FRATERNITAS
Vol. XLVIII. Nr. 221 - OFM Roma – Email: - 01.03. 2015
The annual meeting of theMinister General
with the new Ministers Provincial and Custodes
The XVII Meeting of the Minister General and his Definitory with the Ministers and Custodes elected during the year 2104 began with an Opening Eucharistic Celebration, presided by the Vicar General, Br. Julio Bunader, OFM, on the 19th of January. The meeting, held at the General Curia in Rome, concluded on the 29th of January and was formative and informative. The main topics were: the service of authority, formation for the mission, the accompaniment of the Friars, the Minister Provincial and his Definitory, the final document and mandates of the 2009 General Chapter and the upcoming 2015 General Chapter. All the participants had a personal dialogue with the Minister Generaland visited some of the Curia Offices.
Prayer in preparation for
the 2015 General Chapter
The Minister General, in his Letter of Convocation of the Chapter, recalls how important it is for all the Order to participate and cooperate, through prayer, for a successful outcome of the 2015 General Chapter: “I warmly renew the invitation to each Friar of the Order to pray intensely, to reflect wisely and to prepare responsibly for this fundamental event of our life and mission”.
The Secretariat of the Chapter has prepared some formulae of prayer to insert into the breviary to be recited each day. These may be downloaded from the site of the Order at: It is a matter of short prayer intentions to be placed at the end of Morning and Evening Prayer and of a prayer to be chosen by the Fraternity, and is to begin with the start of Lent.
The success of the General Chapter is, therefore, bound to and entrusted to the prayer of the whole Order, of each Fraternity and of each Friar.
The Feast of the PUA and of its Grand Chancellor
The feast of the Pontifical UniversityAntonianumand of its Grand Chancellor, Br. Michael A. Perry, Minister General, OFM, was celebrated in the Aula Magna on the 16th of January 2015.
The Antonianum celebrated a special moment: the X Anniversary of its recognition as a Pontifical University.
The following programme was set up for the occasion: following the words of the Secretary General and Moderator of the Academic Act, Br. Marek Wach, OFM, the Rector Magnificus, Sr. Mary Melone, SFA, spoke on: “What is new and traditional in the Pontifical UniversityAntonianum”. Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo Zani, Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, then spoke on: “What is the idea of University? The perspective of ecclesiastical studies”.
Finally, Msgr. Paolo Martinelli, OFMCap., ex-President of the Institute of Spirituality, and now Auxiliary Bishop of Milan, greeted the Assembly. Br. Michael A. Perry brought the celebration of the anniversary of the PUA and of his feast as Grand Chancellor to an end with a talk on: “Fraternity and minority between tradition and the present”.
Interview with Br. William Short, OFM
Secretary of the 2015 General Chapter
Fraternitas: What happens at the General Chapter?
Br William: That is a good question, especially as many Friars never had the experience of participating in a General Chapter. It lasts almost a month [10th of May– 7th of June] and each week has its own specific character.
Fraternitas: For example?
Br William: The 1st week consists of listening to the Reports of the Minister General and of the Offices of the Curia. This, at the same time, gives the Capitulars the possibility to exchange impressions in different language groups and to know the names of the candidates for the various offices.
Fraternitas: How many language groups will there be?
Br William: The choice is of the Friar Capitulars themselves, but we will try one or two groups for Italian, Spanish, and English speakers, plus single groups for French, Portuguese, Polish, Croatian and, perhaps, some others.
Fraternitas: What happens during the 2ndweek?
Br William: That is the week for discussing the Instrumentum Laboris, the document prepared from the suggestions submitted by the Friars of the entire Order.We will also have straw votes for the various offices and the elections.
Fraternitas: When will the election of the Minister General take place?
Br William: According to the present programme, it will take place in the morning of Thursday the 21of May. Then, there will be the election of the Vicar General on Friday, and the elections of the Definitors on Saturday. In this way we will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost with the new government of the Order in the Porziuncola.
Fraternitas: And after the elections?
Br William: There still remains the patient and demanding work of approving legislation for the Order (e.g., changes to the General Statutes), approving or rejecting the proposals that came from the Friars and Entities before the Chapter and indicating the journey to be made during the next six years.
Fraternitas: Is there a certain rhythm of prayer during the Chapter?
Br William: Yes, of course. We have a Eucharistic Liturgy in common in the Basilica of the Porziuncola for the moments of great importance such as the opening and closing of the Chapter and on Pentecost Sunday. The various language groups will pray together on the ordinary days and will take turns to celebrate Mass in the Chapel of the Porziuncola. Some moments of prayer are scheduled for San Damiano, Santa Chiara and the Basilica of St. Francis.
Fraternitas: And will there be moments of recreation?
Br William: That is never missing from General Chapters. The different national or linguistic groups organise musical events during evening recreation. We have also scheduled a musical concert animated by various Friar musicians and singers. There will also be opportunities for some trips (La Verna, Greccio).
Fraternitas: Will the Friar Capitulars be received by Pope Francis?
Br William: We are pleased that the Holy Father has granted us an audience during the third week of the Chapter. Now we have to organise the hiring of coaches and lunch for 150 guests!
Fraternitas: We wish the members of the Secretariat all the best in their labours!
Br William: Thank you! I also ask all the readers of Fraternitas to pray for a successful outcome to the Chapter.
Br. Gilles Bourdeau, OFM,
Visitatorto the Fraternity of the General Curia
The Minister General, Br. Michael Perry, OFM, has named Br. Gilles Bourdeau, OFM, Visitator to the General Curia. Br. Gilles is scheduled to arrive in Roma on the 27th of February and will be available to listen to and dialogue with the Friars both personally and in community, until the 16th of March 2015.
The Visitator, on this occasion, wishes to share and explain the different objectives of the mandate received for the Visitation. Br. Gilles will meet the Friars to dialogue personally with them and to listen to the trends of the specific mission as the General Curia.
Franciscan Books
“Brother Francis, a review of Franciscan culture”
The Review “Brother Francis” is an important scientific instrument for knowing the Franciscan phenomenon in its various expressions without limits of time or subject. It is issued twice e a year with a total of 500/600 pages, with contributions in various languages.
For further information:
Johannes Schlageter, Franziskanische Philosophie und Theologie. Das Studienwesen der Fuldaer Ordensprovinz im 20. Jahrhundert, Fulda 2014, 486 S. [Franciscan Philosophy and Theology. Study in the OFM Province of Fulda in the 20th Century]
The Province of Turingia, refounded in 1894, organised philosophical and theological formation in its convents until 1967. J. Schlageter traces the course of these studies in the context of political, theological and religious developments. The Provincial Study gave a Franciscan contribution through taking up medieval Franciscan thought, especially of John Duns Scotus, and research into the history of the Order.
The Minister General in Asia
The Minister General, Michael Perry, accompanied by the General Definitor for Asia-Oceania, Br. Gabriel Mathias, made a fraternal visitation of four entities of the Order in Asia: the foundations of Myanmar and Thailand dependent on the Minister General, the Provinceof Indonesia (Jakarta) and the Custody of Singapore, between the 2nd and 10th of February 2015.
Besides meeting the Friars as a group, the Minister General met each one of the Friars and those in formation in the two foundations. Many Friars came to the common meetings organised by the entities in Jakarta and Singaporein order to share about life and work, as well as about the preoccupations of the Order in general.
Presentation of the book byGiacometti OFM
The bookby Luigi Giacometti on “St. Francis of the Mountain at Perugia” was presented at the Library of the Convent “St. Francis of the Mountain”, Monteripido, on the 24th of January. Rita Chiacchella, Mirko Santanicchia and Stefano Brufani of the University of Studies of Perugia took part in the presentation.
The present work analysesseven centuries of the history, culture, art and architecture of Perugia, under different aspects, from the unusual and exclusive point of view of one of its most significant monumental complexes. The proceeds of the sale of the bookare destined for the restoration of ancient and precious texts in the Library of Monteripido.
PUA: Multiple Differences
The cycle of conferences: “Multiple Differences: relationship with the stranger between fear and compassion”, organised by the Chair of Spirituality and Interreligious Dialogue of the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality of the Pontifical University Antonianum,began on the 24th of February, 2015.
Prof. Federico Giuntoli, teacher of Old Testament exegesis at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, will speak during the first meeting.
New Visitators
Br. Alexis Trần Đúc Hải
of the Prov. of St. Francis, Vietnam, for the Prov. of St. Thomas the Apostle, India
Br. Iko Skoko
of the Prov. of the Assumption of the BVM, Bosnia-Herzegovina, for the Prov. of Holy Cross, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Br. Paolo Sangseon Oh
of the Prov. of the Holy Korean martyrs, Korea, for the Prov.of St. Mary Queen of Peace, Taiwan
Br. Pierre Charland
of the Prov. of St. Joseph, Canada, for the Prov. of John Duns Scotus, France-Belgium.
Greccio, Italy – The Franciscans in the Holy Land during the XIII century
The XIII edition of the Conference of Greccio will be on the subject: “The Franciscans in the Holy Land during the XIII century”. It will take place at “The Oasis of the Child Jesus”, at the Franciscan Sanctuary of Greccio (Rieti), on the 8th and 9th of May 2015. During the meetings, presided by Marco Bartoli, Br. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, Antonio Musarra, Renata Salvarani and Pietro Messa will speak on the 8thof May; and Paolo Evangelisti, Chiara Frugoni, Giuseppe Ligato and Massimo Pazzini will speak on the 9th of May. Franco Cardini will bring it to a close. The Conference is connected to the activities of the Sinai Commission of the OFM undertaken for 2015, such as the exhibition being prepared at the Academy of Florence.
St. Mary of the Angels – Vocational Pastoral Activity
The Friars Minor of Assisi wish to share their experience with the young men who come to Assisi each year, attracted no doubt by the beauty of St. Francis, a testimony that knows how to draw even “those who remain afar”.
This is the origin of the proposal by “The Master of Vocational Pastoral Activity”: an organised way for sharing the experience acquired through a 3 week course (spread over the period November 2015 to June 2016) with the priests and religious men and women who carry out the ministry of vocational discernment and accompaniment.
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The consecrated life at a time of precariousness
The presentation of the book by Alceo Grazioli, “Fragile and persevering: the consecrated life at a time of precariousness”, will be held on the 2nd of March 2015.
Msgr. Paolo Martinelli, Auxiliary Bishop of Milan, and Professors Albert Schmucki and Salvatore Abbruzzese will speak during the course of the presentation, organised by the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality of the Pontifical University Antonianum in collaboration with the Province of St. Francis of the Third Order Regular.
The gathering will be moderated by Prof. Alvaro Cacciotti, Dean of the Faculty of Theology.
The Agenda of the Minister General
March:
4:ROME: Presentation of the Exhibition of Franciscan Art
5-8:USA: Fraternal Visitation
9-20: ROME: TEMPO FORTE
21:MILAN: Meeting with the Ministers Provincial of the North of Italy
22-25:LITHUANIA: MEETING with the English-speaking Conference
30:ROME: MEETING with the Ministers General of the Franciscan Family
General Postulation OFM
The Holy Father, Pope Francis, received His Eminence Card. Angelo Amato, S.D.B., Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in private audience on the 22ndof January.
During the audience, the Holy Father authorised the Congregation to promulgate the decrees regarding:
The miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Maria Teresa Casini, Foundress of the Congregation of the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, born at Frascati (Italy) on the 27th of October 1864 and died at Grottaferrata (Italy) on the 3rd of April 1937, whose cause was entrusted to the OFM Postulator General, Br. Luca De Rosa, OFM, in 1997. It is anticipated that the rite of Beatification will be carried out in Frascati in the autumn of the present year;
And the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Teresa Gardi, laywoman, of the Franciscan Third Order, born at Imola (Italy) on the 22nd of October 1769, where she died on the 1st of January 1837.