Communique from the General Definitory - May 2022 Tempo Forte

The May Tempo Forte took place from 9 to 21 May 2022, including the Conference Presidents' Meeting from 17 to 20 May 2022. After a serious and careful discernment process, on 13 May, the General Definitory elected Br Ignacio CEJA JIMÉNEZ as Vicar General of the Order; he succeeds Most Rev. Isauro Ulises COVILI LINFATI, Bishop-elect of Iquique (Chile). During this Tempo Forte, the General Definitory approved amendments to the Particular Statutes of 7 entities of the Order, and scholarships were granted to several new students for the academic year 2022/2023, together with an obedience to reside in the "Beato Gabriele M. Allegra" Fraternity, at the CISA. Also, on 13 May, the General Definitory had the opportunity to meet with members of CIRE, with whom there was ample time for dialogue on the economic and financial issues of the General Curia. During the present Tempo Forte, the lists of candidates for the service of Minister Provincial and Custos of the following Entities were approved: Provinces of San Felipe de Jesús in Mexico, St Francis in Poland, St Francis in Mexico, and St Elizabeth in Germany; Custodies of St Anthony, in the Philippines, and Fegnxiang. The following acts of elections were ratified:

• of the new Government of the Provinces of St Michael Archangel, in Italy, of Blessed John Duns Scotus, in France and Belgium, of St Pedro Bautista, in the Philippines, of the Holy Spirit, in Canada, of the Most Holy Saviour, in Slovakia, of St Jerome, in Croatia, of the Holy Cross, in Slovenia, of St Hedwig and the Assumption BVM, in Poland; and of the Custodies of St Clare, in Mozambique, and of the Protomartyrs, in Morocco, dependent on the Minister General;
• of the new Definitors of the Provinces of Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, of the Most Holy Redeemer, in Croatia, of San Pablo Apóstol, in Colombia, and of the Holy VII Martyrs of Calabria, in Italy;
• which took place in the Capitular Congress of the Provinces of San Pedro Bautista, in the Philippines, of Holy Cross, in Slovenia, of Saint Stephen the King, in Transylvania-Romania, of Saint Francis-Herald of Peace, in Indonesia and West Papua, of the Immaculate Conception BVM, in Brazil, of Saint Barbara, in the USA, of the Holy Trinity, in Chile, and of Saint Pablo Apóstol, in Colombia, and of the Custody of Saint Clare, in Mozambique.

The Reports at the conclusion of the Canonical Visitation of the Province of the Immaculate Conception BVM in Brazil and the Province of St Casimir in Lithuania were analysed. The Report on the Status of the St Francis of Assisi Foundation in Papua New Guinea, dependent on the General Minister, was again reviewed and discussed in an attempt to better outline this entity's potential future and the Friars enrolled in it. The St Francis of Assisi Foundation in Myanmar, hitherto under the care of the General Minister, has been entrusted to the care of the San Pedro Bautista Province in the Philippines. The following cases of separation from the Order were dealt with:

• Dispensation from temporary vows: 1
• Indult of exclaustration: 4
• Indult of dispensation from solemn vows: 3
• Indult of secularisation ad experimentum: 2
• Indult of secularisation pure et simpliciter: 1
• Indult of dispensation from the obligations of the clerical state and of leaving the Order: 8
• ipso facto dismissal from the Order due to unlawful absence: 4

Two cases of graviora delicta and five cases of possible delicts contra sextum were examined. The following were elected Visitators General:

• Br Jan Kapistran LAZOVY, of the Province of the Most Holy Saviour, in Slovakia, for the Province of St Wenceslas, in the Czech Republic;
• Br Sergiusz (Marek Adam) BAŁDYGA, of the Province of the Assumption BVM, in Poland, for the Province of St Mary of the Angels, in Krakow;
• Br Rufino LIM, of the Province of the Holy Martyrs of Korea, for the Province of St Francis of Assisi, in Vietnam.

On 21 May, Br Miljenko ŠTEKO, of the Province of the Assumption BVM, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, was elected Guardian of St Anthony's International College. From 17 to 20 May, the Definitory welcomed the Conference Presidents who discussed some of the Mandates formulated by the last General Chapter. There were four days of work with a brisk pace, where the following topics were discussed:

• the Synod-style journey that will lead to the celebration of the Chapter of Mats in 2025;
• the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults;
• the revision of the system of voluntary solidarity contributions and the economic-financial formation meetings for Ministers, Custodes and Provincial and Custodial Bursars;
• the restructuring of the Conferences and Provinces; in this context, Sr. Francoise MASSY, former Superior General, and Sr. Yolanda DELLAMAN, General Councillor, of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM), were invited to share the important "Path of Transformation" which their Congregation has undergone since the end of 2014;
• the International Congress of Lay Brothers;
• the drafting of the Ratio Evangelizationis;
• the UNIFRA Project.

The next Tempo Forte is scheduled from 11 to 22 July 2022, immediately after the meeting with the new Provincial Ministers and Custodes, from 29 June to 8 July. To the praise of Christ and the Poverello of Assisi. Amen!   Rome, 16 June 2022 Br Giovanni Rinaldi, OFM Secretary General