05261973 Paulo VI to General Chapter OFM

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May 26, 1973: Letter from Paul VI to Constantine Koser, Minister General, on the occasion of the OFM General Chapter

To the beloved son Constantine Koser,

Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor

Since the General Chapter of the Order of Friars Minor is going to be held in Madrid in the near future, it seems opportune to address this Letter to that assembly and to all the members of the Franciscan Family itself, which wants to be like our own voice, may he comfort your spirits, exhort and guide you. Certainly this meeting becomes "like a general assembly that brings together men from all parts of the world under a single way of life" (2 Cel 192), and for this reason it is an event of great importance for the life of such an Institute. widely spread. With good reason, then, we want to share with you the "concern for all the Churches" (2 Cor 11,28) that urges us.

We do not believe it necessary to repeat, on this occasion, the very wise and salutary teachings of the Second Vatican Council regarding the renewal of religious life and that We ourselves, guided by its norms, proposed in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelica Testificatio. Indeed, we are well convinced of the favorable reception you have given to these instructions, as well as the effort you have made and still make today to put them into practice, to the best of your ability. Animated by such feelings, we are pleased to ratify what we already expressed to the members of the previous General Chapter of Assisi, at the end of its celebration, namely, that the diffusion of this Order throughout the world constitutes an honor for the Church, the examples of his evangelical life and the apostolate undertaken with such great zeal.

Rather, we want to ask ourselves with you the question of what is, at present, the mission, what is the vocation of your Family, with the purpose of guiding you towards the response that the Church desires. Indeed, in these troubled times of ours, she desires very ardently and with solicitous care that religious Institutes "grow and flourish according to the spirit of their Founders" (Lumen Gentium, 45). So, may Saint Francis, the Legislative Father, as he has done on another occasion, already at the very beginning of your sessions, be in a certain way present with you, standing at the door of the Chapter, blessing you all. and to each one in particular: turn your eyes to him! (LM 4.10).

What Mother Church asks of you, and always asked of you in the past, can be summed up in this single phrase: "Follow in the footsteps of Christ" (1 Pe 2,21). Is it not true that the marvelous doctrine and example of life that Saint Francis offers you is reduced to such a follow-up? Mount Alverna, reached the peak of this donation, in such a way that he could say with the Apostle Saint Paul: «God save me from glorifying myself except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, on which the world has been crucified for me, and I for the world? (Gal 6,14). So "look and do according to the example that has been shown you on the mount!" (Ex 25.40). The more faithfully your life reproduces the image of the Savior, virgin, poor and obedient, the more perfectly it will attest to the salvation achieved by Him and will make souls share in it.

This fundamental truth, as often happens in the course of things, is sometimes distorted in various ways. You know this well from the experience of the centuries-long history of your Order: whenever Franciscan life strayed from this path, what should have been an example for all turned into ruin (cf. Saint Bonaventure, Opusc. XIX, Epist 2, No. 1; Opera Omnia, VIII, p. 470). Moreover, what Saint Bonaventure affirms in a general sense, that is, that the truth can be postponed with time but that it must be restored (cf. Comment. in Ev. Luc. 21, n. 23), can be very well apply to your particular story. It is highly desirable, then, that this principle also recovers at present, whenever necessary, all its effectiveness, either in the way of thinking and acting, in your declarations and projects, or in the renewal of laws .

But fidelity in following Christ necessarily requires another: fidelity to the Church. Such an average relationship between the two, that the other can be deduced from one. For this reason, Saint Francis, "very steadfast in the Catholic faith", ordered his brothers to follow in the venerable footsteps of the Holy Roman Church, which, in turn, in the face of any difficulties that have arisen, has taken care to maintain in the same brothers the bonds of charity and peace (2 Cel 8 and 24). As a result, Franciscan life and action have flowed like a river "that brings joy to the city of God" (Psalm 45,5): it is enough to recall in this regard the extraordinary initiatives carried out with such success, the evangelization of the people , social and charitable works, that force of attraction that transcends the limits of your Institute. Sense of the Church and service to it: here, then, is your original and proper vocation. Said vocation, however, would be falsified and you would be unfaithful to it, if you only considered it as a past fact. On the contrary, it is necessary that it always be "in action", that is, right now you must offer this gift to God, "who calls you" (1 Thes 5,24): assume the services and tasks that today the Church.

In the times in which we live, great courage is required, especially to announce the truth. Are there not, by chance, here and there those who "seek to subvert the Gospel of Christ?" (Gal 1,7). Likewise, at the instigation of not a few men with whom one lives, a certain belief is infiltrating according to which obedience to the correct faith and diligence in doing well no longer contribute to promoting ecclesial communion, but are opposed to the freedom, which is misinterpreted. Faced with such a situation, each Friar Minor should be aware - we sincerely trust ourselves - "that he has been placed to defend the Gospel" (Phil 1,16). Let no member of that Family allow himself to be seduced by the flattery of popularity, so fickle and vain; Let no one cowardly follow that trend, fashionable today, to conform to the world.

And if all those regenerated by baptism "have the duty to confess before men the faith they received from God through the Church" (Lumen Gentium, 11), how much more strictly are you obliged to do so, since Saint Francis He has prescribed to all of you without distinction the observance of the following mandate: "Obey the voice of the Son of God... for that is why he has sent you into the whole world, so that by word and deed you may bear witness to his voice" ( LtO 6-9).

Let your hearts be inflamed, then, with the zeal for spreading the "Gospel of peace" (Eph 6,15), which certainly cannot become a reality if "the truth of the Gospel remains in you" (Gal 2, 5). No doubt you are convinced that this glorious message is spread not only with "words, but also with power and with the Holy Spirit, with full persuasion" (1 Thes 1:5). Consequently, contemplating the illustrious examples of your ancestors, it is necessary that you find yourself present in the world with that kindness that makes it possible for the intimate relationship between Christ and the Church to be clearly revealed, since this is what makes visible, applies and continues the work of the Redeemer. Be ready, for the service of this ecclesial community, religious among you who, adorned with the appropriate gifts of spirit and mind, with their pastoral zeal and example of life and, moreover, with full confidence in the action of the Holy Spirit, drag the people to follow the poor Christ.

Men do not ask you to ambiguously conform to the feelings of the world; Rather, they demand that you show them the sublimity of your life, so that, seeing it, they begin to doubt theirs and seek the future city (Heb 13:14). For even now, men eagerly seek, from the depths of their being, an absolute something that transcends what is created; even today, through all creation, regenerated by Christ (Col 1,19ff.) and which speaks to us of God, they can be guided towards Him. Thus Saint Francis infused your state of religious life with this singular characteristic: that the The world can be transformed to such a degree that work comes to be called grace, and even sister to death itself.

Therefore, when announcing the Gospel, give primacy to the doctrine contained in the sermon of the Beatitudes, according to which poverty becomes wealth, weeping joy, humility exaltation (Lk 6,20-23). In the same way, although human frailty and malice are not lacking, for your part, accentuate goodness and try to promote it, so that finally, in everything and everyone, it occupies the first place and shines the hope of the future world, which it is proper and peculiar to the disciples of Christ (1 Thess 4:13). Be, then, in the world, the custodians of this hope!

Dear Little Brothers! "We have spoken to you as to children, open yourselves too!" (2 Cor 6,13). Listen gladly to what the Church expects of you, willingly fulfill her wishes, sanctifying yourselves personally according to the form of your vocation and trying to consolidate the Kingdom of Christ in souls and extend it throughout the world (Lumen Gentium 45).

While we address fervent prayers to God so that he favorably attends your General Chapter and that it obtains happy results, to you, beloved son, and to all the members of that Order, we cordially impart, as a pledge of our paternal benevolence, the Blessing apostolic.

From the Vatican, on May 26, 1973, the Tenth Year of Our Pontificate.

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