After the first 2 days, on Wednesday 30th April, the Lay Brothers continued their meeting reflecting on Formation and Studies. The day began with the celebration of Lauds in various languages, followed by a presentation by Br. Mark Joy G. Basallajes, who presented a theological and historical reflection on the formation of Lay Brothers, emphasizing that the Franciscan vocation is fundamentally rooted in fraternity. He highlighted that Franciscan formation must be holistic, considering the person in their entirety, then continued with work in language groups.
In the afternoon, after sharing the reflections from the language groups, the brothers participated in the Eucharist at Saint Clare's, presided over by Definitor General Br. Konrad Cholewa. In his homily, Br. Konrad reflected on the testimony of the first Christian community and the importance of evangelical loves in fraternal life, recalling the words of Saint Francis: “If a mother loves her carnal son, how much more should each one love his spiritual brother.”
On the fourth day of the meeting the friars began with the celebration of the Eucharist in Spanish presided over by the General Definitor Br. César Külkamp. In his homily, Br. César highlighted the comemoration of St. Joseph the Worker, emphasizing that “work, carried out with dignity, allows us to complete Creation, because God entrusts it to our hands”.
The morning session was dedicated to the presentation of the work of the Commission for conclusions, followed by a dialogue between the friars present at the meeting and the commission. This was followed by the intervention of the Minister General. In his address, Br. Massimo Fusarelli spoke about the need to understand the vocation of the Franciscan lay brother as a “generative narrative” that can shape the future, emphasizing that the current challenge is not simply to “revalue” the vocation of the lay brother, but to rediscover the original insight of an evangelical fraternity where the diversity of vocations is lived as a richness.
On the last day, the day began at 9:00 with the celebration of Morning Prayer in different languages; subsequently, the commission presented the Final Document, which the assembly approved after corrections.
The Minister General presided over the closing Eucharist in the Porziuncola, during which he emphasized the importance of the identity of the Friars Minor as brothers, beyond any distinction between clerics and lay people. In his message, he recalled the words of St. Francis's Testament: “The Lord gave me brothers,” highlighting how this fraternity is the heart of the Franciscan charism.
The Minister also reflected on the need for a profound conversion of mentality and culture in the Order, warning against clericalism that can distort the Franciscan charism. He invited all friars to return to their fraternities with a renewed heart, carrying with them Jesus's vision and closeness in service to the people of God.
Read the Minister General's Homily: Italiano - English - Español
Read the Minister General's Speech: Italiano - English - Español
