Meeting of the Permanent Council of UFME

From the 8th to 10th March, the new Permanent Council of UFME (Union of Friars Minor of Europe) met at the General Curia of the OFM. Present were Br. Sinisa Balajić, Br. Antonio Scabio, Br. Piusz Berhidai, Br. Benedict Swiderski, the Secretary Br. Paolo Maiello and the Deputy Secretary and Bursar Br. Milko Gigante. 

The Council dedicated itself to the verification of the Final Document of the last Assembly held in Kalwaria (Poland) last October, with some propositions that emerged. 

The discussion developed on some indications from the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, regarding fraternal communion between the Provinces, the accompaniment of some processes of transformation of the Entities, concrete collaboration in the formative and missionary fields, the adoption of a more synodal logic and greater collaboration with the Franciscan Family. 

The meeting with the Minister General and some area Definitors was proactive: Br. Cesare Vaiani, Br. Albert Schmuki, Br. Konrad Grzegorz Cholewa, Br. Jimmy Zammit, with whom the Council held an open and sincere dialogue, sharing some propositions and future choices concerning the work of UFME. The invitation was made to think of themselves more and more as an Order, capable of going beyond their provincial borders, betting on young people, and collaborating with the Franciscan Family.

The work continued by looking at the economic aspect and the revision of the Statutes. 

On the morning of the 10th March, the Council evaluated and adopted the proposal for an Assembly for the Temporarily Professed of Europe to be held from the 20th to the 23rd September 2027 at the Marian Shrine of Matraverebely-Szentkut in Budapest, Hungary. 

In addition, it has been established that the UFME General Assembly will be held in Split, Croatia, from the 7th-11th February 2028. 

The entire Permanent Council underlined the positivity of the work carried out, enriched by fraternal and sincere dialogue, looking to a future that sees the friars of Europe increasingly called to work together for fraternal collaboration for the good of the Order.