SFO International Council - Weekly edition
Volume: 6 - N. 18 - 2000 - May - I
From: Koinonia, 2000, N. 1
February 19-26, 2000 the CIOFS Presidency met in Rome. During the meeting the Pastoral Visitation was made by Fr. Bonaventure Midili, TOR, delegate of the Conference of Ministers General of the First Order and TOR: During the Visit various matters were discussed, including the process of approval of the General Constitutions as amended in the General Chapter of Madrid, and the situation of the SFO in Italy. Confronted with an attempt to confuse the two issues, the Presidency stressed the need to understand that they are totally distinct issues. Approval of the General Constitutions involves the entire Secular Franciscan Order, whereas the sad situation of the SFO in Italy involves only one part of a national fraternity.
In its evaluation of the General Chapter, the Presidency agreed that the Chapter was carried out with seriousness and maturity. The International Councilors were well prepared and had discussed the material regarding adaptation of the General Constitutions with their respective National Councils. Special thanks to the National Fraternity of Spain and to the Regional Fraternity of Madrid for its generous help in making the Chapter so successful.
The text of the amended Constitutions was given to the Conference of the Ministers General on December 23, 1999, with an accompanying letter and a copy to the Congregation for the Institutes of the Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSA). In their response of January 24, 2000, the Conference of Ministers General said that they would set up an ad hoc committee to examine the text and then present it to CIVCSVA. The members of the committee, one from each branch of the First Order and one from TOR, will be appointed not later then the end of March, and examination of the text is to be completed before the meeting of the Ministers General scheduled for the month of June, 2000. The Constitutions should be presented to the Congregation in June, at the latest, or earlier if possible.
To put into effect the decisions of the General Chapter the collaboration of some International Councilors has been requested to prepare a demographic analysis as proposed by the Chapter, and to work on changes in the International Statutes. An outline has been prepared for the annual report by National Fraternities and to help in preparation for fraternal and pastoral visits. The booklets on formation an on Franciscan Youth will be revised and send to the National Councils. The Acts of the Chapter with the texts in their original language are almost completed, while translation of the more important texts in other languages will be published when ready.
Participation of Franciscan Youth in the international Youth Days at Rome, in august 2000 was discussed. The Italian Franciscan Youth has been asked long ago to prepare the meeting. They accepted on condition that they should be fully responsible for all preparations. The National Council of the Italian Franciscan Youth asks for support and clearer reactions from National Councils who plan to participate.
Preparations were concluded for the Formation Seminar for the Baltic States and in Cuba. Having examined the situations it was decided to proceed with the steps towards official recognition of the National Fraternities of Chad and Cuba. Fraternal visits and presiding over national elective Chapters were scheduled. It was decided to ask International Councilors to be more involved in the work of animation by the International Fraternity by forming various commissions and networking among the various countries. It was a pleasure to note the good collaboration among the Italian Fraternities who have accepted the guidance of the Presidency in their journey towards unity. The two national magazines are already unified and the regional elective Chapters are presided over without any distinction of Order providing them spiritual assistance.
One full day was dedicated to the Jubilee. The Presidency took the occasion to visit the four Major Basilicas: St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Peter, and two of the lesser Basilicas: Holy Cross in Jerusalem and St. Lawrence at Verano. The members of the Presidency along with the office helpers in Rome prayed in every Basilica for the International SFO and for the brothers and sisters spread throughout the world.
December 5-7, 1999 The Conference of General Assistants met for its Annual planning meetingat San Francesco residence of the O.F.M. at Loreto. It was a profitable meeting, in which we reviewed the Conference activities during 1999. We agree that pastoral visits are very important, but will gain if done apart from elective chapters. There is need to prepare well and organize Visits better than we have in the past, in order to truly help National Fraternities be more enthusiastic and to improve spiritual assistance. And speaking of Assistance, we are convinced of the necessity of continuing to strengthen formation for the Assistants, as has been done several times in Italy and lately in Nicaragua. We need to insist on the necessity of forming Conferences of National Assistants which can give collegial assistance to the SFO. In some countries this is already being done with great benefit, in others the work is still to be done.
The President of the Conference, Fr. Zvonimir Brusac' TOR, needs more time to prepare his doctoral dissertation. Consequently it was decided that Fr. Nils Thompson OFM would be President "pro tem" of the Conference, until September, 2000. Finally we planned the meetings of the Conference for the year 2000, pastoral visits and presence at National Chapters. We divided the tasks of the General Assistants for the Seminars in the Baltic States and in Cuba, for preparing the KOINONIA and for leading the monthly prayer times at the CIOFS Secretariate and in the meetings of the Presidency.
January 24, 2000 the Conference of General Assistants had its first meeting of the Jubilee Year. Fr. Ben Brevoort was in Indonesia for the Elective Chapter of his Province. It was also the Name Day celebration of Fr. Nils Thompson OFM, which was celebrated in a simple way with lunch at the O.F.M. Curia. The liturgical tasks for the CIOFS Presidency meeting were divided up, with special care given to the Jubilee pilgrimage of the Presidency. We also planned who would do the pastoral visits and be present at National Chapters.
February 18, 2000 the Conference of General Assistants had its second ordinary meeting of the year, with all four members present. We dealt with proximate preparation for the meeting of the Presidency of CIOFS, and with the situation of the SFO in Italy. Some items were agreed on to present to Fr. Bonaventure Midili, TOR, Pastoral Visitor of the Presidency. It was decided to send a message of encouragement to the meeting of Spiritual Assistants of Italy, organized by the Conference of National Assistants, at present made up of only three of the four Religious Orders assisting the SFO in Italy. Finally the program for the Chapter was reviewed and also upcoming pastoral visits.
March 10, 2000 the Conference of General Assistants met at the General Curia of the TOR. Fr. Nils Thompson OFM was absent by an error in scheduling. The meeting was limited to a discussion of various questions and to preparing a sample letter to send to National Councils, solliciting their cooperation in bringing to reality the decisions of the General Chapter regarding unification of the SFO in Italy.
November 25, 1999 Fr. Ben Brevoort gave a talk entitled "In Life-giving Union with Each Other" to the six-month meeting of Superiors General of all Religious Orders and Congregations, held near Rome November 24-27, 1999. The theme of the assembly was "Sharing Charisms and Spirituality: Consecrated Life Open to Lay People."
November 4-7, 1999, immediately after the General Chapter, the SFO of Portugal celebrated its Eleventh National Chapter at the Biblical Center of the Capuchins in Fatima. Rosalvo Gonçalves Mota, Presidency Councilor, presided over the Chapter and fr. Valentín Redondo OFMConv, General Assistant, was present. Carlos Moura was elected national Minister.
The General Assistant, fr. Valentín, invited the national Assistants to form the Conference of National Assistants. Encouraged by the Provincial Ministers of the First Order and by the National Minister of the SFO, Carlos Moura, the Assistants concerned have already started discussing how to establish the future Conference of National Assistants of the SFO.
March 20-27, 2000 General Assistant fr. Valentín Redondo OFMConv, has visited some local Fraternities of the SFO in Rumania. He met twice with the National Minister Lucia-Elisabeth Mamulea. Some Fraternities are quite big, with more than 200 members. Over 2,000 members are registered at the National Fraternity. The Secular Franciscan Order is present in the two regions of Transsylvania and Moldavia. Coming April 7-9, 2000, members of both regions will meet in Bucharest to discuss steps how to integrate both regions into the one National Fraternity of Romania.