General Chapter LXXXIII 2006
- Published in Other news items
The General Chapters of the new Millennium
General Chapter LXXXIII
Rome, 28 August-17 September 2006
Rome. General Chapter LXXXIII of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin took place, as have most Chapters, in Rome, from August 28 to September 17, 2006, and was held at the International College ‘San Lorenzo da Brindisi.’
For the record, it was the second General Chapter of the new millennium. Coming at the end of the General Minister’s second term, everyone wondered who would be elected. An Italian? A European? An American? An Asian? An African? These were the questions that everyone was asking.
That statistics at the time of the celebration of the Chapter report that the Order was made up of 10,793 professed friars (109 fewer than at the beginning of the preceding sexennium) present in 101 countries and belonging to 149 circumscriptions.
The election of the General Minister was held on Monday, September 4. Br. Mauro Jöhri, Provincial Minister of the Province of Switzerland, was elected on the first ballot. Some days later, on September 7, the Definitors and the General Vicar were elected.
Some particular notes on the Chapter: Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley presided at the opening Eucharist. On September 9 all the capitulars traveled to Assisi, where they first celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis and sought the blessing of our Seraphic Father, and then went to Our Lady of Angels, cradle of the Friars Minor.
On Wednesday, September 13 the Chapter received a visit from Archbishop Agostino Gardin, OFM Conv., Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life.
Beyond the elections, the Chapter took time to treat various topics, such as solidarity of personnel, planning for PCO VI, the availability of all the friars for all kinds of service in the Order, and the Constitutions and General Statutes.
Another significant event, which was at the end of the work of the Chapter, was the inauguration of the St. Francis of Assisi Foundation monument, presented together with its founder, Mr. Livio Camozzi.
See below all the archived video and photographic documentation of the Chapter.
General Chapter A.D. 2006