THE MINISTER GENERAL TO CIME: FOR A FRATERNITY THAT REDISCOVERS ITS IDENTITY AND EQUALITY

The Minister General, Br Massimo Fusarelli, welcomed the participants of the International Assembly for the Missions and Evangelisation, which is being held at the General Curia in Rome. "I am grateful for this opportunity to meet, which is a chance for me and also for the Vicar General, Br Isauro and Br Joaquín, who are part of the Secretariat, to reflect on and deepen our understanding of the meaning and place of evangelisation in the Order's current journey". Starting from Chapter 14 of the Earlier Rule, the Minister recalled the words of St Francis: "When the brothers go out into the world, let them take nothing with them....". He highlighted the primacy of going forth and added that it refers to an "itinerant community, on the move, meeting people in different situations and adapting to them. Before any rank, it must help us grow in the awareness that we are a fraternity of brothers". He invited everyone to think of a Ratio Evangelizationis for a fraternity that rediscovers its identity in the equality of all its members. Before the address of the Minister General, Br Francisco Gómez Vargas, General Secretary for the Missions, and Br Dennis Tayo, General Animator for Evangelisation, presented the objectives of the sexennium, including the task of preparing the Ratio Evangelizationis for the Order from the Final Document of the General Chapter 2021. This Assembly will also elect the five participants for the International Council for the Missions and Evangelisation (CIME). Representing the Order's Conferences, the following Secretaries are taking part in this Assembly, from 22 to 25 March: Br Ernesto Valladores Osorio, Br José R. Rodriguez, Br Juan Alfredo Estrada, Br Nikodem Gdyk, Br Thaddée Bwanacing, Br Ibrahim Sabbagh, Br Francis Lee, Br Eldon Viador, Br Giuseppe Sorrentino, Br Marko Pustisek, Br Matthias, representing Mission Zentrale, and José Dario Mercado, who is reporting on the proceedings.