At the 9th Plenary Council, Archbishop Fisichella and Cardinal Tagle spoke on the challenges of evangelization in the digital age and the urgent need for authentic synodality. In the afternoon, there was a discussion on renewing collaboration among the Order’s provinces.
October 15 marked another day of focused effort for the Order’s Ninth Plenary Council, addressing the crucial challenges facing the Capuchin mission in contemporary cultures and on the vital experience of fraternal collaboration. Continuing along the path charted in previous sessions, the assembly engaged with detailed analyses presented by distinguished speakers, who offered an in-depth interpretation of the Church’s presence in today’s world.
Imparting the Faith in a Digital Age of Individuality
The first session was led by Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (section for fundamental issues) and a member of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. The archbishop addressed the delicate and urgent issue of imparting faith in an era dominated by digital culture. We have entered, explained Archbishop Fisichella, into a context marked by the dominance of “weak thinking,” which has generated a deep-seated distrust of reason and of the possibility of objective truth. This cultural landscape has, in fact, led to the eclipse of social rights in favor of an unlimited assertion of individual rights. The consequences of this shift are evident in the breakdown of authentic bonds and in people’s retreat—with particularly dramatic effects on young people—into virtual relationships, which often result in pathological loneliness and outbreaks of immediate violence. Yet, behind this apparent technological disorientation and superficial indifference, contemporary humanity is engaged in a silent search for God and harbors a deep longing for a true spiritual “home.” For the Church, evangelization can never be a passive act: the great tradition we have inherited must be “reclaimed” and interpreted with responsible creativity. We must avoid both the sterile repetition of the past and the frantic search for superficial novelty. The main path leads through interiority, prayer, the Word, beauty, and the tangible experience of forgiveness.
Authentic Synodality and Overcoming the Barriers Facing the Modern Missionary
The address given in the second part of the morning by Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle—recently elected dean of the College of Cardinals and pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization—was particularly profound. The cardinal outlined the context in which the mission takes place today, clarifying that it is never merely a functional role nor a job for “contractors.” Before developing any pastoral strategy, it is essential that every missionary have experienced a personal, authentic, and profound encounter with Jesus. Without this spiritual foundation, any organizational planning is doomed to fail. Faced with a dramatically fragmented world, the Church must rediscover the profound meaning of “synodality,” which means making a concrete commitment to “walking together,” with encouragement and humility, following the example of Christ, who, though God, walked with sinners and the marginalized. In this context, the modern missionary must develop an indispensable “cultural intelligence”: we must understand how our own culture of origin has shaped us so that we can then open ourselves, without any sense of superiority, to the cultures of the places where we are welcomed, thus becoming authentic “bridges” of dialogue. Cardinal Tagle then issued a harsh and heartfelt warning against the ethnic and caste divisions that still plague the life of the Church, citing a tragic incident in Mozambique, where a young bishop was murdered in his own home due to tribal divisions, with the involvement of individuals within the diocese (as evidenced by the arrest of the diocesan chancellor) and the scandal of priests who refused to concelebrate at the funeral. Without true communion, the Church risks becoming a mirror of the world’s worst violence and divisions.
Toward an Ecosystem of Fraternal Collaboration
The afternoon sessions refocused attention on the practical aspects of the Order’s life, exploring the theme of fraternal collaboration through presentations by Br. William Hugo and Br. Benny Punnasserry. Br. William Hugo clearly stated that future collaboration cannot be reduced to a mere expedient for “filling the gaps” in ministries that have arisen in the West due to the decline in vocations. We must rediscover our authentic missionary zeal, and to do so, the Order urgently needs a global strategic plan grounded more in fraternal relationships than in legal contracts. It is time to move beyond the logic of short-term assignments and focus on long-term projects structured around 15- or 20-year timeframes. This process must necessarily be accompanied by a reflection on economic equity: the sharing of resources must work both ways. Provinces that welcome friars are called to actively support the provinces of origin and the Office of Economic Solidarity, thereby overcoming those dynamics of financial dependence that often end up generating paternalism. Finally, in the day’s last presentation, Br. Benny Punnasserry explored the human and spiritual ecosystem that animates the mission. He warned against the risk of adopting a purely transactional model, which he described as the “Rent-a-Friar” approach. He strongly reiterated that the Capuchin missionary is sent to enrich, through his presence and witness, a vibrant and well-structured fraternity—not to be regarded as a mere laborer intended to resolve local pastoral emergencies.
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