an accurate census for fraternities in all 110 countries where the Secular Franciscan Order exists. The number of professed active members remains constant at some 400,000, she reported. They belong to 65 established national fraternities, 42 emerging national fraternities, and three areas working toward canonical establishment of their first local fraternities. Franciscan Youth, or YouFra, is present in 64 countries as an organization. The Western World, particularly Europe, has seen a decline or stagnation in numbers, while so-called Third World countries, including some in Latin American, Africa, Asia and, Slavic nations as well, are seeing an astonishing growth in vocations. In one country there are young people in their 20s serving in leadership positions. She also urged: – continuation of the “China project,” to spread the Franciscan charism and provide support for some 7,000 Secular Franciscans and 120 fraternities who have been discovered in China despite decades of Communist repression. – a commitment to support and collaborate with Franciscans International, which brings a Franciscan voice to the United Nations. ### |
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