II Meeting of European OFM-JPIC
II Encuentro de Europeo OFM-JPIC
18-23 Oct 2004, Santiago de Compostela

To begin the day, the following presented their worries, challenges and proposals:

• Br. Massimo Fussareli, of the Secretariat for Formation and Studies
• Br. Nestor Schwartzls, of the Secretariat for Evangelization
• Br. Johannes Baptist Freyer, professor at the Antonianum who presents JPIC as part of his course material.
• Mr. Wolfgang, of the Franciscan Mission Center who touched on Mission to the Peoples (Mission Ad Gentes) and JPIC.
• and Br. Francisco Castro who -- on behalf of Br. Eladio González, guardian of the community at St. Francis in Santiago de Compostela -- read a proposal on how to include JPIC in the life of the fraternity.

The friars then formed into groups according to different areas in order to discuss and develop various proposals. At the end of the day the groups presented these proposals in a plenary session. The points raised were varied and interesting. Here we present only a list of the points raised by each group:

Evangelization: The friars ask that the JPIC Office and the Secretariat for Evangelization of the General Curia develop a resource on how to integrate into parish ministry the dimensions of JPIC.

Mission to the People: To be attentive to the new form of Europe and to highlight the dimension of multiculturalism and integration of the majority, to assume an attitude of permanent dialog with the different realities, with other ways of thinking and with the different religions -- especially now that the number of Muslims is growing rapidly in Europe.

Formation: The friars highlighted the importance of the JPIC in all the steps of both initial formation and on-going formation as much in the theoretical level as the practical.

JPIC School and University: Given that the themes of JPIC aren't reduced to one specific area but instead are a way of living according to the Gospel, JPIC helps us elaborate a complete systemation from different disciplines. Cross-discipline is a method of study which helps us dynamically and creatively interrelate theory with practice.

Service to the Fraternity (Guardians): The fraternity should be a sacramental sign of living JPIC values, and not only reflect on them.

In the evening, the Southern Slavic conference enlivened the sharing with the spontaneous participation of friars from different areas who created a truly multicultural party.