• Updated: Thursday, February 10, 2000

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    The Minister General's visit to the Philippines

    First Day — February 6, 2000

    Br. Giacomo Bini, OFM minister general, arrived in Manila at 3:30 in the afternoon of February 6, 2000. The minister general was welcomed at the airport by Oscar Ante, provincial minister, Jerome Angulo, provincial secretary, and Emilito Pinili, provincial procurator.

    At San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City, on the way to the Provincial House, he was welcomed by Roberto Manansala, guardian and pastor, together with the friars and parishioners. On this occasion of their parish feast, bands played, children sang and representatives offered flowers to greet the head of the Order of Friars Minor.

    After a short rest, the minister general celebrated Mass at the chapel of the Provincial House. In the evening, he led the unveiling and blessing of the statute of San Pedro Bautista. Supper together with the parish friars and lay leaders followed.

    General definitor, Xavier Yu, who arrived in Manila few days earlier, could not join the welcoming of the minister general. Upon hearing the news of the passing away of Xavier’s mother in Korea, he flew directly to Seoul. He plans to join the minister general in Vietnam on February 11, 2000.

    Second Day — February 7, 2000

    9:00-10:00 AM

    Br. Giacomo Bini, OFM minister general, met the members of the provincial definitory at the Provincial House. The vicar provincial, Cielito Almazan, led the opening prayer, after which the provincial minister, Oscar Ante, introduced the other members: Rogelio Covero, Baltazar Obico, Antonio Ma. Rosales, Jesus Galindo, and provincial secretary Jerome Angulo.

    In his talk, the minister general explained the importance of the meeting with the definitory. He emphasized the necessity of exercising the role of the leaders as animators. He said that there is a crisis in authority. Some leaders can be authoritarian, while others tolerate a laissez faire situation. The Franciscan leader is to exercise authority in terms of diakonia, or service. He should first listen to the Holy Spirit who is the real minister. Thus, he is a servant of the Holy Spirit as well as that of the brothers. He is a mediator between the will of the Spirit and that of the brothers.

    The minister general also observed the fact that many friars are isolated and wounded. The minister must be a builder of communion and fraternity. He must make a balance between the good of the individual friar and that of the fraternity. Lastly, the exercise of co-responsibility in the way one serves is also important. We have to share authority and responsibility. This is one best way to prepare future leadership.

    Br. Giacomo also thanked the Philippine Province for the service extended to Sri Lanka. At the same time, he also encouraged the members to know more about the needs of the Order and respond to them.

    3:00-5:30 PM

    The minister general met about sixty solemnly professed friars at the Portiuncula Hall of San Pedro Bautista Parish. Br. Giacomo Bini exhorted the friars to face the important challenges in the Franciscan religious life.

    He said that today we have lost the harmony of values. We work a lot, but we neglect our relationship with the Lord. We need to "return to the desert," to promote the culture of interiority. In line with the Priorities of the Order, he exhorted the friars to respond to the following challenges: the spirit of contemplation, unity in diversity, formation, mission and the balance of Franciscan values.

    After the talk, the friars went into small groups to share insights and raise questions to the minister general. The overriding impression of the friars was that the message on the Priorities of the Order came very clearly to them.

    6:00-9:00 PM

    The minister general presided over at the Eucharistic celebration in honor of the patronal saint, San Pedro Bautista. Some twenty priests concelebrated at the Mass which was held at the parish of San Pedro Bautista. About six hundred participated in the clebration. Aside from the friars and the formants, some members of the Franciscan family, religious from different congregations, benefactors, friends and parishioners attended the occasion. Supper followed at the Provincial House.

    Third Day — February 8, 2000

    5:45-7:15 AM

    The minister general visited the Kapanata Fraternity, one of the urban poor inserted communities and celebrated the Holy Eucharist. Present were about twenty young friars coming from the different inserted communities in Metro Manila. After the Mass, the minister general took breakfast with the friars.

    9:00-11:45 AM

    At the Our Lady of the Angels Seminary (OLAS), Quezon City, the minister general had a dialogue with twenty guardians. His talk gave appropriate challenges to the guardians who came to Manila for a four-day meeting.

    In his talk, the minister general explained the importance of the meeting with the guardians on whose shoulders lies great responsibility. The guardians, according to the minister, are to help the members of the community grow. He emphasized the role of the guardian to build fraternity around the Word of God. Moreover, he said that the service of the guardian could offer is to listen to the brothers as well as to the Holy Spirit. The guardians have to balance the Franciscan values of prayer, fraternity and mission.

    The meeting began with the enthronement of the Bible. The provincial minister Oscar Ante facilitated the dialogue.

    2:30-4:00 PM

    The minister general talked with about twenty formators coming from the different stages of formation. He noted that amidst the fast changes in today’s world, the formators also have to change, in the sense of growth in the Lord.

    Bro. Giacomo explained the roles of the formator in terms of mediation between God and the candidate, witnessing, accompaniment and collaboration as a team. He challenged the formators to deepen their spirituality, Franciscan formation and radical generosity.

    Bro. Baltazar Obico, the secretary of Formation and Studies, facilitated the dialogue.

    4:30-6:00 PM

    Bro. Giacomo Bini had a dialogue with some thirty young friars. The minister general exhorted the friars to be rooted in the love of Jesus, following the example of Saint Francis in today’s context. Franciscan vocation, according to him, must be an experience of conversion of mind, heart and whole self.

    Drawing from his missionary experiences, the minister general encouraged the young friars to intensify their missionary zeal. He also exhorted them to be creative and not to be satisfied with clerical ministry.

    Bro. Dexter Sumaoy facilitated the dialogue.

    8:00-9:00 PM

    Together with the guardians, formators and formants, the minister general had a chance to see a cultural show presenting Filipino songs and dances. The young friars, aspirants and their friends organized the show. Bro. Andres Ma. Ranoa, OLAS guardian, was the emcee.

    Fourth Day - February 09, 2000

    Meeting with the Poor Clares

    In the morning (9:00-12:00), the Minister General met about one hundred twenty Poor Clare sisters at the Monastery in Quezon City. The sisters coming from ten different monasteries in the country were joined by Bienvenido Baisas (spiritual assistant to the Federation of Poor Clare Monasteries) and Antonio Ma. Rosales (national spiritual assistant), the provincial minister and secretary, and the friar chaplains.

    In his talk, the Minister General took the Angelus prayer as his point of departure on reflecting on the contemplative life. He stressed the need to listen and to enflesh the Word. After the talk, the sisters raised questions on formation, mission, collaboration and the like.

    Visit to the Cardinal

    In the afternoon (3:30-4:00 PM), the minister general was cordially received by Jaime Cardinal Sin, archbishop of Manila, at his residence in Mandaluyong. In the meeting, the minister general expressed his thanks to the Cardinal for the pastoral care of the latter to the friars.

    The minister general was accompanied by the definitor general Xavier Yu, provincial minister Oscar Ante and provincial secretary Jerome Angulo. Bro. Xavier arrived in the morning in Manila from Seoul to join the minister general.

    Visit to Santuario de San Antonio Parish

    The minister general, together with the definitor general, visited Santuario de San Antonio parish in Makati City. After a short rest, Bro. Giacomo Bini celebrated the Holy Ecuharist with the fraternity in their prayer room. In the evening, the minister general was invited to take dinner with the Secular Franciscans and the leaders of the parish pastoral council. The dinner ended with a simple program of songs and greetings.

    Fifth Day - February 10, 2000

    Mass and Blessing

    Early in the morning, the Minister General celebrated the Holy Eucharist at Santuario de San Antonio parish. After the Mass, he blessed the replica of the Tomb of Jesus in the parish grounds.

    Meeting with the Other Members of the Franciscan Family

    The Minister General met the other members of Franciscan Family at St. Joseph’s College, Quezon City. About one hundred members came to listen to the minister general at Mater Dei Auditorium.

    In his message, the minister general used the command of the Crucified Christ to Francis to exhort the brothers and sisters. Rebuild the house of our own personal lives, our own fraternity, and that of the world. He also urged the participants to collaborate with each other and to enrich each one another with one’s gifts. And in reference to the Secular Franciscans, he told the members to work for the empowerment of the laity.

    On his part, Xavier Yu, definitor general, challenged the Filipino Franciscans to take a lead role in the continent in terms of providing formation and ongoing studies for different Franciscan groups.

    Sr. Josephini Ambatali, SFIC provincial superior and host of the meeting, gave the welcome address, while Sr. Lydia Umipig, FMM provincial, was the facilitator of the dialogue. The dialogue ended with the interpretative singing of the Jubilee song.

    Lunch with IFMCP and Inter-Franciscan Groups

    The minister general had a lunch together with the leaders of the Franciscan Family. Present were the core group members of the IFMCP and the representatives of the Franciscan Movement for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (FMJPIC), Franciscan Institute of Asia (FIA), Foundation for the Care of Creation, Inc. (FCCI), Comprehensive Course for Franciscan Missionary Charism (CCFMC), and the Projects’ Team for MZF.

    Sr. Josephini Ambatali, SFIC provincial, was the host of the luncheon meeting held at the SFIC provincial house, Quezon City.

    Departure

    The minister general and the definitor general were accompanied to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by the provincial minister and his secretary. They were scheduled to leave at 16:05 for Vietnam.< Provincial Secretariat
    February 10, 2000
    - NEWS


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