Franciscan Missionaries of Mary

Franciscan Missionaries of Mary

Via Giusti, 12

00185 Rome

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Superior General

Rome, 15th September 2006

To all the Sisters of the Institute

Dear Sisters,

On this day, the Feast day of Our Lady I am announcing to you the opening of the process of the consultation with a view to the Election of a Provincial Superior by your respective provinces. This Feast reminds us of Mary’s crucial role in the history of salvation, the woman of faith who ‘offered her whole being….so that the Spirit may carry out the Father’s work in her’ (Const.2). It is with this same spirit that as Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the whole Institute is being asked to enter into a process of openness, discernment and searching for God’s desire for each province.

The Enlarged General Council of last March/April urged us to a radical renewal of religious life and a commitment to a spiritual journey based on the Kenosis of Christ, which was later reflected in the theme for the forthcoming General Chapter of 2008. We are called to ‘have in us and among us the same mind as Jesus Christ’ (Phil.2:5). This implies that we are called to let go of any attitudes that are not in line with the Spirit of God. Hence, the inherent challenge in this consultation and election process is to let go of any attitude of division, politicking, or influencing that would in any way interfere with this sacred process of discernment. (For a better participation in elections in the Institute today. p.15)

Therefore, with the General Council I invite you to live this time in an atmosphere of prayer and reflection, aware that it commits us to responsibility at each level: you at the moment of consultations and elections and us in our choice of names to send back to you. It is for all of us an occasion to live coresponsibility deeply in faith. The Spirit requests our collaboration and commits us to open ourselves in our free and objective search so that as Mary of the Passion said ‘our choices may stop, not upon the candidate who pleases us, but on her who seems best suited to the work of God’ (cf. CT2, 351).

To help us reflect on ‘who seems to us to best suited to the work of God’ we would request the Provincial Council to engage the Sisters in a discernment process that takes into consideration: the needs of the province at this point in its history; the direction that the province needs to take in the next few years given its current reality and the qualities of leadership required for this task. It is important to maintain a ‘spirit of discernment’ throughout the whole election process. Therefore we see that the local animators would have a significant role in ensuring this spirit.

Experience has shown us that a consultation accompanied by motivations is always a great help to us who are called to discern the names to propose to you for the election, taking into account your desires and expectations. We realise that this is also of help to you, in clarifying your choices as well as owning responsibility for your propositions.

For the consultation, the Provincial and her Council will follow the method outlined in the Provincial Statutes approved by the General Council. The results should reach the General Secretariat by 15th February 2007 at the latest.

The role of the tellers during the whole process of consultation and election is of crucial importance. Once named at the provincial level they have a threefold responsibility: to know the Provincial Statutes well and to be sure of their applications; to guarantee absolute secrecy; and to send as indicated the complete results, with the motivations of the sisters, to the General Secretary. In case of doubt, before going further, you know that you can always contact Sr. Françoise Pécresse, Secretary general.

If for any serious reason a sister, after prayer and discernment, sincerely believes that she ought to withdraw her name, she needs to enter into a dialogue with the Superior General after the results of the first consultation. Therefore it would be better to wait two weeks before the start of the second

round of consultations.

The General Council has been aware for a number of years now of the difficulty to find a second name (Const.153) in some situations, where the consultation indicates a vast majority in favour of a particular sister. We realise that this is very difficult for the sisters involved. This as you know would require a change in the Constitutions, hence we request that you understand and accept this reality.

Confident that the Spirit of wisdom and discernment is present in each one of you, I pray that you will be open to the inspirations and guidance of God, as together we search for the good of the province and the Institute. In January 2007 it will be 130 years since Mary of the Passion saw the confirmation of God’s Spirit at work in the foundation of the Institute. We, in our turn are called by God to carry it into the future with integrity and deep commitment. Let us be united in this response.

With all my affection,

Christiane Megarbane fmm

Superior General

To help the reflection

Service of unity: CS 129 – 133

Role and functions of the provincial: CS 156 – 157

Criteria for the choice of the provincial: CS 155, c 46

Discernment: c 42, addition c 45

-  “For better participation in elections in the Institute today” (booklet)

-  “Formation to discernment” (booklet)

Communication from the general council concerning

the election of provincial superiors

-  The sisters are consulted according to the methods foreseen in the Provincial Statutes. The result of the last consultation is sent directly to the superior general and her council, without being communicated to the province.

-  The complete result of this consultation with the numbers, should reach the superior general before 15th February 2007; with this will be enclosed the results of the first consultation.

-  If the Statutes foresee the possibility of giving motivations, it is preferable to do so at the time of the second round in order to favour a progression in the process of discernment.

The sisters who give motivations for their choice, will sign them and send them in a separate envelope, while proposing also one or more names for the consultation. The motivations do not replace the consultative vote.

A possible withdrawal could be submitted between the two rounds of consultation. The tellers should leave a sufficient lapse of time between the communication of the result of the first round and the launching of the second round. The tellers, in agreement with the provincial, will establish the calendar.

-  From the consultation and with the possibility of adding other names, the superior general and her council will send back to the province at least two names, in alphabetical order, to be communicated to the sisters for voting.

-  A two-third majority is required on the first two rounds of voting. From the third onwards, the majority required is in conformity with the Provincial Statutes.

-  The result of the election (names and number of votes obtained) is transmitted by FAX to the superior general and her council who confirm it and announce it to the province through the intermediary of the provincial in charge. The original of the minutes of the different ballots are sent straightaway to the secretary general (cf. “For better participation in elections in the Institute today”, pp. 39-40).

-  The term of office of the provincials will begin on 31st October 2007.

Annex

Practical reminders on the subject of the procedure

This annex to the letter has as its aim to make some practical reminders to facilitate the unfolding of the different stages.

1)  TELLERS

-  A team of three sisters is nominated before the beginning of the consultations.

-  Before the beginning of the process, the provincial and her council must:

: make sure that the tellers know their moral and effective responsibility well (opening the ballot papers, calculating the majority, drawing up the minutes, sending the results, etc.) and

:draw up the calendar with them.

-  After that the tellers have full responsibility to carry forward the consultation and the election, including the sending of the results either to the communities or to the general council. The provincial is not part of this team.

2) CONSULTATIONS

-  If the provincial statutes foresee two rounds of consultations, the result of the first round is sent to the communities according to the form foreseen in the statutes. In any case, the number of votes is never indicated. If the results of the first round are sent in blocks of votes, the size of these blocks must be fixed before the beginning of the consultations.

N.B. Often the statutes state: “From the list of names resulting from the first round, the sisters propose …” Now it is always possible to propose names that are not on this list.

3) ELECTIONS

-  Pre-ballot: the pre-ballot (when this is foreseen in the statutes) takes place exactly as in a first round of voting. The result of this is communicated to the province for information but without effect.

-  Election ballots

The tellers receive these ballot papers and send the results (minutes).

N.B. Calculating the majority:

The absolute majority is the first figure after half the number (and not half plus one).

N.B. In the event of equally divided votes, the senior in perpetual profession is declared elected.

If their profession dates from the same day, the provincial statutes may decide that the younger in age is elected. This exception from Canon Law is allowed.

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