Prot. 090259

To the Provincial Ministers, the Custodes and to all the friars:

Dearest Brethren: May the Lord give you his peace!

Now that the reflections and decisions of the General Definitory are completed I am in a position to inform the whole Order that the Plenary Council of the Order (CPO), due in accordance with Article 128 of our General Statutes to be held at least once in each six-year period, will be held from the 5^th to the 17^th November 2001 in Guadalajara City Mexico.

According to our legislation the CPO is an opportunity for addressing themes important for the life and mission of the Order. In fact, according to article 194 of the CCGG, it belongs to the Plenary Council to:

1. assist the Minister General and his Definitory in the government and animation of the Order;
2. promote contact and good relations between the General Curia and the Conferences, as well as between the Conferences themselves;
3. exercise concern for the implementation of the decisions and decrees of the previous General Chapter, as well as generating at the Definitory’s behest decisions and decrees of its own, which may even run contrary to the articles of the General Statutes, and which remain in force till the next Chapter;
4. give interpretations of the General Constitutions and the General Statutes, in accordance with articles 15 nn 2-3 of the CCGG
5. help with the preparation of the next General Chapter, and offer advice about the venue where it shall be held;
6. deal with problems of the economy of the Order.

The main agenda of the next CPO, proposed at the last General Chapter (cf. Acta Capituli Generalis 1997, 580) will be the revision of the structures of the Order.

To this end, in December 1997 the General Definitory nominated a special Commission with the brief of making the study required by the General Chapter. Then in May 1998 the Definitory arranged the meeting of the Presidents of the Conferences in the course of which proposals were made and directions indicated for the work of the Commission. The International Commission for revision of the Structures met several times in 1998 and 1999, and finished the first part of its work with the "Cards for consultation of the Entities" and "Guidelines for the consultation of the Entities", both of which were sent out on 16^th April 2000 (prot. 089591). Out of the replies which return to our Curia, the Commission will draw up the working document for the CPO 2001.

I ask the Ministers, the Custodes and all the brethren to reply carefully to the "Cards for the consultation of the Entities", by the date indicated. I also ask you to send me proposals or suggestions for the coming CPO to arrive by the 1^st May 2001, so that the definitive list of matters to be treated by the Council can be prepared (cf. SSGG 130 nn1-2).

I further remind you that the Conferences of Provincial Ministers must elect the members of the Council and their substitutes in accordance with article 129 nn1-3 of the General Statutes. The basis on which the number of Council members to be elected is calculated, is that of the "Statistics" of 31 December 1999, which I will send with more precise instructions to the Presidents of the Conferences and the Ministers as soon as it is available.

Finally I ask the Conferences of Provincial Ministers to arrange a meeting, together with the elected members of the Council, possibly in the second half of May 2001. Its purpose will be to explore and deepen understanding of the questions to be dealt with in the CPO and the Working Document on the revision of the structures.

In the hope that the celebration of the coming Plenary Council will help us to grow steadily in fidelity to the vocation of Friars Minor, I pray that the Lord and our Seraphic Father will give serenity and success to our life and mission in the service of our brothers and sisters.

Fraternally, 

Br. Antonio Franjic, ofm
General Secretary