In
the dynamism of a Creative Faithfulness
Guidelines
Proposed by Previous General Chapters
Mexico 92; Assisi 95; Ariccia 98.
A general chapter permits us to rethink the institutional reality with a
view to reciprocity and administration. It is this exercise of institutional and
fraternal responsibility that characterises consecrated life, especially our own,
as Conventual Franciscans. During the chapter we experience the active docility
of the Spirit, which speaks within and through the brothers in order to build a
mission which belongs to everyone. The reflections and exchanges of different
points of view invite us to work in relation to the diversity of experiences
that are taking place within the order and place us in a position of dialogue
with respect to the challenges and proposals that are forthcoming from the
different realities in which we operate. It is time to open up to the greatest
expression of dialogue and joint institutional and charismatic responsibility.
It is self-evident that each
of the regions and jurisdictions that make up the order contributes its own
characteristics and peculiar style. For this reason, in this climate of dialogue
and communication, the diversity of the different parts of our institution open
up to the meeting with the others, decentralising themselves from their regional
peculiarities in order to place themselves in the service of the greater reality
of the order, seeking answers that are capable of creating dialogue with the
cultural diversities that we represent. This practice of reciprocity and
interdependence is a permanent invitation to transcend peculiarities to respond
in a concrete manner to the enculturation of charisma in an ecclesiology of
communion, open to the action of the Spirit. The presence of the order thus
constitutes itself as a unique answer which is at the same time different for
each reality, united in a reciprocal relationship. Each general chapter
expresses the vocation of unity and communion which animates and promotes the
incarnation of the charisma, or the ‘cultural re-establishment of the charisma’
as an event of the Spirit in the service of the Kingdom.
In order to understand the dynamism of charisma in the institution, we
shall begin from the documents created by the previous general chapters: “The
presence and testimony of Conventual Franciscans approaching the year 2000”,
“Justice, Peace and safeguarding creation” and “The study of
Franciscan charisma in its various stages of formation” Mexico 92[1];
“Documentum capitulare programmaticum at futurum sexenium”Assisi 95[2]
and “The formation of the order, guidelines for a renewed commitment”
Ariccia, Roma 98[3].
These documents permit us to encounter the priorities of the Conventual
Franciscan mission; the fundamental guidelines that have oriented us over the
last few years; the urgent need for a renewed commitment in the field of
formation. In particular, we must take into account and introduce in the
analysis and memory of this last decade, the apostolic exhortation “Vita
consecrata” by John Paul II, written in March ‘96, which offers us the
teaching of the the characteristics and certainties of the ecclesiastic identity
of consecrated life.
Therefore, in this day of reflection, it is opportune to take a look at
our reality and the future horizon of this recently initiated third millennium,
with fraternal and critical adherence to the documents that we have produced
recently under the orientation of the apostolic exhortation, so that we may “deepen
the great gift of consecrated life” (n. 13) and carry out with “dynamic
faithfulness” (n. 37) our mission in the Church. With a constructive
spirit, it is our desire to participate in this commitment, through this
itinerary. [4]
In this presentation, we shall refer to Conventual Franciscan charisma in
its most recent identity, configuration or actualisation, beginning from these
documents, illustrating the most important historical facts and the manner in
which the elements or components of charisma are proposed. Primarily, we will
participate in the debate on charisma, creative faithfulness and on
re-foundation, themes relative to the theology of religious life that concern
the great majority of congregations and institutions of consecrated life.
1. The dynamism of Charisma.
Charisma is a ‘free gift of God’, ‘a word that God wishes to
give to the world’, these gifts of God encounter each other, they
illuminate each other, interpret and reciprocally recognise each other within
the social and ecclesiastic relationship. The specific gift of consecrated life
opens up to the mission in the Church and makes itself felt in history.
Now, charisma is a dynamic reality, in movement, open to new
manifestations, always united with the founding inspiration. The apostolic
exhortation‘Vita Consecrata’ speaks of ‘creative faithfulness’
when it says: “Institutions are therefore invited to repropose with courage
the initiative, inventiveness and holiness of the founders, as an answer to the
signs of the times that are emerging in today’s world” (n. 37). The
problem of the actualisation of charisma or, as it is called today, the ‘refoundation’
of an institution, is represented for us as the reappropriation of the
original intentions and profound values inherent to the spirit or soul of the
charisma itself.
Creativity has never been lacking throughout history, and many reforms,
renovations or refoundations have been produced as a consequence of the
different interpretations and answers to the signs of the times, and also
because of the decadent forms of the model of religious life. Only with new
solutions that are reborn in the light of the Word of God, will it be possible
to discern the signs of the times, the orientation towards which our Order must
address itself, under the inspiration of the Spirit, overcoming the temptation
to take refuge in the past or in the structures which were once valid
expressions of the charisma and the Franciscan mission.
The word ‘refoundation’ is used repeatedly, in an almost
official way, to indicate the union of the superiors general in its
contributions to the synod on consecrated life celebrated in 1994[5].
The word indicates the intention to respond to the fundamental problems and to
the crisis that is investing consecrated life, since it is not a question of
just adjusting the different jurisdictions or external forms, but rather of what
ensnares the identity and to an even greater extent, the visibility of its
specific evangelising mission, within the mission of the Church. There is a
lot of resistance and there are many fears in connection with speaking about the
refoundation of consecrated life, nevertheless, within the ambit of a general
chapter, these fears should not induce us to flee from the purpose of
considering the theme of the identity of consecrated life, and specifically,
that of Conventual Franciscan consecrated life. It is not a question of
founding anew or of reinventing what already exists, but of recovering the
original intentions, the spirituality of the charisma and of giving new meaning
to its mission in today’s world. It is a question of reliving our own founding
charisma with renewed enthusiasm.[6]
According to what has been said ‘refoundation’ means to change
or initiate a correction of the actual model. This movement does not promote
schism, but on the contrary, brings new vigour to the institutional continuity
and its process of memory. The important thing is to avoid turning back to the
past, although we reaffirm the founding principles, which were the origin and
the elements of development of the institutional course of the order in its
historical Conventual Franciscan configuration. In many situations we must
reaffirm existing foundations in order to carry out fully the renovation which
has been initiated.
Although charisma certainly remains over time ‘a gift of the Spirit’,
it is no less certain that it must also respond to new realities and
requirements of the Church and of history. It is flexible, it must understand
how to create a dialogue with new realities and cultures, because what changes
is not the original charisma, but the socio-cultural and socio-religious
projections wherein the charisma is incarnated. All the changes that can
be actuated must show a greater degree of meaning than what already exists and
of what represents consecrated life. The task will not be to repeat,
but to translate into practice, beginning with our own culture, the originality
of the charisma in a context of historical continuity, with the Conventual
Franciscan memory, in the new horizon, accepting the challenges that are
presented. To rethink the organisation with its mission, beginning from its
roots, to have the courage to discern what must be conserved of our history,
what must be purified and what must be enhanced. [7]
As a quick observation to deepen our reflection, we must overcome the ‘myth
of the origins’ which, if it remains as a parameter of evaluation in our
action, must not keep us away from the concrete history of the first steps of
our brothers, the first institutionalisation, from its growth and development.
These initial steps constitute the efforts to configure and enculture the
charisma of the Order in society. Beginning from the convent, new proposals of
evangelisation were put forward, a self-awareness of the charisma, a
franciscanism that renewed itself and which conceived itself as a place where
minority was lived in fraternity. Lastly, an ascetic and contemplative
spirituality that expressed itself in preaching and in a socio-cultural presence,
where the set of relationships and social-political relations,
ecclesiastic-popular relations, became the privileged ambit of the begging
presence. [8] The proposal is to avoid falling once again
into the logic of faithfulness/betrayal, but to remain within a logic that
discovers fruitfulness in practising creative faithfulness and in the successive
institutional development of the charisma.
Our job will be to remain open to new impulses from the Spirit, avoiding
to close up introvertedly into ourselves in order to conserve our identity,
tapping the impulse of the lifestyle of the first brothers, continuing in the
course of institutionalisation through history of the Conventual minorite
fraternity. This spirit will continue, modelling the life and mission in
conformity with the co-ordinates of
space and time of the Church and the world.[9]
In this sense we may say that it is always new and never ages because of the
human comprehension, but continues to realise itself in a continuous synthesis
of its contents, lived in an attitude of ecclesiastic sensitiveness and openness
to contemporary cultural callings.
2.-Recent
orientation of the Order’s documents
The question to deepen is: what is the content and orientation of the
documents elaborated in previous chapters? And what should the variants be, that
have to be taken into account, which we should strengthen at this particular
historical moment, to seek creative faithfulness to the charisma, which would
permit the spirit itself to become a living reality in its mission? Let us
remember first of all the orientation contained in our documents.
2.1.-
Documents from Mexico.
Proposals for a course of
commitment and hope
2.1.1.- In the introduction of its first document “The Conventual
Franciscan presence and testimony towards the year 2000” the intentions
and objectives of the brothers participating in the chapter are defined: “The
impulse of the Order’s charisma - the objective of this extraordinary general
chapter - constitutes the right and proper response to the concerns that are
forthcoming from the Church...from contemporary society....from the desires
expressed by a consistent number of religious. We are therefore convinced that
the Order is called by the Spirit to increasingly seek originality and spiritual
fruitfulness of the charisma of Francis of Assisi, to determine models of life
and new institutional mediations to incarnate, in the most appropriate and
meaningful way, the Franciscan charisma in the Church and in today’s world”.[10]
Oriented towards reflection and discernment, with a view to a new
evangelisation, the document clearly accentuates the need to meet again and
repropose the spirit of the Seraphic Father, to continue with a presence that
serves the Church and the world with his specific spirituality, incarnated in
works, according to the times and the culture. Thus, it states: “therefore,
more important that doing, is the spirit with which concrete works are realised”.[11]
In this recognition of the original charisma, the characteristics with
which it expresses itself in our Conventual Franciscan family are later
mentioned: the evangelical Franciscan fraternity, minority, and
conventuality. We assume these three characteristics as the specific
style of our life and mission, aware of being, like Francis, Catholic and
totally apostolic men. In order to incarnate positively and prophetically its
charisma, the Order feels that it is called to seek adequate mediations and
therefore calls for “being well-disposed towards renewal and, where
necessary, courage, to abandon acquired positions and assume new ones”.
[12]
2.1.2.- The second document: “Justice, peace, safeguarding creation”
is the answer of the capitularies, who were animated and stimulated by the
example of Francis “renowned and venerated throughout the world as a symbol
of peace, reconciliation and fraternity (Messenger of the Pope, 27.10.1996),
and felt they were called by the situations of injustice and pain, by the risks
of losing true peace and by the aggression against creation. They expressed
their attention towards these problems with this document. The vision of reality
is the first step in revealing the gravity of the situation in the world today,
where the model of development is taken into consideration, the recent
globalisation of means of communication, the inequality between north and south,
the growing poverty and environmental deterioration, the trafficking of arms,
racial, cultural and religious discrimination. All of this denounces the state
of disorder throughout the world.
The presence and actualisation of the Order is recognisable in the
document with its various levels. It is advisable to maintain this dynamism and
increment efforts in favour of this cause, offering some indications towards
raising awareness and education, in concrete initiatives, and with the
intervention in places where the roots of injustice and conflict often lie,
feeling that we are “called to actuate, as much as possible, a prophetic
presence in agencies of thought, in political institutions, in popular movements,
in juridical institutions, and in those places where decisions are made, in the
course of the peoples. In these areas we must be a critical conscience and give
voice to those who have no voice, to defend the weak, the emarginated, the
defenceless, to claim for them their right to life, work, a home... we too,
stand before the world torn by injustice, hate and the devastations perpetrated
against the planet, armed only with the “poverty” of our Franciscan
testimony”. [13]
2.1.3.- In the third and last document the general chapter deals with the
them of “The study of the Franciscan charisma in the various stages of its
formation” and the many areas of concern and the requests of teachers of
the Order, with the objective of understanding the charisma, to incarnate it,
from its very beginnings: “The return of creativity, of not being static,
the return to our origins, or beginnings, to the primitive inspiration, the
living, dynamic, existential scientific knowledge of our roots, our cultural
patrimony, Franciscan thought, which conferred coherence and cohesion upon the
Franciscan school, is today indispensable, as never before, to continue being
faithful to our charisma and, consequently to initiate a serious and healthy
renewal and relaunching of the Order”.[14]
This study of the sources will be an inexhaustible resource for the
creativity of the charisma and the personal impulse and growth of the community,
bringing “the inspiring freshness, the transforming force, the interior
dynamism, the prophetic message and their actuality”.[15]
Thus, beginning from the first steps of formation, the concrete situation is
presented at every stage, with its objective and purpose, its contents and
possible themes, leaving the didactic and pedagogical creativity to the teachers,
the methodology and the means to make it possible, exhorting them to essentially
repeat the general orientation offered in the document, maintaining in all
places the unity and graduality of communication of the charisma, remembering
the importance of a good doctrinal and charismatic formation of the teachers.
2.2.-
The Document of Assisi
Common priorities to
guarantee the goal of meaningfulness is reached
Two texts were approved. The first of them was: “Documentum
capitulare programmaticum ad futurum sexenium” and the second was: “Nuncius
pro pace et vita fovendis”
The reality is perceived by the capitularies in its light and shadows,
singling out primarily, among the lights:
- the growing desire for an
authentic minor and fraternal meaningfulness,
- the course of self-comprehension and historical memory, characterising the
values of the identity as minor Conventual friars,
- the increase in the number
of friars, thanks to vocational growth,
-
the efforts of the missionary commitment, especially in Latin American and
Eastern European countries, which has reinforced a new social conscience,
expressed in testimony of greater Franciscan meaning, within the effectiveness
of solidarity,
- the presence of Assisi, with its specific services, which permits us to assume with responsibility the “spirit of Assisi” as part of our mission.
The shadows that hinder our course:
- The secularisation and
dechristianisation that are investing various countries in the first world,
- materialistic consumism,
with its repercussions in our convents,
- several of our presences in
the First World are recording a certain fatigue, due to the lack of vocations
and the advanced age of the brothers,
- in the younger generations a
certain insecurity concerning the vocation has been noted, in assuming stable
commitments, and resistance has been encountered when it comes to ensuring
serious permanent training,
- lastly, fraternity life is
menaced by individualism.
The Option of the General Chapter is expressed with the following
priority: formation with a view to testimony and a meaningful mission, and
effectiveness in different cultures, through the following decisions:
- to celebrate a extraordinary
General Chapter on the theme:
the integral formation of
minor Conventual friars, for an encultured mission;
- the development and in depth
study of the document “the study of Franciscan charisma” from the
general chapter of Mexico 92,
- a better definition of the
role of general assistants to the service of participation and dynamism in the
central administration of the Order and
- the drawing up of criteria
and guidelines for the intervention of the central administration of the Order
in Provinces with numerical and structural difficulties.
2.2.2.- “Nuncius pro pace et vita fovendis”.
The
General Chapter manifests its desire to cooperate in the realisation of a
culture of peace and life, together with all of the efforts that are being made
in this direction. The inspiration is born of the life of Francis and his
particular desire for peace. As Franciscans, the capitularies recognise that we
have not always been coherent with this inheritance, for which forgiveness is
asked, especially of the poor.
2.3.-The Document
from Ariccia (Rome)
The importance of the
renewal of the Order, starting from formation.
The General Chapter affirms, with its authority, that “an intense,
clear and common commitment in the field of training constitutes a primary
requisite and is indispensable to initiate the renewal of our consecrated
Franciscan life, which the Church and the recent General Chapters (Mexico 92 and
Ariccia 95) as well as the challenges presented in the world today, have
requested of us with insistence”. [17]
The Chapter wishes to animate and create awareness of the need for an
initial and permanent formation that is well programmed and carried out,
assuming it as a real priority and putting into practice with greater
determination and faithfulness the norms, directives and orientations that have
been made available to us. The document contains normative indications and
exhortations, emanated by the Chapter as a legislative and animating organ for
the Order. A series of operative motions are proposed with precision by various
papers, offering practical indications for those who serve in positions of
responsibility in the Order.
In its structure the document prosposes a minimum level of formative
stability, which accentuates the vital discovery of our Conventual Franciscan
charisma in its various stages. The presence of new generations brings new
solutions and also new problems. The formation for consecrated Franciscan life
must assume a new task: responding to the challenges of the third millennium,
interiorising the values of consecration, so that the unity between the
consecrated life and the mission, between the interiority and the external
activity of the brothers, is a concrete fact of the fullness of life. A
formation which profoundly envelopes the person and transforms his personality
during the process of assimilation of the charisma, and expresses it in a
mission that actualises the peculiar characteristics of this charismatic
inspiration, in a spirituality of the mission in the style that belongs to the
Conventual Franciscan charisma. In this way the fraternity, minority and
conventuality are manifested in our missionary style.
Notwithstanding all that has been said in the document, in my opinion, a
question remains open which has not been sufficiently stressed, which is the
following: what relationship is there between religious life, society and
culture? Or better: what characteristics should a training programme have, which
is designed for enculturation? No part of the document speaks specifically of
the encultured mission, as was requested in the document of Assisi.
Without a doubt, the vocational and training problem is very complex and
does not depend only on youthful and vocational pastoral efficiency, on meetings
and educational projects to be evaluated, on young people to form or on official
documents. The cultural changes and structural challenges that we are witnessing
at the beginning of this millennium, the accelerated rhythm of transformations
and the diversity of frameworks for the comprehension of life and history,
induce us to educate today, thinking of consecrated life tomorrow, training is
called upon to enculture the charisma in the friars, who must have the capacity
to be creatively faithful. Initiatives are necessary which promote cultural
exchange, which implement instances of circularity of thought, to attain a
reciprocal enrichment, a formation in the spirit of internationality, training
to live in an Order with diversity of presences and present in diverse cultures.
The current cultural characteristic requires an intellectual and human
qualification, to offer decisive and eloquent responses an an expression of the
fertile force of the Spirit and the significant actualisation of holiness in the
specificity of the charisma.
How are we favouring the formation of an open, encultured mentality
with the ability to entertain an intercultural dialogue in our initial and
permanent training? We may seriously ask ourselves if the lack of vocations
in some jurisdictions is not a sign of structural infertility due to the ageing
of some forms of consecrated life or due to a lack of enthusiasm, living on the
margins of Franciscan spirituality, diluted repeatedly in ministerial activism.
In not a few communities, the option of evangelical values does not offer a
fertile alternative and a prophetic style to models of life presented in
society. Lastly, a sincere and honest question: What young people can create
the option for us if they are conditioned by the oppressiveness of some
structures to continue a certain model of life and/or service, which have lost
evangelical meaningfulness, and do not offer a newness of life?
3.-
Time for synthesis and building alternatives
After having underlined several guidelines in previous documents, we
Conventual Franciscans feel the need to take on new tasks:
- to recuperate the guidelines
elaborated in the previous General Chapters,
- to deepen the relations
presented in this Chapter, which express the experiences of the last six years,
- to respond to the cultural
challenges of the third millennium and the consumistic society that has
globalised a single economic system and
- think, as an institution,
in terms of participatory corresponsibility.
It is precisely in the ecclesiastic environment that we must rethink
our identity of consecrated life, with a new sensitiveness and the services and
presences, beginning from our charismatic inspiration. This is the theme of
charismatic enculturation and refoundation. It will surely be convenient to seek
new ways to consolidate some policies that have already been assumed for
institutional restructuring and also for the rebirth of our prophetic option as
consecrated lives, coming out of cultural emargination and from being distant
from environments where political and social conflicts take place, to become a
significant presence, as already mentioned
in the General Chapter of Mexico 92
We must approach the ‘Conventual’ configuration of our Franciscan
option with a greater degree of precision. Starting from the initial forms
of Franciscananism, we now live a dialectic of “fuga mundi and commitment in
the world”. Since the. XIII century Conventual minority has been carrying on a
dialogue in the city, it has constituted itself as a new alternative and social
model of integration and as a proposal of life beginning from a religious ideal.
In a context of plurality of relationships, in urban centres that have developed,
the convent served to announce Christian ideals. The Franciscan organisation has
always stood out for its peculiar institutional flexibility and adaptation to
new particular and local situations, for its apostolic vitality and ministerial
service, for its criticism of fundamentalist attitudes in relation to the
origins and in favour of the true integration of academic studies.
The principle problems of
Franciscan religious life are not theoretical in nature. They are practical
problems relating to commitment and action. It will be necessary to move from
words to action, if we do not want our dialogue to be converted into a pretext
to defer changes in the service of a rebirth of the charisma. What are we
willing to do to reach this objective?
3.1.-
The actuality of several themes and possible projections.
We
are the children of a common project, the heirs of a charisma that has many
years of history and experience and we are inserted in the same cultural
processes. We share dreams and contradictions. We feel a sense of belonging to a
family, to the Order, and in particular to our convents and provinces, culture
and local Church. In this regard, the enunciations of several common themes may
help us overcome a certain pessimism and fatigue, since the stress and strain of
uncertainties or the discussion of some themes that are repeated does not
facilitate the course of a communitary growth, and even less an institutional
reconversion. For this reason I present following herewith several
considerations that are present in the documents that we have dealt with, for
consideration during this day of reflection.
3.1.1.- Affinity
between consecrated life and culture
An immense job: the cultures represent a territory of mission. The
specific values of consecrated Franciscan life lived in “obedience, without
anything of our own and in castity”, must incarnate in diverse cultural
situations, since there is no specific culture that has a perfect and exclusive
adaptation to the values that are characteristic of our option in life.
Franciscan life, like the Church itself, of which we are a part, transcends
culture to become present in it, encountering in every culture a particular
affinity. The enculturation of the charisma, with its evangelical values, must
penetrate the interiority of the culture itself, to render the values fruitful
and operate the changes in the cultural, social and political structures where
it lives.
The course of enculturation is always in relation to the social group
within which the Franciscan charisma is expressed. It is a process of
approaching the cultural world of another, which includes both the message and
the messenger. In this relation, the messenger does not seek an identification
with the other, first of all he is a listener of his brother, to perceive his
line of reasoning and cultural logic, within the construction and perception of
the sense of life. These two forms of enculturation of the message and the
messenger are two permanent and profound processes. It is the reflowering of an
autochtonous Franciscan life. It is not a question of having Asiatic or African
religious if they are culturally alienated from a formation that is extraneous
to their own culture. It is necessary to pass from a well thought out and
consecrated life experience, starting from others’ cultural categories and the
aboriginal cultural categories.
Enculturation and incarnation. In the theme of enculturation a new,
articulated anthropological knowledge is implied together with the mystery of
incarnation. We reach the very heart of the Church and Franciscan charisma. This
process has been produced when consecrated life was incarnated in the western
European culture. The point of departure is not a cultural matrix, but the
Gospel, because the evangelising action is the development of a new cultural
action. The charisma manifests no cultural preference because it desires to
reach all cultures. The challenge is present in ad gentes missions, as
well as in pastoral missions in our urban communities, and especially in the
popular religiosity with which we are working.
Enculturation: mission born of the charisma. Enculturation is not
a substitute tactic to invade or occupy another with our Franciscan philosophy,
it is a way to be Franciscans that places us into relation with others; the
cultures and all of creation, beginning with the minorities, this is the way to
be and operate in close relation with the central mystery of the faith (incarnation/kenosi/salvation).
Neither is it a question of efficiency or missionary animation, it is a question
that has a christological root, with an anthopology that guarantees the human
rights of brothers who accept the Gospel, it is the visibility of a life that
offers itself and gives itself with the same logic of the incarnation of the
Word. It is strictly tied to the manifestation of the ‘cause of the other’.
In addition, it constitutes an essential moment in the tradition of our thought
that needs to be localised in the centre of the institutional project, where the
other must prevail as a brother, and as a consequence, the service, the donation
and consignment of oneself. This programme of life, this mature sense of freedom
is what characterises the thought of the Franciscan school.
3.1.2-
Numerical growth, new cultural areas and institutional corresponsibility in the
charisma in the service of ‘meaningful quality’
Thanks to our recent mission experience, the Conventual Franciscans may
speak of a ‘cultural rebirth of the charisma’, when they emerge as a
personal gift of the brothers of other cultures and peoples. We are in a
continual process of reappropriation of the charisma in new local cultures. When
the charisma is reborn in a new culture, it is understandable that difficulties
arise and certain awkwardness may come about with the Order as a whole. The
recognition of the culture of brothers and the exclusion of a single way of
thinking, will be capable of creating in the Order a climate of exchange and
reciprocal faith, and correct mutual elements or circumstantial adhesions that
obscure the vitality of the charisma.
For this process of growth in the cultures of the south and in eastern
European nations, the problem arises of ‘institutional corresponsibility’
oriented towards an authentic communion of goods and availability of new
services, inserted in a new culture and open to the challenges that we are
invested with as an institution of consecrated life. While the number of friars
is in decline in several jurisdications, in others it is growing and developing
in new realities with new cultures. This realisation presents us with a
dialectic between: globalisation and localisation, world scale and
enculturation, these are the great themes that the analysis of the numerical
distribution of friars by conference proposes to us.
We encounter a priority task: to grow numerically in a single place is not sufficient because it is necessary to grow with a new mentality, with a vision of participation in the problems of the Order. For example: from Argentina, with its peculiar culture, in an actual reality and with an institutional memory, I think of the institution of the Order of Conventual minor friars in a global vision. Therefore, it is not a question of reproducing our identity in an isolated manner, but to put ourselves in relation with diversity, beginning from our own identity. To act locally, facing global institutional problems, open to cultural reciprocity in the same charisma. It is a pluricentrical vision of the life of the Order, lived through a common institutional project. Several questions arise from all of this
- What services of communion and participation must we fortify in order to make a corresponsible institution possible?
- In considering the interests of the Order and its reality, what institutional reconversion would be necessary locally or in the conferences?
- What characteristics would a formative process need to possess and what model of Conventual Franciscan is offered in current formative processes?
- How do we create a common mentality, a common language
or common themes within the Order, without reducing the importance of the
localisation of the charisma?
A reading of the statistics of our geographical presence and growth and
the decrease in several jurisdictions challenges our ability to respond, which
can be formulated with the following categories or words: meaningfulness of the
charisma, participatory corresponsibility in the Order and prophetic, encultured
mission. During this day of reflection, we may deepen our considerations on the
ways to make our presence in the world more meaningful and incisive, in
accordance with the requirements in different geographical areas.
4.-
In conclusion
We live in times of great changes, challenges and hopes. This requires
that we be lucid and committed to undelayable tasks. To be reborn with a
spirituality that cannot be substituted in the Church, recovered from our
adhesion to the charisma and preaching to evangelise, as a minorite Conventual
family. We must grow in the commitment of the prophetic testimony, to leave
behind us a certain indifference, which conditions us and which obliges us to a
habitual conduct, to accept the challenge of a spirituality that permits grace
to disperse all of its fertility, to change our life. If the motivation is
lacking of a spirituality founded in the charisma, our commitment is lost in an
enterprise without newness.
The option for faithfulness to
the sequel of Jesus Christ as a poor man, helps us to discover the centre of our
consecrated life, it permits us to discover the shadows that have formed in the
way and illuminates itself with revealed Goodness, to continue to live the call
of the Spirit present and operating in the charisma, which indicates to us new
frontiers and new structures
Francis fought throughout his life to break with every form of dependency
and free himself from everything that could suffocate his freedom, creativity
and personal vocation to poverty. In a few words, Tommaso da Celano describes to
us the interest that Francis had in returning to the primitive experience that
always helps to animate every course that has as its goal the rebirth or
the refoundation of the charisma.
“Therefore he put away from himself all of the cares and
uproar of human considerations which could be an obstacle to him, and although
he had to temper the rigour that he once had, because of his sickness, he said:
‘Come, brothers, to serve the Lord our God, because until now we have done
little or to no profit!’ He was not even bothered by the thought of having
reached a goal and, persevering untiringly in his purpose of holy renewal, he
continued to hope he could start all over again.”
It
is up to us to go from a glorious story to remember and recount, to a practice
of faithfulness to build.
BIBLIOGRAFIA.
AA.VV., Formar
hoy para la vida religiosa del mačana, Publicaciones Claretianas, Madrid
1991.
AA.VV., “Vita
Consecrata”. Studi e riflessioni, Rogate,
Roma 1996.
ALVAREZ GOMEZ
J., Vida consagrada para el tercer milenio. De la renovaci—n a
la refundaci—n, Publicaciones Claretianas, Madrid 1999.
AZEVEDO M.,
I religiosi, vocazioni e missione, Ancora, Mil‡n 1988
CENCINI
A., Vida Consagrada. Itinerario
formativo, San
Pablo, Madrid 1994.
GOYA B., Formaci—n integral a la vida consagrada. A la luz de la
exhortaci—n possinodal, San Pablo, Madrid 1998.
MARTINEZ DIEZ
F., La frontera actual de al vida religiosa. Bases y desaf’os de
la refundaci—n, San Pablo, Madrid 2000.
MAZZOTTA F., “Vita
Consecrata”. Invito alla lettura dell’Esortazione apostolica, Dehoniane,
Roma 1996.
REY GARCIA
J.C., Preguntas sobre la vida consagrada. Doce cuestiones candentes, Publicaciones
Claretianas, Madrid 1997.
ROCCA G., Il
carisma del fondatore, Ancora 1998.
RUSSO G.,
Spiritualitŕ della Vita Consacrata. Commento spirituale all’Esortazione
Apostolica post.sinodale, LDC, Leumann, Turčin 1996.
[1] CAPITULUM GENERALE EXTRAORDINARIUM, in Commentarium Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Conventualium, 89 (1992) pp.376-421.
[2] CAPITULUM GENERALE ORDINARIUM, in Commentarium Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Conventualium, 92(1995) pp. 221-231.
[3] CAPITULUM
GENERALE EXTRAORDINARIUM, in Commentarium Ordinis Fratrum Minorum
Conventualium, 95(1998) pp.474-521.
[4]
Testo in italiano GIOVANNI PAOLO II, Esortazione Apostolica Post-sinodale,
Vita Consecrata, L’Ossevatore Romano-Documenti.Roma 1996.
[5]
Cf. UNION DE SUPERIORES GENERALES. Carisma
en la Iglesia para el mundo. La vida consagrada hoy, Madrid 1994.
[6]
Cf. ALVAREZ GOMEZ J., Vida Consagrada para el tercer milenio. De la
renovaci”n a la refundaci”n. Publicaciones Claretianas 1999. pp.
213-262
[7]
Cf. ROCCA G., Il carisma del fondatore, Ancora 1998. Il termine
‘carisma’ č molto usato. L’autore fa opera di precisazione
terminologica e di chiarimento di contenuti. E’ un contributo per
comprendere quanto la parala ‘carisma’ ha assunto un significato
teologico tecnico. pp.35-85.
[8]
Cf. Il documento presentato al Capitolo Generale Estraordinario di 1998.
Il Carisma Francescano Conmventual, storia e attuazione odierna, Facoltŕ
Teologica S. Bonaventura, Roma 1998. Curia Generale ofm conv.
[10]
CAPITULUM GENERALE EXTRAORDINARIUM, 89 (1992) o.c.,
Presenza e Testimonianza francescana conventuale verso i Duemila,
p.376.