The General Definitory approved the publication of the JPIC resource book in their February 1999 meeting. They asked the JPIC office to take responsibility for it’s publication and distribution.

Preoccupied as to how best to provide a genuine service of animation, the International Council for JPIC in the Order decided at its meeting in Seoul in August 1995 to propose to the General Definitory the composition of a resource book on JPIC which might serve as a useful instrument for the promotion of these values within the Order. In its meeting of December 1995 the Definitory approved the proposal and entrusted the coordination of this project to the Office for JPIC in the General Curia.

This Resource Book endeavours to offer materials and resources which can help Provincial Delegates and Commissions to make progress in the work of animation. It also hopes to be of use to those charged with initial formation, to local fraternities in their meetings for ongoing formation and to friars in their pastoral ministry. The book does not pretend to be a definitive document on JPIC. Friars from all over the world have made contributions.

The Resource Book has four parts. In the First Part we set out the Franciscan vision of work for justice, peace and the integrity of creation as a theoretical framework for the whole book, drawing on our spirituality as found in the Franciscan sources, in the current GG.CC. and in the documents of the Church. For Franciscans the commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation is an inheritance coming down from St. Francis; it forms part of their identity as Friars Minor and of their evangelising mission and should therefore belong to the content of initial and ongoing formation.

The Second Part is made up of seven specific themes, which seem to be most appropriate and of greater interest to the Franciscan charism. They have just a brief theoretical development which is completed by an account of the experiences and witness of friars from all over the world. These help to see how the ideals which our GG.CC. propose are not utopias incapable of realisation; such witness suggests multiple possibilities for action according to each location. Each theme ends with a questionnaire to facilitate reflection, whether personally or in groups.

The Third Part, entitled How to Act?, has several chapters which treat of the history of the movement in favour of JPIC within the Order over the last 25 years: of the International Council of JPIC; how the Provinces and Conferences are organised in the area of justice and peace; of inter-Franciscan cooperation in JPIC; of work for JPIC in daily life and in various ministries: parishes, communications media, education, missionary evangelisation, initial and ongoing formation.

The Fourth Part gives some additions or appendices containing the texts which speak of these themes in OFM General Chapters or Plenary Councils, in the GG.CC., in Sacred Scripture, in Franciscan sources, in the social doctrine of the Church and in Ratio Formationis. Other additions give prayers, addresses of international organisations with which we can relate.

To date the book has been published in the English and Spanish languages. Information on it’s acquisition can be obtained through the JPIC provincial coordinators. For information on the Spanish version contact Fr. José Guerra of the Cantabria Province at email: jaguer@cempresarial.com and on the English version contact Fr. David Moczulski, E-mail: ofmjpic@igc.org (Fax: +1 (412) 431-4478).

The following language versions are being prepared by the JPIC conference coordinators: German, Portuguese, Italian, Croatian, Indonesian, and French. Information will subsequently be made available when these versions are ready.