Visits by the Minister General
February 25th, 2010
Visit to the Province of Central America
From February 7th to the 15th the Minister General, Br José Rodríguez Carballo, visited the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Central America. The Province covers the following countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Haiti. The province has about 200 solemnly professed friars and some 50 friars in initial formation. The Minister General met all the brothers, divided into two groups, in Guatemala and Nicaragua. He also met with the provincial Definitory, with the friars in initial formation and the Franciscan Family in Guatemala. He also met with the Nuncio of His Holiness to Guatemala and visited the tomb of the Saint Pedro Betancur, and the social works dedicated to him in Antigua (Guatemala).
Visit to Istanbul
From February 16th to the 19th, the Minister General, Br José Rodríguez Carballo, visited the International Fraternity for Dialogue in Istanbul. The fraternity was established in 2004, and is directly dependent on the Minister General. It is currently made up of 4 brothers: Br. Ruben Tierrablanca, guardian, from the Province of Michoacán (Mexico); Br Gwunolé Jouset, vicar of the fraternity, from the Province of Paris (France), Br Eleuthère Baharawyi, treasurer of the fraternity, from the Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Br Dominic Ko, from the Province of Korea, a student of Islamic studies. The Minister met the Apostolic Vicar and the Clergy of the Vicariate.
