The sessions of the December Tempo Forte were held from 13 to 17 December 2021, and one session was dedicated to sharing the Minister's and the General Definitors' experiences in the last few weeks after the previous Tempo Forte ended in November.
In addition to matters of ordinary administration, such as the ratification of the acts of election which took place in the Chapter of some Provinces and Custodies, in the Capitular Congress of these Provinces and Custodies, and non-capitular meetings, the General Definitory met with the Guardian of the House of Santa Maria Mediatrice - General Curia, Br Maciej OLSZEWSKI.
In addition to a thorough review of the recent meeting of the General Visitators, the General Definitory finalised and revised the programme for the Meeting with the new Ministers Provincial and Custodes to be held from 19 to 28 January 2022, at the General Curia, and also rescheduled some dates for the Tempo Forte sessions of the sexennium.
In addition, with the Secretary General for Missions and Evangelisation, they discussed the six-year working plan of the office for the animation of the life and mission of the Order.
Updates and information were also shared on the Missionary Evangelisation Projects dependent on the General Minister in Turkey, Russia, Sudan and South Sudan, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Myanmar.
There were several discussions about the prospects and planning of the synodal journey that will involve all the friars of the Order and the laity who collaborate with us over the next few years, leading to the celebration of the Chapter of Mats in 2025. A letter has been drafted which the Minister General, in the name of the whole Definitory, will send to the Conference Presidents as soon as possible to initiate this detailed itinerary.
There was also a discussion on the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults, and an International Commission was appointed to flank and support the work of the General Office for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, whose director is Br Albert SCHMUCKI.
The Definitory met and talked with the General Bursar, Br John PUODZIUNAS, about the 2022 budget of the General Curia, including all the Entities dependent on the Minister General, and about some projects and administrative work already underway or still to be started.
The following were elected:
- Br Wim POT, of the Province of the Holy Martyrs of Gorcum, in the Netherlands, Visitator General to the Province of Ireland;
- Br Jimmy ZAMMIT, General Definitor, Assistant to the Visitator General for the Custody of the Holy Land, for the House in Washington, USA.
Candidates for the service of Minister for the following Provinces were approved:
- Sacred Heart of Jesus, Italy (Naples);
- Saint Hedwig, Poland (Wroclaw).
The following cases of separation from the Order were dealt with:
- Indult of exclaustration for one year: 2
- Dispensation from solemn vows: 3
- Transfer to another Institute: 1
- Secularisation ad experimentum: 1
- Secularisation pure et simpliciter: 2
- Dispensation from the clerical state and departure from the Order: 1
- Dismissal from the Order ipso facto due to unlawful absence: 1
- Dismissal from the Order: 1
Information concerning two cases of allegations of
graviora delicta has been forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The Minister General also shared some updates on the process of creating a single Franciscan University in Rome.
The next Tempo Forte is scheduled from 10 to 28 January 2022, during which the Meeting with the new Ministers Provincial and Custodes will take place (19-28).
To the praise of Christ and the Poverello of Assisi. Amen!
Roma, 22 December 2021
Br Giovanni Rinaldi, OFM
Secretary General
