Recently in Franciscans Category

Today, is the feast of Our Lady of the Atonement. Under her patronage do the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement live their vocation. I was happy to celebrate with a favorite Atonement Sister today!

The Founder of the Franciscans of the Atonement, the Servant of God Father Paul, said of Mary's part in the Atonement:

"She is necessarily "of the Atonement" since it was the will of God that she play a necessary part in the atonement or redemption. This is not to say that without her man would have remained unredeemed but that God's plan gave her a large share in the redemptive work...Mary, although her part is in no way similar in nature to that of her divine Son's, cooperated with Jesus Christ, as no other creature did, in his work of reconciling man with God. Her claim to this high title rests most solidly on the fact that she consented to become, and became the mother of the Redeemer; that she suffered with Jesus during the passion; and that all graces merited for mankind by Christ have come to us through Mary.

When we, therefore, give to our Blessed Mother the title of Our Lady of the Atonement we mean: Our Lady of Unity. As she sits enthroned, as the great wonder of heaven, wearing a crown of twelve stars, clothed with the sun, the moon her footstool, she presents to the universe the highest possible approach of a creature to intimate and exalted union with God.

The Pope's first appointment to his curia was made today when he named the Minister General of the Friars Minor, Father José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, Secretary of the Congregation for Religious (official name: Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life). Carballo will assist the Brazilian cardinal João Bráz de Aviz.

Father José Rodríguez Carballo was born in 1953, professed temporary vows as a Franciscan in 1971 and ordained a priest in 1977.

According to the 1988 Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, the Congregation for Consecrated life --first formed in 1586-- is "to promote and supervise in the whole Latin Church the practice of the evangelical counsels as they are lived in the approved forms of consecrated life and, at the same time, the work of societies of apostolic life" (105)

The Archbishop-elect is a Spanish Franciscan who has served the Friars Minor in a variety of capacities. 

In 2003, Father José Rodríguez Carballo was elected the 119th successor of Saint Francis of Assisi when he was elected Minister General of the Friars Minor. In 2009, he was elected to the same work.

Friar José was trained in Scripture studies. He was appointed to the Synod of Bishops in 2005, 2008 and 2012. He's been a member of the Congregations of Evangelization of Peoples and the one he's the Secretary to.

Carballo succeeds in the office the American Redemptorist Archbishop Joseph Tobin who is now the archbishop of Indianapolis. The Vatican Insider has an article on the appointment of Carballo that gives some stats.

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th Roman Pontiff he was listed among a rather small and elite group of men who had their intellectual and spiritual formation in religious life. Bergoglio is a member of the Society of Jesus. But who are the others?

Gregory I, Boniface IV, Adeodatus II, Leo IV, John IX, Leo VII, Stephen IX, Gregory VII, Victor, III, Urban II, Paschal II, Gelasius, II, Celestine V, Clement VI, Urban V, Pius VII, Gregory XVI

Honorius II, Innocent II, Lucius II, Adrian IV, Gregory VIII, Eugene IV

Nicholas IV, Sixtus IV, Sixtus V, Clement XIV

Secular Franciscans have 2

Pius IX, Leo XIII

Innocent V, Benedict XI, Pius V, Benedict XIII

Eugene III, Benedict XII

Paul IV

Francis

In the first moments of his introduction to the world, Pope Francis has spoken of his ministry as the bishop of Rome, and his exercise of said ministry. Nine times, in fact. I think many were surprised at the theological precision that Pope Francis expressed so quickly. How is this possible? Because Francis is clearly Christocentric, and the Petrine ministry located in service of the other and at the foot of the Cross.

The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are launching a video hoping to make 1 Million Hits for Life! 

Please view the video and share with your friends.

Beginning yesterday and for the next five weeks the Capuchin friars are engaged in their 84th General Chapter in Rome. The General Minister, Friar Mauro Jöhri presides over the Capitulars from many nations. The Capuchins have set a wonderful multilingual website to cover the work of the Chapter, pictures included. Walk with the Capuchins in friendship and prayer for a good meeting guided by the Holy Spirit.

During the homily Bishop Corriveau stated strongly that when his words did not penetrate the heart of his people the Prophet Ezechiel acted with deeds and dramatic actions in his own life. No one understood this way of acting better than Francis of Assisi "Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words". Quoting Blessed John Paul II, he said that the Church's prophetic response to the individualism of our day is communion: "to make the Church the home and school of communion: this is the great challenge which is laid before us in the millennium that has just begun. If we wish to be faithful to God's plan and respond to the deep expectations of the world"(NMI, 43). We have been created to live in communion, to be family. Bishop Corriveau also said, the call to Trinitarian communion, which for a Capuchin is a call to fraternity is much more than a slogan. It implies deep conversion of the heart, Only the heart which is fraternal and decidedly relation oriented can offer the secularised world a prophetic word. By way of conclusion he hoped that by keeping our gaze fixed on Christ we would be able to touch the hearts of the men and women of our day. May this Chapter discover once again the relational aspect of our Franciscan inheritance. In this way we will be able to assist the Church to give visible expression to a spirituality of communion. (Capuchin website for the Chapter)

The spiritual tradition of the Franciscans is connecting the with the good work of the sainted founder, Saint Francis, who as you know, fixed three chapels: the third was called the Portiuncula (the Little Portion), dedicated to Saint Mary of the Angels. As you can see, the chapel sits in a large basilica in Assisi. The friars have been at the Portiuncula since early thirteen century. SaintClare made her vows following Palm Sunday in 1212 and where Francis died on 3 October 1226.

With today's appointment of the Archbishop of Philadelphia and Bishop of Savannah, the number of Franciscans serving the Church in the USA as residential bishops went up. Surprisingly we now have two Conventual Franciscans bishops. Currently, Franciscan bishops the dioceses of Boston, Philadelphia, La Crosse and Savannah. Two Capuchins and two Conventuals. If you count Puerto Rico, then there's the Archbishop of San Juan who is a "normal brown" Franciscan.

The Church in Melbourne, Australia saw the Holy Spirit consecrate a former boat person turned Conventual Franciscan priest turn auxiliary bishop on Thursday. The witness of his life is testimony of the hand of God leading. 

Pictures always tell a story, they're also worth a thousand words. OK, how much money would you give to preserve an archive of photography devoted to the Second Vatican Council? What is preserving photographic memories to such a legendary event like Vatican II worth to you? I hope much.

In 2009, Sister Leideke Galema, who managed Foyer Unitas for many years, gave Centro Pro Unione library a gift of 740 photographs taken at Vatican II. This precious collection not only records of the sessions of the Council, but also include important ecumenical moments from the pontificate of the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, including the historic meeting when he gave his own episcopal ring to the archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey.

Rome's Centro Pro Unione is a long time work of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement dedicated to ecumenical action, research, and formation at the Piazza Navona. The Centro's mission is known through intensive programs, conferences, courses, and dialogues that attract theologians and academics from around the world. It's staff works closely with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and with various ecumenical leaders as well as teaching in the various theological faculties in Rome.

Foyer Unitas, a ministry of hospitality operated by the Ladies of Bethany, had since 1950 collaborated with the Centro in welcoming non-Catholic pilgrims arriving in Rome. During Vatican II, Pope Paul VI asked Foyer Unitas to provide lodging for the ecumenical observers. The Centro Pro Unione is working to make this collection available to the public during the 50 th anniversary of Vatican II's opening council in Rome later this year.  To support the project and for more information visit the Friars' website.

The Capuchin Franciscans in Japan are on the ground working and praying for grace to face the problems the Japanese people are living. The Capuchin mission to Japan is sponsored by the Capuchin Friars of Saint Mary's Province (NY & New England).