SFO International Council - Weekly edition
Volume: 4 - N. 48 - 1998 - November - IV
From: Koinonia, 1998, N. 3
Conference of General Assistants
March 30 : The Conference met at the TOR General Curia to prepare the international prayer vigil of May 30, at the Basilica of the Holy Apostles in Rome. This vigil opens the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the SFO Rule. The Conference also continued to prepare itself for the Seminar for National Assistants from Africa and for the Seminar in Ukraine.
June 12 : This meeting took place at the CIOFS Secretariat at the "Garbatella" in Rome. During the meeting, preparations for the Seminar for Spiritual Assistants from Africa were completed. The General Assistants also assigned themselves to the different tasks for their participation at the National Convention of Spiritual Assistants in the United States in September. They also planned their participation at National Chapters and their pastoral visits for the second half of the year.
July 2 : The meeting took place at the Capuchin convent of Frascati, near Rome, during the Seminar for Spiritual Assistants of Africa. The meeting served to discuss the Seminar for Spiritual Assistants of Asia, to be organized in 1999 and the final preparations for the Seminar in the Ukraine (September 2-10, 1998).
Meetings of the Conference with the national and the regional Assistants of Italy
At the request of the Conference, a meeting with the four National Assistants of Italy took place on March 10, at the TOR General Curia. The four General Assistants were present, as well as all four National Assistants: Valentino Fiscon OFMConv, Luigi Moro OFM and vice assistant Lorenzo Di Guiseppe OFM, Mario Finauro OFMCap and Fernando Scocca TOR. The General Assistants invited the National Assistants to establish, during that same meeting, the Conference of National Assistants of Italy. They discussed the role and the duties of the Assistants in the process of unification of the SFO in Italy, still organized into four obediential National Fraternities. At the second meeting, on March 30, at the same Curia, the National Assistants decided to meet more regularly, at least several times a year.
The Conference of General Assistants invited the Regional Assistants of Italy for a meeting, held on March 12 in Assisi, just before the start of the national interobediential course for Assistants and Animators. General Assistants Zvonimir Brusac TOR and Valentín Redondo OFMConv, representing the Conference of General Assistants, met more than thirty Regional Assistants. No Assistants from the Friars Minor (OFM) were present. The goal of the meeting was to encourage the Regional Assistants in their collaboration and to establish, where feasible, Conferences of Regional Assistants. In an atmosphere full of attention and interest the participants exchanged information regarding present cooperation. The General Assistants explained how to assist the one SFO through Conferences of Assistants at the various levels.
Seminar for National Assistants of Africa
A Seminar for National Assistants from Africa took place from June 23 to July 4, 1998, at the Capuchin convent of Frascati, near Rome. 16 Assistants participated in the meeting, coming from 15 countries: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The majority of the participants were Capuchins. Together with them, two OFMConv. Assistants from Zambia and Tanzania, participated in the seminar. Among the participants were four Italian missionaries. The seminar was organized by the General Assistants. The languages used were English, French and Italian. The talks centered on the following topics: The SFO and its Assistance in the Church as communion and mission, Vision of the Assistance to the SFO, History and origins of the SFO, Secular Franciscan Spirituality, Formation for the SFO and the Franciscan Youth. Emanuela De Nunzio, SFO General Minister, participated for two days and presented the topics: Vision of the SFO (secularity, unity and autonomy) and The Secular Franciscan in the Church and in Society. The afternoons were used for a guided reading of the SFO Rule, group discussions and a presentation of the SFO and its assistance in the countries represented. After the seminar, a group of Assistants continued for another week in Assisi and Umbria. The Assistants took great interest in the contents of the seminar. A beginning was made towards a more effective cooperation between Assistants of respectively English and French-speaking countries. An identical seminar was organized last February-March for the Assistants of Slavic countries.
World Congress of Church Movements
The congress, promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, took place in Rome, May 27-29, with the topic "Church Movements: Communion and Mission at the Threshold of the Third Millennium". There were more than 50 "movements and new communities" present. The meeting of the movements with the Pope took place on May 30 at Saint Peter's square. On May 31, in front of Saint Peter's Basilica, the Pope celebrated mass with more than two hundred thousand participants. Also the International Fraternity of the SFO was invited to both the Congress and the meeting. SFO participants at the congress were: Emanuela De Nunzio, general Minister; Encarnación Del Pozo, Vice-minister; Alicia Gallardo and Emerenziana Rossato, Presidency councilors; Peter Keogh, international councilor (Oceania) and Nils Thompson OFM, general Assistant. The General Minister gave a short talk on the charism and the life of the SFO. Emerenziana Rossato was asked to prepare the concluding prayer of the Congress. The introductory talk on "Church Movements, Hope for the Church and for the People" was given by Card. Josef Ratzinger. This was followed by other interesting topics: Institution and charism, Movements - gift of the Spirit and Movements and the mission of the Church today. The Pope told the participants at the Congress in his message: "The movements present one of the most significant fruits of that springtime of the Church which has been foretold by the Second Vatican Council". Bishop Stanislav Rylko, Secretary of the Council for the Laity, stated: "The gifts which the Lord had entrusted to us are great, but great also is our responsibility to make them bear fruit and to share them with others".
Meeting of the CIOFS Presidency
From June 4 - 11 the present Presidency of CIOFS gathered for its 5th meeting. The meeting decided on the final text of the proposed amendments to the Constitutions, which will be submitted to the next General Chapter, which will take place at Madrid, October 23-31,1999. On June 7, the Presidency met with the four National Ministers of the SFO of Italy. During this dialogue, the National Ministers gave information about the steps already taken during the last two years regarding the journey towards unity and the work of the team which elaborated the "transitional statutory norms" for the process of unification. After this meeting, following lengthy reflection and consultation, the Presidency issued a decree according to which it will appoint a Council for the SFO of Italy, composed of representatives from the four National Obediential Fraternities. The names of the representatives will be determined by way of secret ballot within each of the Obediential Fraternities. This Council will have all duties and powers given by the Constitutions to National Councils. Its primary task will be to guide the process of unification during the coming three years, after the term of office of the Obediential National Councils expires in February 1999. The Presidency meeting also discussed the projects: "Seminar in the Ukraine 1998", "Vademecum for the formation of responsible leadership" and "Project Africa". It was decided to recognize officially the national Fraternity of Malaysia and to intensify communications and cooperation with the SFO in Cuba.
Opening of the 20th Anniversary of the SFO Rule of Paul VI
The opening vigil of prayer and thanksgiving for the 20th anniversary of the Rule took place on May 30, in Rome, at the Basilica of the Holy Apostles. Secular Franciscans from Rome and Italy, a big group from Spain and others, present in Rome for the occasion, took part in the vigil. Opening the anniversary, Emanuela De Nunzio, General Minister, greeted and encouraged her brothers and sisters. During the vigil, after the biblical readings, selected parts of the Rule were recited, accompanied by symbols of fire, of candles and of water, with songs and prayers. Other members of the CIOFS Presidency and the four General Assistants were also present at the vigil.