Under the theme "Building the Synodal Path as Friars Minor", the 27th Assembly of the Union of Latin American Franciscan Conferences (UCLAF) will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, from 23 to 27 January. The general objective of the meeting is to "take up again the Synodal Way to renew our vision and open up to the future, starting from today's Franciscan identity, around the reality of Latin America, as communion and participation of all brothers in this context". The last meeting, in 2020, was held online due to restrictions imposed by the global pandemic.
The meeting will be attended by the Minister General, the General Definitory, the Secretary General for Formation and Studies, the Secretary General for Missionary Evangelisation and the Animator of the General Office for Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation, together with all the Ministers Provincial and Custodes of UCLAF.
The participation of the Minister General and his Definitory, accompanied by other members of the General Curia, emphasises the General Government's desire to embark on a synodal path of dialogue with the friars of the Order. Additional regional meetings will be held in the near future.
Br José Alirio Urbina Rodríguez, president of UCLAF, says that participants will be invited to "take up the different challenges and projects, starting with the mandates of the 2021 General Chapter". He points to some of the issues that will be on the table at the meeting: "We will deal with the Amazon Project, the departure from our Order by some friars, the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults, the responsible and social use of Church and Order property, and the Order's centenary celebrations".
The particular objectives of the meeting are:
Br César Külkamp and Br Joaquín Echeverry, the Definitors accompanying the three Conferences that form UCLAF, said that "the Assembly meets with great expectation of animating one another, after the restrictions due to the pandemic. In communion with the whole Church and the last General Chapter, the plan is to launch the challenge of a synodal journey, starting from listening to the brothers of the entities that make up UCLAF. We want to relaunch the challenge of embracing our identity as Friars Minor, with attention to the challenges of our time and our religious and Franciscan life contexts and seek ways of re-enchantment and restructuring that will allow a more prophetic response".
Union of Latin American Franciscan Conferences
UCLAF comprises the three Franciscan Conferences that bring together the 26 Provinces and Custodies in Latin America: the Franciscan Bolivarian Conference, the Franciscan Conference of Brazil and the Southern Cone, and the Franciscan Conference of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is an animation structure of the Order of Friars Minor that is now 55 years old. It was born under the renewing impulse of the Second Vatican Council to promote unity and collaboration in the life and mission of the Order in the Latin American context. In these years, it has sought to encourage collaboration in its evangelising presences (historic shrines, vicariates, parishes, education, communication, social work and missionary initiatives) and formation based on the Franciscan charism.