Morning Session

The session was opened with a prayer service organized by the Mexican, Central American and Caribbean Conference. After a report of the previous day, Luis Cabera and Joe Rozansky made a presentation on the state of the JPIC Office in the General Curia. They spoke about the foundation documents of the office, a summary of the International Council meeting in South Africa, and the JPIC proposals accepted at the General Chapter of 2003. A copy of their presentation can be found on the web. [ paper]

Joe spoke of his work since starting in the office in July. He has met with the General Minister, the General Definators and the secretaries of Formation andStudies and Evangelization. He has met with friars in Mexico, France, Italy, Missionzentrale (in Germany), Mozambique, Zambia and Franciscans International (in Geneva). Luis closed the morning session by thanking the Secretary of Formation and Studies, Massimo Fusarelli; the Secretary of Evangelization, Nestor Schwertz; those who worked previously in the JPIC office, Francisco O’Conaire, Alejandro Castillo and Rodrigo Peret; the commissions who have worked for this Congress; the translators; and the secretariat. 

After a break, there was a roundtable discussion presenting four ways to do JPIC animation. Mr. Russell Testa, of Holy Name Province in New York, spoke about how the attacks of September 11, 2001, brought the world into the consciousness of the friars. Before they had been primarily involved with charity, but afterwards the friars held an assembly on globalization and, at the last chapter, the friars approved a proposal that all ministries of the province with twin with a Franciscan ministry outside the U.S. [ paper]

Boze Vuleta spoke about ethnic reconciliation in Croatia. In 1993, he and a friar from Bosnia traveled around the world working for peace. Upon his return, he has been organizing seminars helping the victims of war forgive those who had hurt them. Forgiveness, he said, is liberating. It helps the victims, and does not depend on the actions of the aggressor.
[ PowerPoint Presentation, 22.8MB]

Mikael Peruhe spoke about the assistance provided to the victims of the tsunami in Indonesia. The friars provided medical care, housing and care for children. They worked with other Franciscans and with Moslem groups. 

Mawethu Potolwana spoke about the racial division that plagued South Africa. The government used their security forces to preserve apartheid. The Franciscans supported the people and opened their churches to them, and for this reason they were abused by the government. The Mandela government established a Commission of Reconciliation and Truth in order to heal the wounds of the past. For the first time, victims and victimizers met face to face. Franciscans helped the process along by encouraging the people to reflect on and share their experiences. A few friars had supported apartheid. The friars themselves had reconciliation services, where the friars learned to forgive one another. He closed by saying, “Never lose hope, and keep dreaming. A man dies when he stop dreaming. Fear not that you will die; fear that you will stop dreaming before you die.”