SFO International Council - Weekly edition
Volume: 2 - N. 6 - 1996 - February - II
From: Koinonia, 1996, N. 1
Some refections
Presidency of the International Council SFO
Accompanying letter of Emanuela De Nunzio, Minister General SFO, to the National Councils and International Councillors SFO
In its meeting, from 28 April until 4 May 1995, the
Presidency of the International Council SFO considered the topic of
the practical application of the General Constitutions Art. 103
that exhorts local Fraternities to open themselves to "those who,
without belonging to the SFO, wish to share its experiences and
activities."
A document prepared by Marianne Powell, member of the Presidency,
and Carl Schafer OFM, General Assistant, was discussed, emended and
finally approved unanimously. I send it to you now so that you can
evaluate whether it would be opportune to distribute it within your
National Fraternities in order to resolve certain situations which
have already arisen in various contexts, as well as to give the SFO
a new and more welcoming ecumenical image.
On this day which commemorates the Visitation of the Virgin Mary to
St Elizabeth, I pray that all of us will be "docile to the action
of the Spirit", becoming capable of opening ourselves to those
wishing to participate in our way of life, overcoming any
resistance or lack of understanding.
In view of the fact that St Francis of Assisi is experienced by
many people as a gift of God not only to the Roman Catholic Church,
but to all people of good will, and acknowledging that many people
also outside the Catholic Church feel called in various ways to
associate their lives with that of St Francis without being able to
enter the Secular Franciscan Order, the General Constitutions of
the SFO, Art. 103, open the possibility of associate
membership.
Reasons for not seeking full membership may be various: in some
cases the person is not a Catholic, in others he or she may for
personal reasons be unable or unwilling to meet the requirements of
full membership.
Directives
Since the status of associate members within the Order is different from that of the professed members, national or local Statutes should provide directives in this regard. On the one hand, it is important to secure the openness of the Franciscan charism to all people; Catholics do not own Francis of Assisi. On the other hand, it is also important to secure the identity of the SFO as an Order within the Catholic Church consisting of people who have professed a Rule of Life, and whose fraternities have a juridical personality under Roman Catholic canon law.
Commitment
A candidate for associate membership must follow the same
procedure as candidates for ordinary membership: In a conversation
with the candidate the local Minister (or Vocations Director, or
whoever in the local situation has the responsibility) must
ascertain, exactly as with ordinary members, whether the candidate
is prepared to make a serious commitment. As with ordinary
membership, the motivation of the candidate must be examined, and
associate membership also requires readiness to undergo formation,
to attend meetings on a regular basis and in general to participate
in the life of the Fraternity. As in the case of ordinary members,
the local Fraternity Council decides on the acceptance or
non-acceptance of the associate members.
The commitment to associate membership has the same permanence as
the commitment to ordinary membership. After completion of the
formation process, full associate membership is confirmed publicly
before the SFO Fraternity.
Associate membership and ecumenism
While associate membership opens up great possibilities for
ecumenism, it is important that both the ordinary members and the
associate members have an authentic ecumenical understanding of the
situation. The associate members are not to be regarded as
prospective converts, but in the case of Christians from other
denominations rather as representatives of their own church
community. The associate members must, exactly as the ordinary
members, continue to deepen their understanding of their own faith.
Only thus can all members develop an ecumenical spirit that is both
enlightened and responsible.
Associate members must not consider an SFO Fraternity a context for
a non-committed involvement with the Catholic faith. On the
contrary, the presence of associate members in a Fraternity must
challenge all members to a deeper ecumenical
understanding, which involves respect both for one's own Church and
that of others. For this reason also, associate members should not
be accepted in a Roman Catholic SFO Fraternity if there is a
Franciscan Fraternity of lay people of their own denomination
within a reasonable distance.
All members must respect current rules regarding eucharistic
sharing between the Catholic Church and other Christian
churches.
Associate membership and other religions
There could be particular circumstances when a non-Christian could be an associate member of the SFO. However, this associate membership must in no way obscure the Christian, Catholic and Franciscan nature of the SFO.
Roman Catholic associate members
In the case of a Catholic who wishes associate membership, the motivation for choosing this type of commitment rather that profession must be examined. If in the local context there are factors in the personal life of the candidate which make a profession impossible but the candidate is able to undergo formation and live the normal life of the Fraternity, associate membership may be granted. If the candidate is able to undergo formation and live the life of the Fraternity in the normal way but is prevented by psychological, cultural or other barriers from making profession in the SFO, associate membership may be granted. If the candidate is unable to undergo the formation process and live the life of the Fraternity in the normal way, associate membership should not be granted. Whatever the impediment to full membership may be, each case should be studied and decided on its own merits.
Numbers
To secure the identity of an SFO Fraternity, the number of associate members in a Fraternity must remain low. Local Statutes may give indications for this. For a Fraternity to accommodate associate members it must itself be well established, conducted by an elected Fraternity Council, and regularly accompanied by a spiritual Assistant or Animator.
Rights and duties
The associate members have the same rights and duties, including financial ones, as ordinary members, except that they cannot vote in elections and cannot bear office in SFO Councils. National and local Statutes can provide for associate members to have observer status in SFO Councils.
Czech Republic
From 7-12 October, Ben and Emanuela De Nunzio visited the SFO in the Czech Republic. They met the national Council at the sanctuary Svaty Hostyn on Saturday, the eve of the third SFO national pilgrimage, and on Sunday with representatives of many local Fraternities. Some 300 Secular Franciscans from the Czech Republic together with a hundred from nearby Slovakia participated in this annual pilgrimage. After the pilgrimage, Ben and Emanuela visited a number of SFO Fraternities in Moravia and Bohemia.
Hungary
Br. Ben participated in the elective national Chapter of the SFO in Hungary, held on 14-15 October. Joseph Schuermans presided over the elections. This was the first Chapter after the official recognition of the Hungarian National Fraternity. Nemeth Bela was elected National Minister.
France
Emanuela De Nunzio and Fr Carl met the Bureau national (national executive Council) before attending the national Council and elections of the Secular Franciscan Fraternity, in Lille, 14-15 October 1995. France has two National Ministers, a man and a woman. Michel Martin and Marie-Odile Blanty were elected. Two recently appointed National Assistants were presented: Gilles Mallet OFM and Joseph Coz OFMCap. After the Chapter, Emanuela and Fr Carl visited the Bureau national in rue Sarrette, Paris, and met a Franciscan Youth group at Fontenay-sous-Bois.
Belgium
Emanuela and Fr Carl met the Council of the Belgian French-speaking Secular Franciscans, in Brussels, 18 October 1995. According to the structures and terminology of the SFO, they belong to the French-speaking Fraternity of Belgium, which is a fraternity in formation at the national level. On 19th, the visitors met the Council of the Flemish Secular Franciscans, in Mechelin. Fr Carl met two French-speaking Ministers Provincial and the representative of the secular priests' Fraternities, at rue Chant d'Oiseau, Brussels. He visited Vincent Gallogley OFM, in the parish of the English-speaking community, Kraainem. On 21st, Emanuela presided over the French-speaking electoral Chapter, at Mons, where Liliane Cornet was elected. The next day, she presided over the Flemish electoral Chapter, at Halle, where Gerard Vekemans was reelected. Emanuela was accompanied on both occasions by Fr Carl.