Today, the morning Mass was presided over by the Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Poland (Gdańsk), Friar Wojciech KULIG. Speaking in both English and Italian, he reminded the friars about the radical nature of our faith, which lies not in appearances but in concretely living Jesus Christ. Every choice we make must be infused with the Gospel, which calls us to recognize the lordship of Jesus in every moment of our lives, especially when we face trials.
The work of the Chapter only started in the afternoon because the Minister General, Friar Carlos TROVARELLI, attended a family funeral.
At 4:00 p.m., Friar Francesco PANIZZOLO, a member of the General Procurator’s Office, presented Motion 13, concerning the protection of minors.
In 2023, the Minister General issued “Guidelines for Protecting Minors and Vulnerable Persons from Sexual Abuse and Procedures to Be Followed in Case of an Allegation.” Today’s Motion was intended to reiterate the importance of this issue, especially with regard to formation.
To that end, the Motion called for the establishment of a special General Office, and proposed a General Assembly on this subject, and the scheduling of formation meetings at the level of the Federation and the Jurisdiction. Members of the OFS and the Poor Clares were also to be involved in these formation meetings.
This was followed by an in-depth analysis and discussion on this very sensitive issue. The Motion was then put to a vote and approved.
Finally, the Capitulars met by Federations, to evaluate and share their experience of this Chapter, and to offer suggestions for the 2031 Ordinary General Chapter.
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