A little 'doctrine and some clarification
The creation of the regional level to proceed patiently and without interruption, and the fruits are there for everyone everywhere, the desire to start again with renewed vigor, in the rediscovery of its original size more authentic experience the joy of size unit, the discovery of their spiritual riches and tradition, the discovery of a pre-existing and substantial equality, much deeper than he had wanted to believe.
thank the Lord!
however, continue to circulate information, ambiguous interpretations and uncontrolled way of life, identity and nature of the SFO, which have nothing to do with the true and authentic identity and nature of the SFO, as outlined by the Church (the Rule and Constitutions) and the history and genesis of the founding of the Franciscan family and its ramifications: First, Second and Third Order.
It seemed appropriate, therefore, offer some food for explanation and clarification on some of the most insistently underlined by the person who does not want to recognize themselves in one and only SFO.
For obvious reasons of space, does not claim to offer a real discussion of the issues proposed, but only a few concise clarifications with the intent to establish some points of doctrine and clear up a number of free and uncontrolled statements threatening the understanding of the SFO as a whole and self-understanding of own brothers and sisters in the form of life in which they entered by profession.
The SFO is an ecclesial reality, in some ways, still only in the Church and our own law, Rule, Constitutions and Ritual is, unfortunately, still largely unknown and much less studied and understood.
It is hoped that this brief essay can also serve as a stimulus for our brothers and sisters, to study, love and live our Rule (John Paul II, 1982) and our general constitution (John Paul II, 2002 ) that, "in virtue of profession, ... represent for each of us the point of reference for daily, starting from a specific vocation and identity. "1
Our Vocation
L ' SFO is not a pious confraternity to which you "subscribe"!
The SFO is a Public Association of the Faithful, which was built by the Church (true, "order", as it was according to the authoritative statement of the various popes) to be accessed by a solemn profession, public and perpetual, which commits to achieve an authentic form of religious life for centuries.
Profession is a highly individual act which has the value of a marital alliance with the Lord Jesus, for the consecration to the service of the Kingdom and the commitments that, with it, you assume.
By Profession incorporation occurs in the SFO in a permanent and binding, with all the consequences that derivano.2
The SFO belongs to the intimate life of the Church.
To be truly Secular Franciscans should, therefore, a real specific vocation.
This must be the subject of deep discernment (... try to make sure your calling and your election. If you do this will never stumble. 2 Pt 1, 10) and once embraced must be experienced in its full dimension of Grace (... I urge you to lead a life worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility, gentleness and patience, forbearing one another in love, looking to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Eph 4, 1-3).
Our specific vocation is to follow our Lord Jesus Christ as the S. Francis, continuing the mission, life-giving union with the entire Franciscan family.
Unity and uniqueness of the SFO.
The unity of the SFO is organic, structural, and charismatic.
It coincides with a real union body, as defined by the late Pope John Paul II:
"The Church expects from the Secular Franciscan Order, one and only, a great service to the cause of the Kingdom of God in today's world. She wishes that your Order is a model of organic, structural and charismatic at all levels, so as to present to the world as a "community of love" (Rule 26). ... I sincerely hope that the new President of the International Council SFO (SFO) to continue the path taken by the former towards the goal of a true body, for fidelity to the charism received from San Francisco and the basic lines of the renewed legislation of your Order (Message to the General Chapter, November 22, 2002).
This constitutive reality of the Order (the organic unity) is unquestionably sanctioned, once and for all, by the Rule and General Constitutions.
The Rule and General Constitutions, which are an integral part of the Rule (Rule 3 and GGCC 4.3), indicate with precision what the SFO and provide the platform on which you must set out all the Secular Franciscan Order to be faithful to their vocation .
Our Rule, and its general constitution, form part of the law of the Church, are "Basic Law" does not exempt (CIC 86) and, therefore, the will of the Holy See, they expressed, is incontrovertible that the SFO is a structural and organic union of all the fraternities, and that this Union is not, absolutely and in any case, due to a federal union of the previous fractions of the SFO.
over whether the structural and organic unity, have occurred in recent years, many influential and confirmations:
- by Pope John Paul II,
- by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life,
- the Apostolic Signatura,
- by the Conference of Ministers General of the Franciscans,
- by the Presidency of the International Council, the General Chapters
- SFO.
In practice, by all!
The unity of the SFO is a fact.
The completion of the unit at national, worldwide, except in Italy and Colombia, had already ended in 1990. In Colombia, the structural unit was completed soon after, in 1993.
The completion of the "regionalization" in the world (except in Italy) was completed between 1995 and 1997. The regionalization have made much slower process of unification at the national level, for obvious reasons.
Even in Italy, the unit already exists as an objective fact as set out in regulation, as actually constitutive of our identity. It exists as incontrovertible fact, regardless of the opinions of individuals.
Subjectively, there are some brothers and some sisters who so far has eluded to this fundamental need, in fact, in some way, have set off from the only body of the Order. In fact, it's as if they, although they belong to the profession, the one order, they had placed in a sort of limbo voluntary. At this time, the SFO in Italy is like a house with many rooms, we are all in the house, the house (which we like it or not), only that someone was in his room and does not want to go out and share with other family life!
The SFO unit in Italy there is also practical.
There is a legitimate unit National Council, elected by a regular chapter, confirmed by the legitimate authorities of the SFO (the Presidency of the SFO) and recognized by the General Chapter of the Order, the Church and the Ministers General of the First and TOR.
Regionalisation has already carried out in Lombardy, Lazio, Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicily. In the finishing straight, even before the end of this year, there are several other regions.
This National Council Unit has jurisdiction over all of Italy SFO.
This is confirmed in numerous documents of the Church, the least of which is that of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, after the Judgement of the Apostolic Signatura, calls "... the National Council of the SFO 'Italy to intervene authoritatively to dispel all claims .... "and again" ... to act, supported by Provincial Ministers of the First Order and TOR, in all the fraternity of Italy, to bring to conclusion the process of unification also at the regional levels "(letter dated 28 February 2004 the Minister General of the SFO).
Local fraternities of the SFO in all Italy, of all religious assistance, all without distinction, are part of the SFO, and are guided and inspired, connected and coordinated directly from this National Council, until will not be made uniform and their regional fraternities will be elected the respective Regional Councils.
Nothing is lost, everything continues to exist and all Fraternities always have their role and the full capacity, and the duty, to express themselves to elect their leaders, local, regional and national authorities in their respective chapters, in which they have always filled with "say".
The SFO and its organization
seems appropriate at this point, recall the doctrines of the SFO and its joints, under our own law.
- The SFO, one and only (the Public Association of the Faithful in art. 1.5 and 99.2 of the General Constitutions) is the set of all Catholic fraternities the world, and identifies with the International Fraternity (Const, art 69)
- The SFO is erected by the Church as a whole and locally, through the canonical local fraternities, where the brothers live in practice .
- The other fraternities (national and regional) are structures of liaison and coordination in such work under the SFO and the SFO are made by legitimate authority. (Can. GG. 61.2 and 65.2)
- The SFO, the individual and total, the Public Association of the Faithful, never came less and less has been said that never lapsed or ceased. Are its internal structures, its articulations (including the above "components of obedience"), which can be redesigned, if when the need arises, and which now must find a redesign to make the Rule and Constitutions, according to the will of the Church.
- The Order still exists, and unchanged local fraternities, in direct connection with the existing national unitary authority in the absence of fraternities from regional ricostituire3, are the only entity lawfully existing and that express, freedom and under the law, the new Regional Councils. (Cf. DC. GG. Art. 65.1)
The above explains the incomprehensibility of the first component of dissociation that comes under Argia Passoni at the First Unitarian National Chapter, so that, in this regard, 24 April 2002, the congregation wrote to all the Minor component of OFS ' Italy:
"The statements provided here talking about" decoupling, "are very ambiguous and equally dangerous. These dissociations from participating in the national elective chapter, or you are taking the SFO fraternities / Minor Offsite SFO, dissociating the Secular Franciscan Order as such and that is by its nature, configuration and legislation? Who drags brothers Secular Franciscans and sisters in this attitude we must assume full responsibility for these serious acts. "
The congregation had, even then, well captured the meaning of this dissociation is so true that this initial dissociation was followed by that, more recent and otherwise, last February:
"With this act we dissociate ourselves from SFO formally declaring that they recognize as its sole issue of the self-styled SFO hampers Italy and in all ways the life of our fraternity.
recognize the legitimate representation only in the SFO National Minister of Children and National Council in its mandate and give them to communicate with authorities concerned that our separation. "4
dissociate itself from the SFO is clear and unambiguous expression of a voluntary exit from the SFO, as such.
The brothers and sisters reflect and meditate on these statements carefully!
is not empty words and little weight! Their consequences are extremely serious. They are equivalent to a voluntary dismissal from the real (cf. CC. GG. Art. 58).
E 'must, however, clarified that the term "dissociate ourselves" can only be attributed to the two people who signed the statement and not to others.
In fact, the Profession, which incorporates the SFO (and not a partial reality of it) is, as we said, a purely individual act that can not be revoked except by the express will of individual staff and professed (cf. CC. GG . Art. 42).
None of this matters in a personal and spiritual sensitivity, can speak on behalf of others, nor have other's fate, much less without a clear documentary evidence that expresses the free and fully informed will of every brother or sister , individually, to abandon the Order!
Each responds to own conscience and no one else!
On this point the Presidency of the International Council has provided a clarification of which is contained in another section of the magazine.
Interpretations of the Judgement of the Apostolic Signature of February 4, 2004
must clear up a series of readings and misleading erronee5 of the Judgement of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, which still stand by their insistence disclosure.
It 'important to read and study carefully the Judgement and without partisanship, because:
The Judgement of the Signatura is an important step in defining the controversy on the drive of the SFO.
It is an exemplary document for doctrinal precision, for its legal consistency, for the respect shown for their respective roles within the Roman Curia, as well as for his historical reconstruction of the facts.
The sentence, in addition to declaring the legality of the decree of CIVCSVA (under appeal), offers a final word of clarity about the nature of assistance and on certain aspects of the same structures of the SFO.
The Judgement does not state that the so-called "National Fraternity of SFO Minor" still exists.
the contrary, it expresses so incontrovertible that it, as a fraction, and its structural expression, no longer exists.
"As noted by the Rev.mo Promoter of Justice, the applicant, or at least Ms. Passoni, has locus standi. Notwithstanding, in fact, that over time has terminated the mandate of all the National Councils of the Secular, and therefore also to the National Council with the assistance of the Friars Minor, is a continuation of an action commenced before, certainly on behalf of the Secular Italian with the help of the Friars Minor, who had been given time to one year to complete the union. "(Judgement of the Apostolic Signatura, § 16).
The Promoter of Justice (investigating judge) was asked to evaluate whether Argia Passoni could still legitimately represent the SFO Minor component in the action against the decree of CIVCSVA. The decision was that, by the same decree granting the extension of one year, by virtue of that extension, Argia Passoni had legal standing, only to complete the single act of this legal action. nothing else!
The National Fraternity of SFO children no longer exists as an entity separate and distinct from the one body of the SFO.
Also:
- All its institutional bodies have fallen by now 6 years if we consider the provisions of the February 6 1996 Presidency of the SFO;
- more than 5 years, if you want to start by the end of the last three years the National Council Minor OFS legitimately elected (even if the provisions of the above determines otherwise);
- over 3 and a half years, if, despite everything, we wanted to consider the time from the expiry of the one-year extension granted by the decree of CIVCSVA.
discernment of the bodies of the Church
In order to stop the activities required to bring to an end the unification, it is continually invoked, compliance, unidentified and never concluded, time for discernment of the bodies of the Church.
In this regard, we note that:
- The congregation has long since completed his discernment and made it the subject of a decree and authoritative, very clear and repeated statements formal and public.
- the Apostolic Signatura has recognized the legitimacy of the decisions of the Congregation.
- The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has spoken with great clarity and precision.
- OFM Minister General and the entire General Conference of Ministers of the First Order and TOR to which the Church has entrusted the altius moderamen and the spiritual care of the Order, have spoken several times with great clarity and precision.
What other insight you expect?
The Church has already done this discernment. There is now nothing more to wait.
now, more than six years, the Fraternity held OFM suspended assistance on this issue and someone has to explain, after all these pronouncements, because they continue to perpetuate this situation, with severe pain and scandal in the Order , in the Franciscan Family, the Church and outside it.
The offices of the Roman Curia
Finally, it remains to say a word to clear up a misconception, that meanders for too long, about an "alleged" opposition between IVCSVA and the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
It 'obvious that there can be no conflict and that what you are suggesting in this context does not even deserve to be taken into account.
To understand the issue, in addition to what has been said about the Judgement of the Apostolic Signatura, it is useful to summarize, for the purposes of our story, the roles and relationships of the departments, under the Roman Curia, the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus .
the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as the Court, shall receive judgments "on appeals against individual administrative acts whether issued by the departments of the Roman Curia or approved by them, whenever we discuss whether the contested measure has violated some Law in adjudicating or making "(Pastor Bonus, art. 123 § 1).
the Apostolic Signatura, therefore, settle disputes between two parties, as provided for by law and the universality of the Church's own legislation (in our case to the SFO), but it is the body that should provide insight on our lives, structure, identity, etc.., (task of IVCSVA) and body is not superior to the Congregation.
summary:
- the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the body that has full and direct authority throughout the SFO, in the name of the Holy See;
- There is no relationship of superiority-inferiority between the two bodies (the CIVCSVA and the Apostolic Signatura) that have distinct roles and duties in the Roman Curia;
- a court, which is the Apostolic Signatura, is called upon only when there are cases to be resolved, and not to legislate or change the laws of the Church.
God grant that this suffering will end soon and that we can bring peace and harmony among the brethren.
There is absolutely no inclination to persecution or abuse against anyone who does not want the structural unit, such as obsessively repeats long (figuriamoci!), but only the will and the duty to defend an essential part , numerically dominant and the Franciscan Family (SFO) in the whole world, because it remains faithful to the foundational nature of the Order, its ecclesial identity, its mission and vocation, the desire of the Church.
These brothers say they want to defend their identity. Well, we firmly believe that there is good faith in that statement. However, it would take an equally good will on their part to recognize that our faith is good!
If then (but is not this what we wish, on the contrary!), Someone you do not recognize most of life in a given project or it believes, in good conscience, that the plan is not what you thought it was where is the problem?
Everyone in the freedom of the sons of God, must be able to realize their life and vocation, according to their conscience. And if that will bring their brothers and sisters not to recognize the SFO, and a unique, is perfectly legitimate that these our brothers and sisters organize their lives differently outside the SFO and its structures.
Obviously, in this case, it will no longer OFS, let alone "SFO Minor" (plus, the Ministers General of the Order of Friars Minor have long held, and finally, the position of the whole ' order), but it will be a novum (yes) to define everything that we hope will be in harmony with the vocation of these brothers and sisters of these.
Even so, clarity and respect, we can, and should, love the same, and as more than before.
the Lord give us peace!
Benedetto Lino, SFO
1 Promulgation of the General Constitutions, 6 February 2001; message John Paul II, November 22, 2002
2 cf. GGCC 42, Ritual, Preface, III, 14, c 3
Where regional fraternities have already been reconstructed the connection has been restored through such regional fraternities (Article 65.1)
4 Declaration of the "National Assembly Minor Ofs" Rome 18/20 February 2005
5 "The Congregation (ICLSAL) does not intend to respond to the requests contained therein (note: Letter of Argia Passoni) because the judges of the totally unfounded as misinterpreted the Judgement of the Supreme Court. "(Letter of 28 February 2004 to CIVCSVA Minister General of the SFO)
0 comments:
Post a Comment