Communiqué of the General Definitory for the January 2023 Tempo Forte

The January Tempo Forte took place from 9 to 19 last month and was held at the General Curia in Rome.

The General Definitory, at the opening of the working sessions, shared a time of personal narrative to deepen the relationships and share their experiences in the period immediately preceding the Tempo Forte: visit to the Province of Lithuania by the General Minister and Br Jimmy ZAMMIT, participation in the Asamblea de Navidad in Spain by Br Cesare VAIANI, visit to Sri Lanka and Turkey by Br Konrad G. CHOLEWA and Br John WONG, pilgrimage to the Holy Valley of Rieti by Br Albert SCHMUCKI and the brothers involved in the Safeguarding of Minors; continued the reflection on the revision of the personnel of the Communications Office and the Development Office of the General Curia; met Br. Dennis TAYO, Animator General for the Missions, for an update on the Papua New Guinea Foundation; drafted a Letter for the Safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults addressed to Custodes, Presidents of Foundations and Guardians of Houses dependent on the Minister General; drafted a Letter for the celebration of the Chapter of Mats and the Plenary Council of the Order 2025 addressed to all the Entities of the Order; and, together with Br Juan I. ALDANA M., President of the Commission for the organisation of the Chapter of Mats, drew up the Guidelines for the celebration of the Chapter of Mats 2023-2025; listened to Br Roberto BONGIANNI for ethical and charismatic insights into economic matters; approved the 2023 Budget presented by the General Bursar Br. John PUODZIUNAS; examined the general situation and the path towards UNIFRA; decided on some details concerning the presence and participation in the Assembly of UCLAF, UFME and SLAS; discussed the Agenda for the Meeting with the Presidents of the Conferences next 15-18 May.

The General Definitory:

nominated:

• Br Cesare VAIANI, Visitator General for the Fraternity of Penitentiaries of "St John Lateran", in Rome;
• Br. Guillermo Lancaster Jones Campero, Visitator General for the Province of the Twelve Apostles, Peru;
• Br Mario WILSON, General Delegate for the Province of St Francis Solano in Peru;
• Br Marcello GHIRLANDO, General Delegate for the erection of the Autonomous Custody of "St. Anthony" in the Philippines as a Province;
• Br Joaquín A. ECHEVERRY HINCAPIÉ, General Definitor, Br Juan APUMAYTHA, Br Manuel BUIZA, Br Abel Francisco DOS REMEDIOS, Br Neil BADILLO, Members of the Order's Educational Pastoral Commission, to collaborate with the General Secretariat for Evangelisation and Mission;

presented for nomination by the Apostolic Penitentiary:

• Br. Reynaldo Landazabal Legayada, Ordinary Penitentiary for “St John Lateran" fraternity; 
• Br. Pierre J. FARRUGIA, Extraordinary Penitentiary for the "St John Lateran" fraternity.

They elected the Government of the Missionary Province "St. Francis Solano", Peru:

• Br Marco Iván Saravia Orellana, Minister Provincial,
• Br. Percy Enrique Barrientos Valdez, Vicar Provincial,
• Br Enrique Francisco Diaz Estrada, Br Marco Antonio Huatay Flores, Br Luis Alberto Sánchez Ccuno, Br José Escurra Mayaute, Provincial Definitors.

Of the following entities, they ratified the Acts of the elections that took place: 

In Chapter:

• Prov. “B.V.M. Queen of China” in Taiwan;
• Prov. "St Francis of Assisi", Brazil;
• Prov. "Holy Spirit", Australia;
• Prov. "St. Francis of Assisi", in Vietnam.

In Chapter Congressus:

• Prov. “S. Francisco Solano”, Argentina;
• Prov. "St Francis of Assisi", Brazil;
• Cust. aut. "St. Benedict of the Amazon", Brazil.

Outside Chapter, of Guardians:

• Prov. "Immaculate Conception B.V.M.", in Brazil: 1;
• Prov. "Immaculate Conception B.V.M.", in Poland: 1;
• Prov. "Holy Faith", in Colombia: 1;
• Cust. aut. "Sacred Heart of Jesus", in Brazil: 1.

They analysed the Reports at the conclusion of the Canonical Visitation of the following Entities:

• Prov. "Holy Spirit", Australia (Waverley);
• Prov. "St. Thomas the Apostle", India (Bangalore);
• Prov. “Incarnate Word”, in West Africa (Lomé).

They listened to the Order's Conference Presentation:

• SLAN and SLAS, by Br Konrad G. CHOLEWA;
• ESC, by Br Jimmy ZAMMIT;
• COMPI and CONFRES, by Br Cesare VAIANI;
• MEXICO and CENTRAL AMERICA, by Br Joaquín A. ECHEVERRY HINCAPIÉ;
• COTAF, by Br Albert SCHMUCKI.

It noted the election of:

• Br Fredy GALVEZ ANGULO as President and Br Luis Enrique SALDANA GUERRA as Vice-President of the Conference of MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA.

It dealt with the following files concerning chaanges of legal status: 

• Canonical Erection of the Province of the Autonomous Custody "St. Anthony" in the Philippines;
• Canonical erection as an autonomous Custody and appointment of the Government of the dependent Custody "St. Anthony" in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
• Suppression of Houses of the Order: 9;
• Elevation of filial houses to Guardianate: 1;
• Reduction of Guardianates to Filial Houses: 7.

They dealt with the following cases of separation from the Order: 

• Grant of Exclaustration: 2;
• Indult of dispensation from solemn vows: 1;
• Indult of secularisation ad experimentum: 1;
• Indult of dispensation from the burdens of the clerical state and leaving the Order: 2;
• Dismissal ipso facto from the Order: 1.

They examined:

• Cases of graviora delicta: 1;
• Possible cases of contra sextum: 2.

It dealt with other dossiers of various kinds:

• Transfer of the Provincial Curia: Prov. "Ss. Nome di Gesù", in Italy: from Palermo to Acireale (CT);
• Granting of new scholarships and obedience to reside at the "Beato Gabriele Allegra" Fraternity, at the CISA, in Rome: 2;

Revised Article 43 §3 of the Particular Statutes of the Canonical Visitation and the Presidency of the Provincial Chapter (Download PDF: English – Italiano –  Español – Polski ): the coming into force of these Statutes, with the promulgation and declaration of promulgation by the General Minister, sanctions the abolition of all the earlier norms (cf. SSPP) that legislate on the matter.

In conclusion, the Definitory reviewed the progress of Tempo Forte.

The next Tempo Forte is scheduled to take place from 6 to 17 March 2023; all the Secretariats of the Entities of the Order are reminded to send the petitions to be submitted to the General Definitory within a week of the start of the Tempo Forte: petitions received at another time will be postponed to the next Tempo Forte.

In praise of Christ and the Poverello of Assisi. Amen!

Rome, 2 February 2022
Presentation of the Lord - Day of Consecrated Life                                             

Br. Antonio M. IACONA, OFM
General Secretary

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