Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Assisi (Fides Service) - Fr Marco Tasca, of the Padova Province of Sant'Antonio, has been elected 119th minister general of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. He was elected by 97 chapter members representing 4,528 professed religious in 63 different countries all over the world during the 199th general Chapter of the Order taking place in Assisi, near the tomb of Saint Francis from 15 May to 20 June. The friars are all over the world Malta, India, Sri Lanka, Viet-Nam, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Cuba, Jamaica, Zambia , Malawi, Ghana, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Uganda, Slovakia Albania, the Amazon provinces of Brazil. The Chapter is also reflecting on this presence ad gentes in fidelity to the Franciscan missionary charisma.
Fr Tasca, as Provincial Minister of Padova gave the province a strong spiritual pastoral and missionary dynamism, was born on 9 June 1957 at Sant'Angelo di Piove (Padova), and he entered the Order on 29 September 1968. After his novitiate at Padova (1976-1977), he studied theology at Sant'Antonio Dottore Institute of Theology in Padova, obtaining a degree in 1982. On 28 November 1981 he made his solemn profession and the following year was sent to Rome to take a course at the Pontifical Salesian University. Ordained a priest on 19 March 1983 in his home town in 1986 he obtained a licentiate in psychology again at the Pontifical Salesian University. From 1988 to 1994 he was rector of the minor seminary of Brescia, later of the Post-novitiate in Padova (1994-2001). He taught psychology and catechetics at Sant'Antonio Dottore Institute of Theology. During a provincial chapter in 2001 he was elected Chapter Custodian and Guardian of Camposampiero Friary (PD), where he served until 2005 when he was elected provincial minister. He is national vice president of CISM and president of the Franciscan movement of the north east. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 29/5/2007 - righe 25, parole 344)
