The Report resumed in essentially two morning sessions. In the first session, the General Minister took the opportunity to review the work of the General Administration over the last six years. While not giving the details of each moment of the previous sexenium, Br. Michael focused his comments through the lens of the 2009 General Chapter mandates which can be organized into six categories:

1. Animation of the life of the Order: Fraternal and Spiritua
2. Evangelizing Mission in the Life of the Order
3. Formation and Studies, and Ongoing Conversion
4. Current State of the Order and Future Challenges and Directions
5. Service of Authority and Governance of the Order
6. Management of Finances
7. Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation

Seated at the dais for the General Minister's Report (l. to r.): Br. William Short, Br. Edwin Alvarado, General Minister Michael Perry, Br. Vidal Rodriguez, Br. Massimo Tedoldi, and Br. Joseph Rozansky.

First session focused on what was accomplished the last six years. But, the General Minister also included an appeal to the Chapter. The General Chapter of 2009 handed on to the last administration 61 mandates to fulfill over the last six years. The General Administration felt this was too many. The General Minister said:

"The task of meeting so many mandates - roughly one every thirty-six days - made it extremely difficult for us to focus our limited time and energy on our principle responsibilities of animation and governance. Unsurprisingly, at times this experience made us feel more like the overseers of a checklist than your Ministers and Servants. If at times we left you with that same impression, I hope you understanding why we may not have felt as close to you as we both sincerely desired. In this light, I wish to make an appeal on behalf of the Ministers and Servants you will elect for the next sexennium: Give them fewer, more realistic and verifiable mandates.The quality of their leadership will be measured not by the number of mandates they meet, but by the degree to which they enable us to be who the Lord calls us to be, and that His People need us to be in our times."

 

The General Minister during this first session also asked the input of other members of the administration to help highlight some of the work of the last six years. Br. Massimo Tedoldi, OFM, General Secretary for Missions and Evangelization, spoke about the work in his area. "We  need to design a new missionary politics," he said. "The friars need to sense this missionary vocation to go out to people, to live within a church, and to collaborate economically as well."

Br. Vidal Rodriguez, OFM, General Secretary for Formation and Studies, highlighted the accomplishments in his area as well. Among the accomplishments of the last six years, he highlighted what he called a "g reater awareness of the importance of ongoing formation in the life of the Order." 

Br. Joseph Rozansky, OFM, Coordinator of the General Office of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation also spoke about his important work. He spoke of the work of the last six years and the challenges ahead, but also specially highlighted the importance of Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on the environment. He said, 

" In the spirit of Saint Francis, who proclaimed his love and concern for 'our Sister Mother Earth,' the Generals of the Franciscan Family have asked the animators of JPIC to anticipate a Franciscan response to the encyclical. We believe that such a response is natural to our life as Friars Minor.  John Paul II made Saint Francis the patron of those who promote ecology, and people expect us to exhibit a similar concern for nature and all God's creatures.  We invite our Entities around the world to join in studying and promoting the concerns expressed in this soon-to-be-published letter of Pope Francis. We plan to make available a study guide to encourage friars and those with whom we work to read and study the encyclical. We are also planning that the next JPIC course at the Antonianum will focus on environmental justice and on the issues raised in the encyclical."

In the second session, Br. Michael talked about the missionary call of all friars and the desire that we become increasingly aware that we belong to a global, universal fraternity. He said:

"W e must recover a lived sense of belonging to a Universal Fraternity, in all its graced diversity...To be Friars and Minors in our time, our fraternities must become centers for reconciliation and peace, not only for ourselves, but also for all the sisters and brothers to whom the Lord sends us. We must open wide the doors of our fraternities and allow ourselves to be embraced by the lives of God's People, especially those trapped in dehumanizing poverty and other forms of exclusion and violence."

Looking towards the future, he highlighted the need to develop friars who are capable of fraternal leadership, especially at the local level. " This applies equally to the formation of all ministers if they are to fulfill their mandate as 'mother-friars' who love, nourish and support the brothers entrusted into their hands," he said.

With so many of our young men studying in diocesan or other religious settings, he spoke of the challenge of forming our men within our own Franciscan tradition. "We cannot outsource our patrimony," he said. The General Minister called on the friars globally to pursue the establishment of regional study centers that everyone can participate in with a focus on our Franciscan philosophical, theological and spiritual heritage.

He also spoke about the service of authority and touching once again on the financial reforms being instituted. 

But, before the end of the Report, the General Minister suggested one more big idea for the years ahead - greater, serious collaboration with the rest of the Franciscan family.  He said:

"The 'big dreamers' might also begin to see new possibilities and create new opportunities for inter-obediental encounter and collaboration - between OFM, Conventual, Capuchin, and Third Order Regular friars. When speaking about the possibility of collaboration between the OFM, Conventual and Capuchin and TOR friars, we need only to look at several existing examples from which we might draw courage and hope...The Minister Generals and General Definitories of the OFM, Capuchin, Conventual and TOR Orders have approved a Three-Year plan entitled 'Path for Walking Together and Growing in Common Vocation and Franciscan Mission.' It will include the celebration of two significant events:  (a) Year I - the 800th anniversary of the Pardon of Assisi; and (b) Year II - the 500th anniversary of the effective division of the Order into OFM and Conventuals (Ite Vos or Bulla Unionis).  The third year seeks to encourage the development of a common missionary vocation and to explore possible concrete initiatives promoting inter-obediential initiatives and include collaboration with all branches of the Franciscan family."

 

After offering a number of gracious words of thanks, the General Minister concluded his Report to the Chapter with these words:

"My dream for all of us, beginning with myself, is that we might once again rediscover the double grace of gratitude for all we have received and generosity as our specific form of restitution to the Lord. In this way, we will not only contribute to the building up of the Kingdom of God but we also will become ever more aware of our identity as sons of God, disciples of the risen Lord Jesus and as brothers to one another, to the world and to all of creation. My brothers, Christ makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew. Do we believe this? If so, let us begin to live again our faith in Him by following in His footsteps and entering with all of our mind, our heart and our spirits into the mercy, love and hope of the Resurrected One, in whom we cannot and will not be disappointed."  

Chapter participants concluded the activities of today with a beautiful prayer service at San Damiano.