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The spiritual and pastoral assistance to the SFO The SFO

The Order Secular Franciscan Order is a public association in the Church (CIC 301 § 3, 312, 313) - General Constitutions of the SFO, Art. 1.5
The SFO, as an international public association, is linked by a special bond to the Roman Pontiff, which had the approval of the Rule and the confirmation of his mission in the Church and the world - SFO, General Constitutions, Art. 99.2

The General Constitutions of the SFO that, according to the exhortation of the beloved John Paul II should be studied, loved, lived, basically you open and close with these two fundamental statements that characterize the ecclesial nature of the SFO.

As the public association of faithful, the Secular Franciscan Order:
exists for a deliberate act of the will of the Church (the Church herself who wants to existence as the Church serves the SFO), is built from

Holy See is closely linked to the life of the Church, from which it receives a specific role to play in His name.

is an association of the faithful, the CIC, canons by 305 and 317, provides that the Association is subject to supervision and that we should appoint an assistant:

"All the associations of faithful are subject to supervision by the competent ecclesiastical authority, which is responsible to take care that they have been kept in the integrity of faith and customs, and ensure that no abuses in ecclesiastical discipline, it therefore remains the duty and the right to visit them in accordance with law and the statutes .... "(CIC 305 § 1)

..." it all ' ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Canon 312 § 1 direct appointment of a chaplain or assistant clergyman have heard ... more officers association ". (CIC 317)

The Can. 312 defines who the competent ecclesiastical authority: for the SFO is the Holy See;
The Can. 315 states that the Church, through the competent ecclesiastical authority exercises its judicial authority on public associations. This is a requirement of the particular nature of public associations of the faithful who receive, as already mentioned, a mission to play in nomine Ecclesiae;

The SFO, however, is not simply a public association of faithful. In fact, it has some very specific and peculiar characteristics that make it unique, and sinking its roots in its foundational history, dating back directly to St. Francis, Franciscan in the bosom of the trilogy (First, Second and Third Order).
For this reason, although the pastoral governance of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Pontiff (c. 312 § 1.1) and bishops (c. 305 § 2), under an apostolic privilege granted to the SFO and the entire Franciscan family, the pastoral and spiritual direction of the SFO has been entrusted to the First Order and the TOR, under the law of the SFO.
The Fraternity, in any event, even in this privileged system shall remain under the supervision of the bishops with regard to their activities within their respective dioceses (101.2 Const.)

From here it follows, therefore, that the General Ministers and Provincial Ministers of the First Order and TOR, in place of the bishops are acting on behalf of the Holy See, the duty of supervision and of spiritual and pastoral SFO .
Recognizing that the three Franciscan Orders within a family are ordered, in a complementary and inseparable, in the same mission and received the same charisma, the Church would have it, do not produce any fracture and that the charismatic communion within the family was guaranteed by the specific task of care and supervision. Precisely because of this relationship between the First and Third Order, altius moderamen, which exercised pursuant to and in the Constitutions of the SFO, in addition to ensuring the necessary supervision prescribed by the Church takes its own characteristics and peculiarities that we will try to focus in this paper.

Without this necessary introduction, we move now to a broader debate on the theme of spiritual and pastoral support as they set up under the SFO and, as applicable, of the Franciscan Family.

On 25 March 2002, the Conference of Ministers General of the First Order and TOR approved the Statutes for Spiritual and Pastoral Assistance to the SFO, as revised following the approval Ultimately, by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA) of the General Constitutions of the Secular Franciscan Order (December 8, 2000). At
Statutes for Assistance and other legislative Secular Franciscan Order, the First Order and TOR, we want to be careful to propose some elements for reflection on Assistance to the SFO.
Above all we need to focus on vital reciprocity, from whom and in which direction is the service that the First Order and TOR are required to pay the Secular Franciscan Fraternity. This service is realized in helping spiritual and pastoral and carrying altius moderamen. It follows that much spiritual assistance as the altius moderamen reciprocity must always be brought back to life and viewed with the perspective of the fraternity that inextricably links the three Franciscan orders of the one family. From that instance the need arises again vocation of mutual dependence and mutual spiritual support.

1. Source of spiritual

"a concrete sign of communion and shared responsibility, the councils on various levels, in shall ask for suitable and prepared religious for spiritual assistance to the superiors of the four religious Franciscan families, to whom the Secular Fraternity has been linked. " The

No Rule 26 of the SFO only reported highlights:

the subject (the Councils of the SFO fraternities at various levels) that calls for religious assistance 1;
the fundamental reason which triggers the request: "Communion and shared responsibility. "

The request for assistance to religious part by the SFO, but this request is the commitment of the superiors of the First Order and TOR to ensure suitable and prepared by religious assistance to the SFO. Limiting
at the moment this statement, we infer a right and duty of the SFO and duty of the First Order and TOR. This is so true to push the new Statutes for Assistance to declare: "religious superiors should provide spiritual assistance to all the fraternities of the SFO" (1.3). In fact, as the PA Boni: "Not the First Order (c. 312, § 1.3) but the Third Order who earned the privilege of being under the altius moderamen of the First Order to take part in community life that exists between the three Franciscan Orders "2.
Communion, and shared responsibility are the source of assistance to the SFO.
not underestimate the initiative of the SFO in the dynamic between question and answer about spiritual care, the sign of communion and shared responsibility is placed first by the SFO or better from SFO councils at various levels, which in towards their brothers and sisters have their own and their primary responsibilities.
E 'historically founded the Third Order was born from the relationship between the Penitentes and San Francisco and the teachings they received from him, was born legally fully autonomous in respect of the First and Second Order. The basis of mutual relations of the three Franciscan Orders resides in communion "body" based on that they are members of the same body (corporis eiusdem existentes members) 3. Consequently, the verb used to connect the Rule approved by Pope Paul VI receives all its meaning from the fundamental statement of No Rule 1 of the SFO:

"Among the spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all members of the people of God, lay, religious and priests who recognize that they called to follow Christ in the Footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. In various ways and forms, but in life each other, they intend to make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church. "

From this emerges the existence
- a unique Franciscan family, generated by our Holy Father;
- consisting of three members (the three Franciscan Orders);
- bound together by a mutual life-giving;
- with the same charisma and with an identical mission in the Church and the world to play at their own individual state and its distinctiveness.

This belief is shared by the Rule of the SFO and the First Order and TOR is expressed in their constitutions.

Throughout history the men who have occupied the SFO have received different names: visitors, delegates, directors, commissioners, etc.. It is clear that each name are content and different instances, and diversity of roles and functions. Today we talk about assistance, assistant, assist: are terms that indicate the brotherly service of "being close to help." This terminology, which in the current phase of history is to be considered the most appropriate possible, has a great value derives from the need of communion with one another that exists between religious and secular Franciscans, and the Franciscan religious assistance, rather than by law, derives from fidelity to the call themselves and others.

2. The spiritual and pastoral assistance to the SFO

This is the Title V of Chapter III of the Constitutions of the SFO that, in line with No 1 of the Rule begins with the following statement (art. 85.1):

"As part of the Franciscan family and called to live the charism of Francis within the secular, the SFO has particular and close relations with the First Order and TOR.

Based on this principle, § 2 of the No 85 speaks of "spiritual and pastoral care of the SFO, entrusted by the Church to the First Order and the TOR," which "has a duty above all of their general and provincial ministers." There is no doubt that the text (§ 2) and everything that follows should be read in light of the title, which speaks of "spiritual assistance SFO and pastoral "or" spiritual and pastoral care. "

For this reason, it is important to highlight some elements:

1. the order of terms (service and / or care: 1) spiritual, and 2) pastoral), which has a precise meaning. Before and even more than one instance of ministerial-clerical assistance (which, obviously, and we can not exclude the need for which is undeniable), it denotes a spiritual commitment: to support life in the Spirit and the life according to (their) spirituality . In fact, "is the particular task of the Franciscan spirituality and to cooperate in initial and continuing training of brothers. "

2. assistance and / or spiritual and pastoral care is a fundamental category of priority, from which descend, derive therefrom and other categories, including that of the altius moderamen. Which means:
- the altius moderamen not considered separately provided;
- the altius moderamen must be exercised in the light of the meaning of the term assistance, assistant, assisting people, which is intrinsic to the service and Ministerium humilitatis.

It is recognized that:

1. the path taken by the Franciscan family, a whole, has led to rediscover the origins of the family and the SFO in it (= discovery of his charisma and his own identity);
2. the rediscovery and return to the roots were taken, encouraged, promoted and supported by the Church, that his authority has approved both the Rule and the present Constitutions of the SFO;
3. by virtue of what it must be said that there is no government of Prime Order / TOR in the SFO. However, there is only a humble Ministerium Fratrum derived from the common vocation to walk together in the way of the Lord.
Thus the Constitutions of the SFO is a clear unequivocal:

"This service of the religious ministers supplements, but does not substitute for the secular councils and ministers such as the guidance, coordination and animation of the fraternities at various levels "(86.2).

3. The duty of the spiritual and pastoral

assistance and / or spiritual and pastoral care of the SFO is a duty on the part of the First Order and TOR entrusted by the Holy See. It arises from the constitutive
communion in which spring from S. Francesco its First Order, and his Third Order. And it is precisely because of this communion of birth, mission and charism that the Holy Father, through the Rule of the SFO, the Secular Franciscan Order granting the privilege of being assisted and to be spiritually protected and guarded, not by the bishops, but by the major superiors of the First Order and TOR. The ties that bind the First Order and TOR SFO are far far superior and far more profound than those embodied in law. Therefore, the Constitutions of the SFO say:

"By virtue of the reciprocity between religious and secular life of the Franciscan family and responsibilities of major superiors, the SFO at all levels shall be provided spiritual assistance as a fundamental communion "(89.1).

Constitutions echoes the Statutes for Assistance:

"The pastoral and spiritual care of the SFO has been entrusted by the Church, by virtue of belonging to the same spiritual family, the First Order and the Franciscan Third Order Regular (TOR) which has been linked to the Secular "(1.1).

On this basis, to review the No 85.2 of the Constitutions of the SFO, which is divided into three statements: first

The spiritual and pastoral care of the SFO, entrusted by the Church to the First Order and the TOR, it is the duty above all of their general and provincial ministers. To them it is the second
altius moderamen mentioned in can. 303. The third
altius moderamen aims to ensure the fidelity of the SFO to the Franciscan charism, communion with the Church and union with the Franciscan family, values \u200b\u200bwhich represent a commitment for the Secular Franciscan life.

The sequence of three propositions is logic, and you can narrow down to two statements: first

one hand, as the General Ministers have a duty to have spiritual and pastoral care (= assist) of the SFO, it follows that to them the responsibility of the altius moderamen;
second on the other hand, since the Secular Franciscans have a duty to be faithful to the Franciscan charism, communion with the Church and the Franciscan family, just to ensure that loyalty, you need the ' altius moderamen.

As you can see, the end is triple fidelity to the charism, the Church, the Franciscan Family, the means, and conditional on the end, the altius moderamen, contextualized in turn the wider duty of care and / or spiritual and pastoral care.
should be read in this light, the wording of paragraph 86.1 of the Constitutions of the SFO:

"The general and provincial ministers exercise their offices regarding the SFO through: the establishment of fraternities; pastoral visit, the spiritual assistance to the fraternities at various levels."

4. Collegial assistance

To put the discussion on assistance to the SFO to be said first collegiate that assistants strictly construed, that is distinct from the general and provincial ministers and appointed by them, are a possibility, not a commitment: to duty, because duty is only to provide assistance and / or spiritual and pastoral care of fraternity of the SFO. This can be done by the general and provincial ministers "personally or through a delegate" 4.
So when it comes to collegial assistance to the SFO, we can not refer primarily or solely to the assistants appointed to exercise their service collegially. Assistance to the SFO is primarily a matter of Ministers (general and / or provincial) and the duty of care also includes the exercise of the altius moderamen. This is intended to mean that those to whom the altius moderamen when performing their functions do nothing but assist the SFO spiritually and pastorally.
As mentioned above, the First Order and TOR are mainly a pastoral and spiritual duty. In this duty are also connected with the legal aspects, but the strictly legal competence of Major Religious Superiors, according to the particular law in force, shall be limited to the establishment of fraternities, the appointment of assistants, the pastoral visits. These prerogatives altius moderamen not involve any exercise of the power of collegial governance, but are issued under the authority of personal religious superiors.

The Statutes for Spiritual and Pastoral Assistance to the SFO, which "aims to determine, in a unified and practical service of pastoral care and spiritual unity of the SFO, taking account of the same order '(4 , 1), states that the service "must be done collectively at all levels above the local" (No. 3, 2).
The correctness of this statement is obvious and would not, therefore, need demonstrations. However, given the difficulties and challenges have recently emerged, press confirm the legality of a collegial exercise moderamen.

E 'needs to be restated, then, that, as part of the Church, for the SFO, is accepted without any problem the vulnus legis5 altius moderamen entrusted to "apostolic privilege," the general and provincial ministers of the First Order and TOR rather than Vescovi6, so, therefore, can and should accept (if it was there sia7) vulnus the legislature to a collegial exercise moderamen.
can not be otherwise, if we are to respect the specific situation of the one and only Secular Franciscan Order.
In this light, the statute speaks of collegiality, which, strictly speaking, only applies to task of the Ministers General. They, in fact, "the exercise collegially altius moderamen pastoral assistance in the SFO as a whole" (Article 8.1).

Instead, with regard to the provincial ministers, the Constitutions of the SFO and the Statute for Assistance reads as follows: Cost

SFO
Regulations 11.1 and 88.1 2
provincial ministers and other major superiors, in its jurisdiction, provide spiritual assistance to the local fraternities entrusted to the jurisdiction. They take care of the interest of their own religious SFO and that suitable persons are appointed and prepared for the ministry of spiritual.
provincial ministers and other major superiors assure spiritual assistance to the local fraternities entrusted to its jurisdiction.
It is their specific, in the name of their jurisdiction:
-canonically new fraternities and guarantee them spiritual assistance;
-animate spiritually, to visit and meet the fraternities assisted by his own Order;
-keep informed ' assistance given to the SFO;
-appoint the chaplains. SFO
Cost 88.5 10.2
Statute
The major superiors with jurisdiction in the same territory, agree on how best to play college their office to the regional and national fraternities of the SFO.
Where most major superiors with jurisdiction in the same area, agree on how best to play their college office to regional and national fraternities of the SFO. Cost
SFO 91.2bc
Statute 10.3
The National Council calls on the national assistant major superior, given jointly by the major superiors with jurisdiction in the territory of the National Fraternity;
the Regional Council asked the Assistant to the major superior, given jointly by the Higher more with jurisdiction in the territory of the regional fraternity. They must also establish a college
procedures for the appointment of Assistants national and regional, as well as superiors in the national and regional Councils of the SFO should request an assistant.


reported on texts can be seen in the following synopsis:

speaks of "jurisdiction" of Major Superiors "in the same area, but no jurisdiction over the SFO;

the territory of the regional fraternity (and still less than the national fraternities), the SFO does not always coincide with the territory of the four constituencies of religious institutes engaged in the altius moderamen in the SFO;

doing No reference to 88.1 of the Constitutions of the SFO, as well as legislation of the First Order and TOR, the statute speaks for the Assistance of the SFO fraternities entrusted to the jurisdiction of provincial ministers and other Superiors;

tenor of the law ' SFO SFO fraternities are, taken individually, to fall under the jurisdiction of each Provincial Minister and / or major superior,

the scope of its jurisdiction over individual fraternities of the SFO, but it is not strictly college personnel, as specified by paragraph 11.1-2 of the Statute by reference to the Constitutions of the SFO.

outside the jurisdiction of each provincial ministers and / or the superiors major regional and national fraternities of the SFO or the same religious superiors have no more authority for the establishment of the SFO Fraternity higher level than local level.

These regional and national levels, major superiors agreed among themselves on the basis of their availability and characteristics of the territory, the most appropriate way to operate the service collectively. There are no specific rules on, or there may be, as it is to decide on the basis of local needs and common sense, to optimize the service to the SFO, according to the possibilities religious.

The major superiors with jurisdiction in the same area are those that are, in the sense that, given the non-coincidence of a religious province with regional or national Fraternity SFO may also be more than 4. Therefore, (Statute 16.1, 17.2, 19.2, 21.2) components of the Assistants will be more than 4, according to the free discretion of Major Superiors concerned, who may or may not appoint his own assistant or a delegate of the same Order already named by other provincial, and that he afferisca for the part of its mission. The

No 91.2 bc of the Constitutions and the No 10.3 of the Statute and to rely on provincial ministers other major superiors of religious orders each of the four individually, a dual task:

1, jointly draw up procedures for the appointment of national and regional Assistants;
2 ° to jointly draw up such a Higher National and Regional Councils of the SFO should request an assistant.

As to the first task it is noted that: setting up procedures for the appointment of Assistants national and regional college is not to appoint assistants.
In reference to the second task, according to the Constitutions of the SFO and the Statute for Assistance, Provincial Ministers and the other major superiors college must not do anything but give the s Contact Person / national and regional councils of the SFO, if they have to ask the assistants.
In other words, provincial ministers and the major superiors of each Order, are required to establish a college who should receive the request of the Councils of the SFO.
It is doubtful, and even follows that anyone who receives such a request, at the same time has the legal authority to appoint the assistant national and / or regional level.

It follows therefore that ministers provincial and / or major superiors of the various institutes of the First Order and the TOR with jurisdiction in the territory of a national fraternity (or regional) of the SFO, working collegially, not appoint the assistant or assistant national (or regional).
In no text of the Constitutions of the SFO and the Statute for Assistance is said that the provincial ministers and / or major superiors have such jurisdiction college.
The appointment of Assistants, which is exclusively an act of personal competence, is reserved for "more than competent." For this reason it was explicit: "In respect of its order is up to each ministry in general ... If necessary, confirm or appoint the National Assistants belonging to his order" (Stat. 9.2).

Therefore it can be concluded that:

- there is no collegial governance at national and / or regional and there is no collegial exercise moderamen to the same levels;

- where the SFO Constitutions and Bylaws of the First Order and TOR for assistance to ' OFS using the adverb in a college reference to provincial ministers and other ministers from other Superiors General, the same term has no legal value, but simply moral and organizational, that affirms the need for a fraternal cooperation between the provincial ministers, and between institutions religious groups who have the pastoral duty of serving the SFO. The instance of collegiality, with the use of the words matching but without any legal significance, there is more respect for the plurality of the First Order and TOR, which is not to affirm the existence of a potestas collegialis in the SFO;

- Provincial Ministers or the major superiors of the different obedience with jurisdiction in the territory of a national fraternity (or regional) of the SFO does not have skills in college or about the same solidum SFO, if not those of an advisory nature under the Constitution and the Constitution and referred to above.



5. Assistance collegiate appearance

As mentioned, the discourse on collegial support is placed at a level above that locale8. In fact, there is no collegial support at the local level, because "every local fraternity is entrusted to the pastoral care of the Franciscan religious canonically established" 9.

So, according to the Constitutions of the SFO and the Statute for Assistance:

internationally:

Cost SFO 90.3a 17.2

Statute General Assistants offer their service as President of the International Council, form a conference and collegially spiritual assistance to the SFO as a whole.

General Assistants ... give their service as President of the International Council, form a conference and collegially assistance the SFO as a whole.

- at national level:
Cost SFO 90.3b
Statute 19.2
national assistants give their service to the National Council and provide spiritual assistance to the SFO in the whole of the national fraternity and the coordination at national level Regional Assistants. If more than one, they form a conference and give their service collegially.
National Assistants ... lend their services to the National Council and provide spiritual assistance to the national fraternity. If more than one, they form a conference and give their service collegially.

- at regional level:
Cost SFO 90.3c
Statute 21.2
Regional Assistants offer their service to the Regional Council and provide spiritual assistance to the regional fraternity. If more than one, they form a conference and give their service collegially.
Regional Assistants ... give their service to the Regional Council and provide spiritual assistance to the regional fraternity. If more than one, they form a conference and give their service collegially.

The Statutes for the service also exposes the duties of the Assistants in general, national and regionale10. Rather than reporting on them, it seems appropriate to mention the appearance of collegial assistance. The

Statute, in describing the role of the assistant, states:

"In the fraternity council, elected in Chapters and ordinary respecting the responsibilities and role of trees, giving them priority with regard to the guidance, coordination el 'animation of the fraternity "(13:2).

Prior to the legal aspects, the category of collegiality, referring all'altius moderamen and care, is to evoke an instance even higher and more fundamental: that of brotherhood and fraternization.
While the SFO's assistant is called to be witness to the spirituality Franciscan of the fraternal and religious to the secular Franciscans, a bond of communion between his Order and the SFO, then it is also true that the group of assistants to assist in solidum SFO councils at various levels (general, national, regional ) has as its primary duty to testify, that there is one

Franciscan Family
that there is only one First Order Franciscans, though divided into three autonomous institutes;
that there is a single Secular Franciscan Order, SFO
that the only inside does not know or should know segmentation and distinction.

Both major superiors with jurisdiction in the same territory, they are talking about Constitutions of the SFO and the Statute, both the brothers who make up the Conference Assistants are called first to proclaim their identity as brothers and fraternize with each other to say that the commitment of service to SFO - has materialized in ' assistance in general and in its particular aspect of the altius moderamen - no inheritance of one or the Institute, as there is no institute of the First Order and the TOR that either have, individually, each just a Third Order. Assistance to the SFO stems from the primordial reality of the Franciscan family, is the need and duty of "family" and emerges from the base of the vital reciprocity that links all the children of Francis.

here feel the need to proclaim once again - with reverent affection - the inspired words of Fr. Pasquale Rywalski11. He wrote authoritatively to the Brothers of the Order Cappuccino:

"The bond that unites the secular Franciscan sisters and brothers of the first two orders is so strong that you can not touch each other ... without hitting the lay Franciscan, members the First Order and Second Order sisters are united by a common destiny on the wide river of brotherhood that has sprung from the heart of our Father St Francis. Or they will live a life with a fervent, or it will lead to any when you go out together '12.

If this is true, we have consistently stated that the assistance because it is collegial and fraternal fellowship only if, because brothers that put in place by the same family, and because it is responsible for certifying that ultimately there is a 'unique Franciscan Fraternity, is unique because the Franciscan Family and its components are members eiusdem corporis (Urban IV).
The charism of Francis can be updated and renewed only if you live in this perspective, if you live in the family, together with the conviction that no one owns everything and there is no part of the same family that owns more for being the most influential and numerically superior to the other parties. The value of a charism is not measured by the numbers, but with the vitality of its practical application. Therefore, no branch of the Franciscan family and no branch of the First Order can claim - it would be neither fair nor objective - to present their experience as more authentic or typical embodiment of the Franciscan order.

The charism of Francis, however, is all, in its fullness, in the Franciscan family.

The life of communion, then, that comes from the mystery of Church communion and the common charism, helps us to overcome the "uniformity" which often falls in the ecclesial life. The same communion in the bosom of the Franciscan family shows us the richness of charisma in the plurality of expressions in which it occurs, it arises from the creative power of the Spirit that inspired St. Francis to give rise to a form of evangelical life, which he called brotherhood the example of the life of Christ and his disciples.

"From this point of view, spiritual assistance, as entertainment, embracing the life of mission, presence, and opening new paths of cooperation, a sign of communion. Also in this aspect, the collaboration between religious and secular in the Family will improve with better training for all secular and religious 13.
So
Valentin Redondo, who writes:

"The assistance is directed also towards reciprocity, which does not exclude differences, but rather the demands. Reciprocity between the First Order Secular Franciscan Order and the TOR, between religious and secular Franciscan, is charismatic, trying to overcome the existing fractures or inequality levels, emphasizing the specific form of living the charism. Christifideles lay, using the words of Paul VI, said that "the Church has an authentic secular dimension, inherent to her inner nature and mission, which sinks its roots in the mystery of the Incarnate Word, and the second is realized in different forms all its members "14.

vital reciprocity between the Franciscans created from one single project of life, lived in its specific form of religious or secular.
The text of Rule 1 of the SFO has equal value for the First Order, for the Sisters of the Second Order and the TOR. It reveals the effect of mutual recognition and the need to develop authentic relationships of fraternity and advised that at this level (ie at the level of relations between the three orders), it is always a fraternity ad intra, the bond that binds all who are born within the same family. still comes from sharing vital reciprocity of being and operation in order to participate together, despite differences in precious and enriching the mission of the Church.

Br Felice Cangelosi, OFM Cap

6. Service, Animation and Training

In this respect it seems to me to say only that the server always has an educational syllabus, but that the SFO's assistant is not 'the' trainer of the Fraternity of the SFO or SFO or Councils OFS1.
Strictly speaking assistant is not for any technical aspect of training, nor has he the exclusive function of teaching. This fact primarily the responsibility of the trainer secular, while religious assistant to carry out precisely at the level of complementarity and responsibility that somehow he was given by trainers secular (Ministers, Councils, Teachers Training, etc..) 2.

is to insist, however, the appearance of the animation (= give blood, give life), which is "another aspect of the mission of the assistant. [He] He works in the animation of the secular leaders in the fraternity and at the same Council. The assistant's task is to enlighten without imposing, for it is he who has the last word, but the council with his minister. The animation occupies a large space of fraternity life: education, reflection, prayer, apostolate in its many forms, both of fraternity as such, as well as members of the fraternity, sent and supported by the fraternity, which is responsible for the conduct of members "3.

The assistant, by its very nature, will also assist in training, helping members of the SFO to have a better understanding of the Franciscan tradition and spirituality to grow in their vocation and secular Franciscan. The collaboration will enable the growth of the assistant in the formation of solidarity with the Secular Franciscans, and at the same time, the Assistant will learn from them. The assistant is like a communicating vessel, through which are racked talents and abilities of the Franciscan religious to secular, and from this to that. So charisma is complemented and enriched in members of both Orders, both in the way of living, as well as how to manifest it in missione4.

The future of the SFO, which depends on the investment is made in the training of its members, not only from the Secular Franciscan Order, but also of the First Order and TOR, because with it he lives in communion and solidarity. The assistant is a sign of these values. The training helps increase the ability of listening, learning and collaboration in their own religious family and also in relation Franciscan Order Secular and its mission.

7. The exchange of gifts and collaboration

Consecrated Life in the Apostolic Exhortation the Holy Father speaks of vocations to lay life, vocations to the ordained ministry as paradigmatiche5. Borrowing the language and applying it to No 1 Rule of SFO, other times I spoke of three paradigmatic dimensions of the Franciscan charism, to identify and recognize the implementation of the same religious and apostolic charism (First Order), in its implementation-contemplative religious (Second Order) and its implementation Secular (Third Order).
each and every one of these three dimensions are considered paradigmatic, since each of them is a manifestation and particular implementation, but not exclusive, the only charismatic, not only the friars of the First Order and TOR, but with inherently equal, even the Sisters of the Second Order and the Secular Franciscans have responsibilities in the fullness of life, preserve, deepen and Francesco6 develop charisma. Like the three paradigmatic
vocations of Christian life in the service of one another, for the growth of the Body of Christ in history and its mission in the world "7, so the three dimensions are paradigmatic of the Franciscan charism at the service of one another, because all three are designed to "make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church "8.
It follows that for the Franciscan life has value because it is said in No. 54 of the Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata:

"One of the fruits of the doctrine of the Church as Communion, in recent years has been the realization that its various components can and must unite their forces in an attitude of cooperation and exchange gifts, to participate more effectively in the Church's mission. This helps to give a clearer and more complete of the Church, as well as a more effective response to the great challenges of our time, thanks to the combined contributions of the different gifts. " This

the Spirit is saying to the Church today must lead the Franciscans of all three Orders to rediscover the origins of their charismatic spiritual family and push them to a further deepening of life of the vital reciprocity within the same unique Franciscan Family. The
vital reciprocity is realized in the exchange of gifts, which allows trees to be introduced to direct experience of the spirit of the evangelical counsels and as an incentive to live and witness the spirit of the Beatitudes and the radical or all of the demands of the Gospel in transform the world according to the heart of Dio9. Secondly, the exchange of gifts will lead to religious belief that the charism of Francis can not be monopolized by them, it transcends the implementation of which it is put into a local fraternity and / or provincial and / or international level within their religious institute and the same First Order in his triple, co -essential and equal expression.
Secular Franciscans, also, by virtue of the valuable contribution of their world 'and their specific service, will animate the men of the First Order and TOR to investigate "certain aspects of charisma, leading to a more spiritual direction and helping to draw new apostolate "10.
In both cases, finally, it is a communication in what is more profound, valuable and vital, and that is of mutual administrative "spirit and life."
The culture of collaboration, however, implies the need for a radical conversion to leave the still latent concept of the superiority of the religious state compared to the state than just the lay faithful. For us, this requires the abandonment of the concept, but also ever-present and even more driving, which leads to place the "Third Order" in a lower degree of dignity and then to see it as fringe of the First Order and TOR.
The conviction of the equal dignity of all the faithful in Christ and all three Orders of the Franciscan family, whether it is true belief, can not allow to escape the consequences of such an effective recognition.
In addition, the culture of collaboration means that all the agents or the parties to move on a reciprocal, that is the second distinction and difference. At this level for the First Order and the TOR becomes necessary to enter into a state of learning: cooperation is primarily a cognitive investment, knowledge, and then an interaction. The collaboration can not move from instances of ambiguous strategies as if the SFO would act as reserve troops called to the front because the first line (the First Order and TOR) is is in structural crisis. The
vital reciprocity, with the lexicon produced from it (fraternity, fellowship, sharing, etc..), Requires the prior learning of the grammar of the collaboration. In the absence of such learning the vocabulary and terms that will remain a mere flatus vocis or play on words, do not take the depth of experience and a genuine knowledge.
The collaboration involves the conversion but to a thinking and planning together in the one family relationships and spiritual level ecclesiale11.

8. In the beginning was the vital reciprocity

within the Franciscan family must move around and develop on the basis of reciprocity spiritual life and the mutual dependence of all its components. In the Franciscan Family in force a "state of necessity charismatic," under which each of the three Franciscan Orders is necessary not only to the other two and the other two, but this must be considered and this must be considered.
From this awareness comes the sense of a wide-ranging operational collaboration, as suggested by the proposals to exemplifying CISM12. This will be possible if it banishes any temptation of independence and self-sufficiency at all levels, recognizing that not only the SFO needs of the First Order, but that this needs the Second and Third Order.
The proposals themselves are pushing to repeat with full conviction that even the altius moderamen is removed from the dynamics of reciprocity and mutual dependence spiritual life. Allocated to purposes all'altius moderamen (to ensure fidelity to the Franciscan charism, communion with the Church and union with the Franciscan family) show quite clearly that these objectives to be pursued together, brotherhood and mutual, and that the 'SFO - like the Sisters of the Second Order - is called to watch and monitor the fidelity to the charism of the Franciscan Family and the Church by the First Order and TOR.
Francis, who never spoke of his jurisdiction and / or the First Order on the other two, was ahead of its time advocate of a altius moderamen that exceeds the limited horizon of a purely legal. It bears eloquent witness to the written form of life for Clare and the Poor Sisters of St. Damiano13, to which the poor man says, "and I promise on my part and for my brothers, you always have you as them, special care and concern" . Despite
Form vitae is clear testimony of Francis as a "legislator" of the Poor Ladies, just referred to the declaration does not indicate any intention to interfere in the government of Francis of the monastery of San Damiano. Instead, the form of life "contains the spiritual line, the foundation theological and spiritual of the Second Order, like Francis thought he broke it wanted, with clear, inescapable reference to the Gospel of the Annunciation in Luke 1.26-37 14. In it is expressed as "a profession of close fellowship, commitment and unity between brothers-Francis (for me et meos fratres) and Clare-sisters (de vobis) is a true declaration of unity with which Francis sees and loves his brothers, Clare and her sisters (de vobis tamquam de ipsis).
The reason for such a strong bond is not the fact that Francis has elected Clare, but in the fact that Clare and her sisters have chosen God is the reason of the theological unity of the loving care of that concern and that special bond. It is very important and deep in this passage which explains the eternal connection of units ("always") between Francis and Clare: the solemn formula that takes Francis (Flight et promitto ") depends syntactically and literary causal particle which starts the text: "quia", that is because ... I want Francis and promise. "15 In Final Form
vitae fraternal expresses concern for the vocation of the Founder of the vocation of the sisters and brothers, Francis was to take care of the same vocation, materialized and lived in a different way by the Friars Minor and Clarisse16. In fact - she said (Francis) - "One and the same spirit has led the brothers and those poor ladies out of this wicked world." 17 If
why Frank feels his responsibilities towards Clarisse is given by a vocational motivation and if the vocation of the Friars Minor and the Poor Clares is the same, I think I can deduce that the said Francis to the Poor Clares, Clare, despite the diversity of its role (for Clare Francis is the legislature of the Second Order), can be said for Francis and the Friars Minor. Even she is called upon to interfere in the government of Prime Order, but she also has a responsibility to zelare fidelity of Francis and his brothers the way of life Gospel revealed by God.
As stated for the Second Order, has value for the third.
penitents Francis gave a rule and the same vita18 Brothers and Sisters of Penance and Secular Franciscans always Exhortatio to recognize in fratres et de sorores Poenitentia or Fideles The Epistle to 19 and in its posterior recensio called fideles II20 Espistola to the primary source of inspiration for their carisma21. In it, Francis asked, earnestly, and as matter of course, much more than mediocre Christianity of bourgeois society. He struggles to make a radical form of Christian life among the laity who want to follow, and will endeavor to obtain from it a renewal of Christian life secundum formam sancti Evangelicals. Rarely
the Franciscan way of life, which must join the Friars Minor, "Poor Women" and "Fratres et de Sorores Poenitentia", was presented in such a clear, broad and deep as in this Letter. By the Spirit of the Lord in it are radically changed the values \u200b\u200bof a purely natural human life. With surprising ease, in place of "spiritus carnis", that is the human ego and selfish, Francis puts the "Spiritus Domini", that is the thinking, willing, to live and work in accordance with the authenticity of the Gospel.
This way of life is "metanoia", a "agere poenitentiam" of St. Francis!
This is the wellspring of penance, understood francescano22. Rightly so
the Rule of Paul VI in 1978 as a prologue shows the exhortation of St. Francis to the brothers and sisters of penance, where you can rediscover the founding inspiration and the core evangelical original SFO.
We also noted that studies on Opuscula sancti Francisci highlight the correspondence between the first part (of those who do penance) of this text, in the second review of the Letter to the Faithful and culminante23 becomes the central part, and the Form vitae , one then the other corresponding to the Antiphon "Holy Virgin Mary" 24 of the Office of the Passion and, at least ideally, this dipendenti25.
All this testifies to the greatness of the vocation of the Secular Franciscans. In fact, thanks to the "new laws of penance" 26, given by Francis to the Penitents, the same went to a state of "no small perfection," 27 and their vocation is sublime as is that of the Friars and Sisters Second Order.
Despite different enactments in relation to different states of life in the Franciscan family is a fundamental equality of vocations, there is a reciprocity in the responsibility for the loyalty of all the unique charisma essential. Even our brothers and sisters of the SFO are called to perform this task against the other two Franciscan Orders in virtue of their charisma, their high calling, and their location within the one spiritual family. Reciprocity is inherent
vital law of life, emerging from the very being of the Franciscan Family, we face value princeps. So vital has reciprocity and must be recognized as superior, and supremacy over all other respects.
Today more than ever, the Franciscan family is called to proclaim his own life: In the beginning was the vital reciprocity. With this expression, we want to bear witness to their fidelity to a primordial value, which descend from the complementarity mutual dependency and spiritual, as wisely stated the Constitutions of the Friars Minor (No. 60.2), mutual assistance, which translates into supervision practice fraternal, loving care, accountability and responsibility, trepidation and concern for the achievement of the objectives that are attributed all'altius moderamen.
If the same purpose have meaning and value, they can not but postulate a mutual pursuit of that altius moderamen according to the dispositions, attitudes and feelings just outlined. They occur and implement the existential experience, in all expressions of life: school, work, prayer, training, etc.. In that sense, I think that
SFO, the design and function of the assistants should be revisited deeply, not to diminish the value but reaffirmed in the light of the vital principle of reciprocity, which, as just said, also involves mutual assistance.
Spiritual assistance is understood as "fundamental element of communion" 28, while the assistant is primarily to "... be a witness of the fraternal religious to the secular Franciscans and their bond of communion between the Order and the SFO" 29.
Then the function of the chaplains of the SFO is placed primarily on the level of being to acquire a primary characterization sacramental. Each assistant is a sign that immediately return to a reality, the religious group of fraternity lived by local, provincial and general, which belongs to the same server. The first and irreplaceable form of assistance is not expressly delegated to the monks of this task, but rather a religious fraternity aware of the depth of the ties that bind to each fraternity and the entire secular Secular Franciscan Order. The first form of assistance is therefore fully brotherly affection felt by the Franciscan religious in their own communities, and poured with immediacy and spontaneity about the Secular Franciscans. As such
assistance can not be collegiate and collegial, because it is fraternal, because it expresses the unanimous interest of a fraternity, not allowing anyone from taking responsibility away from superficial attitudes through proxy, that these may remain even in the presence of special appointments legally formalized.
a revealing sign of the reality of life of brotherly love, the assistant is simultaneously called to be an effective means of fellowship within both his own religious community and the fraternity of the SFO, so that the bond of communion between the Franciscan religious and secular is to deepen and intensify even more. He must work builder of communion and fraternity, helping in every way and by all means a mutual communication between religious and secular.
If this is so and if I can grasp the wisdom of the Constitutions of the Friars Minor, which - as repeatedly stressed - they resort to the Friars Minor foster vital reciprocity and mutual assistance with OFS30, it must be inferred that the First Order and the TOR must, in turn, receive spiritual assistance from the SFO and the Poor Clares of the Second Order.
Obviously you have to identify and discern the light of the Spirit, the most appropriate ways and means, but you can not circumvent the requirements blocks of life, and here we are faced with a natural right of the Spiritual Franciscan Family. This is because the vital reciprocity, complementarity and integration and then, is so rooted in the heart of being a Franciscan, they can not even think of a Franciscan Family lacking one of its parts (First - Second - Third Order). No Franciscan can never be assumed to be faithful to their vocation, if not faithful to all parts of the one family and not by real and authentic relationships with all the components of the one family.
It is quite obvious that the Franciscan family exists only organically articulated in more members (three Orders) and hence it becomes necessary to say that the greater the sense of belonging to his order, the more it contributes to the welfare and vitality of the one family.
It is also quite clear, and say with full conviction, that belonging to one family has more spiritual value of belonging to your order. This priority of all the parts must pervade the consciousness of every Franciscan and inspire the life and conduct. In this sense it seems appropriate to refer back to life and Form Letter to the Faithful, the expression of one and the other "special solicitude" of the founder of the Second and the Third Order, to derive Written by the same paradigm of the life of the three Franciscan Orders, all three called by virtue of their common origin and common charism, to interweave and develop relations of brotherhood, unity and love. Seem to understand it, in light of the Form vitae and letter to the Faithful, which builds friendship and brotherhood that only those "divinely inspired", can reach unity in the Spirit, to be a single "spirit" (in the sense Pauline), only they can come to promise a "loving care" for ever and merge into a strong unity and holy. In this light
altius moderamen must also obey the law of reciprocity vital, it must be a altius moderamen in reciprocity or reciprocity altius moderamen. Thus, the stage inchoative of legal rules adapted to the fundamental values \u200b\u200bof the vital reciprocity, mutual dependence and mutual support, and respect the same values, we must come to an altius moderamen, the authority that comes from fidelity to their vocation according to the Gospel charism of Francis and that Francis was attended and sent directly and without any interposition, all three orders are descended from him.
I am personally convinced that if the Franciscan family in this hour of its history, so sorely tried as providential really wants to "take off", you need to speak less and say more of moderamen the altius, ie the "high" of a life that is given by the magisterium authenticity and the witness of evangelical life, from a deep and active cooperation at all levels, so that the experience of each of the three Franciscan Orders will be automatically transferred to the other two. Only in this way the three Franciscan Orders come to life and are built upon each other effectively contributing to building up the Body of Christ.

9. Conclusion

I understood therefore share the object of my constant thoughts and proposing some elements to be explored in appropriate forum is the First Order and the TOR that the SFO: Chapters at various levels of fraternity meetings, assemblies, etc.. Always and forever each meeting of the brothers of the First Order and TOR, and any gathering of the Secular Franciscans should serve as a laboratory of the vital reciprocity, cooperation, mutual entertainment and mutual enrichment, the ideal place to deepen the spiritual sense of mutual dependence of the three Franciscan Orders and become increasingly aware of the need to assist each other with mutual support and spiritual assistance.
In such contexts of life siblings who received the specific service to assist the SFO, alone or as assistants of Local fraternities or with other assistants as the Conference of the Society of the higher level are called to be architects and builders of the values \u200b\u200bof the primordial and fundamental dimensions of the Franciscan Family.
In this light, I strongly believe in the utopia of a new era of the Franciscan family, a new course of its history, rooted in tradition, but in deepening his understanding of the most authentic, open to his loyal overcome, and I dare say that carers and collegial assistance is given the role of prophecy. When the new millennium SFO assistants are called to be prophets of a new era of the Franciscans. In this way they make their service to the SFO is alive because his charisma and to implement fully that secularity, is the First Order and TOR to recover because the charismatic insight of Francis and, without any connotation of abstraction finally clerical and / or lay, live the fullness of their identity in brotherhood and minority.
Thus the Franciscan family will be able to embody the prophecy, intuition and the dream of Brother Francis of the Poor and penitents who came to him to receive a Rule of Life!

Br Felice Cangelosi, OFM Cap
Benedetto Lino, SFO