|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
Members of Four Fraternities: The entire Secular Franciscan Order is set up in a similar way. At the top-most level is CIOFS, consisting of our General Minister (Encarnación del Pozo, OFS*), and General Vice-Minister (Doug Clorey, SFO) and a number of Presidency Councillors. These Councillors are assigned a "Language Area" based on their language expertise of course. The United States fall under the SFO "English I" language area assigned to, Mr. Tibor Kauser, OFS (resides in Hungary but is fluent in English). Mr. Doug Clorey, SFO (Canada) was present for CIOFS at the NAFRA Chapter of Elections on October 24, 2009. Whenever there is an election, there has to be someone present from the fraternity of the next higher level. Not all Nations where there is a SFO presence have "Regional" fraternities, only the larger countries as the United States and a few others. The SFO is present in 110 countries in the world. There are 65 constituted National Fraternities, 42 National Emerging Fraternities and 3 other nations that are developing a Secular Franciscan presence. The numeric consistency of the SFO stays at around 400,000 professed active members but this cannot be established as accurate because of old age, death and lack of communications. The Franciscan Youth is present in 64 countries with 30 recognized national fraternities and 34 emerging national fraternities. (Fr. I. Samy, 2009). There are about 14,722* professed members in USA, as far as I know. We are probably the largest Order in the Catholic Church. It is important for members to understand that they are a part of a very large organization, but that everyone counts. We're all here for a reason, and that is spelled out in detail in the Rule of St. Francis, as well as the SFO Constitutions and Statues. The Secular Franciscan Order headed by CIOFS and its Officers is the ONLY valid Secular Franciscan Order. "The Secular Franciscan Order is one and only (John Paul II, 22 November 2002). It exists in an uninterrupted continuity with the Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance instituted by the Blessed Francis of Assisi (Nicholas IV, Rule Supra Montem, 1289). A copy of the Rule Supra Montem, approved by Pope Nicholas IV can be found here. It is subtitled: "The Approbation of the Third Rule of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order instituted by Bl. Francis, for seculars living in their own homes, called Tertiaries" and was issued at/on: Rieti, August 17, 1289. This statement galvanizes for me the concept of the SFO being an Order in itself, founded for that specific purpose by St. Francis of Assisi. Although we continue to be most grateful for the spiritual assistance of the First Order friars (altius moderamen) we are (since the issuance of the present Rule, approved by Pope Paul VI, June 24, 1978) a self-governing Order of the Church. (*) SFO or OFS? The legal name of the Secular Franciscan Order within the Roman Catholic Church/Vatican, is Since the greater majority of the Professed in English-speaking countries use SFO for Secular Franciscan Order, maybe we ought to continue using that. However, TAU-USA (at least to me) is addressed as OFS. Observations by Fred Schaeffer, SFO /Webmaster/ 10-25-2009 |
