1. Concerns Our pastoral vocational work and, consequently, our formation continue to be fundamentally clerical. This influences, together with other external factors like the greater social recognition of the priestly vocation over the lay vocation, the diminishing number of lay Brothers in the great majority of Entities of the Order. The disproportion between the number of cleric and lay Brothers is not even remaining at the level of past decades, but is constantly increasing. This diminishment is aggravated by the fact that the number of those leaving the Order is proportionately greater among the lay Brothers than among the clerics. This last observation may indicate that the lay Brother still has not found his place and his "identity" either at the theoretical level or, especially, at the practical level within an Order that defines itself as a Fraternity. The lack of qualified and available personnel for the animation of ongoing and initial formation. While, on the one hand, we note that many Brother guardians are not prepared to take on the role which is theirs as animators of ongoing formation in the fraternities, on the other hand, we see that replacing formators in the various stages of initial formation is not easy, both because of the aging of some Entities and because of a lack of specific preparation for younger Brothers for this delicate task. The lack of fraternities that are truly formative and animators of vocations. Too frequently the work of formation continues to be delegated to the "director." The same happens with the "animator" of the pastoral care of vocations. These are services that the fraternities exercise many times by means of "delegation." Deficiency in companioning, due to the work outside formation performed by the formators, either because of a lack of personnel, or because other works are more gratifying that that of formation. Lack of gradualness and continuity between the various stages of the formation process. Particularly acute is the lack of gradualness-continuity between initial formation as a whole and ongoing formation. This leads to the production of a rupture between the two, with a resulting existential vacuum, which many times leads to the youngest BrothersÍ leaving the Order during the first years of solemn Profession or priestly ordination. The lack of real planning at the provincial level for ongoing formation that should become the basis and axis of initial formation. In many Entities of the Order the most that is achieved is planning some activities for ongoing formation. What is lacking is a plan that, besides being global Ü that is, embracing all the dimensions of the person (human, Christian, Franciscan, ministerial, professional) Ü would also take into account the needs of the Brothers according to the ages and the ministries they carry out. The cultural "gap" and that of religious formation in some of our candidates and their coming from "broken" families. We note that among our candidates there are young men who come from well-structured families, and with a university formation. But we also note that today candidates come to us with a minimal cultural formation and a very low level of religious formation. In many cases this "deficit" in formation is higher in young men from disintegrated families, a fact that usually results in attitudes of rejection of authority (a crisis of obedience), serious difficulties in life in fraternity, and a lack of consistency in values and convictions. They are usually young men who are very fragile psychologically, which usually translates into emotional instability, superficiality, and difficulty in taking on definitive commitments. The selection, vocational discernment and accompaniment in the processes of formation of the young men who come to us. The fragile perseverance of candidates. In quite a few cases vocational decisions are decisions "with little future." This fragility is noted also after solemn profession. There are a considerable number of young men who leave the Fraternity in the first years after solemn profession or priestly ordination, because of insufficient grounding in faith, or difficulties living in the fraternity, or because of difficulty of an affective type. This creates a systematic suspicion about such decisions, which does not contribute to the quality of formation that is expected. The little importance given in some Entities to Franciscan formation in the stage of temporary profession. Studies are at times so demanding that Franciscan formation is left in second place, reduced to a little course on Franciscanism or an isolated experience. The lack of a Franciscan vision of study that considers it not only as a necessity in view of evangelization but also as an integral element of Franciscan formation. The gap between the ProvinceÍs program of life and service and the formation program. The two programs do not correspond to each other and are not mutually interrelated in such a way that ongoing formation could be the basis for initial formation.

2. Challenges Offer equal opportunity to lay Brothers and cleric Brothers in regard to Franciscan formation and, mindful of the abilities of each individual, in philosophical-theological formation. In regard to the pastoral care of vocations, present the Franciscan "vocation-mission" in an "integral" form, so that the vocation-mission of the lay Brothers is also considered. Form Brothers who feel themselves sufficiently enabled to animate ongoing formation in the fraternities Ü guardian-- and, for initial formation, formators. Formators should accept their service of accompanying young men in an attitude of total disponability as a "priority ministry," leaving other tasks, including ministerial and pastoral tasks, in second place. That each fraternity, the entire Provincial fraternity, and particularly the fraternities of the houses of formation happily take on the responsibility of welcoming and forming new Brothers through mutual trust, dialogue, courtesy, personal and community prayer, listening to the Word, study, work, and personal spiritual and vocational accompaniment. Assure the continuity and gradualness in the various stages of initial formation and initial formation with ongoing formation, by means of appropriate programs. Plan ongoing formation in each Province in such a way that the Brothers take it on as a priority in their lives, both at a personal level and at the level of the local and Provincial fraternity. Assure our candidates a good human formation (including cultural formation) and a good Christian formation. Take on as a priority in the stages of initial formation in a profound experience of faith, for life in fraternity and affective liberty. The "inculturation" of formation.

3. Proposals That the Entities of the Order take on as their basic program of ongoing formation the "Priorities of the General Definitorium for the Sexennium 1997-2003." That the General Secretariat for Formation and Studies continue animating formation and promoting studies in the Order by means of fraternal visits to the different Entities and through materials for ongoing formation. That the courses for formators be continued and strengthened, both at the level of the Order and at the level of the Conferences. That the "directors" or "companions" should be freed from other commitments that would impede their dedicating themselves to their "priority ministry" in the field of formation. That the provincial Chapters should elaborate programs of initial and ongoing formation, in which are assured gradual development and continuity among the various stages of initial formation and between initial and ongoing formation, in such a way that there is no "break" between the various stages of formation. Keeping in mind the cultural and religious formation "gap," lengthen the time of initial formation, particularly during the first years, in such a way that it assures good vocational discernment and proper human, cultural and religious formation. Particular attention is to be paid to the postulancy, as a stage of initiation centered above all on the clarification and grounding of the personal identity of the postulant and the simultaneous clarification and grounding of his religious experience. Elaborate the "Ratio Studiorum." This is not to be a simple program of studies; rather it must offer the reason, the motive, the orienting principle and the meaning of studies in the life of the lesser Brother. In elaborating it, the greatest number of Brothers from the whole Order should be involved. That our young men should know our Franciscan school in depth, in such a way that the Franciscan vision -- anthropological, philosophical and theological -- may help offer a response to the great existential questions raised by the person of today. That in the period of temporary profession there should be due attention to Franciscan formation, by means of courses that help in understanding the spirituality and history of our Order, and also its philosophical and theological tradition, by means of experience that allow better understanding and living of the Franciscan form of life. Assure the personal vocational and spiritual companioning of all the Brothers in initial formation and seek the means necessary to accompany the other Brothers, at least during the five years after solemn profession. Introduce the Brothers to the elaboration of the "Personal Life Plan" and the fraternities to the elaboration of the "Plan of Fraternal Life" and to the Provinces the "Provincial Formation Plan" and the "Plan of the Provincial Fraternity" as tools at the service of "integral" growth of the person and of the fraternities. The Curia, through the General Secretariat for Formation and Studies, will offer some concrete means to help in its elaboration. That the "Ratio Formationis" of the Provinces should take into account local cultures, in such a way that formation programs are adapted to the socio-cultural situations of the places where the Brothers live and work.

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Created / Updated Tuesday, December 22, 1998 at 6:12:45 PM by John Abela ofm for Communications Office - Rome HTML 3.0 compatible Java enabled browser Best viewed with Netscape at 640x480x67Hz Please fill in our Guestbook Form - Thank you