The first intense week of work at the 9th CPO has come to a close; for the first time in history, it was livestreamed via Zoom for all the friars around the world. The sessions on Friday and Saturday focused on testimonies regarding international collaboration and an analysis of the strategic and prophetic value of the Fraternities of St. Lawrence.
The Order’s Ninth Plenary Council has concluded its first week of reflection and discussion focused on the Church, mission, and the contemporary world. Friday and Saturday were devoted to fraternal collaboration and the project of the International Fraternities of St. Lawrence of Brindisi (FSL), exploring its prospects, challenges, and opportunities.
Fraternal Collaboration: Authentic Communion Beyond Marketing
Friday morning’s session opened with remarks by Br. George Antony Assaricheril (Province of St. Joseph, Kerala, India), who noted that true international collaboration cannot arise simply from the need to “fill vacancies” or address staff shortages. On the contrary, it must spring from a sincere fraternal communion in order to foster an even deeper one. Br. George alluded to the risk of reducing the Province to a “market” based on utilitarian exchanges or to a “cemetery” devoid of vitality: it must remain a living fraternity in which the transfer of friars fosters a sense of belonging without uprooting them from their communities of origin. He therefore called on everyone to share the responsibility of fostering new vocations with “Franciscan boldness,” transforming cultural differences into complementary gifts.
Next, Br. Joseph Seraphin Dederick (Province of Western America, USA) shared his experience of welcoming friars from different regions of the world, describing international collaboration as an “uncomfortable grace.” Shifting from a mindset of emergency to one of gift-giving requires joint and rigorous discernment between those who send and those who receive: a transfer abroad, in fact, does not resolve problems of immaturity or preexisting relational difficulties. Integration, explained Br. Joseph, is not assimilation into a pre-existing mold, but requires that the host community be ready to change and to practice humble hospitality, forming Capuchins capable of feeling “at home wherever there are brothers.”
The St. Lawrence of Brindisi Fraternities: A Practical Workshop on Franciscan Life
In the afternoon, the sessions focused on the San Lorenzo da Brindisi Fraternities (FSL) project. Br. Raffaele Ruffo and Br. Marek Miszczyński, members of the FSL Commission, presented a detailed report on the nature, potential, and limitations of this initiative. Created to serve as “leaven” and a catalyst for renewal throughout the entire Order, the FSL places primary emphasis on being authentic Capuchin friars, from which apostolic activity then flows naturally. They represent an antidote to clericalism, individualism, provincialism, and activism.
Among the challenges highlighted are the reluctance of some major superiors to send friars, the need for careful discernment and preparation of candidates through the study of the Vademecum, and the fact that the host provinces do not always receive them appropriately. Despite these challenges, the FSL remain a “practical laboratory” that bears witness to the globalized world of how brothers from different cultures can live united in Christ.
Friday came to a close with a testimony from Br. Kellycio Medeiros Pereira (Province of Western Brazil), who shared his experience in the fraternity in Leticia, in the Amazon, which became an FSL in 2022.
Firsthand Accounts from the Field and a Historic Milestone in Communication
The first week’s sessions concluded on Saturday morning with a session dedicated to firsthand testimonies from the friars who live and work in the St. Lawrence Fraternities. Speakers included Br. Massimo Lorandini (Venice Province, Italy), who shared his experience in the fraternity of Le Celle di Cortona, and Br. Christophorus Goedereis (Netherlands Delegation), who introduced the recently established fraternity in Velp, Netherlands, via a Zoom presentation.
Thus unfolded the first phase of the work at the Order’s Ninth Plenary Council, which was rich in insights on inculturation, mission, and fraternal collaboration. This year, the event also marked a historic and significant milestone for the Order’s communications: for the first time, the sessions of a plenary council were livestreamed via Zoom, allowing all the friars around the world to participate and engage on topics of fundamental common interest.
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