SFO International Council - Weekly edition
Volume: 10 - N. 8 - 2004 - February - III
From: CIOFS Bulletin, 2003, n. 3
The participants, in various work groups, discussed several topics regarding the characteristics of the Franciscan Youth, its relation with the SFO and the characterizing aspects of the common secular Franciscan spirituality, as well as the guidelines in order to strengthen the inner cohesion and the presence in the Church and the society.
For space reasons we cannot include the complete text of the conclusions, but we want at least to point out, in synthesis, those related to the aspects of the SFO Rule which the participants thought were more meaningful for the Franciscan Youth and its missionary activity.
-- To have the Gospel as base of life, expressed in the joy of being person, being Christian, being Franciscan.
-- Living the Rule as life
-- To be simple and joyful in the testimony of our life in the Church and the secular life, never stopping to dream and to work for a better future.
-- To overcome the obstacles and the difficulties, contemplating the poor crucified Christ.
-- To visit and to help the elderly, especially those that do not have family care; to visit orphanages and psychiatric hospitals; to animate the prisoners in the jails; to live moments of prayer with all these persons.
-- To organize activities with Caritas; to collect food and to help with its distribution in the Franciscan convents.
-- To practice the mission at the national level: activity with the missionary centers, engagement with the poor countries where the SFO exists and also in the sphere of the Youfra, help in the occasion of natural catastrophes. Also at the local level: humanitarian aid, visits to the hospitals, work with the poor, collection of toys for the children, to proclaim the Gospel with songs appropriate to several types of encounters.
-- Engagement in economic issues: not to consume products of the multinationals, but those of the poor countries (whenever possible).
-- To meet all with a smile, even when a smile does not exist; never to expect thanks, or repayment
-- The next Youfra congress will be held in Italy in 2005.
-- The Italian Youfra national fraternity will decide on the theme, slogan, location etc. of the congress.
The Congress has also determined how to prepare for the coming World Youth Day:
1. The organizing committee will be: Xavi, Isabel, Davor, Maria Rita, and one SFO/Youfra general assistant.
2. The Youfra national presidents, or delegates, will be contact people who know how to process all the information.
3. The Website (www.ciofs.org/wyd2005) will be prepared by Brother Michele Cannone.
4. The Youfra meeting will be held two or three days before the start of the WYD, and the Youfra members should try to remain together during the WYD meeting.
5. The national community of each country should try to contribute financially according to its possibilities and a fund should be set up to collect financial aid for the WYD.
The national committees should organize meetings for 2004. Neighboring countries should attend each other's meetings, for example, Croatia and Slovenia could participate in the Italian national meeting, and vice-versa.
Chile -- To celebrate the 750th year of the Transitus of our Sister Clare and the 450th year of the Franciscan presence in the country, the Chilean Franciscan Family, together with others from the Southern Cone, organized an encounter in Santiago to fraternize and to present themselves to the world.
A Franciscan "face to face" was in the program, in order to share experiences, as well as a visit to the Monastery of the Capuchin Poor Clares.
Peru -- From October 13-20 the fraternal and pastoral visits to the national Fraternity of Peru were conducted by the General Minister Encarnación del Pozo, and by the general Assistants Fr. Valentin Redondo OFMConv and Fr. Ivan Matic, OFM.
The national Fraternity of Peru consists of:
-- 137 local SFO fraternities, erected canonically, as well as several Fraternities in formation, grouped in 8 regional Fraternities.
-- 58 local Fraternities of Franciscan Youth, grouped in 8 regional Fraternities.
-- 3 Fraternities of Franciscan children (NIFRA).
After several encounters with the spiritual assistants, with the national Council, with the major Superiors of the First Order and the TOR, with the Fraternity of the Lima-Callao region, the extraordinary national Chapter took place, finalizing the visits, with the participation of more than 120 brothers and sisters.
During the Chapter, in which the situation of the SFO in Peru was described, the Visitors presented the following themes: Challenges of the 25th anniversary of the Pauline Rule (Encarnita), Commitment and perspectives for the SFO/YouFra of Peru in the Third Millennium (Fr. Ivan) and Spiritual Assistance to the SFO and the YouFra (Fr. Valentin). From the group discussions which followed, emerged the commitment of the Peruvian SFO toward vocations and formation, its missionary spirit, and its appreciated presence in the society. It would be impossible to list all of the services offered by the Fraternities. We will mention a few: the continued presence in women prisons and the assistance to the children of the inmates; the creation and management of a shelter for minors (in collaboration with the Juvenile Tribunal), the creation of a pharmacy offering drugs at reasonable prices, and the collaboration in spiritual health care.
Other aspects of the SFO in Peru include:
-- close attention to the Franciscan Youth, which is bound to the SFO in a most natural way, with the consequence that the SFO in Peru is one of the most youthful;
-- strong sense of belonging to the Franciscan Family which is shown, by example, in the school of the Franciscan Center frequented byall of the candidates to profession of the various components of the Franciscan Family and where they together receive formation into Franciscan spirituality.
Malta -- From October 27 to November 2 2003, took place the fraternal and pastoral visits by respectively Benedetto Lino and Fr. Valentin Redondo. The CIOFS Presidency had decided to conduct the visits prompted by diverging points of view within the National Council of Malta. The visit took place in an atmosphere of great openness and frank discussions, making it possible to overcome the problems, with the help of the visitors, through dialogue, mutual acceptance and fraternal understanding.
United States of America -- The Elective Chapter of the National Fraternity was held at the Mission Renewal Center in Santa Barbara, California on October 28 - November 2, 2003. Doug Clorey, Presidency Councillor, English (North America and Europe) and delegate of the General Minister, presided at the elections. Fr. Michael Higgins, TOR represented the Conference of General Assistants and acted as the official ecclesiastical witness for the elections. Carol Gentile was elected as National Minister and Juan Lezcano was re-elected as International Councillor.
Each day of the Chapter began with a session on formation, recognizing the importance that fraternities at all levels should place on ongoing formation. A variety of reports were presented describing the state of the National Fraternity of the USA, including reports from the National Executive Council and its Commissions, as well as a report from the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants. A number of resource people also addressed the Chapter, including Fr. Masud Sydullah, TSSF of the Anglican Franciscans, and Sr. Sharon Dillon, OSF of the Franciscan Federation. A presentation, in word and song, was also made by Doug Clorey on the importance of the Rule, the 2002 Message of the Holy Father to Secular Franciscans, and the priorities established by the 2002 General Chapter.