From 14 to 18 November 2022, the meeting between the Minister General, Br Massimo Fusarelli, and his Definitory with the Visitators General appointed in the last 12 months is taking place at the General Curia in Rome.
On the first day of the meeting, moderated by Br Victor Luís Quematcha, Definitor General, the Minister General welcomed the Visitators, encouraging them to: “to recognise whether in the Province or autonomous Custody there are present all the elements suitable for fulfilling the life and mission of the Order, which is to be considered among his most important tasks” (GS 126). And, using an evangelical metaphor, he said that “the challenge is to “see the new shoots” and perhaps have the courage to “cut off some dry branches” so that life can blossom again. It is a matter of seizing these new beginnings, which we risk not seeing if we concentrate on imagining the Church and the Order only as they have been in the past, even the recent past”.
This was followed by a time of comments, dialogue, and questions between the Visitators and the General Definitory. The Visitators expressed their fears and hopes; some, who had already begun canonical visitations, shared their experiences as a moment of personal growth.
The first day ended with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Br Ignacio Ceja, Vicar General of the Order.
In the following days, all areas of the Canonical Visitation, such as the Provincial Chapter, the Chapter Congressus, the Special Statutes of the Canonical Visitation, the Provincial Economy, and the offices of animation of a Franciscan entity, will be explored.
The following visitators are attending this meeting:
Br Alan Tomasz Brzyski, of the Province of St Hedwig, in Poland, for the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM, in Poland
Br Agustinus Nggame, of the Province of St Michael the Archangel, in Indonesia, for the Province of St Francis, Herald of Peace, in Papua - Indonesia
Br Edgardo Manuel Pérez Tejeira, of the Province of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe of Central America and Panama, for the Province of St Peter and St Paul of Michoacán, in Mexico
Br Gianpaolo Masotti, of the Seraphic Province of St Francis of Assisi, Italy, for the Province of St Bonaventure of the Friars Minor in Italy
Br Jám Kapistránsky L’ubomír Lazovy, of the Province of the Most Holy Saviour, in Slovakia, for the Province of St Wenceslas, in the Czech Republic.
Br Mario Wilson Ramos Novoa, of the Province of Holy Faith, in Colombia, for the Province of St Francis Solano, in Peru
Br Pedro Roberto Balingit Manansala, of the Province of San Pedro Bautista, in the Philippines, for the Custody of St John the Baptist, in Pakistan
Br Rufino Han-Wook Lim, of the Province of the Holy Martyrs of Korea, for the Province of St Francis in Vietnam.
Br Sergiusz Baldyga, of the Province of the Assumption of the BVM, in Poland, for the Province of St Mary of the Angels, in Poland.
Br Wim Pot, of the Province of the Martyrs of Gorkum, in the Netherlands, for the Franciscan Province of Ireland.
Minister General’s Full Text: English - Italiano – Español
