DOMUS PACIS, ASSISI - Today was filled with the first report to the larger Chapter group of all of the work that, until now, has been taking place in the individual Commissions. The day was filled with a plethora of ideas that have come from the various Commissions and the work of the next few days will be the arduous task of winnowing the many down into the few that can become the inspiration of the friars for the next six years.

It took the entirety of the day just to hear the proposal that have been brought forward from eiach of the nine Commissions, with minimal time given for questions of clarification and simple initial responses to the proposals by Capitulars. 

There was an immediate reaction by chapter delegates both to the number of proposals coming forward, the redundancy with already existing mandates in current legislation of the Order, and the lack of proposals that captured the imagination and offered inspiration to the friars of the world.

Provincial Ministers Jeffrey Scheeler, OFM (SJB) and John Hardin, OFM (SB) at their seats in the Chapter Hall.

Some of the Chapter delegates made interventions to challenge the body to speak with greater inspiration in the proposals coming forward.

"We need to take an honest look at our life. Are we living what we profess? And take action to change it if necessary," said one Capitular.

Another said, "I want to leave here and be inspired and motivated and go home to motivate our friars.'

Another suggested that a rule be passed that the Chapter not be allowed to pass more than 10 mandates and that they necessarily be radical, concrete, practical, and inspiring.

"We need something, not that is just beautiful," one friar said. "but something that can help us to change, help us to be evangelized."

The Committee of Moderator's met with the General Minister, the Definitorium and the Secretary of the Chapter to consider a change in the process moving forward, but it was felt that the Commissions all deserved at least a hearing due to the hard work and time that has already been put in. 

ESC Conference President Hugh McKenna, OFM (Ireland) on the big screen presenting the work of the Finance Commission.

There were two possibilities floated at the end of the day. Either the Commissions will have another shot at reworking their proposals, or their will be a Commission on Proposals formulated made up of six members (two from each linguistic group). They would have the task of synthesizing and simplifying these proposals and bringing them back to the Chapter floor. It was decided that members would benefit from having the night to think about these two different avenues of approach. 

Below is a summary of the proposals that were brought forward by the Commissions:

COMMISSION 1: Fraternal Relationships

1. On Being a Mixed Institute. The government of the Order should promote equality among the friars strengthening the identity of the lay friar in the Order improving personal accompaniment and favoring co-responsibility. We should also encourage meetings of lay friars at the regional and general level. This General Chapter should send a request to the Holy See in line with the 1994 decision to explore the creation of a Mixed Institute.
2. Centrality of the love of God in fraternal life. The Provincial Minister and/or Custos with their Council should program and verify each year how they can animate their fraternity in their essential way of life in order to guarantee that fraternal life and evangelization are maintained by a strong experience of God, the centrality of the Word of God, the Eucharist, prayer in common, sharing at the deepest level, so that this wold be the source of a renewed life capable of mercy and mutual trust of growth in the sense of belonging and familiarity in communion and able to express an apostolate in a fraternal way.
3. Relationship with Creation. The project of life and mission of each fraternity is to draw up a program that promotes ecology and sensitizes the Friars to styles and concrete life choices that demonstrate respect and care for Creation, by recycling and the reduction in resource use and utilities (electricity, water, gas) in favor of greater solidarity; supporting the purchase of products from companies that respect the dignity of people person and the integrity of creation in their production.

COMMISSION 2 - Formation, Study Centers and Fidelity and  Perseverance

1. In each entity, the Provincial Secretariat for Formation and Studies, should promote a culture of vocations at all levels from initial formation direct them to a continuous process of personal transformation for life; promote lifelong learning, because as Brothers and Lesser Ones in Our Times, the life and work of the Friars are at the service of evangelization of the Church in today's world, renew the local chapter as a tool for animation and sharing, create spaces of communication and mutual trust, take into account the different stages of life, and the service of authority that is truly fraternal. 
2. The Order, through the Secretary of Formation and Studies, should give a greater focus on lifelong animation or permanent ongoing formation, and should promote the ethical training of friars in transparency, according to the document on finance.
3. The General Secretariat should aid the Conferences and Provinces to a more pedagogical application of Ratio Formationis to its fraternal reality, ecclesial and socio-cultural: 
   * Organize a Congress for Conferences, areas or continents in cooperation with the Secretaries of the respective Conference, with the theme: "accompany to form an evangelical identity as Franciscan Brothers and Lesser Ones in RFF", calling formators to participate.
   * Organize an International Congress for the whole Order as further discussion on the topic of accompaniment in a Franciscan key formative, summoning Provincial Secretaries of Formation of the Order.
4. Being a Universal Fraternity, in a world of continuous social, cultural, economic migration, the Order, because of its missionary zeal, must walk in a greater knowledge and inner communion. 
   * Continue to support the international and intercultural learning experiences, where concrete missionary experiences occur.
   * Accompanying the International Franciscan Fraternity "B. P. Allegra "in Rome.
   * Accompany existing houses of formation and interprovincial cooperation at other levels.
   * Promote collaboration and a culture of subsidiarity among the entities in formation.
   * Promote and accompany the formative experiences and missionary projects in the international mission of the Order.
5. Convinced of the importance of study (research, teaching and publications), the General Secretariat helps promote the study for cultural dialogue in evangelizing mission of the Order:
   * We continue to support the institutions of Higher Learning OFM, particularly the Pontifical University Antonianum.
   * It promotes in the establishment Higher Learning OFM, especially the PUA, increased knowledge, collaboration, and cooperation among themselves.
   * It promotes to start, continue or increase in the establishment Higher Learning OFM, especially the PUA, cooperation with the OFM CONV, the OFM CAP, the TOR and the Franciscan Family, strengthen the specific contribution of Franciscan thought from our tradition.
   * It promotes the use of digital media in Higher Institutions OFM, especially the PUA, as a pedagogical instrument to meet the educational challenges of the present and to have a greater spread of the Franciscan academic formation.
   * Organize an International Conference on the theme of study in the formation as Brothers and Lesser Ones, for the life and mission of the Order today and in the future.
6. The General Definitory continue to appoint an International Commission for the Service Fidelity and Perseverance. 

COMMISSION 3 - Prayer and Devotion

Personal

Local

Provincial/Custody/Conference

The Order

COMMISSION 5 - Poverty - Life with the Poor

COMMISSION 9 - Mission Ad Gentes

1. Check the Missionary Projects assessing the strengths and weaknesses and interacting with the General Definitory, the SGME and entities involved;
2. Develop Guidelines for Missionary Evangelization (cf. BGG Mandate 16) from the proposals contained in the report's chapter SGME;
3. Continue the "implantation of the Order" in the areas of development of Christianity and support young Entities especially for the initial and ongoing formation;
4. Accompany the Missions of the International Order: in the spirit of subsidiarity with and between the Conferences and the Entities (cf. SSGG70 and PdV30); appointing the Director of contact for each of the Missions; favoring the recruitment of personnel and financial resources;
5. Appoint Secretary General of Missionary Evangelization from one of the General Definitors, in order to foster communion of work;
6. Continue the formation of missionaries in Brussels, for new missionaries sent by the Minister General and the Entities', for the missionary brothers for some time as an opportunity for FP, and also to other members of the Franciscan family. Begin, with the involvement of UCLAF, a similar course in Latin America;
7. Support the Vicariates entrusted to the Order of the Holy See: sensitizing the entire Order to this service requested by the Church, helping the entities responsible in terms of personnel and financial resources. Also, ensure the sustainability of the number of vicariates;
8. Continue economic support to the missions under the mandate that says: "The present General Chapter decides that the requirement mentioned by 72.2 GGSS must be satisfied by a structure based on current bands used by the Order for ' solidarity contribution '".

There were also 10 pages of proposals and comments presented by the Commission on Statutes that still need to be discussed by the Chapter body. These will be revisted as the Chapter discusses them.

 

The day ended with a wonderful dinner at the Proto-Convento at the Portiuncula followed by a concert in the friary's courtyard with local friar and religious sisters performing. 

The courtyard of the Proto-Convento with the bell tower and cupola of Santa Maria degli Angeli in the background

 

Friar Allesandro singing for the gathered friars