On February 7-25, 2026, the Secretary General for Formation, Friar Bernardino HOSPITAL POSADA, carried out a fraternal visit to several Jurisdictions in Eastern and Southern Africa. He was accompanied by Friar Blasio Ooko OLENGE, the Assistant General for the African Federation of Conventual Franciscans (AFCOF), and Friar Moses Kabenla ARTHUR, the President of Formation for the AFCOF Federation and a member of the Provincial Custody of St. Anthony of Padua in Ghana, where he also serves as Novice Master.
Friar Bernardino visited several presences, including the Provincial Delegation in Uganda, the Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Kenya, the Provincial Custody of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Tanzania, and the Province of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia. Some other presences will be visited on a future occasion. In each place, Friar Bernardino got to meet personally with the young men in formation, and engage in fraternal discussions with them, their formators, and their formation coordinators. He is deeply grateful for everyone’s participation and collaboration.
The journey was marked by genuine fraternity. The two accompanying friars proved to be a true bridge of communion and mutual support. Common experiences deepened relationships and renewed our shared commitment to forming future friars. This exchange—moving in two and even three directions between the northern and southern regions of the Order—makes visible what is described in Matthew 13:52: the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old. The “old” recalls the difficulties and sacrifices endured by the missionaries during the first waves of the implantatio Ordinis; the “new” points to the vitality and missionary energy of our presences in Africa today. History is not merely about the past; it lives in the present.
Meeting directly with the formators and those in formation made something clear that had previously only been sensed: there is a real and hopeful vocational vitality. Seeing it firsthand brought greater clarity and confidence. The means and conditions of initial formation are generally austere and at times demand creativity because of limited resources. Even so, there is evident generosity and dedication. Friar Bernardino The friars make the most of what they have—and often go beyond what seems possible. At the same time, continued support and guidance are needed to ensure that initial formation remains faithful to the principles of Franciscan Discipleship. The experience of a shared year of fraternity between students of philosophy and theology has proven to be particularly meaningful and could serve as a model for other formation settings.
Regarding continuing formation, we need to strengthen it and take it up with greater determination. In initial formation we see a rich prayer life and clear identification with the charism. However, this intensity tends to diminish in the years after solemn profession. These matters will be the subject of reflection at the next meeting of formators, scheduled June 15-20, 2026, in Lusaka, Zambia.
Africa is not the future of the Order; it is already its present. Several friars from the AFCOF Federation are now serving in provinces and ministries across the Order, sharing their gifts and energy.
The formation of friars from Africa who are studying in Rome also requires careful discernment, so that their preparation truly benefits the whole Order.
Friar Bernardino HOSPITAL POSADA, Secretary General for Formation
