.
Capitulum Generale 2009
DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
ENGLISH SPEAKING CONFERENCE O.F.M.
 June 3, 2009
THURSDAY, JUNE 4:  
  • Election of the General Minister

FRIDAY, JUNE 5:

  • Election of the Vicar General 

SATURDAY, JUNE 6:

  • Election of the General Definitorium
IN THIS ISSUE
Delegates thank out-going administration for service
Provincial Notebook: Leslie Hoppe, OFM
QUICK LINKS
.
Delegates thank out-going administration for service 
 
DOMUS PACIS - Chapter delegates ended a day which included further discussion on potential changes to the General Statutes and discussion of the next General Minister by gathering in prayer to thank and honor the outgoing Administration of the Order.
 
The prayer included hymns, readings from Franciscan sources and a touching moment when the entire Chapter offered the Blessing of St. Francis to the Administration.

General Administration

 GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE ORDER BEING HONORED BY THE CHAPTER DELEGATES
 
Honored were General Minister Jose Rodriguez Carballo, OFM; Vicar General Francesco Bravi, OFM; and General Definitors Amaral Amaral Bernardo, Mario Favretto, Finian McGinn, Juan Ignacio Muro, Sime Samac, Ambrosio Van Si, Miguel Vallecillo and Jakab Varnai.  Not present was Luis Cabrera who was named Archbishop of Cuenca in April.

Delegates bless Adminsitration

 DELEGATES EXTEND THEIR HANDS IN BLESSING TOWARDS THE ADMINISTRATION
 
During dinner, the Chapter also welcomed His Eminence Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, C.M.F. as the Delegate of the Holy See to oversee the election of the General Minister which will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.  The Cardinal will preside at a Eucharistic liturgy Thursday morning at 7 a.m. in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. The Chapter will also enjoy lunch in the refectory of the Protoconvento of the Portiuncula following the election tomorrow.
 
By the end of the week, a new administration will be in place.  Following the election of the General Minister on Thursday, the Vicar General will be elected on Friday and the General Definitorium on Saturday.

Administration

.

ESC LogoThis DAILY NEWS BRIEF is produced by and for the friars of the English Speaking Conference of the Order of Friars Minor.  Executive Secretary: Thomas Washburn, OFM.

PROVINCIAL NOTEBOOK: Leslie Hoppe, OFM (Assumption BVM) 
 
DOMUS PACIS - The following was written by Leslie Hoppe, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Assumption BVM Province in Franklin, WI and published in their Provincial Newsletter:
 
CHAPTER UPDATES GENERAL STATUTES
No Major Changes
Francesco Bravi, the Vicar General, guided the delegates to the Chapter through a few proposed changes in the General Statutes of the Order. Each General Chapter has the opportunity to examine the Statutes to ensure that they adequately reflect the values of the Rule and Constitutions as they
provide practical guidance in living our Franciscan life. Francesco headed a commission appointed by the Minister General to study possible changes in the General Statutes.

The delegates discussed the changes proposed by the commission in the language groups. The results of those discussions were reported to all the delegates in a plenary session. A final vote on the proposed changes will take place later in the chapter.
 
Among the topics covered by the proposed changes were the collaboration of Provinces-especially in the area of initial formation, procedures for establishing new Provinces, autonomous Custodies, and
Foundations, procedures for registering for a Provincial Chapter in those Provinces whose chapters are open to the participation of all the friars, and the length of the term of a Provincial who was postulated for a third term.

While dealing with the revision of the General Statutes was tedious, it is a necessary part of the Chapter's work. Especially helpful to the brothers of the English Speaking Conference and to the Chapter as a whole was Aidan McGrath, a friar of the Irish Province. Aidan teaches canon law at Rome's Gregorian University.

Straw Ballots for Minister General
Before the actual election of the Minister General takes place on Thursday, June 4, the delegates
expressed their preferences through two straw ballots. This procedure helps whittle down the field (There were ten nominees.) and indicates the relative strengths of the more serious candidates. The final and definitive balloting, then, should go more smoothly. The results of the two straw ballots will not be revealed until the Acta of the Chapter are published. Without revealing anything, I can say that the straw ballots did not result in any big surprises.