Circ.
43/02-08
R. R. 2, Cornwall, Prince Edward Island
CANADA C0A 1H0
Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
Saint Clare often
reminded her sisters of the value of their vocation as a gift
from God that is to be valued and nourished. Concerning this,
Clare wrote in her Testament: "Among the other gifts that we
have received and do daily receive from our benefactor, the
Father of mercies, and for which we must express the deepest
thanks to the glorious Father of Christ, there is our vocation,
for which, all the more by the way of its being more perfect and
greater, do we owe the greatest thanks to Him”. As Secular
Franciscans, we too are called to a deeper understanding of our
vocation, and to bear fruit in the various parts of the world in
which we live.
The identity of
Seculars Franciscans is intimately linked to our secularity and
to living a secular way of life in the world. This identity,
which differentiates us within the Franciscan family, is also
what makes us indispensable to the Franciscan family. Being
aware of this identity must be complemented by making it known
to others. During 2003-2004, a survey was conducted to document
the work that is already underway within national fraternities
across the world; a summary of the results of this survey has
already been published and shared in order to stimulate Secular
Franciscans to become further engaged in the family, the
workplace, the communities in which they live, and in the
Church. Although the quantity and quality of information
provided in the survey varied, the results of the survey
reinforce that the work being undertaken by Secular Franciscans
is exemplary in nature and that it should not be “hidden under a
bushel”. However, the survey also seems to indicate that
Secular Franciscans lack the sense that they belong to a single
Order and that all of its activity is linked worldwide. As a
result, Secular Franciscans need to move towards ownership of
their activities across the world and of the unity that Secular
Franciscans share when engaged in apostolic work.
During the General
Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order, held in Assisi in
November 2005, capitulars reflected on the mission and witness
of Secular Franciscans in the world. In a round table format, a
number of presentations were made by Secular Franciscans
outlining how Secular Franciscans are living and witnessing
their mission in the various continents and cultures around the
world. I am writing to share with you a brief summary of these
presentations with the hope that it will stimulate you and the
Secular Franciscans in your nation to move forward and set out
into the deep, as Pope John Paul II has invoked the Secular
Franciscan Order to do in his message of 2002.
During the General
Chapter, Enrico and Elisabetta Tavazzani, members of a Secular
Franciscan fraternity in Rome, spoke of their experience with
the Centro Missionario dell’Ordine Francescano Secolare (CeMiOFS).
This Missionary Centre of the Secular Franciscan Order is a
voluntary organization established in 1998 which strives to make
present the charism of St. Francis within the context of a lay,
Franciscan spirituality. In particular, it engages young
couples and families in missionary work and promotes Franciscan
lay spirituality in the world. To-date, CeMiOFS has undertaken
missionary work in a number of countries, including Venezuela
and Romania, supported spiritually and financially by local and
regional fraternities of the Secular Franciscan Order. Enrico
and Elisabetta provided a strong testimony of the vitality of
youth in the Church and of the engagement of Secular Franciscans
in the life and mission of the Church.
Julio Marales,
International Councillor for Guatemala, spoke about the
situation of the National Fraternity of Guatemala. He made
reference to Bartolomé Martinez, the first Tertiary in Guatemala
(professed in 1613) and of the recently canonized Saint Pedro de
San José Betancurt who also lived in the seventeenth century.
He pointed out that the reality lived by the Secular Franciscan
Order in Guatemala today is quite different from the reality
lived some 400 years ago during the time of Brothers Martinez
and Betancurt. Today, there are approximately 5000 Secular
Franciscans in Guatemala, primarily women, and most of whom have
little education and live in poverty. Social conditions are
challenging and all work at building a society that is rooted on
values and justice for all. Julio used Saint Pedro de San José
Betancurt as an example of one who lived the spirituality of
Secular Franciscans, challenging society in non-violent ways by
calling attention to the problems faced by the people of his
day. Today, Secular Franciscans in Guatemala are rising to the
challenge of living this example in their own time by becoming
engaged in their society with the support of their
fraternities.
Antica-Nada Ćepulić,
International Councillor for Croatia, shared an initiative
undertaken by the National Fraternity of Croatia in protest of a
Government project dealing with the exportation of oil from
Russia across the Adriatic Sea (Project “Druzba Adria”). She
spoke of working with the Episcopal Conference of Croatia, other
branches of the Franciscan family and a variety of Croatian
organizations in an attempt to reverse a government decision
that could have significant impacts on the environment of the
area. She pointed out that the project presented a number of
ecological concerns, including putting the area’s potable water
supply at risk, as well as its flora and fauna. Letters to the
Parliament and Government of Croatia were written and the level
of awareness regarding this project was raised through radio and
television broadcasts and interviews. Protests were organized
as well as a number of public debates. International support
was also retained through Franciscans International. The
project is currently on hold pending final decision by the
Governments involved.
Hervé Sylva,
International Councillor for Mauritius, spoke of the life of the
Secular Franciscan Order on the Island of Mauritius. He pointed
out that Franciscans had arrived on the island in 1854 and that
the Third Order of St. Francis had been established shortly
thereafter. Mauritius became an independent nation in 1968.
The Franciscan family, consisting of religious and seculars, are
actively present in the diocese and are active in various
commissions in the area of education, liturgy, catechesis and
social engagement. There are 18 Secular Franciscan fraternities
in Mauritius, all of whom engage themselves in working with the
poor and in supporting couples and youth. Through their
efforts, fraternities have nourished the faith of the people of
Mauritius and contributed to a greater unity within the family.
Secular Franciscan fraternities have actively engaged themselves
in promoting peace in their region and in promoting social
justice, creating better conditions of life for the people of
Mauritius, and exerting pressure on governments for change.
Although Maritius is a mulitracial, multicultural and muliti-religious
nation, its fraternities have presented a vision of how people
can live in harmony with respect for each other and share common
values in a pluralistic society.
Lucia Park,
International Councillor for Korea, spoke of the engagement of
Korean Secular Franciscans in missionary work in China. She
pointed out that China played an important role in the creation
of the Korean Catholic Church (since 1784) and that John Paul II
had indicated that the Korean Catholic Church must now assume
some responsibility for sending missionaries to China. She
explained that, in spite of the challenges associated with
working within Communist China, the Korean Secular Franciscan
Order sent a missionary to China in 2002 – to an area where a
large percentage of the population are people of Korean origin.
In this context, Lucia described the Hwaryong Charity Project, a
project conceived in 2002 which provides poverty relief and
spiritual support to the people of the Hwaryong area. This
project delivers funds to extremely poor households and has
established a supermarket for the buying and selling of recycled
goods. Members of the Franciscan Youth Protection are actively
engaged in supporting this project. Other initiatives include
the establishment of boarding houses for orphans and abandoned
children, as well as providing comfortable accommodations for
youth in support of their study. In the end, it is hoped that
projects of this kind will help families in need to understand
that they are not alone and will assist in creating
compassionate structures that will assist them in improving
their living conditions.
Each of these
initiatives represents significant examples of the presence of
Secular Franciscans in the world. To further its presence
internationally, the Secular Franciscan Order is also exploring
ways in which it can become more engaged with Franciscans
International. Franciscans
International
is the first endeavor of the entire Franciscan Family to unite
justice and peace efforts and affect change at the international
level. The work of Franciscans International belongs to the
entire Franciscan Family who commit themselves to peacemaking,
concern for the poor and care of creation. Franciscans
International receives its direction from the Conference of
the Franciscan Family (CFF), which includes Encarnacion del Pozo,
General Minister of the Secular Franciscan Order, and from an
International Board of Directors which includes three
representatives from the Secular Franciscan Order. Like
Franciscans International, members of the Secular Franciscan
Order also commit themselves to the work of peacemaking, concern
for the poor and care of creation. Secular Franciscans are
called to be in the forefront in promoting justice by the
testimony of their human lives and their courageous
initiatives. One of the “courageous initiatives” that belongs
to the Franciscan family is the work undertaken by Franciscans
International. Secular Franciscans from across the world
are invited to claim this work as members of the Franciscan
family and to support it as a vital component of their
vocation. By working more closely, it is hoped that Secular
Franciscans will become more aware and knowledgeable of
Franciscans International and how it can be of assistance
in living out their vocation in the world. All Secular
Franciscans are called to be the voice for those who do not have
a voice, and FI provides this voice, on behalf of all
Franciscans, including Secular Franciscans, on the world stage.
By increasing understanding of each other’s work, it is hoped
that the Secular Franciscan Order and Franciscans
International
will be able to collaborate together as witnesses and
instruments of the Church’s mission. At its last meeting, the
International Presidency appointed the Coordinator of the
Presence in the World Commission to be its liaison with
Franciscans International.
The
Secular Franciscan Order is also acutely aware of world events
that impact the lives of people and, in many case, the lives of
the poor and those who do not have a voice. During its March
2003 meeting, the Presence in the World Commission reflected on
the war in Iraq and prepared a statement for the Presidency's
consideration. This statement called on Secular Franciscans to
express their opposition to violence and to commit themselves to
building a more peaceful world. It further urged Secular
Franciscans to become actively engaged with relief organizations
that can provide humanitarian support to the people of Iraq and
in the rebuilding of their country. This statement was
subsequently circulated to all national fraternities. The
Presence in the World Commission also prepared an article,
entitled “Terrorism:
What can we do about it?”,
which was subsequently published in the CIOFS bulletin. In it,
Secular Franciscans were reminded that they are called to be a
people of hope, and a people who live this hope by example.
Through their efforts, bridges can be built over which peoples
of all colours, and of all nations, and of all religions can
move safely towards “a more fraternal and evangelical world” (SFO
Rule 14). Messages were also circulated to national
fraternities expressing the Secular Franciscan Order’s
solidarity with those who are suffering as a result of political
turmoil or natural disasters. More recently, messages of
solidarity were sent to the National Fraternity of Lebanon to
express the Secular Franciscan Order’s hope that the Divine Seed
that is in all people would soon germinate so that everyone in
the area might once again live in peace and without the presence
of violence. At the request of the 2005 General Chapter, a
letter was also written to the European Parliament requesting
that the
Constitution of the European Union include references to the
Christian roots of its European members. A response to this
letter had been received, indicating that the Secular Franciscan
Order’s request would be referred to Committee on Constitutional
Affairs and that the process surrounding the European
Constitution remains open for further interventions.
In spite of the
challenges facing Secular Franciscans worldwide, it is with joy
that we acknowledge growth within the Secular Franciscan Order,
especially in Eastern Europe and Africa. There are currently
103 national fraternities worldwide, 59 of which have been
canonically established and 44 which are emerging. Clearly, God
continues to attract people to the Secular Franciscan Order who
wish to go from Gospel to life, and life to Gospel. A
particular grace is the presence and contribution of Franciscan
Youth in various parts of the world.
As you can see,
much has been done and more is being done. The presence of
Secular Franciscans in the world is making a difference and
needs to continue to bring about the reign of God. Hopefully,
this letter has provided you with an appreciation for the work
that is taking place across the world and to motivate each of
you to go further in animating the Secular Franciscan Order in
your specific area of the world. In particular, we call on the
International Councillors to become engaged in implementing the
conclusions of the General Chapter of 2002 and 2005. This is
important work that only you, in collaboration with your
National Councils, can move forward.
Duc in altum.
Wishing you peace
and all that is good!
Doug Clorey
Co-ordinator, Presence in the World Commission
(Added for your convenience)
Terrorism: What can we do about it?
Wilhelmina Visser Pelsma, SFO (Presidency
Councillor, Belgium)
Ever since the disturbing attacks on the Twin Towers in New
York City on September 11, 2001, the world has been overwhelmed
with all kinds of terrorist activity, including alerts, messages
and destructive attacks. There are many examples, and the threat
of terrorism continues. Slowly, a society is developing where no
one feels secure, and where anyone - man, woman or child - can
be affected. There does not appear to be any safe place – at
home, at work, on the streets, or while travelling. The threat
is always present.
Unfortunately, this kind of environment tears people apart.
Instead of working to create a community in which everyone is
respected, people are suspicious and guarded. Distrust, fear and
isolation abound. Instead of opening doors to others, people
look for shelter and protection with people who share their own
opinions, who share the same skin colour, or who belong to the
same faith community.
This situation in which we are currently living presents an
opportunity for Secular Franciscans around the world to witness
to their Franciscan calling. Through their commitment to living
the Gospel way of life, Secular Franciscans are called to build
bridges between people. Saint Francis followed the footsteps of
Christ and showed how to build bridges between cultures,
peoples, nations and religions. The pillars on which these
bridges are built consist of a strong desire for harmony in the
world: harmony between peoples, harmony between religions, and,
in particular, harmony within and between families, circles of
friends and within the daily work place.
As a first step, we should make a genuine effort to truly
appreciate the people around us: in our families, in our
workplaces, within our local communities and in the Church. All
of us are searching to find meaning in life and ways to live in
love and happiness. “Mindful that they are bearers of peace
which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of
unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the
presence of the divine seed in everyone and in the transforming
power of love and pardon. Messengers of perfect joy in every
circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to
others.” (SFO Rule 19) If everyone would take these words
to heart and bring them into practice, the world would rapidly
change for the better.
Although the threat of terrorism continues, Secular
Franciscans are called to be a people of hope, and a people who
live this hope by example. Together, we are called to build a
society filled with love, happiness, peace, integrity, unity and
prosperity, instead of a society of fear, hate, guilt, isolation
and constraint. Through our efforts, mighty bridges can be built
over which peoples of all colours, and of all nations, and of
all religions can move safely towards “a more fraternal and
evangelical world” (SFO Rule 14).
(From: CIOFS
Bulletin, 2005, N. 9)
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