CCFMC News April/May News

The mission of a lay movement

In February 1208 Francis heard Jesus’ mission speech „As you go, preach this message: The kingdom is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons! Freely you have received, freely give! Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts“(Matthew 10, 7-9). Delighted and deeply moved he exclaims: „ This is what I desire; this is what I am looking for, this is what I want to do with all my heart.” (1 Cel 1,22). It is the advent of a new movement within the Church.

And it is the advent of a new mission: The poor itinerant preacher Jesus of Nazareth comes back to live and becomes tangible again. He, the one that had come to earth to tell the good news to the poor, turns into Francis’ mission tenor and shape. He wants to follow His footsteps. Those that labor and those that are heavy laden who have completely passed from view in the magnificent cathedrals, the mighty cloisters and rich cities of the Middle Ages, are to once again feel God’s fondness for the poor. For this reason he chooses poverty. Only if you are poor yourself you will be able to feel being invariably at the bottom and having to live from the breadcrumbs of the rich. And only who is not tied to firm places, can go where the people are bound to their needs. Bringing the delivering message of the Gospel to them will become his mission as well as that of his Brothers. As soon as Francis had seven Brothers, he sent them in twos in all four directions to deliver the comforting message to the people. They did so not only with words but also by word and deed.

In spring 1209 one year has passed since that experience in Portiuncula. From then on Francis believed it was time to introduce his movement to the Church: „I perceive, Brothers, that the Lord is minded of His mercy to increase our fellowship. Let us go therefore to our Mother, the Holy Roman Church and notify onto the Pope that what the Lord has begun to work through us, that by his good pleasure and command we may carry on that which we have begun.“ (3Comp, 46). The Pope was to see and learn what the Lord had started through them. Here again the inner certainty: the Lord has given me. The Brothers that had joined Francis lived among the poor and like the poor; they were shocked to the core by the misery of the lepers and the excluded. The message of the poor Jesus of Nazareth became again tangible and vivid among them. The Church was to learn about this. Therefore the 12 Brothers hiked to Rome in their rough habits to present themselves to the Pope. Since the Bishop of Assisi also sojourned in Rome and who heavily applauded the Brothers, the Pope had no other chance but to confirm what God had begun through Francis. „Since the Pope had a distinct gift of discernment, he assented the petition of the Saint in due manner, gave many admonitions to him and his Brothers, blessed them and said: „Go with the Lord, Brother, and even as the Lord shall inspire you preach repentance onto all“(3Comp, 49).

The parallels are obvious. Jesus had gathered 12 selected disciples around him and thought them capable to continue his mission. Among the disciples were fishermen, craftsmen, minor civil servants, i.e. these men did not belong to the theological elite of his People, but they were open for the Spirit of God that Jesus had promised them. Francis’ first companions were also men from the people; farmers and craftsmen, simple and gentle folk whom Francis was able to convey his vision of a different and more peaceful world. This resulted in a movement devoid of all desire for possession and dominance and able to proclaim the Gospel again as a radiant message of deliverance and hope. Pope Innocence III., the mightiest Pope of the Middle Ages, had realized this and had granted full power of proclamation. He had understood the signs of the times.

If we want to correctly understand and celebrate the Franciscan charism 800 years after this occurrence, we as Franciscan people have to have this inner certainty again that God has given us; and we have to claim within the Church again that lay people have the inalienable right of proclamation, because it is God who has called them and sent them.

Andreas Müller OFM

Africa

Kenya

CCFMC-Seminar for Eastern Africa

A three-day CCFMC-Seminar for Eastern Africa came to a close at the end of March at the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Francis N. Kamau TOR and Naku Charles Lwanga YouFra report about it:

The invitation to the CCFMC-Seminar for coordinators and animators from 19 to 27 March at the Rosa Mystica Retreat House was accepted by 37 Eastern African members of the Franciscan Family. Besides OFM and OFMCap, representatives from all branches of the Franciscan Family from Eastern African countries had traveled to the Kenyan capital for this event. The particular importance of the seminar was emphasized by the presence of Father Andreas Mueller. The seminar had been organized by the CCFMC-Coordinator for Kenya, Sr. Venantius, who had been energetically supported by the CCFMC-Coordinator for Africa, Brother Hermann Borg OFM.

Father Andreas Müller’s opening presentation with the title „Francis of Assisi – a radical alternative in a globalized world“ had been subdivided into nine points:

·         The beginning of a movement

·         A different kind of spirituality

·         The key issue: Life without possession

·         Not charity but justice

·         Poverty as prerequisite for brotherly and sisterly behavior

·         The totally Other

·         Brother Francis

·         Obedient to the Church but still completely free

·         The Franciscan Utopia

We have to learn, Father Andreas explained, to transmit the Franciscan heritage into our today’s world and to move the today’s challenges into a Franciscan perspective. The Vatican Council II has given the initial spark to do so.

Following this opening presentation by Father Andreas, the participants formed six working groups and dealt with the issue of a lived Franciscan Spirituality in Africa. Poverty and its causes were also part of the discussions in the working groups just as the sometimes negative impact of unjust structures of the global economy on the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Our Franciscan charism should encourage us to proclaim Christianity without fear. The Franciscan Charism differs from the model of the traditional monastic communities. No more firmly established confraternities behind monastery walls, but the world as monastery. No more concern for one’s own salvation, but concern for the all-embracing salvation of the Kingdom of God, therefore also the concern for justice, peace, and integrity of creation.

The group that had worked on the issue „Life without Possession“, came to the following conclusion: one did not have to give away one’s car or house, but one had to free one’s heart in order to be able to share what God has given to us, the individual communities, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. In his second admonishment St. Francis had said that we should not regard our own will as our „possession“. And just like Francis we Franciscans should have more courage again to follow our inner voice as long as it does not differ from the Gospel.

In today's East Africa the Franciscans should take up the burning issues of violence, hatred, tribal clashes, hunger and environmental destruction fearlessly. They should stir up the Catholic bishops, the national Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), as well as the Commission on Human Rights for these institutions to deal courageously with the government. The NCCK has demanded, for example, new elections to renew the mandate of the government; nevertheless, the Catholic Bishops would have rejected this. We Franciscans should follow the example of St. Francis by challenging the Church to start a new way of thinking through our lived life from within.

We Franciscans should not be discouraged by rejection, misunderstanding or suffering to be a voice for the voiceless. Only in this way we are able to reach the millennium development goals of the United Nations. Humiliation and rejection must not lead to making us blind towards the oppression of the poor. One of the working groups suggested denouncing the grievances in the country – injustice, corruption, water pollution, food crisis etc. – in a written statement to the government.

The Franciscan utopia would becomes reality when people would be enabled to share in solidarity and compassionate justice, and to develop ways to abolish poverty in order to allow everyone to satisfy one’s basic needs without conflicts. Everyone in East Africa could contribute to the state of harmony if everything is shared as a common good.

The proposal was accepted with big approval that Kenya becomes the centre for ongoing formation in the CCFMC. Kenya is the „Gate to Africa,“ being situated almost in the centre of the English-speaking countries of Africa. It can also be a link to the francophone countries like Cameroon, Rwanda, Burundi and the west of the Democratic Republic Congo.

After the busy days of the seminar the last evening was dedicated to the exchange of ideas and approaches, above all, however, the appreciation of the person and the personal effort of Father Andreas in promoting the Franciscan Charism in Africa.

 

Latin America

Caribbean Region

Results of the CCFMC in countries of the Caribbean region

One of the main tasks of the continental general assembly of the CCFMC in Latin America from 13 to 15 October in Brasilia was to get informed on and to deal with the current development status, the problems as well as the perspectives in the individual regions of the continent. Father Luis Patiño Santacoloma OFM from Cali/Columbia presented the report for the countries of the Caribbean region:

General

The following countries are part of the Caribbean region: Columbia, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. All these countries have succeeded to introduce the Course on the Franciscan Mission Charism and to win people to continue to accompany and to support the CCFMC. The national coordinators are: Sandra Liliana Sarria (Columbia), Lionel Pérez Frías (Cuba), María Gabriela Alarcón (Mexico), Ramona Valdéz (Dominican Republic) and María Consuelo Núñez (Venezuela). The region will be cared for by a small and simple office in Cali by Sandra Liliana Sarria and Sonia Tabares.

Columbia

About 200 people participated in this course in Columbia. Our contacts with the Franciscan Family of Columbia and the participation in the national chapters of the OFS were quite helpful. We developed a close connection with the inter-Franciscan Commission for Justice and Peace. This commission supports the spread of this course; inter alias also in the School for Franciscan Spirituality that elaborates studies on different topics of the course. The results of these studies are a quite valuable contribution to the present and future lesson units of the course especially regarding socio-political and gender issues.

In Cali the CCFMC the „Tau Group“, renders very personal support to two groups of the Third Order Secular as well as to the Franciscan Sisters Convent „mustard seed“ (Semilla de Mostaza), who systematically work with the course and further reflection on the respective topics.

School for Francisclarean Charism: This school was founded by the CCFMC and is accompanied by the CCFMC. One of its tasks is to spread the course as well as the related workshops, group events and publications on the foundation charism. For eight years this school has been conducting a course on the hagiographies and the written sources of our charism. This course is taught by Father Fernando Uribe, a renowned expert on medieval history and Franciscan studies. He also teaches at the Franciscan University of the Antonianum in Rome. The course consists of an annual one-week block seminar in which participants go to Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín. The following topics are being worked on: Franciscan evangelization, introduction to the Franciscan hagiographies; the Later Rule of 1223, the Form of Life of St. Clare, the Admonitions; the Legenda Maior; Praying like St. Francis of Assisi; Francis of Assisi today. An average number of 80 people participated.

Publications: On the occasion of the 800th Anniversary of the Franciscan Charism the School for Francisclarean Charism has started the publication of a book series called KARISMA. The first book of this series with the title „Reading Francis and Clare – their writings,“ has already been published; the author is Father Fernando Uribe. Just now the second book of this series has been published bearing the title: „Praying like Francis“.

The School for Francisclarean Charism holds close contacts and collaborates with two other schools, which are available to the Franciscans in Columbia and its neighboring countries: the John-Duns-Scotus-School of the Columbian Franciscan Province of San Pablo and the School for Franciscan Spirituality of the inter-Franciscan Commission for Justice and Peace. These three schools work on joint programs.

The participation in the national chapter of the OFS of Columbia in Medellín provided the opportunity to introduce the CCFMC to the regional secretaries

Cuba

The Franciscan Family of Cuba was founded in 2001 in Havana. The current President is Deacon Lionel Pérez Frías, who also heads Caritas Cuba. One of his main concerns is the spread of the CCFMC within the country. The recent reopening of the Franciscan Church in Havana provides an opportunity with the help of the MZF, the Mission Centre of the Franciscans in Bonn, Germany to establish a Centre for Franciscan Spirituality. Once this has been accomplished the CCFMC stands a good chance to be accepted in the country, as OFS and YouFra members alike, but also Franciscan Sisters’ congregations show great interest in Franciscan spirituality. Finally it can be stated that the Third Order Secular (OFS) has incorporated the course on Franciscan Mission Charisma into the regular training scheme of its members.

Dominican Republic

Recent history of the upkeep and spread of the Franciscan charism within the Dominican Republic dates back to 1995 when the National Council of the OFS realized the urgent need to further and intensify in their fellowships the knowledge on the charism, on Franciscan spirituality, and the meaning of belonging to an Order. In 2000 Father Demetrio de la Cruz OFMCap learns about the CCFMC. However, only after a very difficult intermediary phase, which was also marked with various setbacks, an action plan was elaborated and a team for further education was established having been suggested by the International Council of the OFS, which initiated the training based on humane, Christian and Franciscan standards.

With the very special commitment of the National Commissioner for advanced Education, Sr. Ramona Valdez, a training program that was approved by the National Council was elaborated in 2004. This program asked the regional religious orders to send out members suitable as multipliers. With their help schools were to be established in selected regions where the Brothers and Sisters do not only learn about Franciscan spirituality and charism but also about the basics of theology and the Church as a unity.

What has been achieved? A comprehensive training of the OFS Brothers and Sisters on national level. Multipliers that pass on their knowledge to the fellowships on regional and local level. Already twelve of a total of 16 regional organizations have schools of their own. The still missing ones are currently in the planning phase.

What remains to be done? The integration of further groups of Brothers and Sisters into the project – this requires financial means. Voluntary teachers for the classes are already available. It would be desirable to get an expansion to the complete CCFMC course.

CCFMC: The CCFMC lesson units served as teaching material during the multipliers training of 40 Brothers and Sisters. In turn these multipliers use the lesson units in the regional courses with more than 600 participants. Only the first six lesson units are being used. On the initiative of Sr. Ramona Valdez the complete course will be taught during the basic training of 14 Poor Clares.

Venezuela

Sr. María Consuelo Núñez OFS has organized a twenty-head group that edits the course systematically. For the Franciscan Sisters of Mercy this course is part of their continuous training scheme.

Country reports were not available for Haiti and Puerto Rico. A detailed report on the situation of the CCFMC in Mexico will be published in the June Newsletter. (The Editorial Team.)

Suggestions and perspectives

•  The majority of people interested in the course have an average school education and thus the language in the CCFMC lesson units is difficult to understand for them. Therefore a simpler style of language and additional materials should be used. The lesson units are an option for people that can afford further studies on the subject matter.
• It would be helpful to elaborate lesson units with an easier type of language. As an introduction before the start of the real course we suggest the use of he publication „Francis for You“. The second version of this book is in preparation.
• The talent of individual persons and the limited resources have to be put to optimal use for the support of the Franciscan charism. People from quite diverse social backgrounds, social positions as well as also confraternities look for meaning in their lives. With the means of this course and the abilities of the Franciscan Brothers and Sisters we would and should be able to show these people a way of enlightenment rather than to perceive charism simply as a means of gaining new vocations for the religious orders.

On that note we explained at that time at a conference of the International Board in Germany that the CCFMC may be not only a course, but must be an international movement.

 

Europe

Romania

Inter-Franciscan Meeting in Singureni

Sister Lydia of the Franciscan Sisters of Salzkotten, Caransebes reports about the first meeting of the working group of the Franciscan Family of Romania, which took place in early March in Singureni:

Following the ecumenical meeting in 2007 in Sibiu, the Sisters and Brothers of the Franciscan Branches in Romania had expressed the wish to meet and to get better acquainted. Following some unsuccessful attempts, the first meeting of the working group of the Franciscan Family of Romania took place on 7 Mach 2009 in the Community of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi in Singureni to create a basis for the Franciscan Family.

The seven participants were: Father Peter Guzranyi OFM; Father Alexandru Olaru OFMConv; Sister Corina Benko of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi, Bucharest; Sister Pacifika Lorincz of the Franciscan Sisters of Mallersdorf, Odorheiu Secuiesc; Sister Clareta Mandulova of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Francis, Ms. Lucia Mamulea of the Secular Franciscan Order of St. Francis, Bucharest; Sister Lydia Fecheta of the Franciscan Sisters of Salzkotten, Caransebeş.

Following a first introduction of the participants, their personal fields of work as well as their congregations, the working group elected Sister Corina Benko as President and Sister Lydia Fecheta as Secretary.

In an open, dynamic and brotherly and sisterly debate the participants expressed ideas and suggestions. To some extent the current difficulties were voiced as well. The following points were mentioned specifically:

We hardly know each other, and we have little connections. Spiritual material in Romanian language is missing (Franciscan scripts and source texts). We are looking for resources to make ourselves known, to annunciate the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis.

There was commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of the Franciscan Charism and the wish was expressed to organise a national meeting in which the members of the Franciscan Family should take part in the greatest possible number.

Another topic was the elaboration of a Franciscan breviary that is already being worked on; its completion was encouraged. The translation of the Franciscan scripts and source texts into Romanian is also already in progress. The wish to get better acquainted resulted in the idea to create a website of the Franciscan Family where every congregation and every order can introduce themselves. The following name was suggested: www.familiafranciscana.ro .

Another consideration was the course on Franciscan missionary charism (CCFMC), which is offered in German, a continuation should be envisaged. it was also suggested translating the course into Hungarian for the Brothers and Sisters in Transylvania. The idea of a complete and updated course of the Franciscan spirituality in these two languages was taken up with joy and enthusiasm by the working group. On the way to the realization of this idea, the first step was the enquiry and the approval of the superiors of the Franciscan Family.

The next meeting will take place on 23 June 2009 in Caransebeş.

 

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