{"id":122296,"date":"2026-09-24T09:59:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T07:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ofmcap.org\/incontro-dei-vescovi-cappuccini-2026-ad-assisi\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T10:16:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T08:16:19","slug":"incontro-dei-vescovi-cappuccini-2026-ad-assisi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ofmcap.org\/en\/incontro-dei-vescovi-cappuccini-2026-ad-assisi\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Meeting of Capuchin Bishops in Assisi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fifty bishops from around the world gathered in Assisi to spend some time in fellowship, reflect on the theology of \u201ccloseness,\u201d and journey together toward the 500th anniversary of the Capuchin reform<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

From September 10th<\/sup> to 13th<\/sup>, 2026, the city of Assisi hosted a meeting of Capuchin bishops. The event was attended by fifty bishops from around the world\u2014including North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania\u2014along with the General Minister, the General Council, and various collaborators. This time of exceptional communion was blessed with the presence of three of our four Capuchin cardinals (Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungo, Cardinal Sean O\u2019Malley, and Cardinal Celestino A\u00f3s Braco) and the two former general ministers, Br. Mauro J\u00f6hri and Br. John Corriveau, now a bishop.<\/p>\n

The Unveiling and Presentation of the Pectoral Cross<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The gathering took place with a deep spirit of brotherhood, alternating between times of study, prayer, and sharing. It began on September 10th<\/sup> at the Domus Laetitiae<\/em> in Assisi with an opening address and greeting from the General Minister, who thanked those who had requested and promoted the gathering, as well as each bishop for his service to the Church. At the end of his address, each bishop was presented with a simple pectoral cross, rich in charismatic symbolism, enclosed in a pouch sewn by a group of Ukrainian mothers who had lost their children in the war. The involvement of these mothers was encouraged by the Capuchin friars in Ukraine. The first day concluded with vespers, led by Cardinal Ambongo Besungo in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, which began with a procession passing through the Portiuncula.<\/p>\n

Ecclesiological Reflection and a Return to the Origins<\/strong><\/h5>\n

September 11th<\/sup> and 12th<\/sup> were devoted to presenting the various diocesan contexts in which bishops serve the local churches, and to exploring several theological topics in depth. One such presentation was a talk by Prof. Dario Vitali, a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, who offered an ecclesiological reflection on the delicate balance between institution and charism found in religious who have become bishops, with specific reference to members of the Capuchin Order. The participants then attended to their spiritual lives by visiting churches, praying, and celebrating the Eucharist. One of these celebrations took place at the Shrine of the Renunciation, entrusted to us Capuchins, and a Mass presided over by Bishop Felice Accroca, Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino, in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis at the tomb of the Seraphic Father. At the Sacro Convento, Bishop Felice Accroca then shared his profound knowledge of Franciscanism through a learned and thought-provoking reflection.<\/p>\n

The \u201cFrontier Vocation\u201d and the \u201cTheology of Closeness\u201d<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The final day began with a Mass with Cardinal Sean O\u2019Malley presiding. Br. Mauro J\u00f6hri then delivered the closing address, focusing on the gift of the Capuchin bishop\u2019s vocation\u2014one that often calls him to serve in frontier regions and to go \u201cwhere no one else wants to go.\u201d Br. Mauro also invited everyone to look to the future, in anticipation of the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Capuchin reform, to bring the charism to an increasingly interconnected and globalized world.<\/p>\n

The journey toward the 500th anniversary of the Capuchin reform has been recognized as a crucial opportunity to rediscover the roots of our charism. According to Archbishop Andr\u00e9s Stanovnik, Archbishop Emeritus of Corrientes (Argentina), the fundamental value that unites the identity of the friar with that of the bishop is \u201ccloseness\u201d: not merely a sociable attitude, but a genuine theological stance that embraces the concrete, wounded human person, following the example of St. Francis, who did not renew the Church through abstractions, but by embracing lepers and sitting side by side with the poor, always obeying the Holy Father.<\/p>\n

This fourth meeting of Capuchin Bishops\u2014a tradition officially begun in 2000 by the then General Minister, Br. John Corriveau\u2014represents an important step on the journey toward the 500th anniversary of the reform. As Cardinal Sean O\u2019Malley emphasized, returning to Assisi during the jubilee year of St. Francis was \u201ca great honor\u201d and a \u201cwonderful opportunity to experience the fraternity of so many bishops from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n