Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Assisi (Fides Service) - Franciscans will intensify their missionary efforts in Europe. This emerged from a recent Seminar in Assisi organised by the office for evangelisation of the Order of Friars Minor and attended by Franciscans from Italy, France, Germany, Croatia, Poland, Spain and Turkey.
The Old Continent needs “new Franciscan fraternities on mission”, characterised by itinerancy, care for the poor and for believers of other religions. Among those present two new communities external to the Order or Friars Minor: Little Brothers and Sisters of the Lamb (France), and the Tiberiade Community (Belgium), who shared experience of Christian life and witness. Testimony was also shared by Franciscans from Italy, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, Belgium and Turkey with regard to new paths for evangelisation in Europe. The aim is to “give new vitality to Franciscan Fraternities” on the continent, stimulate and encourage new fraternities on mission, “rediscover the joy of the missionary vocation for creative fidelity ”, intensify collaboration among Franciscan province and the Curia general.
New forms already lived and experience are those of temporary itinerancy, solidarity and charity with the poor, with the lonely. Some fraternities are in contact with immigrants of other religions living daily experience of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.
At the end of the Seminar, the participants issued a statement “From the Porziuncola to Europe: new Franciscan paths”, which offers Ministers and Custodians criteria for discerning and developing new Fraternities on mission to give new dynamism to Franciscans and respond adequately to the challenges of the new Europe. (Agenzia Fides 11/5/2006 righe 27 parole 278)
