Download: Italiano - English - Español - Français
The Tempo Forte in September took place from the 4th to the 15th and took place at the General Curia "Our Lady Mediatrix", in Rome. The ordinary sessions were preceded by two extraordinary sessions, which took place at the friary of "Jesus and Mary" in Pescocostanzo (AQ) on the 23rd and 25th July 2023.
The General Definitory, at the beginning, passed a time of personal narration, to deepen mutual relations and share the experiences of the period that had elapsed since the last Tempo Forte; it defined the programme and objectives of the Meeting of the Definitory with the Guardians, Vicars and Bursars of the Fraternities of Rome dependent on the Minister General, set for the 18th December 2023. The Definitory continued to reflect on the rotation of the personnel of different Houses/Friaries and Works dependent on the Minister General. Definitory reexamined the Document signed with the Presidents of the Conferences regarding Mandate 31 and Orientation 29 of the 2021 General Chapter: it elaborated a questionnaire that will soon be disseminated; defined the programme of the Meeting of the General Definitory with the New Ministers Provincial and Custodial which came to pass from the 13th to the -21st November 2023 (The invited Ministers have already been reached) and updated the date of the same Meeting with the other New Ministers Provincial and Custodial of 2024, setting it to take place from the 10th -18th May; met with the New Definitory of the Province of Ireland to agree on the status of the new presence in Stratford (London); continued the discernment and verification of the presence of the Order in Russia and the Foundation. The Definitory updated itself on administrative and fiscal issues concerning the International College of "St. Anthony" in Rome; it discussed the presence and mission of the Order in the Far East; with br Albert SCHMUCKI, Director of the Office for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults. The Definitory looked at the draft Document on Protection; received from br Darko TEPERT, Secretary General for Formation and Studies, updates on the Document on affective maturity, on the 2024 Centenary cards to be distributed to the Order, on the Pontifical Antonianum University, on the Congress of the Order's Study and Research Centres (4th-7th July 2023), on the Conference of Lay Brothers and that of the Temporary Professed of Europe. The Definitory planned the Celebration of the Chapter of Mats of the Roman Friaries dependent on the Minister General (3rd-4th May 2024); The Definitory heard from Br Dennis TAYO, General Animator for the Missions, some updates on the mission in Thailand, on Papua New Guinea and on the missionary course lived in Cebu City (Philippines, June-July 2023); The Definitory listened to the updates on economic matters presented by br John PUODZIUNAS, Treasurer General; on Tuesday 12th September, the Definitory met the staff and the 'guests' of the "St. Anthony" Food Distribution Centre at the Antonianum in Rome. The Definitory listened to updates from Br Giovangiuseppe CALIFANO, Postulator General and all the staff, headed by the new Director br Byron A. CHAMANN ANLEU, of the Office of Communications; examined the draft programme of the Meeting of the General Definitory with the union of FCAO Conferences (April 2024); On Thursday the 14th September, the Definitory met with the friars who work at the Holy See and took time to reflect on the Synodal journey of the Church and the Order.
- The Board of the Dependent Foundation of "St. Francis" in Russia.
- The Board of the Dependent Foundation of "St Francis” in Papua New Guinea.
- br Ignacio CEJA JIMÉNEZ, Vicar General, Visitor General of Custody of the “Annunciation B.V.M." in Albania and Montenegro (Shkodër).
- br Gustavo Wayand MEDELLA, General Visitor of the Province of the "Holy Cross", in Brazil (Belo Horizonte).
- The Province of “St. Anthony of Padua", in Brazil (Recife).
- In Chapter: Prov. "St James of Marca", in Italy (Jesi); Prov. "Holy Gospel", in Mexico (Coyoacán); Prov. "Saints. Peter and Paul", in Mexico (Michoacán); Province of Ireland (Dublin); The Foundation of "Our Lady of Africa” in Congo.
- In Chapter Congress: Prov. "St. Francis Stigmatized", in Italy (Florence); Prov. "Our Lady of the Angels", in Poland (Kraków); Prov. "Saints. Peter and Paul", in Mexico (Michoacán); Prov. "The Holy Gospel", in Mexico (Coyoacán); Province of Ireland (Dublin); Prov. "St. Bonaventure", in Italy (Rome); Prov. "St. Wenceslas", in the Czech Republic (Praha); Foundation of "Our Lady of Africa " in Congo.
- Out of Chapter: of the Definitors: of the Prov. "St. Francis Solano", in Peru (Lima), 1; Prov. "B.V.M. Queen of China", in Taiwan (Taishan Shiang),1; Prov. of "The Holy Cross", in Brazil (Belo Horizonte), 1.
- Out of Chapter: of the Guardians of the: Prov. "St. Casmir", in Lithuania (Vilnius): 1; Prov. "The Most Holy Name of Jesus", in Italy (Acireale), 1; Prov. "St. Francis of Quito", in Ecuador (Quito), 1; Prov. "The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus" in Italy (Naples), 2.
- The Post Canonical visitation of the Visitor General or of the Minister Provincial: Province of "St. James of Marca", in Italy (Jesi); Prov. "The Immaculate Conception B.V.M.", in Poland (Kalwaria Z.); Prov. "St. Michael the Archangel", in Ukraine (Zhhytomyr); Prov. "St. Wenceslas", in the Czech Republic (Praha); Prov. "Our Lady of the Angels", in Poland (Kraków); Foundation of "Our Lady of Africa", in Congo.
- Regarding the updating, of the General Delegate: Prov. of the "The Holy Cross", in Slovenia (Ljubljana); Prov. of "St. Casmir", in Lithuania (Vilnius); erected Prov. of "Our Lady of Guadalupe", in the USA (Atlanta).
- Prov. "Sts. Cyril and Methodius", in Croatia (Zagreb), at the 42nd Provincial Chapter.
- Foundation of. "St. Francis" in Russia for a three-year period.
- Mrs. Maria Eugenia RIOS ANDRADE OFS, as a member of the JPIC Coordination Committee for the Mediterranean Franciscan Network.
- Ms Siew Hua THIO and Mr. Gianluca GORI as a member of CIRE.
- br Aidan McGRATH, br Jimmy ZAMMIT and br Franco MIRRI as members of the Executive Commission Fraternity of Stratford in London (CEF).
- Integration of the Custody of Britain into the Province of Ireland.
- Case Deletions: 3.
- Exemption from Temporary Vows: 3.
- Exclaustration pardon: 6.
- Extension of exclaustration pardon: 1.
- Indult of secularization ad experimentum: 1.
- Indult of secularization pure et simpliciter: 1.
- Indult of dispensation from Solemn Vows: 4.
- Indult of dispensation from the burdens of the Clerical State and Solemn Vows: 3.
- Resignation ipso facto: 1.
- Resignations: 4.
- Possible case of graviora delicta: 1.
- Graviora delicta case: 1.
- Granting Obedience to Mission: 3.
- Alienation of real estate: 1.
- Postponement of the Provincial/Custodial Chapter: 1.
- Sanation admission to the Order: 2.
- Transfer of the Novitiate House: 1.
- Approvals of the Ratio Formationis of Entities: 1.
On conclusion, the General Definitory verified the direction of the Tempo Forte.
The General Definitory announced that, shortly, the Ministers and Secretaries of all the Entities of the Order and the Heads (Presidents and Guardians) of the Entities dependent on the Minister General will receive access credentials (e-mail and password) to the Database in use in the General Curia which summarize the Schematismus and Directiones Domorum: that e-mail will be considered as the official address for communication between the General Curia and each Entity.
The next Tempo Forte is scheduled from the 3rd to the 21st November 2023: from 13th to the 21st the Definitory will meet a section of the new Provincial and Custodial Ministers,
All the Secretariats of the Entities of the Order are reminded to send the requests to be submitted to the General Definitory within one week from the beginning of the Tempo Forte work: the requests received at outside this time frame will be postponed until the next Tempo Forte.
In praise of Christ and the Poverello-(Poor Man) of Assisi. Amen!
Rome, 29th September 2023.
br Antonio M. IACONA, ofm
Secretary-General
