CCFMC News April / May 2010

Franciscan Prophecy within the Church

What is the Church like after Vatican Council II? What are the Church’s challenges in today’s world? Most of all: what positions should and can the Franciscan movement take in this situation? This very complex subject area is covered by Professor Elmar Klinger in a lecture during the Meeting of the International Board of the CCFMC at the end of October 2009 in Frascati. Below you will find a short summary of his lecture. Until his retirement in 2006 Professor Klinger taught fundamental theology and comparative religion at the University of Würzburg. He wants his lecture to be understood as the reflection of a non-Franciscan, who “sees trendsetting factors, “and who hopes to bring about new aspects.

First of all the author makes some clarifying remarks regarding the title of the lecture:” Church is to be understood as Vatican Council II. Prophecy does not mean fortune telling. Characteristic, in the biblical sense, prophecy means to speak of the uniqueness of God. It makes “what was said of Him in the past an issue of the present in order to shape the future”. Therefore it has always also a critical character, thus criticizing society, religion as well as exercising self-criticism. Franciscan prophecy embodies „a potential of power and life which is by no means exhausted but opens a future for the Church, for all of humanity and for the world at large. The Franciscan movement is indebted to this tradition and therefore has to become prophetic itself to a certain extent.“ The lecture has three parts:

Francis, the Church, and Vatican Council II:

Everything begins with Jesus. The central issue of his life and its proclamation is the Kingdom of God. Not only did he proclaim it, he also lived it. As man of the Kingdom of God he identifies himself with the least among mankind. The Kingdom of God as Jesus had proclaimed and lived it, creates a companionship between the highest and the lowest, the most meaningful and the meaningless. In the Kingdom of God Jesus surpasses the conflict between God and man just as well as the one existing between human beings.

Francis, a man of Jesus, dedicates his life to the Kingdom of God and its proclamation. The life that Francis has lead was therefore a mission it itself, his sole principal is God. Serving God and living for him means also to do this for all creatures and each individual. As in Francis’ case particularity and universality do not exclude each other; they are by no means superior or subordinate; they are rather mutually dependent. When Francis writes “there is to be one single worldwide community, which is conscious of being united in praising God, “this applies to all of humanity and also to foreign religions.

The message of the mission speech (Matthew 10) becomes Francis’ credo, he proclaims it and he lives it. It is a confession to the Son of Man, the “poor and humble Christ“, who was a first one and became a last one, so that every last one may grasp that he is worth something and holds the rank of a first one. It is good news for the poor one who is being exploited, for the woman, who is seen as subordinate to every man, and for the child, who is unable to defend his/her own rights.

One of the secrets of Francis’ mission is that he is obedient to every authority, but not to bow to it, but to convert it. This attitude that he emphatically showed in the struggle with Church authorities, led to amazing success for him. Did he not convert the Prelates? The Franciscan movement itself was to follow Francis on the path of his mission within the Church and tackle conflicts with representatives of its hierarchy according to his guidelines, says Professor Klinger. An example is Vatican Council II, “…for it overcomes the contrast between the hierarchy and the People of God in its perception of a Church of the People of God to which a hierarchy belongs that is not placed in front of it and it is not superior to it. It does not rule it but belongs to it and it is at its service...”

Poverty and Mission – the prophetic challenge

Vatican Council II can be described as a prophetic Council, says Professor Klinger, as it sees in the Church the prophetic people amongst revolving occurrences, in the presence the signs of the times, and the evangelization as the missionary task. Evangelization is to be comprehended as witness to the Kingdom of God under the present circumstances. The ones who bear this witness are the laypeople. In the forefield of the Council Pope John called three major events of today’s world signs of the times: the social issue, the issue of women, and the issue of decolonization and liberation of the developing world. Considering the dimension of these issues and the interrelated challenges reforms are not the suitable response. The theme of Vatican Council II had not been reforms but pastoral care. This means to bring the Gospel to today’s people by its own power. Pastoral care that accepts responsibility for life under present circumstances and that prepares it for the future that is called prophecy. Pastoral in the sense of Vatican Council II turns the hardship and poverty it faces into its own theme and challenge. The Franciscan movement has a quite special responsibility in this respect. Francis regards poverty as an issue for salvation and misery, for life and death.

Poverty in a basic sense means that nothing that exists belongs to anyone except to God. Poverty: a paradisiacal status; it does not offer happiness, but a love that happiness matures from and is made up of; it enables not only to give something to someone, but to give oneself. Whereas possession leads to reverse behavior. The perception of poverty that Francis and Clare lived and fought for is trend-setting. As they understood it, poverty is not characterized by deprivation but by minority. …. “Minority through poverty is a status. It is of creation-wide importance and, from the ground up, it accuses social circumstances that neglect it. Its basis is namely God himself“, Professor Klinger explains literally. For centuries Franciscan theology has emphasized the creation-wide importance of original poverty.

Making oneself equal to the lowest, being a poor man among the poor, to serve the lowest – that is what Francis, following Jesus’ example, regarded as his call to mission. Mission thus has become the central issue of the Franciscan movement.

A general base of spirituality. The univocity of existence

Prophecy is inconvenient, as it questions the present. “It reminds it of what is to come with an eye on what has been, forces it to ponder about what is going on and is thus able to change it...“ The Franciscan movement is prophetical in its spirituality; already the personal idiosyncrasy of Francis to speak with all creatures and to call them Brothers and Sisters, was a prophetic sign. Francis saw creation in a social light and made it aware in a way that is critical of society. Humans as earth-bound creatures have no reason to rise above others. Humility is the courage to live up to this down-to-earth behavior; it protects from arrogance and pride, it makes man able and ready to serve, however, it does not consist in a bad conscience but allows one to walk upright. Humility gives the courage to man to be the one he/she is. Poverty is part of this existence.

In Francis’ perception poverty does not show through depreciation. It is rather the status a person acquires as well as a power. Poverty in this sense is a political-religious issue. It is described by minority that makes itself heard and that is able to change the entire world. It depends on liberty and responsibility of each individual and not on abstract common sense. Its issues are thus the issues of the modern world. .

“Based on its spirituality the Franciscan movement can have a trend-setting effect and can be one of the major issues within the Church. As it is closely associated with today’s world. It was there at the beginning and helped to launch it“, Professor Elmar Klinger explains in conclusion.

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http://www.ccfmc.net/wEnglish/ccfmc/bibliothek/franc_clare_theol/Elmar_Klinger.shtml?navid=103

Asia

Japan: CCFMC-Opening event is very successful

The opening event of the friends of Francis and Claire in Kyoto experienced an unexpectedly strong and positive response. Father Lukas Horstink OFM and two members of the Third Order Secular (SFO) had extended an invitation with the theme “we love Francis and Clare” to the Franciscan House in Kyoto on 22 March 2010.

Among the 70 participants aged between 10 and 92 years, who had followed the invitation, were not only representatives from Franciscans International (FI), three Sisters of the Franciscan of the Immaculate Conception (SFIC) and three OFM Brothers. It was quite remarkable that apart from Catholic Christians, also Protestants and Buddhists had come to attend.

The varied program that was made out to the heterogeneous group of participants was not least conducive to the success of the three-hour event: a 10-minute reading on the life and work of Francis and Clare that was accompanied by movie sequences, was followed by a lecture of poetry by the Dutch Friar Guy Dilweg as well as a theatre play. Three SFIC Sisters from the Philippines sang the peace prayer by St. Francis in their national language. Tagalog, and the female choir of the town’s churches performed a prayer of peace, which had been put into music by one of the local colleagues.

In light of the huge success of this event and the very positive reactions by the participants the organizers are planning similar events in Tokyo and Hokkaido.

 

Pakistan: New CCFMC Coordinator

Father Saleem Amir Maseh OFM is the new coordinator for the CCFMC in Pakistan. He has assumed the office of Father Moghal Peter OFM an, who has been elected Provincial of his order in Pakistan and considering the manifold and substantial tasks of this new post, he was released from his CCFMC responsibilities.

Father Saleem Amir Maseh is a young and very dynamic man. Just recently he completed his studies on missiology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was awarded a Doctor’s degree. At the Franciscan Convent in Karachi he is responsible for the mentoring of the students.

Sr. Jeanne R. Luyun SFIC, who reported on the redeployment and re-staffing cordially welcomes the new CCFMC Coordinator for Pakistan on behalf of the CCFMC Continental Team. She hopes that Father Salem will use his experience and his knowledge for an active promotion of the CCFMC.

 

Africa

DR Congo / Bukavu

Young Franciscans Celebrate World Youth Day

The Franciscan Youth of Bukavu (Capital of South-Kivu Province) has celebrated World Youth Day with a meditation and a pilgrimage to Nyangezi. The theme of the meditation was the spread of the Gospel in Congo. In this context Father Joseph Van der Haeghe was commemorated of, who in 1906 had come to this area with a team of Belgian missionaries to spread the Gospel. He delivered his sermons on top of a mountain called Lukanaanda, which today is called Mont Calvaire (Cavalry Mountain). This is the last resting place of Father Joseph and today it is considered to be a sanctuary.

Four parishes, including the one of Saint Francis of Assisi in Nyantende, have united to become the Franciscan youth of Bukavu. It has an estimated 80 members; most of them are very young. During monthly meetings activities are discussed and planned. At the end of April, for example, it is scheduled to visit the Military Hospital in Bukavu; each participant has promised to bring along a small donation in the form of salt, sugar, rice or soap. In addition to visiting prisoners and needy old people, the Franciscan youth of Bukavu also cares for and helps youth who are addicted to alcohol and drugs.

The author of this report, Jack Bantu Rusagara, is an English teacher in Bukavu, and has been participating CCFMC training sessions via internet for eight years already.

 

DR Congo / Kinshasa

Former Bishop wants to dedicate himself completely to the CCFMC

Msgr. Stanislas Lukumwena OFM from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wants henceforth to apply all his energy to the issues of the CCFMC in Congo and the entire francophone region in Africa. Already some time ago Msgr. Lukumwena had resigned as Bishop of Kolo Diocese in the DR Congo and he is now able to take on new duties.

The prerequisites that Msgr. Stanislas has for his new task can be considered optimal: As a Doctor of Franciscan Spirituality and author of several publications on the religious life, he has a lot of experience in the animation and accompaniment of study groups. During his function as Bishop and as Provincial for the Congo Region he had established good contacts with Franciscan congregations, not only in the Democratic Republic of Congo but also in other countries of West Africa. Msgr. Stanislas Lukumwena OFM is especially interested in introducing and spreading the CCFMC in the different stages of Franciscan formation in convents and congregations.

 

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Signs of the Times

Bishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero

Martyr of justice and the option for the poor

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Romero on 24 March 1970 an impressive commemoration was held at the crypt of the Cathedral of San Salvador. It had been organized by the Sisters and Brothers of the Crypt Congregation ”Oscar A. Romero“, who have preserved his memory all these years. The commemoration was attended by bishops, priests, pastors, and religious from different confessions and congregations but also by delegations and support groups from around the world, who had kept the remembrance for this brilliant person of the Latin American liberation movement in their local churches and civil societies., Special mention is owed to the International Christian Solidarity Committee Oscar Romero „SICSAL“, the Central American Coordination Oscar Romero (CORCA), and the Ecumenical Coordination of the Church of the Poor in El Salvador (CEIPES), that are currently meeting for the international conference of the Romero groups and solidarity committees. The reason for this meeting is the evaluation of the 30-year engagement in favor of the peoples of Latin America.

In his sermon Bishop Samuel Ruiz García, Bishop em. of San Bartolomé de Las Casas Chiapas in Mexico revived the life, thinking and work of Bishop Romero: “Bishop Romero is still alive among his people – as he had predicted himself –, but he is not only present as a man of the Church and as Bishop, but also in a sociological sense. He is present as cultural and political component [...]; he is part of reality and – what is even more surprising – part of the future of Latin America. One has to count on him if one does not only want to form the history of this splendid people of El Salvador but also the one of the entire continent.“ Due to the fundamental importance of this sermon we would like to make it available as full text download below.

Download:

William Doino Jr http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7072870.ece