From May 10 to 18, the General Definitorium met with the new Ministers Provincial and Custodes of the Order at the General Curia.
The meeting involved 21 brothers from different countries and, as always, has the objective of training the new Ministers and Custodes, mutual knowledge and fraternal listening, fundamental elements for the life of the Order.
On the first day, the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, starting from the call of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:1-24), focused on the meaning of the call (“We are not the saviors of the province… we are called rather to accompany them a stretch of the journey”); the comparison between the ideal and the real (“The margin between the evangelical ideal and the concrete reality is often very thin, and we suffer because it is not easy to find a space for action and change right here”); listen to the Spirit (“The renewed choice of our identity as brothers and minors, centered in the relationship with God and in the life of fraternal communion for the mission among and with the poor, is what the Spirit forcefully asks of us”); then giving three indications for how to move into the future, made of lights, but also of shadows.
The day ended with vespers and the Eucharist celebrated by the Vicar General, Br. Ignacio Ceja, who in his homily also recalled the importance of the call, “as animators of the brothers”, to be witnesses of the beauty of the vocation, helping each other to achieve it, without being afraid of the difficulties that surely have to be faced, but with patience, the same which God has towards all. Br. Ignacio concluded with a nod to the happiness to which the Gospel calls: “True, profound happiness, which sometimes passes through pain and renunciation, is however fruitful in life”.
On the following days, there were subsequent meetings with the different secretaries and officials of the Curia; the new Ministers also had a personal conversation with the Minister General, visited some offices of the Curia and the Pontifical University Antonianum. A whole day was dedicated to the theme of the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, in order to introduce a policy and code of conduct within each entity of the Order.
In the homily of the Eucharist on May 17, Br. Massimo commented on the gospel of John: “We have heard the dialogue between the Resurrected Christ and Simon, to whom Jesus confers the mandate of authority. The center is not power, but love, which grows in the personal relationship between Jesus and Simon. Ours is a ministry of love and of mercy, according to St. Francis. Why? This comes from a personal relationship with Jesus, which means knowledge, familiarity, friendship, mutuality, custom that grew from many events, including betrayal. Jesus calls Peter by name and asks him ‘for more love’. Peter failed to give his life for his brothers. In fact, authority does not arise from good will.”
On Saturday, May 18, the new Ministers concluded their meeting with a pilgrimage to Assisi.
Download the intervention of the Minister General: Italiano - English - Español
Download the homily of the Minister General: Italiano - English
