Friar Benedict BAEK, Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in South Korea, presided over the morning Mass. In his homily, delivered in both English and Italian, he talked about how important Jesus’ mandate to the Apostles (Mt 10) is to us Franciscans. We are called to proclaim the Gospel with the sole strength of the Gospel itself and the sure presence of the risen Christ. As the Chapter plans the future of the Order, it must always be mindful that obedience to God’s will takes precedence over numbers of friars or new vocations.
During the morning session, the Capitulars were invited to study and vote upon Motion 5. Friar Marco MORONI, the General Custos of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy, presented the revised Special Statute of the Custody. The updated version includes, among other elements, the Propositum vitæ, which summarizes the distinct charism of the Sacred Convent. The new Statute no longer includes plans for the Custody’s residences—the Franciscanum and Rivotorto—as these are constantly evolving. Instead, such matters are addressed in the Custodial Statutes, which are approved by the General Definitory without needing to be submitted to the General Chapter.
Following a discussion open to all aspects of the fundamental presence of Assisi, the Motion was approved.
In the afternoon, the amendments to the Motions already approved were discussed.
The iuxta modum for Motion 1, regarded a change to the Constitutions. It clarified that for a friar to lose active and passive voice, he must be seriously incapacitated, both mentally and physically.
The next amendment concerned Motion 2, about the archives of the Jurisdictions. The term “secret archive” was replaced with “confidential.”
The third iuxta modum concerned Franciscan Discipleship and the Ratio Studiorum, which had been approved in Motion 3. It introduced a change to the Constitutions allowing these texts to be updated without waiting for the next General Chapter. The General Definitory, after consultation with the Federations, may make new adaptations as needed.
The fourth amendment pertained to Motion 4, about the Directory for Provincial Chapters. The approved change allows all of the friars of a Jurisdiction to participate in Part 2 of the Chapter, where reports are read and discussed. This measure can overcome the difficulty of holding Pre-Chapter Assemblies.
Finally, the new Motion 21, which was not part of the Instrumentum laboris, was discussed and approved. Friar Martin DAY, the Minister Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation in the USA, proposed hiring an external consulting firm to audit and improve the financial and asset management of the Order.
The work in the Chapter hall concluded with the Definitors taking their oath of office and the applause of the Capitulars.
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