C I O F S LIST

Conclusions of the General Chapter

a. Animate

b. Guide

c. Coordinate

The General Chapter, meeting in Rome, July 7-14, 1996, reflected on the topic: "Which SFO for the years 2000?" It has considered the needs felt in many countries and the role of those responsable to animate, guide and coordinate the Fraternities towards a more meaningfull presence of the SFO at the start of the third milenium.

a. Animate

To animate means to instill spirit and life, to awaken convinced commitment and a sense of belonging. We felt the necessity to rediscover the roots of our vocation and to intensify formation in the various areas: human, christian and franciscan. This formation should focus on unity between faith and life, following programs aimed at making local Fraternities become schools of life, of maturity, of dialogue and communion, of conversion, of conscious and responsible citizenship, where we can experience our being a living Church.

Formation programs should prepare secular Franciscans for socio-political commitment, for giving witness as Franciscans to construct a better world, choosing in a special way for the poor through concrete experiences of charitable service, which are part and parcel of the historical heritage of the SFO.

Chapters, being meetings of brothers and sisters, should be prepared and lived as moment of verification and programming this formation based on experience.

The Presidency in collaboration with National Councils, will find ways and moments to:
-- continue formation efforts for emerging Frarternities in all continents, especially in East Europe and in Africa;
-- promote an adequate formation of International Councillors;
-- stimulate a more adequate formation of all Friars in regard to the SFO, so that they can help secular Franciscans to live better their form of life;
-- complete the manual on formation of leaders, defining more clearly their functions and necessary qualities.

b. Guide

To guide means to direct a reality to its own end, indicating reference points in this journey, awakening and maintaining active interest towards the proposed goal.

In line with this, by accompanying, uniting and promoting, the Presidency intends to operate by applying the principle of subsidiarity, respecting and promoting the vitality of the other Councils, who in turn commit themselves to put into practice the indications received (cf. Const. 33.3).

The Presidency commits itself to:
-- promote a more active participation of the International Councillors, in order to maintain constantly open channels of communication, through the Presidency councillors of the individual areas;
-- empower visits, fraternal and pastoral, with special attention to those Fraternities who most need them;
-- maintain the unity of the Order, a constant concern in its operating in the fields of norms, structures and guidelines for formation and action.

The Chapter encourages the orientation of the Conference of General Assistants to delegate more often provincial Ministers of the country concerned or national Assistants of nearby ones, to be present at national elective Chapters.

The Chapter supports the participation of Franciscan Youth in the World Youth days.

c. Coordinate

To coordinate means above all to stimulate communication at a horizontal level as well as vertically.

The Presidency should encourage communication between national Fraternities sharing similar interests or common socio-cultural situations, to the benefit also of emerging Fraternities. International Councillors have a special responsibility to call the attention of their national Councils to initiate and promote this process. They are also responsible for maintaining communication with the Presidency.

A culture of vital reciprocity should be developed with all other components of the Franciscan Family. The Presidency should study, together with the Franciscan Youth Councils, a better organization of the international structure of the Franciscan Youth and define competencies of international youth officers.

The Presidency and the National Councils should encourage continued efforts to raise the civic conscience of Secular Franciscans in the areas of Justice, Peace and care of creation. They should also promote global awareness, e.g. by supporting Franciscans International in their effort to make the Franciscan values present at the United Nations Organization.

The national Councils should foster ecumenical as well as interreligious dialogue, by giving it special attention in on-going formation programs. They should also promote the participation of the secular Franciscans in the social-political area, by cooperating with organizations, governmental or other, who affirm the value of the family and respect for life from conception till death, who are working for human development or trying to combat social injusticies.

The Order at all levels should avail itself of modern means of communication, in its effort to coordinate activities and publicity at national and international levels, facilitating also access to available resources.