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DAILY BRIEFING
ENGLISH SPEAKING CONFERENCE | ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR
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"Brothers, you come from our own people. You are killing your own brother peasants when any human order to kill must be subordinate to the law of God which says, 'Thou shalt not kill.' No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God. No one has to obey an immoral law. It is high time you recovered your consciences and obeyed your consciences rather than a sinful order. The church, the defender of the rights of God, of the law of God, of human dignity, of the person, cannot remain silent before such an abomination. We want the government to face the fact that reforms are valueless if they are to be carried out at the cost of so much blood. In the name of God, in the name of this suffering people whose cries rise to heaven more loudly each day, I implore you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God: stop the repression. The church preaches your liberation just as we have studied it in the holy Bible today. It is a liberation that has, above all else, respect for the dignity of the person, hope for humanity's common good, and the transcendence that looks before all to God and only from God derives its hope and its strength." - Blessed Oscar Romero Final Sermon (1980)
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Election of the General Definitorium
Friar Caoimhin O'Laoide, OFM (Ireland) elected for the ESC
DOMUS PACIS, ASSISI - The General Chapter devoted its Saturday session to the election of eight men who will serve as members of the General Definitorium from the various regions of the Order.
Nominations were presented on Friday and the straw ballot was taken in the late afternoon. On Saturday, the Capitulars gathered again for the canonical vote on these positions. There were 125 voters. All were elected on the first ballot. Below are the friars elected to serve the next six years as General Definitor:
English Speaking Conference (ESC):
Friar Caoimhin O'Laoide, OFM (Ireland)
COMPI (Italy):
Friar Antonio Scabio, OFM (Province of Veneto)
North and South Slavic Conferences:
Friar Ivan Sesar, OFM (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
COTAF/CONFRES:
Friar Lorant Orosz, OFM (Hungary)
Latin America:
Friar Valmir Ramos, OFM (Sacred Heart in Brazil)
Friar Ignacio Ceja, OFM (Jalisco, Mexico)
Africa:
Friar Nicod?me Kibuzehose, OFM (Kenya)
Asia, Australia, Oceania:
Friar Lino Gregorio Redoblado, OFM (Philipines)
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| Pictured are the members of the new Definitorium present at the Chapter. (l. to r.) Friars Caoimhin O'Laoide, OFM, Antonio Scabio, OFM, Lino Gregorio Redoblado, OFM, General Minister MIchael Perry, OFM, Vicar General Julio Bunader, OFM, Friar Ignacio Ceja, OFM, Friar Nicodeme Kibuzehose, OFM |
Speaking on behalf of the English Speaking Conference, Provincial Minister Hugh McKenna, OFM (Ireland), Conference President, said, "Warmest congratulations to Caoimhin! This is a great honour for our Conference and our Province! I thank him for accepting this office at such an important moment in the Order's history. We have an excellent team in the General Definitory and I am confident they will be proactive in addressing the Order's challenges."
ENGLISH SPEAKING DEFINITOR
Friar Caoimhin O'Laoide, OFM, was born in Kerry, Ireland in 1961. He made his First Profession of Vows in 1980 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. He holds a bachelor's degree in physics from the National University of Ireland and degrees in philosophy and theology from the Gregorianum in Rome. He gained a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium in 1995.
Caoimhin speaks English, Irish, and Italian, as well as passing knowledge of French and Spanish. His ministries have included parish ministry, director of the Killarney Prayer and Retreat Centre, service church ministry, as well as various roles in Formation, including Secretary of Formation, Director of Postulancy and Director of the Novitiate.
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Three former ESC Presidents: Newly elected General Definitor Caoimhin O'Laoide, OFM (Ireland), Provincial Minister John Hardin, OFM (SB), and Provincial Minister John Puodziunas, OFM (ABVM)
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He has served as Guardian, Provincial Definitor, Vicar Provincial and Provincial Minister of his Province of Ireland (which also includes the Custody of the Good Shepherd in Zimbabwe). He is also a past president of the English Speaking Conference and a current member of the permanent council of the Union of Friars Minor of Europe (UFME).
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Backstage at the General Chapter
Dozens of brothers help make the Chapter move forward
DOMUS PACIS, ASSISI - In addition to the 126 voting members of the General Chapter, there are many other friars working more or less behind the scenes to keep the action of the Chapter moving forward.
At the forefront of the activity would be the Secretary of the Chapter William Short, OFM (SB) who in a major way is in charge of the activity of the Chapter over all. He is assisted by Vice Secretary Sergiusz Baldyga, OFM (Assumption BVM, Poland).
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| Assistant Secretary of the Chapter Sergiusz Baldyga, OFM in the media control room behind the scenes of the Chapter. |
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| Friars Patrick Hudson, OFM (Ireland), and Geairoid Francisco O'Connaire, OFM (Central America) providing live translation for English-speakers, in their language booth above the Chapter floor. |
In addition to them, are three verbalisti who are tasked with taking the notes of the Chapter, one for each of the official languages of the Order. Friar Caoimhin O'Laoide, OFM (Ireland) is serving in this role for English.
There is a full staff of translators, both those offering live translations for the activity happening in the Chapter Hall, and those working on the translations of documents. Live translators for the English are Friars Patrick Hudson, OFM (Ireland), and Gearoid Francisco O'Connaire, OFM (Ireland). On documents are Friars Richard Martignetti, OFM (ICP), Eunan McMullan, OFM (Assisi), and Gilberto Cavazos, OFM (SH).
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| From left: Friars Gilberto Cavazos, OFM (SH), Richard Martignetti, OFM (ICP), and Eunan McMullan, OFM (Assisi) working hard on translation of documents. |
On the Communication front, there is Friar Joseph Magro, OFM (Malta), head of the Communication Office in the General Curia and heading the Order's communication effort at the Chapter. He is assisted by three Ufficio Stampa or members of the press office, again, one for each language. Friar Tom Washburn OFM (ICP) is in that role for the English language. And, of course, providing these daily communications for the ESC are Tom and Friar Alvin Te, OFM (ICP).
And, perhaps most importantly for any gathering of friars is Friar Pasqualino Massone, OFM, who is the director of the Domus Pacis center where the Chapter is taking place. Friar Pasqualino has taken great care of the friars through the Chapter.
These are just some of those behind the scenes people - with a focus on the English-speaking crew - contributing to making things run smoothly at the General Chapter.
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| Roving cameraman and videographer Friar Alvin Te, OFM (ICP) capturing each important moment for the friars of the ESC. |
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