Secular Franciscans in the Ecclesial Communities

Among the innovations appearing in the Church with the Vatican II Council, one of the most important, and I would say revolutionary, has been the rediscovery of the dignity of the laity and their reinstatement as active people in the Church.

In the Decree on the apostolate of the laity we read that they - sharing the mission of Christ, priest, prophet and king - effectively participate in the life and action of the Church. And, on top of this, that their activity within the ecclesial community is so necessary that, without it, the apostolate of the pastors cannot achieve its full effectiveness. ("Apostolicam Actuositatem", n. 10)

The Rule of the SFO, in full agreement with the Council orientations, invites us to become "witnesses and instruments" of the mission of the Church, inspired by Francis of Assisi who felt himself called by the crucifix of San Damiano to "rebuild the Church".

About our duty to be actively present in the local Church, there is no doubt or discussion. On the practical level, however, we sometimes meet difficulties and contradictions. I had confirmation of this during a recent visit to the countries of Central America where the national and regional leaders expressed the problem of not being able to develop formation programmes and to deepen fraternal life because of the excessive activity and work being undertaken by Secular Franciscans. They are extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, they are ministers of the Word, they are involved in the various social activities of the local Church, and sometimes all their spare time is taken up. Their presence at Fraternity meetings? "I can't, I must carry out another service." Their participation in a retreat or formation seminar? "I can't because I am needed in the parish at the weekend." Election to a position in the fraternity? "I cannot accept because I am already president of this, secretary of that..." And so it goes.

They are caught up in an excess of activism which does not leave sufficient "vital space" in which to be together in the manner and with the proper procedure of an authentic Fraternity. In order to exist and to develop it is necessary that there is sharing, renewal of life, time for prayer and formation and also time of common recreation. There needs to be a time to help each other learn to dialogue, to help with difficulties, to pray better. There needs to be a time in which the "fraternal communion" is made tangible and in which we are called to be responsible for the growth of each other.

Remember Art. 30.2 of the General Constitutions: "The sense of co-responsibility of the members requires personal presence, witness, prayer and active collaboration, in accordance with each one's means and possible obligations for the animation of the Fraternity." And note that only in this article of the Constitutions do we find such a strong verb: "requires": all the other articles use a form which is exhortative rather than definite.

At this point you will ask: How can the Secular Franciscans commit themselves to "repair the Church" with that creativity and co-responsibility which the Pauline Rule urges us. This is a vital and delicate problem which demands careful discernment by the council and the whole Fraternity because the situation must be evaluated concretely in the individual local situations.

I would like to make some general considerations only.

The first is that a certain individualism, typical of modern culture, has introduced itself into our life in a more or less open way. Too many individual apostolic activities are a sign of it. Many brothers and sisters choose apostolic courses and duties without considering those of the fraternity. The fraternity then meets great difficulty taking up and carrying out its own community apostolic work because of the unavailability of the individual members.

I have the impression that many of us find more rewarding an apostolic task chosen on our own initiative or one which is offered to us as an individual, to one which places us, in a more or less anonymous way, in a community activity. And what of Franciscan "minority"? Without doubt nothing more strengthens and consolidates a Fraternity so much as a work done together, sharing pain and satisfaction, success and failure, joys and disappointment. A work done together gives opportunities to ask for advice, to support each other, to share experiences, to integrate the gifts and abilities of each person, however different.

The individual apostolates, if it is necessary to take them on individually, must be subordinated, or at least co-ordinated with those of the community, always in dialogue with the council and the Fraternity.

Reread together Art. 102.1 of the General Constitutions: "The Fraternities (N.B. it does not say "the Secular Franciscans") ... should seek to cooperate in the animation of the parochial community, in the liturgy and in fraternal relations. They should integrate themselves (the subject is still the Fraternities!) into the pastoral apostolate as a whole, with preference for those activities more congenial to the secular Franciscan tradition and spirituality." I think there are grounds for reflection for many SFO Fraternities in this article.

A second consideration regards article 100.3 of the General Constitutions: "Fidelity to their own charisma, Franciscan and secular, and the witness of building Fraternity sincerely and openly are their principal services to the Church, which is the community of love. They should be recognised in it by their "being" from which their mission springs."

Here also, if you will permit me, I would like to refer to a personal experience. I was in New York and being interviewed for an American Catholic magazine: the first question the journalist asked me was: "What do you Secular Franciscans do?" Behind the question there was a reflection of our utilitarian and technocratic culture which tends to evaluate the importance of things and people in accordance with their immediate functionality. This bothered me a little, and I replied "The question is badly put. Ask me who we are, and then I can also tell you what we do."

If it is true that the charisma that the Holy Spirit gives to the Church are for the good of the community, the Secular Franciscans must feel the responsibility of making this gift shine in the local Church in which they live and work. This is the priority of "being" with respect to "doing".

Also, the Franciscan Ministers General, in the Letter on the "Vocation and Mission of the Franciscan Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World (1988)" invite us "to deepen the Secular Franciscan vocation in ways which are harmonious, coherent with the vigorous affirmation of our own identity as a public association and the active and cordial presence in the particular Church: such association must not assume the style of a circumstantial compromise, but must spring from the very roots of vocation."

And then, in the article quoted there is the "witness of the Fraternity". A recent document recommends religious not to forget that the fraternal communion, as such, is already apostolic and contributes to the work of evangelisation. I believe that the recommendation applies to us Secular Franciscans.

It would be marvellous if it could be said of our Fraternities as of the first Christian communities, "see how they love one another!"