Closing speech by Minister general

17.11.2001

Br. Giacomo Bini

The gospel message of Francis of Assisi, like the new wine of which the Gospel speaks, seems destined to make "the wineskin" of the structures "burst" in every era. Francis seems to repeat to each generation, , as he did before he died: "I have done my part, Christ will show you yours" (LMj 14,3). We must respond to this challenge today. We cannot be content with accommodating or restricting the dynamism of our "way of life" in repetitive and constant structures: we would risk suffocating the prophetic power of our vocation.

Our is an ever more unstructured and bewildered world; it is in search of values and will, then, continue to provoke and question us. We are witnesses of tragic times, of suffering and darkness. The positive future of humanity will depend on the ability we will have to transmit reasons for life and hope to the generations of tomorrow (cf. GS 31) and to become instruments of peace, "pontefici" (bridge builders), generators of the means and ways of communion.

The Poor man of Assisi knew how to respond to the expectations of his time by making present and witnessing to the Gospel, proposing with immediacy those revolutionary values that make present-day man dream also: he knew how to communicate all of it to his own generation by creating new relational structures and arousing enthusiastic attraction.

How can we respond today? By participating in the tragic suffering of the birth-pains of a new world. The pains are a sign that the moment of the birth of new life is near. Birth cannot be held back: there is the risk of suffocating life for ever.

We too cannot procrastinate: it is no longer the time for "touching up" our house, our structures. We need radical changes. While destructive "worldly" pseudo-values are invading our "cloisters" we must make the world become once again our "cloister", our world that is thirsty for God, justice, fraternity and peace.

To know how to read and accept the urgency of the times we live is the historical challenge that awaits us; a challenge that we can only face up to in fidelity to our gospel project with simplicity and radicalism, making efforts to transmit it authentically.

During these days we have had the grace of an experience of freedom in mutual acceptance, opening up to each other and overcoming the prejudices that obscure the image that God has placed in each man. This is the only path that allows us to escape from the dark blindness of our fears, of our insecurities, of our defences and our being closed in.

Let us never refuse to live that which the Rule requires of us: "And, wherever the friars are and find themselves, let them mutually show themselves to be among their family members. And let them without fear manifest to one another their own need, since, if a mother nourishes and loves her own son according to the flesh, how much more diligently should he love and nourish his own spiritual brother?" (Rb 6, 7-8).