SFO International Council - Weekly edition
Volume: 3 - N. 1 - 1997 - January - I
From: Koinonia, 1997, N. 1
to the National Fraternities
and all the brothers and sisters of the SFO.
In this Christmas season when the Church remembers God's coming into this world, which is synonymous for us with peace and joy, we wish to share the festive spirit with all humanity.
But our joy is not complete because we know that people in some countries are suffering through the devastation caused by division and war. We are thinking in particular of the countries of central Africa: Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, which have been struck in this way.
We invite our brothers and sisters who live in those countries to do everything, whenever possible, to be creators of peace: this evangelical virtue is fundamental for the followers of Francis of Assisi, which we want to be.
We invite our brothers and sisters who live in prosperous countries and in peace to pressure the governments and public opinion in their respective countries, in order to bring their influence to bear in the search for just and lasting solutions to the conflicts that disfigure this world. And we know that justice is often a condition of peace.
This appeal is also and especially an appeal to conversion, to return to oneself, in order to abandon traditional ways that have proved disastrous and to put new policies into place both within the countries concerned, and in the countries which are able to influence the situation from without.
We entrust this appeal to the Spirit who alone can liberate the constructive forces existing in each one of us, and we wish you, brothers and sisters, a year of peace and joy.
Conference of General Assistants
13 September 1996: Three Assistants (Frs Ben, Zvonimir and Carl) met at the SFO International Secretariat, Garbatella. They made plans for Koinonia in 1997, and for their meeting with the Conference of Franciscan Ministers General and also with the Union of Conferences of Franciscan Ministers Provincial of Italy. They presented items for the agenda of the meeting of the SFO Presidency in December. They presented reports on visits made to Spain (Fr Ben) and to Poland, the Ukraine, Madagascar and Mauritius (Fr Carl).
Seminar on St Francis, Moscow
20-23 September 1996: The Moscow Aviation Institute held a seminar entitled, "The Ideas World of St Francis of Assisi". Arnis Chablovskis from Latvia and Margret Mertens from Germany cooperated in organizing the seminar with Natalie Skorobogatko, Director of the Institute. Among the speakers were Ubald Hausdorf OFM (National Assistant in Germany), Wolfgang Schonberg OFM (Regional Assistant in East Germany), and Carl Schafer OFM (General Assistant). Secular Franciscans attended from Moscow, St Petersburg and Smolensk, also from Latvia. The participants had meetings with Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusevich, with Gregory Cioroch OFMConv and with the SFO fraternity-in-formation which he is assisting in Moscow.
Netherlands
Fr Ben Brevoort OFMCap was present at the National elective Chapter of the Netherlands, 1 June 1996. The Chapter completed many tasks in a short time, thanks to the good preparation and the presence of an excellent moderator in the deliberative sessions. The draft of the National Statutes prepared by the outgoing National Council was accepted with some modifications, to be offered to the Presidency of the International Council for approval. Sibyl van der Maat was elected National Minister. Fr Ben met both the outgoing and newly elected National Council and the Provincial Ministers OFM and OFMCap. The Netherlands at present have 900 professed members and ten members in initial formation.
Spain
From 13 September to 3 October 1996, Fr Ben visited the SFO in Spain. He was able to meet the spiritual Assistants, the provincial Councils and some local Fraternities of Catalonia. The purpose of the meetings was to help the SFO in Catalonia in its progress towards full spiritual and organizational unity. On 21 and 22 September, Fr Ben took part in the deliberative Chapter of the SFO in Spain, where ample space was given to the pastoral visit. It was a pleasure to note the excellent level of formation of the members, the remarkable efforts of the National Council towards formation, the good organization of the headquarters and the collaboration with the spiritual Assistants. The SFO in Spain will need to commit itself to the development of a multi-cultural model of fraternity life, while fully respecting the cultural differences in the various zones that make up the one Fraternity of the country.