C I O F S LIST

Summary of Meetings

Conference of General Assistants

USA: National Convocation of Spiritual Assistants

Coresponsible Contribution of the Brothers and Sisters to the Expenses of the Fraternities at the Various Levels - Fr. Jaime Zudaire OFMCap

Conference of General Assistants

12 September: The meeting took place during the SFO Seminar in the Ukraine, where the four General Assistants were present. They used the occasion to distribute the tasks of the visits and the presences during the national chapters for the rest of 1998. The last preparations for the national convocation of Spiritual Assistants in America were also made. All four General Assistants participated in that meeting.

USA: National Convocation of Spiritual Assistants

From September 22-25, 1998, the first national Convocation of Spiritual Assistants in the USA was held, with the four General Assistants present. The theme was: "Communion and Co-responsibility: Journeying together to build a more evangelic world". The National Minister gave a picture of where the SFO in the United States is going and where it wants to arrive. It is really a question of igniting a Fire for the SFO. The four workshops concentrated on Pastoral Assistance, Formation with and in the SFO, the Correspondence course " Life Giving Union " and how to facilitate communion and co-responsibility through the pastoral visit. The four General Assistants have given their view on the Why and How of Communion and Co-responsibility.

Note: We think it useful to publish part of the talk given at the General Chapter of Fatima, 1990.

The rule of Nicholas IV establishes in Chapter XIII: "Let each member give a coin of the usual money to the treasurer who shall collect such money and, on the advice of the ministers, suitably divide it among the brothers and sisters oppressed by poverty, and especially among the infirm and those who are known to lack the means for a funeral service, and finally among the other poor. Let them also offer some of this money to the aforesaid church."

In the history of the SFO there are many examples of works in favor of the poor and the sick. There is a great variation of attitudes regarding the poor members of their own Fraternity: going from a simple formal gesture to having all things in common. There are noteworthy examples of Fraternities who gave great attention to having their own headquarters and chapel, at times very artistic. The Constitutions of 1957 accept this tradition. In number 144 we read: "The treasurer... with the authority of the discretory will distribute the gifts to the poor tertiaries and to the other poor; he or she should take diligent care in providing the things needed by the Fraternity and for worship".

The present Rule and Constitutions confirm this older tradition and express more concretely the duty to contribute to the expenses of fraternal life and the formation of the brothers and sisters. They add to it the duty to help the Councils of the higher levels and to support the initiatives taken at the national and international level. (...)

By their profession, the brothers and sisters are incorporated in the Order in a local Fraternity. This incorporation should be based on a sincere love for the Order, communion and co-responsibility. The economic contribution is surely not the most important contribution one gives to the Fraternity and to its initiatives, but it needs to be present. The brothers and sisters should be adequately informed about the expenses needed for the life and the work of the Fraternity and should be made conscious of their duty. It is not a question of giving something to a stranger, but of participating in the life of one's own religious family, of one's own basic community in the Church.

The Order is the organic union of all Fraternities all over the world. It is very important that the brothers and sisters be conscious of what this union and communion of Fraternities means, in terms of witnessing the Franciscan vocation, service to others and service to the universal and local Church.
In this union of the Order, the Fraternities are coordinated and bonded among themselves. Concretely, the Rule and the Constitution consider fraternal and pastoral visits, the celebration of Chapters and Congresses. In the same way, all ask for guidelines for formation and many propose initiatives for peace which surpass local and regional boundaries.
Many members contribute to the guidance of the Order and to the various initiatives with their talents and their time. All need to feel themselves invited to collaborate in various ways, among which are their economic contributions.

On principle, it would be just that those who reap the fruits of the visits and other services, take upon themselves the responsibility to sustain those expenses. But no Fraternity can be deprived of those services because of its poverty. The generosity of all should see to it that the Councils at all levels have a fund or some other concrete way to meet the expenses deriving from their mission.

We have here a beautiful opportunity to practice what the Constitutions say regarding formation and information and the relationship between Fraternities at different levels. The Council of the local Fraternity should be eager to know and to appreciate the programs and the needs of the Councils at the higher levels. Those higher Councils should be well informed of the realities of the local Fraternities, promote their personality and inform them in convincing ways of their own needs and those of the other Fraternities.

The Rule and the Constitutions give this norm: "a contribution according to one's means". There are brothers or sisters who cannot give much. Saint Alberto Chmielowski says in his "Guide for Tertiaries" that all can give something; the generosity of others will supplement their poverty.

Because of this, it has become almost a custom that the collection in the local Fraternities is secret. At the international level, things are not that simple. If however the Chapter votes for a minimum contribution, obligatory for all single members, the Fraternities at all levels can let themselves be inspired by that formula and contribute as Fraternities.
Let all national Fraternities give a contribution according to their own possibilities. All can contribute, even if in a limited way.

There are national Fraternities which have greater economic possibilities or a deeper awareness of their duties towards the International Council. They could cover the "deficit" which arises from the non-compliance of some Fraternities or from their scanty economic possibilities. They could give extraordinary help from time to time. Those national Fraternities, or even better all, need to be informed and approached in such a way that their generosity can be expressed adequately and consciously. (...)