Minister General’s greetings to the Friars of Colombia, Taiwan and Guinea Bissau

The Minister General, Br Massimo Fusarelli, joined the friars of the Province of St Paul the Apostle in Colombia, the Province of Our Lady of China in Taiwan and the Custody of St Francis in Guinea Bissau by videoconference on the occasion of their respective Provincial Chapters. Greeting the friars of the Province of St Paul in Colombia, gathered in the “Casa de Espiritualidad Nuestra Señora del Camino in Popayan”, from 17 to 23 January, the Minister General wished everyone a Happy New Year, adding: “My wish for you, brothers, is that in this Provincial Chapter you will be able to experience together, the attractiveness of our way of life, to find ways to encourage everyone to live as brothers and minors, seeking the face of the Lord in sharing with people, especially the poorest”. During the Chapter, the friars elected the new Definitory that will animate the Province for the next three years: Br Alonso Morales Duque, Br William Alfredo Pinta Bastida, Br Jhon Elisander Ortiz González and Br Jorge Andrés Montoya Gallego. The new Definitory will work together with Br Nelson Tovar Alarcón, Minister Provincial, and Br Félix Agobardo Jurado Basante, Vicar Provincial. On 27 January, the message to the friars of Taiwan and Hong Kong followed, inviting them to live in the spirit of gratitude: “As Franciscans, we are invited to be ever grateful for our relationship with the God of all goodness, for the gift of brotherhood and the communion we share, for all that the Lord has entrusted to us, and for the grace of ministry”. Finally, on 31 January, at the beginning of the Chapter of the Custody of Guinea Bissau, the Minister General invited the Capitulars to be grateful to the Lord for the many gifts received during this time. He also invited them to have a vision for the future through a renewal and deepening of the Franciscan identity, to penance and correction so that “these days may be an occasion for a fraternal evaluation and correction, always entrusted to the Father’s mercy”.