Dear sisters and brothers of the Franciscan Family
May the Lord give you peace!
Starting next year, we will begin the celebration of the Franciscan Centenary, which will run from 2023, with the commemoration of the approval of the Later Rule and the Christmas of Greccio, through 2024 (Stigmata), 2025 (Canticle of Brother Sun) and culminate in 2026, with the centenary of his “transitus” from earth to heaven.
At the beginning of the Centenary, the Franciscan Family will be present with a Website, which will present the news and chronicle of the events of the Centenary, as well as in-depth studies and useful aids in different languages: it is beautiful and significant that, in addition to the already existing Websites of our different realities, on this occasion, a common Website for the Franciscan Family will be launched. At the beginning of the new year, you will be able to find it at this address: www.centenarifrancescani.org
The beginning of each year, from 2023 to 2026, will be marked by a joint celebration of the six Ministers General of the Franciscan Family. At the beginning of next year, it will take place in Greccio on 7 January at 11 a.m. We invite you to follow this celebration, which will be streamed live on the new site and will also be available on video.
“The celebration of the centenaries presents itself as a good opportunity to make the Franciscan Family visible in its entirety. Therefore, it would be very appropriate for all activities and initiatives at the national and/or regional level to be coordinated by a representative committee of the entire Franciscan Family. Ad intra and ad extra: Centenaries are not only meant to have a positive impact on the Franciscan Family as a whole. We must invest imagination and creativity so that they also impact non-ecclesial social and cultural environments” (Guidelines for the Centenary, p. 2).
We, therefore, invite you to make arrangements among the different Franciscan groups in your nation, region, or country, to fix a time (a week, a few days, or a special day) in which to organise some joint celebration/activity/initiative in which the different members of the Franciscan Family can participate. In this way, we will be able to meet and enhance the common Franciscan charism and, at the same time, offer a positive prophetic sign to the Church and civil society of our different countries.
The Franciscan Centenary is about to begin; may it be for all of us an opportunity to rediscover the joy of living the charism that “our” brother St Francis left us!
Fraternally
The Franciscan Family Committee
for the Franciscan Centenary