ROME — Passion for Christ and humanity are the characteristics that will make one’s life truly meaningful was the advice from the General Minister to participants of the recent Chapter of Mats Under 10.
“Only in this way will our life open itself to the future with hope, because it will be lived in the present with passion. That passion, my dear brothers, is one of the most eloquent, visible and credible signs that our life can offer,” he wrote in a letter to the friars meeting in Mexico June 2 to 10 for the Chapter of Mats Under 10. The chapter was for friars who professed their vows in the past 10 years. The theme was “Identity of Friars Minor and the Beatitudes.”
Holy Name friars Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, and Christopher VanHaight, OFM, were among the 150 worldwide participants. Fraternitas, the General Curia’s newsletter, reported in its July issue that the General Minister and his Definitory were able to hear from the younger brothers and learn more about their dreams and desires, struggles and difficulties, and hopes and fears about the future.
The current newsletter also reports on a variety of other events of importance to Franciscans.
“The Franciscans and Vatican II Council” was the theme of a Study Day held on May 22 at the Pontifical University Antonianum. Organized by the faculty of theology the day posed a comprehensive overview on philosophy, especially the presence and role of St. Francis. The event helped celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, which runs through October 2012.
An exhibition of paintings on St. Francis opened last month in Italy and runs until Nov. 4, featuring paintings from several museums. The exhibition was conceived by the city of Rieti for the artistic and ethno-anthropological history of Lazio. Friars from the Province of Rome participated. According to Fraternitas, “The masterpieces were singled out in a way that they are able to describe the principal events of the biography of Francis, interpreted in different stylistic variations that mark the evolution of artistic language and brought together by the spiritual and expressive intensity to which the figure of the saint is inseparably connected.”
On June 2, young Franciscans and their spiritual assistants gathered in Croatia for the 20th anniversary meeting of Franciscan Youth, known as YouFra. Held at the shrine of Our Lady of Grace of Trsat (Rijeka), Ana Fruk, councilor of the CIOFS Presidency for YouFra, attended, along with other OFM representatives and members of the Franciscan Youth of Bosnia/Herzegovina and Slovenia.
Fraternitas also reports on:
- The General Minister’s schedule, which includes a July 6 to 8 trip to Thailand and a July 22 visit to the Poor Clares of the Betic Federation in Spain
- Three new books of interest to Franciscans
- Announcement of seven general visitors for Europe and the Philippines