Franciscan laity in the mission of the Church - Carlo Dallari OFM

b) Franciscan secularity

Summary of meetings

National Congress of the SFO in Spain

Part-IV

b) Franciscan secularity

The vocation and mission of the SFO, which we have mentioned a little above, have particular prominence because this Order has been specifically called to live the Gospel in the world according to the charism of Francis of Assisi . As distinct from the so-called "religious" Orders, the SFO is a secular Order, that is, one for which the Church recognizes the connotation of secularity.

The secular connotation of the SFO therefore indicates its belonging to the world and its responsibility (with and in the Church), towards the world in announcing the Gospel and in the salvation of all.

This vocation and this commitment lead, in the SFO Rule, to some essential lines for programmes, inspired by Franciscan spirituality, which are immediately revealed as in perfect harmony with the teaching of the Council, and respond to the expectations of the Church for the work of restoration, which was and remains the original mission of Francis and of his followers.

The SFO Rule proposes, in the line of Francis's experience, to guide the Franciscan laity to assume fully in themselves a positive relation with God, starting from their own secular situation. (...) It is by living in faithfulness to their secular state that they bring about in themselves conversion or a return to God, that is, holiness. Towards this awareness, the Rule presents a positive conception of the world, understood as everyone, sons of God, to be loved, together with all creatures "who bear the likeness of God" ( Cant.Creat. ), and as the place in which the redemption of Christ is present and is being effected through the work of the Spirit. In this way, the Rule is offered to the Franciscan laity as a project or guide-book, suited to lead them to live in the right relationship with God, with their fellows and with creatures.

By the way of gospel penance, the Franciscan laity are guided to overcome in themselves that "spirit of the flesh", or "wisdom of this world", which is the negative expression of the world as people opposed to God, and to restore, in themselves and in the world where they live, that "new creation", which is already present until now in the mystery of being hidden: we must still, in fact, complete in ourselves the salvation which Christ has merited for all. (...)

The Rule, indeed, does not forget that people, in their relentless search for God, are badly hindered by the evil that assails them and that sullies every reality. But evil is no longer and cannot be the absolute "lord" of this world; Christ has conquered it, Christ
who, through his death on the cross has re-conciled sinners with God, re-establishing their communion of life and grace, and laying the foundation of universal reconciliation between persons themselves, and between people and all creatures. (...)

The Secular Franciscans find in the Rule the gospel project and the necessary help to become really instruments of the universal reconciliation effected by Christ. (...) This Franciscan project foresees collaboration with the workings of God from within human structures.

This term "from within", is extremely important, because it says that holiness, the "perfection of charity" that the Franciscan laity are called to realize, does not pass over their human condition, whether individual or social; holiness is not realized "in spite of the fact" that they live in a family, that they work, study, strive for a more just society, for justice, peace, etc.; but - and this is the great truth that St Francis intuited - their holiness is attained precisely through their living faithfully and evangelically all the situations proper to their secular condition.

(The end)

1-3 November 1996: Fr Valentín Redondo OFMConv was present when 305 Secular Franciscans met at La Manga del Mar Menor (Murcia), to study the themeLife in Fraternity, subtitled, We grow in fraternity by sharing. They lived the experience of being the Franciscan Family in prayer, reflection, living together and knowing one another more closely. Three papers were presented: The sense of belonging, prepared by Madrid Zone; Life in fraternity, by Cartagena Zone;Promoting vocations, by the Franciscan Youth (Jufra) group of Valladolid. The papers were followed by work in groups. The assembly approved the conclusions regarding belonging, identity and the Fraternity as a family.