The Franciscan Option for the Poor
The number of poor people is constantly growing on a global level, not only in traditional poverty regions of the southern continents, but also in the rich industrialized countries of the north. The north is also affected in spite of never before seen prosperity. Apparently the sense of proportion and the feeling for distributive justice has gone completely astray.
We are able to learn from Francis that there are alternatives. He chose his way of radical poverty in times when the bourgeoisie started off the big capitalist project of emerging monetarism; a project that has brought so much injustice to the world from the perspective of the victims. Francis was able to follow it, because “the Lord had given him Brothers“. His option for the poor questions the self-satisfied and self-centred bourgeoisie and also shows an alternative. Francis has an intuition that the newly developing society focuses on the principle of appropriation, but on the other hand it is based on expropriation. Accumulated wealth always entails poverty at the same time. Francis, however, identifies himself with the materially poor and with the poor Christ. Francis believes that striving for possession or personal interests will disunite the encounter with others and with God. Possessions become a substitute for relationships because they presumably offer more security than people. The Franciscan project, however, wants that people meet on the same level and relate to one other as brothers and sisters.
This is truly the vision of communication that is free from domination and also a vision of equal rights. He also tells how this can be accomplished: The Brothers should “willingly and mutually serve and obey one another through the love of the Spirit”. This means to listen to the needs of others, to the life of the community, to the call of God here and now. Here, too, Francis follows in the footsteps of Jesus with determination. No more power games among adults, no more fighting for the best places and positions, no more fear to go short.
Naturally in the life of a community rules and agreements are necessary, but these should be as simple as possible. Therefore, no dominating affectations, no vested rights, and no patronization - this is the vision of Francis of Assisi, the vision of a fraternal humanity. Still more: it is all about cosmic-ecological democracy with all creatures. The relationship with nature may not be a relationship of possession, but it should be one of sharing life together in a fraternal spirit. All this will emerge from the lived lifestyle of poverty; it allows respecting and revering all creatures and elements of creation. Accordingly, poverty leads to a colossal sense of freedom and to an altruistic way of enjoying things.
Is this vision of fraternal life on this earth perhaps so fascinating because we consi-der it hardly realistic and we urgently desire it at the same time? God’s fool from Assisi had clear-sightedly perceived that a life based on possession destroys solidarity and the love for others. This is the reason why he did not want to possess anything, this is why he wanted to see everything fraternally shared and distributed. This is why he criticized power and why he was suspicious of the potentates of the State and the Church. In times of social shifting and coldness this Franciscan vision of God and of humanity is more topical than ever.
Andreas Müller OFM
Africa
Kenya
A great day for the Franciscan Family in Anglophone Africa
It has been ten years since the Franciscan Center Portiuncula was inaugurated in Nairobi. The building had to fulfill two specific purposes: as the house for the “Franciscan Family of Africa” (FFA) and as the Promotional Center for the CCFMC in Africa. The proprietor of the building is the “Franciscan Family Association”. From the very beginning, one of the main objectives was the solid formation of Sisters and Brothers on Franciscan spirituality. The modest size of the building certainly set limits to this endeavor. We have to take into consideration that about 30,000 Franciscans live and serve in Africa. An extension of the Center had been a devout wish for a long time.
About three years ago the Board of the FFA had assigned Fr. Hermann Borg to sound out the planning and financing of an extension building. In his vigorous manner, he soon succeeded to make this dream come true.
18 September 2010 marked the opening and blessing day of the new building. It was truly a big day for the Franciscan Family of Africa.
Everything needed for the celebration of a festive African mass had been mobilized: liturgical dances, a lively choir, practiced and presented by young Sisters from various congregations; and also classical African drums and musical instruments. The sermon was held by the OFM Provincial, Fr. Sebastian.
Following the two-hour Eucharistic mass, Archbishop Raphael Ndingi blessed the new building together with the concelebrants. As customary for this type of event, the mass was followed by speeches and words of thanks to those who had assisted in making the erection of the new building a success. Just to name a few: Fr. Georg, Fr. Hermann, the architect of the building, Mrs. Mada, and Fr. Andreas, who delivered greetings from the CCFMC Center.
The celebration concluded with an impressive demonstration of the stigmatization of Francis on Alverna as well as jaunty singing interludes by young Franciscans under the direction of the ”Little Sisters of St. Francis”. Finally, the about 300 guests were treated with a banquet as well as with coffee and cake. After about five hours the participants were able to go home enriched and with a cheerful heart.
Fr. Hermann Borg points out in a separate article that the Franciscan Center is a place of hope for the poor, for street children, for AIDS patients, for the blind, the sick, and the dying but also for pupils and students. The center is important to maintain the awareness of the Franciscan sources and its history. The dialogue with other religions will be continued just as the collaboration with the United Nations. “Our presence in Africa is necessary and wished for“, Fr. Hermann emphasizes and asks for donations in order to settle pending payments.
Results of the CCFMC Seminar with Fr. Andreas Müller
The main contributor was Fr. Andreas Müller from the CCFMC Center in Würzburg. His challenge on globalization and the challenges accruing from it for the Franciscans as well as his very personal information on the development of the CCFMC prompted a quite lively group work already on the first day and provoked contributions for discussion by the 11 participants from different African countries. The following issues were covered:
• What is our Franciscan life missing today?
• What is the meaning of mission in our Franciscan lives?
• What does society look like today?
The seminar participants openly discussed the deficits of society, in families but also in the Church. It was stated self-critically that Franciscans possessed a lot of charism, which, however, often does not take effect in their own lives; there is often lack of engagement; one often leads an easy life in the congregations and communities.
Fr. Andreas started the second day with an introduction to Lesson Unit 1. Just as energetic as on the first day, the participants worked on the texts and mainly on the questions contained in this lesson unit. On the third day, the seminar participants vividly and actively dealt with the issue of the Franciscan Family. What are the prerequisites, features and attitudes for a family to function? Does this also apply to a family of religious orders? The exchange of view revealed an open and honest discussion. There is still a laborious way ahead to the ideal Franciscan Family.
What remains to be done? That was the question that the participants had to deal with at the end of the seminar. Here are some of the many answers:
• The CCFMC has to train more members of the Third Order Secular as course instructors in order to train up a dynamic Franciscan youth.
• Enhanced training of course instructors.
• Networking has to be increased.
• The Africa Center in Nairobi has to become a good example for networking.
• The south has to become more self-dependent regarding the CCFMC.
• Financial sustainability is a big challenge; local financing strategies have to be
developed.
• Development of activities to render financial support to the CCFMC.
• Franciscan charism should not only be presented academically.
• The CCFMC Center has to be strengthened.
• Superiors of religious orders and communities have to be convinced that the CCFMC is a valuable tool for them; a re-start is to take place in South Africa.
• Involvement of Franciscans International and human rights groups in the CCFMC.
• A newsletter for Africa.
The seminar concluded with an “Ubuntu“ feast and African dance performances by all participants.
Young Franciscans want to become active in all of Africa
The formation of the YouFra Africa Group marked an important decision for Franciscan life in Africa. The group had been formed alongside the celebration of the inauguration ceremony of the new building of the Portincula and in connection with the CCFMC Seminar in the Kenyan Capital of Nairobi.
Sr. Veronica N. Irungu (OFS) reports that “the course participants had taken up the challenge provided to them by the input that Fr. Andreas Müller had given on the CCFMC lesson units describing the secular dimension of the Franciscans. Therefore, they suggested reaching out to the youth of Africa. For this purpose, YouFra Groups are to be established in all those African countries that do not yet have YouFra Groups and existing YouFra Groups are to be supported.
The meeting of the YouFra-Africa Spearheading Team on 23 September 2010 at Portiuncula Center was attended by Sr. Margeret Awor (LSOSF) from Uganda, Fr. Taddee Cirimwami (OFM) and Jean Francis Isia (OFS) from the DR Congo, Sr Tholakele Cele (FSF) from South Africa, and Veronica N. Irungu (OFS) from Kenya. It is planned to establish a coordination desk for the YouFra activities on continental level. Veronica Irungu was proposed by Sr. Margaret to be the desk secretary.
The objectives of this new team are mainly the spread of Franciscan charism among youth in Africa through evangelization; renewal of Franciscan charism through youth; promotion of service of the poor and the marginalized; cultivation and promotion of a culture of peace within the African society in the spirit of St. Francis and Clare. These objectives are to be reached through utilization of existing structures within the Church and order communities as well as in collaboration with the CCFMC.
Europe
Romania
Franciscan Family headed for spirituality
In early September the Franciscan Family of Romanio got together for its second meeting at the Theological Faculty of the Franciscan Conventuals of the north-east Romanian town of Roman.
The detailed report by Sr. M. Lydia reflects the new and intensive impressions of this get-together:
The three-day meeting from 2 to 4 September was attended by about 100 Sisters and Brothers of all branches. They come from different parts of the country: Bucharest, Galati, Arad, Timisoara, Caransebeş, Oradea, Cluj and Brasov. It was a joy to see so many young Brothers and Sisters and also the good number of FG members. Among the invited guests from abroad were Fr. Thaddée Matura OFM from France and Fr. Andreas Müller from the CCFMC Center in Würzburg. His presence was especially important and helpful.
Francis and Clare… God’s Dream“, was the theme of the meeting, which had been taken from Lesson Unit 1 of the Comprehensive Course on Franciscan Mission Charism. “In the course of the three days we had the chance to reflect on God’s dream with each individual participant and to bring to our minds that God never stops dreaming,“ Sister M. Lydia writes. All participants were moved by the desire to hear God’s Word conveyed by the lived example of Francis and Clare, and to reflect about one’s own life and that of communal life as a member of the Franciscan Family. The question to be pondered about then will be: Who are we?
At this point Fr. Andreas Müller, who had been the determining organizer and coordinator of the CCFMC from the very beginning, began to speak and pleaded for the concerns of the course, which is able to strengthen and activate the chances and opportunities of the Franciscan Family in society and Church.
In his presentation of Lesson Unit 2 of the CCFMC, Fr. Lucian Dumea OFMCap mainly focused on the God-blessed charism of St. Francis and explained the setup of the big Franciscan Family and all of its branches.
The informative part of the meeting was rounded off by the presentation of activities of the Friars Minor in Romania, especially of those in Transylvania. In his closing remarks Fr. Thaddée OFM from France shared his manifold experiences as author and specialist in the spirituality impersonated by Francis and Clare. In doing so he reminded that the female dimension in the Church in general and specifically within the Franciscan Family should be rediscovered again.
The three-day meeting also included a pilgrimage to the orthodox cloisters Neamt, Agapia and Văratec. The pilgrimage was accompanied by contemplative moments and a reflection on the prime virtues that Francis had regarded as fundamental.
Sr. M. Lydia closes her report on the meeting in Roman with the words by a participant: “My heart has opened in these days, as in the simplicity of my heart and in the Franciscan spirit, I became aware again that I have been called to bear witness and not to be afraid, because I am also part of God’s dream.”
Latin America
Brazil
Goiânia: CCFMC Seminar to deepen the knowledge of the missionary charism
and to celebrate the missionary dimension of the Franciscan charism by means of the Comprehensive Course on Franciscan Mission Charism (CCFMC). This was the central cause of a meeting conducted by the Franciscan Family of the Brazilian State of Goiás from 14 to 15 August 2010 in the town of Goiânia.
The meeting was headed and guided by Sr. Maria Fachini and the catechist Franciscana de Joinville/SC; 40 participants (from the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor as well as their staff worked on the CCFMC lesson units 5 to 18. For a start and in order to get attuned to the intense occupation with the contents of these lesson units, we got touched by the Franciscan-clarean spirit through meditative reading of texts, which was to bring to mind our relationship to all creatures.
The results of the group work showed that, after intense and creative preoccupation with the lesson units, the contents of the lesson units had not only been comprehended. Based on the circumstances of our time, the texts were read and interpreted in an unbiased way. This leads to the obvious conclusion how valuable the CCFMC is as an implement for the theoretical and practical spread of the charism of Francis and Clare for our day and age, Sr. Maria Fachini writes in her report on this seminar.
Belo Horizonte: CCFMC Advisors undergo further training
The Comprehensive Course on Franciscan mission charism is a vital tool in the education and training in Franciscan communities. That was the basis of the meeting of teachers and advisor of the Franciscan Community (OFS) on 3 and 4 July in Belo Horizonte in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. This advanced training course had been organized and implemented by the regional council of the Franciscan Family of Brazil (FFB) in Minas Gerais with the objective to support teachers and advisors in their work with the CCFMC and to also provide them with motivation. The participants were advisors and members of religious orders from different cities, especially from the proximity of Belo Horizonte.
Under the professional supervision of Sr. Maria Fachini, this advanced training course basically focused on conveying the contents of the lesson units in light of the current public and social circumstances. The parti-cipants were encouraged, apart from the lesson units, accompanying celebrations and other materials, to above all also put to use their dedication and their enthusiasm for the Franciscan charism in their education work.
Signs of the Times
Alternative Nobel Prize–Change from grass-root level
COPENHAGEN. This year the alternative Nobel Prize “Change from grass-root level“ has been awarded to Israeli and Palestinian doctors, environmental and human rights activists from Nigeria and Nepal, and also to the native Austrian Bishop Erwin Kräutler, who is working in Brazil.
The award was established in 1980 by the Right Livelihood Foundation and it is to pay tribute to “practical and exemplary answers to the most urging challenges facing us today”. The prize money is 200,000 Euro and the award ceremony will take place on 6 December in the Swedish Parliament.
"Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) “
Bishop Erwin Kräutler (71)
Nnimmo Bassey (52) from Nigeria
Shrikrishna Upadhyay (65), Nepal
Source: tagesschau.de (4 October 2010) and from the website www.righhlivelihood.org
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