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Communiqué from the General Definitory from the Tempo Forte of May 2023
The Tempo Forte took place from the 8th to the 19th May 2023 at the Curia General, in Rome. On the 10th May the General Definitory met the Guardians, Vicars and Bursars of the friaries in Rome dependent on the Minister General and from the 15th to the 18th May the Presidents of the Conferences; a final working session took place on 31st May.
The General Definitory, at its opening, allowed a time for personal narration, to deepen relationships and share what had been experienced during the period since the last Tempo Forte; the definitory continued its discernment on the candidates for the London fraternity, which it will appoint during the Tempo Forte in July 2023; and also appointed the Investment Review Committee (IRC) in the persons of Mrs. Joycelyn NGO, President, also of Mr. David REUSCH, Mr. Jorge Apóstolos SIARCOS and Mr. Leslie QUICK, and Br. John PUODZIUNAS, General Bursar. The session assigned the offices to the friars of the Fraternity of the Penitentiaries of "St. John Lateran" in Rome, a fraternity dependent on the Minister General; the definitory met fr. Matthias MAYER, of Franziskaner Helfen (Bonn - Germany), together with Br. Franco MIRRI, Director of the OFM Fraternitas Foundation, and Br. Efren P. ORTIZ O. and fr. Nikola KOZINA, outgoing and incoming Directors of the Development Office, to deepen the policy of project verification; continued the verification of the Order's presence in Russia and the Foundation; The definitory listened to updates from Br. Pedro ZITHA, OFM General Spiritual Assistant for the OFS; and continued to reflect on the Conference for Lay Brothers, in particular on the chronogram and questionnaire sent to the Entities of the Order. The definitory listened to updates on economic matters presented by Br. John PUODZIUNAS, Treasurer General; the definitory questioned the turnover of the staff of the dependent friaries; the definitory met with the Officers of the Curia, who began to present the Regulations of the various Offices, with a view to better collaboration amongst them and also with the General Definitory.
The General Definitory appointed the following:
− Br. Praveen D'SOUZA, Visitor General of the Province of "Our Lady Queen of Peace", in South Africa (Vanderbijlpark);
− Br. Amaral Bernardo AMARAL, Visitor General of the Province. "St. Mary of the Angels", in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Mbujimayi);
− Br. Siniša BALAJIĆ, Visitor for the Formation Houses of the Province. "Assumption of the B.V.M." of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo).
The Definitory approved the shortlist of candidates for Minister Provincial of:
− The Province "Saints Peter and Paul", in Mexico (Celaya);
− "The Province of Ireland" (Dublin).
The Definitory ratified the Acts of the elections that took place in the following Entities:
In Chapter:
− The Province of "Magna Domina Hungarorum", in Hungary (Budapest);
− The Province of "Saints Cyril and Methodius", in Croatia (Zagreb);
− The Province of the "Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.", in Poland (Kalwaria Z.);
− The Province of "St. Bonaventure", in Italy (Rome);
− The Province of "St. Francis of the Stigmata", in Italy (Florence);
− The Province "St. Anthony of Padua", in the Philippines (Cebu City);
− The Province "St. Paul the Apostle", in Malta (Valletta);
− The Seraphic Province "St. Francis of Assisi", in Italy (Our Lady of the Angels);
− the Province of "St. Wenceslas", in the Czech Republic (Praha);
− The Province of "St. Michael the Archangel", in Ukraine (Zhhytomyr);
− The Province of "Our Lady Mary of the Angels", in Poland (Kraków);
− The definitory (acknowledged) the “Foundation St. Francis", in India, dependent on the Province of "St. Thomas the Apostle", in India (Bangalore).
In the Chapter Congress:
− The Province of “S. Francis of Assisi”, in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City);
− The Province of "St. Anthony of Padua", in the Philippines (Cebu City);
− The Province of the "Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.", in Poland (Kalwaria Z.);
− The Autonomous Custody of “St. Anthony”, in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei (Singapore).
Outside Chapter:
− Regarding the Provincial Definitory:
"The Franciscan Province of Arantzazu", in Spain (Donostia – St. Sebastian): 1;
− Of Guardians:
The Province of "Saints Francis and James", in Mexico (Zapopan), 1;
The Province of the “Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.", in Spain (Madrid), 1;
The Province of the "Holy Faith", in Colombia (Bogota), 2;
The Province "St. Thomas the Apostle", in India (Bangalore), 1;
The Province of "St. John the Baptist", in the USA (Cincinnati), 1.
The definitory approved, sub conditione, the Particular Statutes of:
− The Province of “St. Francis of Assisi”, in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City);
− The Missionary Province of "St. Anthony", in Bolivia (Cochabamba);
− The Province of the "Holy Spirit", in Australia (Waverley);
− The Autonomous Custody of “St. John the Baptist”, in Pakistan (Karachi);
− "The Foundation of St. Francis, in Papua New Guinea.
The Definitory addressed the following
Practices regarding the change of legal status:
− The Erection of Guardianati: 5;
− The Erection of Branch-Houses: 7;
− The Elevation of Branch-Houses into Guardianati: 1;
− The scaling down of Guardianati to Branch- Houses: 4;
− The suppression of Houses: 21;
The Definitory also dealt with the following cases of separation from the Order:
− Exclaustration pardon: 5;
− Indult of secularization ad experimentum: 2;
− Indult of secularization pure et simpliciter: 2;
− Indult of dispensation from Solemn Vows: 5;
− Indult of dispensation from the obligations of the Clerical State and Solemn Vows: 6;
− Resignation from the Order: 4.
The Definitory examined: − the Cases of graviora delicta: 7;
− Possible cases of graviora delicta: 1;
− Inappropriate behaviour: 2;
− Protocols for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults from Entities: 1.
The Definitory dealt with other practices of various kinds:
− The grant of obedience for the mission: 1;
− The Concession of obedience on returning from a particular mission/service: 2;
− The granting of scholarships and obediences to reside at the Fraternity of "Blessed Gabriele Allegra", at CISA, in Rome: 5;
− The transfer to another Order Entity: 2;
− Readmission to the Order: 1;
− Hierarchical appeal: 1;
− Alienation of real estate/ex voto: 6;
− Economic matters: 3.
The General Definitory: − encourages each and every individual entity of the Order to follow up on the work of reviewing the data of the Schematismus and Directiones Domorum;
− Approved the proposal of the General Secretariat, Prosecutor's Office and Protocol Office to take care of training sessions for the various Secretaries of the Entities of the Order;
− The Definitory encourages the individual friars, in agreement with their Minister, to make themselves available for the Translation and Communication Service of the General Curia.
* * *
The meeting of the Definitory with the Guardians, Vicars and Bursars of the friaries in Rome which are dependent on the Minister General
– The General Curia "Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces", The International College "St. Anthony at the Lateran", The Fraternity of Penitentiaries at "St. John at the Lateran", The College of "St. Isidore" – has a formative and informative character; topics also related to:
i. The Animation of fraternal life,
ii. The Role and task of the Definitor Delegate of the Minister General for each of the dependent fraternities,
iii. Fraternal Economy,
iv. Care of the Archive.
* * *
The meeting of the Definitory with the 13 Presidents of the Conferences touched upon the following themes:
i. Sharing on the life, mission, revision and renewal of the Conferences (Mandate no. 31 of the General Chapter 2021); ii.
ii. Revision of the organization chart of the Curia and the Order (Orientation no. 29 of the General Chapter 2021); iii. Celebration of the Franciscan Centenary;
iii. Protection of minors and vulnerable adults;
iv. Fraternal economy: current situation, investment fund, revision of the solidarity contribution (Mandate no. 6 of the General Chapter 2021);
v. Conference of Lay Brothers;
vii. Ratio Evangelizationis;
vii. Chapter of Mats;
viii. Plenary Council of the Order.
The Presidents, in order to respond to Mandate no. 31 and Orientation no. 29 of the General Chapter of 2021, have drawn up and approved the following Document:
We recognize that the intention of the General Chapter of 2021with Mandate 31 and Guideline 29 is to simplify the structure of the Conferences, the Order and the General Curia, rather than making a complete revision.
1. Let us entrust to the General Definitory, for its point of observation, reflection to recognize what is really needed today and to choose accordingly.
2. We propose to reflect on the possibility of entrusting the two Secretariats, Missions and Evangelization and Formation and Studies, to two General Definitors, chosen ad hoc by the Minister General after the Chapter, to promote greater integration with the service of animation and governance of the Minister General with the Definitory.
3. We propose to find ways to obtain appropriate flexibility in not requiring each Entity to complete an organizational chart of offices, when it is not necessary; however, to ensure that, within the same Conference, the entire organization chart is present.
4. We propose to review the current configuration of the Conferences with the following criteria:
• examine the historical reasons for the compositions of the Conferences;
• to elaborate on the reasons for the creation of a new Conference and its usefulness;
• to have knowledge of the situations of each Conference;
• to evaluate the criterion of the minimum number of Entities and Friars per Conference;
• to promote a survey in the Conferences to see if they want to update their configuration and, if so, motivating the possible steps, with advantages and disadvantages, and the criteria identified. The Definitor General accompanies this circular process of dialogue, which will take place essentially in the Conferences, without impositions from above;
• To promote discernment in all the Conferences to agree together where we want to go today through this mediation, which opens us to the Order;
• To encourage different conferences with common elements, such as language, to verify any steps of greater collaboration, reconfiguration and integration;
• To deepen and give content to the possibility of Sub Conferences.
5. We propose that in the meetings with the new Ministers Provincial and Ministers Custodes, the General Definitory announces a new model of animation of the Order, where the Minister Provincial or Custos works in the perspective of the Order, through and beyond the Province/Custody. From here matures the horizon, the contents and the methods of the animation of one's own Entity.
6. We propose to give the General Animator of JPIC the right to participate in the General Chapter, promoting the service of animation proper to this Office, intersecting the dimensions of Evangelization and Formation.
7. We propose to revise the title as follows: "Justice, Peace and Care of Creation", for a more suitable biblical-theological-Franciscan vision of integral ecology.
8. To continue to foster the presence of the Minister and the Definitor General in the meetings of the Conferences, together with a greater presence of the Curia within the Entities. We recognize that the presence of the General Definitor is charismatic and can help the Province/Custody to come out of its self-referentiality, accompanying the Provinces to realize that which was already decided in the Provincial/Custodial Chapter and to feel ever more part of the Order, beyond provincialism and any form of resistance that does not allow a change in mentality.
9. To verify the skills, usefulness and functionality of the offices currently functioning in the Curia, also for any proposed amalgamations.
10. To verify the current configuration of the Plenary Council of the Order, with regard to its functions and the possibility of greater decision-making power.
11. We propose to initiate a complete revision of the General Statutes to verify their content, and that which no longer has an effective weight may and can be removed or revised.
12. We propose that on the OFM website there should be a section on the development of the Order, as well as on events and initiatives.
Amongst the 12 propositions listed above, those to be presented to the General Chapter and the others to be implemented will be identified.
* * *
The Presidents, in order to respond to Mandate no. 6 of Chapter General of 2021, regarding the revision of the Solidarity Contribution that the Entities allocate to the General Curia, approved to:
1. Maintain GNP as an objective measure to assess the ability to contribute of a Province.
2. No bands: GNP is direct.
3. Budget based on need (replaces the annual increase in inflation per friar)
- 3.5 million for the first year.
4. After the first year: to present and approve any changes to the Conference Presidents.
5. Update of the General Curia/Mission/Formation division: 80/10/10 Amongst the
four contribution models presenting, the one that reflects the characteristics of the
5 propositions listed above, is the "Model D", which you may decide to adopt.
* * *
At the conclusion of the session, the Definitory verified the meeting with the Superiors of the Fraternities in Rome dependent on the Minister General, the one with the Conference Presidents and the progress of Tempo Forte.
The next Tempo Forte is scheduled from the 3rd to the 14th of July 2023; all the Secretariats of the Entities of the Order are reminded to send their requests to be submitted to the General Definitory within one week from the beginning of the Tempo Forte Sessions: the requests received outside this time limit will be postponed to the following Tempo Forte.
Everyone was reminded that at the General Curia, during the month of August there will be closure of the Offices, and therefore the Curia will work with reduced staff numbers.
In praise of Christ and the “Poor Little Man” of Assisi. Amen!
Rome, 5th June, 2023.
fr. Antonio M. IACONA, OFM
General Secretary OFM