The Chapter of the Mats of the Order of Friars Minor has reached its fifth day, dedicated to the third thematic core of the meeting: Embracing the Future, Witness and Mission.
Introduced by Br. Juan Isidro Aldana, Secretary of the Chapter, Professor and writer Eduardo Santos Ribón Badillo, of the University of San Bonaventura in Cartagena, Colombia, presented his reflection divided into 5 “challenges” to be submitted to the Capitulars.
Listening to the cry of the new poor. Saint Francis is the example of active listening, according to Professor Ribón, because he “strips himself of everything and chooses to live amongst the poorest”. But who are the poor today? “We are not just talking about those who lack material goods, but also about those who are discarded by society: migrants without a country, young people without a future, the forgotten elderly, the victims of violence and indifference,” said the speaker, highlighting how far-right policies in Latin America and the rest of the world have exacerbated economic and social differences between peoples. So how can the Franciscan mission be made more relevant to the new poor of the 21st century?
An integral ecology as prophetic testimony. The professor pointed the finger at the “media spectacle” that revolves around ecology: everyone talks about it, but no one does anything and the situation is increasingly catastrophic. What if we instead opted for alternative paths inspired by Saint Francis? Pope Francis, in Laudato Si’, urged us to recognize how everything is connected and that the environmental crisis is also a social crisis. “As Franciscans, our mission is not only to take care of nature, but also to transform hearts so that we adopt simple and supportive lifestyles”: how can we integrate ecological justice into our daily lives and our mission?
Overcoming polarization and building peace. Ribón emphasizes how current wars reflect a world deeply divided between ultraconservatives and the left, with consequences in faith communities. These divisions lead to violations of human rights and a culture of exclusion, contrary to the lifestyle of the Holy Gospel. Like the Seraphic Father who spoke with the Sultan during the Crusades, our mission today is to promote dialogue, listening and reconciliation. The challenge remains: how to be peacemakers in such a polarized world?
Openness to the laity: a synodal and co-responsible Church. Faced with the crisis of vocations and by virtue of the Baptism we have received, we are all “missionary disciples,” as Pope Francis emphasized in Evangelii Gaudium. Therefore, “Franciscan communities must also open themselves to sharing their mission with the laity, forming men and women who can take on responsibilities in schools, universities, social centres, and other works that risk closing due to the lack of friars.”
Returning to the social doctrine of the Church. Faced with the social, economic, ecological, and cultural crisis of today’s world, “Franciscanism, with its option for the poor, its sensitivity to justice and peace, and its incarnate spirituality, can and must return to draw from this source to renew its mission.” But are we forming friars and lay people in these principles so that they can transform reality guided by the Gospel and the Church?
The reflection concluded with this exhortation from Prof. Eduardo Santos Ribón Badillo: “May the Lord grant us the audacity to dream, the humility to listen and the courage to act, so that Franciscanism continues to be a light in a wounded world.”
The dialogue and discussion within the World Café tables were fueled by these challenges, accompanied by the provocations left by Prof. Ribón and the questions of the Instrumentum Laboris that invited reflection on the concept of "outgoing Church" and its connection with the Franciscan charism, the experiences of shared mission that have strengthened the sense of brotherhood in the community, and finally the importance of fraternal relationships as a source of motivation and support in times of difficulty.
Today marked the end of the World Café work focused on the 3 thematic nuclei of the Chapter of Mats. Tomorrow, the 7th June 2025, whilst the Capitulars will be on pilgrimage to Assisi, the Commission will prepare the draft of the Final Document that will first be discussed in the linguistic groups for possible contributions, and then presented in the plenary assembly.
The vote on the Final Document is scheduled for the day of Pentecost, Sunday, the 8th June 2025.
Read the reflection of Prof. Eduardo Santos Ribon Badillo
Reflessione di Prof. Eduardo Santos Ribon Badillo
