On Saturday, September 12, 2026, I participated in the first meeting of the Secretaries General for Formation of the three branches of the Franciscan First Order. I was accompanied by the Vice Secretary General of the General Secretariat for Formation (SGF), Friar Stephen OCHWADA, OFM Conv., a member of the Conventual Franciscan Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Kenya. The meeting was held at the General Curia of the Friars Minor (OFM) in Rome.
The Order of Friars Minor was represented by its Secretary General for Formation and Studies, Friar Darko TEPERT, a member of the Friars Minor Province of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Croatia, and its Vice Secretary General for Formation and Studies, Friar Edson Augusto NHATUVE, a member of the Friars Minor Custody of St. Clare of Assisi in Mozambique. Friar Edson hosted the meeting. The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.) was represented by its Secretary General for Formation, Friar Abera Makebo LORATO, a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of Ethiopia, and its Vice Secretary General for Formation, Friar Waldheim RODRIGUES, a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of Goa in India.
The meeting was first and foremost an opportunity to get to know one another and exchange views on formation within the Franciscan Family. Each participant presented the work carried out within their respective Order. Moreover, the participants sought to identify possible projects for collaboration, recognizing that many of the challenges facing our charism today are common to all of us.
The participants intend to schedule two meetings per year. The next meeting will take place in April 2027 and will be hosted by the Conventual Franciscans. Communion continues to be a “sign of the times,” particularly in the area of formation.
This initiative creates a space for dialogue and listening within a broader perspective that can enrich everyone. Toward the end of the meeting, the Minister General of the Friars Minor, Friar Massimo FUSARELLI, joined us. He encouraged us to continue along this path and to keep fostering formation, taking into account the different contexts in which the Franciscan charism is lived throughout the world today.
I would also like to thank the friars who will participate in the first meeting of the “Review Group” on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Coming from various Provinces of the Order, they will work together with the General Secretariat for Formation to revise the document Discernment in Fraternity.
Friar Bernardino HOSPITAL POSADA
Secretary General for Formation
