Co-Responsibility in the Church’s Mission to Serve Better

“Secular Franciscans are the vast majority of Franciscans; they live immersed in the things of the world, and with their contribution it is not possible to convert and restore the world to Christ, in its most intimate and vital ways. The laity and the Seculars are therefore essential. For this reason, the First, Second and Third Orders of St Francis must rediscover the meaning of the common mission, each coordinating with the other two Franciscan Orders. It is an essential mission in God’s plan for Franciscans.” Benedetto Lino, O.F.S.

In August, 2019,, fifty-five Franciscans journeyed to St Louis in our country’s heartland. Three days of dialogue and discernment, with passion and the flame of the Holy Spirit in our hearts—a true gathering of the Franciscan Family—the dream of many sunsets became a reality. Those attending were Provincial Ministers, Friar delegates of the Provincial, Regional Spiritual Assistants, and OFS leadership of the National Executive Council. We celebrated our “Life-Giving Union” as one Family. The keynote addresses were presented by Father Michael Higgins, T.O.R., Eighth President of the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego. With his affection for the OFS as a “tertiary,” he and Benedetto Lino, O.F.S., (who is quoted above), gathered our desires and concerns which gave rise to the manner in which our service to the Church is to be understood.

Seven years ago, Pope Benedict XVI spoke on “Ecclesial and Social Co-Responsibility” to the 6^th Ordinary Assembly, International Forum of Catholic Action:

“co-responsibility demands a change in mindset, especially concerning the role of lay people in the Church. They should not be regarded as “collaborators” of the clergy, but rather as people who are really co-responsible for the Church’s being and acting.”

On the 40^th Anniversary of the Rule, Encarnacion del Pozo, O.F.S., believes that “the future of formation in the Order must be oriented towards being. By only doing, without being, the Order will not mature, and gradually regress to simple and tiresome routine.”

At the great “Franciscan Jubilee,” inaugurating the Third Millennium, Roger Cardinal Etchegary spoke on the Franciscan charism. “Never has the Franciscan charism been so needed than today in order to offer the total Christ to a disintegrating world which fears a brotherhood of solidarity among all human beings without exclusion. It is the total Christ, all of Christ, every aspect of Christ, which we Franciscans must, like St Francis, bear within us and offer to the world. The areas of service to which we are called are, therefore, unlimited and demanding.”

We live in a time of “spiritual myopia and moral shallowness” that try to impose on us as normal the “culture of lowness,” where there is obviously no place for transcendence and hope. Pope Francis

Below are links to documents from the gathering, including Fr. Michael Higgins’ PowerPoint presentation on Altius Moderamen, a list of participants, and the Recommendations made by the Participants.

Our Life-Giving Union – Discernment and Discussion – August 2019

CNSA USA members Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, T.O.R, and Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM, are in Rome this week (November 10 – 15, 2019), attending the Congress of National Spiritual Assistants to the OFS. Fr. Christopher arrived on Friday, November 8^th, and enjoyed some fraternity time at the Motherhouse of the Third Order Regular, The Basilica of Saints Cosmos and Damian, (courtyard shown at left), situated in the Roman Forum. Fr. Joined T.O.R. Friars from the Philippines, Paraguay, Croatia and Brazil.

The congress, a gathering of National Spiritual Assistants to the OFS and YouFra from around the world, is being held at the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure, commonly called the Seraphicum. The Seraphicum is the international study center of the Friars Minor Conventual in Rome.

Some of the topics and presenters at the Congress are:

• OFS History and Identity – Fr. Pedro Zitha, OFM, (General Spiritual Assistant)
• OFS Official Documents – Tibor Kauser, OFS, (OFS General Minister)
• OFS Spirituality – Fr. Amando Trujillio-Cano, T.O.R., (General Minister and General Spiritual Assistant) (The full text of his presentation is available here Franciscan Spirituality .
• Spiritual and Pastoral Assistant to the OFS-YouFra, and Formation Process in the OFS-YouFra – Fr. Francis Bongajum Dor, OFM Cap. – (General Spiritual Assistant)
• Relevance of the Franciscan Charism for Today – Fr. Alfred Parambakathu, OFM Conv. – (General Spiritual Assistant)

Among those in attendance were some familiar faces. Tibor Kauser, our General Minister, pictured here with Fr. Alejandro Isare, T.O.R., from the Philippines, and our own Fr. Christopher, and Fr. Francis Dor, who was with us at Chapter in 2016 and 2018.

We look forward to our CNSA Friars sharing insights and inspirations from the Congress when they return, and wish them safe travels.

Greetings from our General Minister, Tibor Kauser, OFS