COMMUNIQUE FROM THE GENERAL DEFINITORY – JANUARY 2022 TEMPO FORTE

The January 2022 Tempo Forte sessions were held from 10 to 25 January and were introduced by a reflection led by Br Fabio Cesar GOMES, General Delegate Pro Monialibus. Due to pandemic-linked difficulties, the meeting of the Minister and the General Definitory with the new Ministers Provincial and Custodes, scheduled for 19-28 January, was postponed until the end of next June. It will take place, at the General Curia, from 29 June to 8 July, immediately before the Tempo Forte session in July. At the end of this session, which in most parts of the world marks the end of the social year, the General Definitory has decided to devote four days each year to review its activities. On the afternoon of Monday 10 January, the General Definitory met with all the officials of the Curia; this meeting will be held at every session of Tempo Forte to strengthen communication and collaboration within the General Curia. In the January 2022 session, 109 dossiers of various kinds were dealt with, including:

• ratification of the acts of elections held in Chapter, in Chapter Congress, outside Chapter;
• approval of candidates for the office of Minister Provincial (5);
• suppression of Houses of the Order (2);
• granting of scholarships and obediences to reside at the Blessed Gabriel M. Allegra Fraternity, at CISA (8);
• alienation of a property in a Province;
• hierarchical appeals to the Minister General (2);
• imposition of a penalty in some cases of graviora delicta (3);
• a case of apostasy;
• election of a Visitator General;
• study and sharing of the Report at the end of the Canonical Visitation in the Province of the Most Holy Name, Brazil;
• approval of the 2022 Budget of the General Curia and its affiliated Houses and Entities;
• review of compliance with data protection regulations (GDPR).

The following were appointed to the General Curia:

• Br Evodio JOÃO, Director of the Communications Office, also as Director of Acta Ordinis;
• Br Pasquale BERARDINETTI, Director of the Protocol Office, also as Director of the IT Office;
• as from 1 September 2022: Br Daniel Nicolas RODRIGUEZ BLANCO, of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Central America and Panama, Director of the General Animation Office for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation;
• the International Commission to accompany the process of revision and amendment of the General Constitutions of the Order of St Clare, composed of Br Fábio Cesar GOMES, Br Cesare VAIANI, Br Aidan McGRATH and Br Angel Maria F. DE PINEDO ARNAIZ;
• the Commission for the review of spaces in the building of St Anthony's International College in Rome;
• the Commission composed of Br Angel Edwin MONTOYA MONTOYA, Br Francisco GÓMEZ VARGAS and Br Hieronimus Yoseph DEI RUPA and charged with systematising the material that the Conference Presidents are called to collect from their Entities and send to the General Definitory by 3 April 2022, concerning the synodal journey towards the 2025 Chapter of Mats.

After a careful process of discernment, the General Definitory, evaluating the situation several times, elected the new government of the Holy Trinity Province in Chile for a three-year term. In addition, many sessions were dedicated to an in-depth study of the situation of the various Entities, both autonomous and dependent on the General Minister. In the presence of Br Darko TEPERT and Br Hieronimus Yoseph DEI RUPA, the Action Plan of the General Secretariat for Formation and Studies was discussed and finalised. The programme for the Meeting of the General Definitory with the Conference Presidents, to be held at the General Curia from 17 to 20 May 2022, has been prepared. The following cases of separation from the Order were dealt with:

• Dispensation from temporary vows: 1
• Extension beyond three years of an indult of exclaustration: 1
• Dispensation from solemn vows: 4
• Transfer to another Institute: 1
• Secularisation ad experimentum: 1
• Secularisation pure et simpliciter: 2
• Dispensation from the clerical state and leaving the Order: 3

Information concerning three cases of allegations of graviora delicta has been forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The next Tempo Forte is scheduled from 7 to 17 March 2022. To the praise of Christ and the Poverello of Assisi. Amen!

Rome, 16 February 2022 Br Giovanni Rinaldi, OFM Secretary General