Rome, ITALY – On November 21, 2025, beginning at 9:30 a.m., the second Bio-Bibliographical volume of the Lexicon Cappucinum was presented in the conference hall of the Capuchin friary on Via Vittorio Veneto in Rome. This nearly 1,700-page volume represents an update and expansion of the historic 1951 edition, promptly described by distinguished Capuchin historians as a true “encyclopedia of Capuchin knowledge.” The current volume is in Italian, with the text arranged in two columns.
The project, launched in June 2004 and the result of collaboration between all the circumscriptions of the Order, brings together the biographies of many brothers who have built our Capuchin family with their life stories. These are “lived lives,” spent for the Gospel, and not just “ink on paper,” as was clearly stated during the presentation.
Some of the authors who have contributed to the compilation over the past 21 years described the work at its genesis and in its current form. Br. Gianluca Crudo, director of the Lexicon Capuccinum Office, introduced the meeting and emphasized the importance of the work; Br. José Ángel Echeverría, professor of Church History at the Facultad de Teología in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, spoke about the journey of the Lexicon Capuccinum: from fraternal service to an academic tool; Br. Miguel Anxo Pena González, Professor of Church History at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain, spoke on the biographical profiles of the Lexicon Capuccinum: categories, models, and geographical origins; and finally, Prof. Bernard Dompnier, professor emeritus of Modern History at Blaise-Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand, France, discussed the continuity and future of the Lexicon Capuccinum.
The pages of the Lexicon clearly reveal the richness of our Order’s life and explain one of the taglines bestowed upon us – “friars of the people” – which our predecessors earned during difficult times in both society and the Church, such as the plagues of the 1600s in Europe. Many friars, whether learned or simple, missionaries or novice masters, find a common place in these pages, and we can also describe the entire work as a living testimony of evangelical charity.
General Minister Br. Roberto Genuin began by thanking all those who had devoted their energies with “patience, passion, and competence” to completing this undertaking, aware that “the Lexicon Capuccinum is not simply a collection of names and biographical data, but a tool for research and a living memory that helps us to gain deeper understanding of the journey of our Order throughout its five centuries of history.”
Finally, the presentation acknowledged the collective effort behind the publication. The commitment of archivists around the world to gather information within their respective circumscriptions and send it all to the Lexicon Office was gratefully acknowledged.
This volume (the second in the series) is centered on bio-bibliographical material. The publication of the first volume, which will contain information on the circumscriptions, friaries, missions, and other items, is expected to be ready in 2028 and presented on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Capuchin Reform.