On November 13-17, 2017, a meeting of the International Commission for Formation (CIF) was held at the Seraphicum in Rome.
The main purpose of the meeting was to work on the final revision of Franciscan Discipleship, in view of the upcoming Ordinary General Chapter. The CIF members worked on a first draft, which had been prepared by the General Secretariat for Formation (SGF) beforehand.
The work of the Commission was also enlivened by the presentation of two reflections. The first, by Friar Giulio CESAREO, was on the criteria for admission to the postulate. The second, by Friar Francesco SCIALPI, was about ongoing formation.
The work of meeting was aimed at preparing, in the coming months, a second draft of Franciscan Discipleship by the General Secretariat for Formation. This second draft will be presented to the Minister General and his Definitory for their final evaluation.
After their suggestions are integrated and there is a final reading of the text by the members of the CIF, the SGF will prepare a final draft of Franciscan Discipleship before the next meeting of the CIF in 2018, with a view to the draft’s ultimate approval at the next General Chapter.
During the meeting, Minister General Friar Marco TASCA, and Vicar General Friar Jerzy NOREL met with CIF members to examine and discuss various formation topics.
The meeting was intensive and rewarding, both for the work that was done and for the fraternal time spent visiting and discussing. Among those attending were: Friar Louis PANTHIRUVELIL, SGF Secretary General; Franklin DURAN ZAMBRANO, SGF member and representative for the Federación Conventuales America Latina (FALC); Friar Joseph FISCHER, representative for the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF); Friar Piotr SZCZEPAŃSKI, representative for the Federatio Europae Mediae et Orientalis (FEMO); Friar Mattia CHOI, representative for the Federation of Asian Minor Conventuals (FAMC); Friar Alessandro PERISSINOTTO, representative for the Federazione Inter-mediterranea Ministri Provinciali (FIMP); Friar James CIARAMITARO, representative for the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF); and Friar Joseph KACHELEWA, representative for the African Federation of Conventual Franciscans (AFCOF).
Friar Louis PANTHIRUVELIL, Secretary General for the SGF
