The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is on a journey. Responding to the call of the 2024 General Chapter, we are immersed in a time of intense dialogue, reflection, and discernment in preparation for the Ninth Plenary Council of the Order. This pivotal event, to be held in Rome from October 11 to 31, 2026, prepares us for an historic milestone: the 500th anniversary of our charism in 2028.
What guides us on this journey? The theme we have chosen is clear: “The missionary dimension of our charismatic identity in the Church and in today’s world.” Our reflections revolve around three key elements: mission, fraternal collaboration, and the Saint Lawrence Fraternities.
But how did we get to this point? Below are the steps that have been taken for this major global discernment process.
- June and July 2025: The General Council appointed a preparatory commission. Their first task was clear: to find the right channels to give a voice to all the friars around the world.
- October 1, 2025: On the feast day of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, patroness of the missions, the official letter of invitation was published, marking the start of the global survey. All friars were sent a text and a questionnaire to gather insights on challenges and prospects.
- December 31, 2025: The response has been extraordinary. A vast number of contributions have come in from conferences, circumscriptions, and individual friars. The commission is working to bring together these results, taking every voice into account—even the most diverse or seemingly “uncomfortable” ones—in order to obtain a realistic and honest picture of our Order.
The Instrumentum Laboris emerges from this vast body of material. This document reexamines mission and collaboration in light of the profound changes of our time. But we must be aware that it is not a text of conclusions or definitive proposals. The final discernment will be the responsibility of the October assembly. Rather, this document is a mirror that reflects our hopes, our challenges, and our diversity, to stimulate a deeper reflection.
This is where all of us come into play today. The Instrumentum Laboris is not just a text to be read, but a tool to be used. We ask each circumscription to promote, in every fraternity, at least one local chapter dedicated to the study of these themes. If new insights and contributions emerge from these meetings, the circumscriptions can forward them directly to the delegates who will participate in the proceedings in Rome.
The Order’s Ninth Plenary Council has already begun, and it dwells in the hearts of all of us. Let us continue together on this journey of prayer, reflection, and fellowship.