Farewell to the Minister General Giacomo Bini
(bro Estêvão Ottenbreit)

Dear Brothers!

Before the Holy Father’s Delegate arrives to preside over the election of the Minister General it falls to me to conclude the six year period that we have just traversed with public and official thanks to Br. Giacomo for his service to our universal Fraternity as Minister General from 1997 to 2003. It is a dutiful task, but one that I am very pleased to accomplish, above all because I am sure that I speak for all of you and for all the Friars in the world represented by you here.

At this time, as well as the current Minister, Br. Giacomo Bini, I would like to thank also the Ministers General we have had since the Council: K. Koser, J. Vaughan, and the Chapter Member H. Schalück. Each one has guided the Order in this particular period of our history with his own personality, competence and dedication, knowing how to respond to the needs of the times and the challenges that presented themselves to the Order.

You, dear Giacomo, had the privilege, the joy and the responsibility of ferrying the Order from the 2nd to the 3rd millennium.

It is easy for me to capture and manifest the special contribution that you made during the six year period that is just finishing. And I will do it with the help of a note that I read in a “Provincial Bulletin”, at the end of your first visit to the friars as Minister General. I am aware that the note is not capable of fully describing the depth of your ministry of animation of the vocations and missions of the friars entrusted to you in 1997. But I think, nevertheless, that it could serve as a happy summary of the great and profound wealth of your being a Friar Minor. The Bulletin said: “Br. Giacomo is a touchable Minister General.”

And we, dear Giacomo have seen you in this way as a touchable Minister.

Being touchable means above all: a Minister who is close to us. It is true: with your fraternal simplicity, with you interest in all and for all, with your spontaneous and open smile, you have made yourself close to the Pope, to the Cardinals and to the Bishops; especially to the Friars and to the members of the Franciscan family. And being close to others meant and means for you: welcoming, listening, understanding, dialoguing and animating. I believe that today we can say: your being close to the Friars of the whole world has planted seeds of newness in the fertile ground of the hearts of so many Friars.

Touchable, means also: a concrete Minister. Even in these days, in the first week of our General Chapter reserved to your report to the Order, you have given us a masterly demonstration of concreteness. Your words, said and written in the six year period for the animation of the Friars, contain a profound spirituality; at the same time they are anchored in our story where the impossible can become possible for those who are nourished by faith. Your continual provocations were and are not theoretical and abstract, but always accompanied by suggestions and ways forward for those ready to start and start again with faith and courage.

Touchable finally means: an authentic Minister. Your preoccupation and your commitment were always orientated towards the search for authenticity, that is the rediscovery of the meaning of our life. We always saw you careful not to say things that you, together with the Definitory and with the Fraternity of the general Curia, had not tried to live. You can be certain of this: from what you did in your visits to the Friars, animating their vocations and encouraging them to “go” from what you have written to enlighten and orientate not only the Friars but also those who share the charism of Francis and Clare; from what you have sought to realise in the government of the Order, emerges a lucid witness of Friar Minor who lives his vocation in the joy of a continual conversion.

Dear Giacomo,

- as your Vicar I have seen you thus: as a pleasant companion on the journey;
- as a Definitory we have known you thus: these six years have been a privileged period of ongoing formation for all of us;
- the Ministers Provincial have always experienced you thus: you have always had special consideration for their ministry that is not always easy;
- the Friars of our Order have thought of you thus: as close, concrete, authentic, a true brother and friend.

Now all together we can say with joy to the Lord: thank you Lord, God Most High and Omnipotent, for this time of intense fraternity and of praise; thank you for having given us in this six year period Brother Giacomo to stimulate us to live prophetically the vocation-mission to which you have called us.

To you be praise for what you have manifested and realised in him and through him.