Humble Prayer Life
The first Capuchin friars, following the example of Francis, spent long hours in prayer in solitude. They gave priority to interior prayer, to oration, to which they devoted three or four hours a day. They liked to find themselves in hermitages, on the edge of the city, to develop a broader view of reality, the view of God himself!
We are invited to become men of prayer like Francis, a man who became prayer. We seek to develop a contemplative outlook on the world, discerning the hidden action of God:
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Let us always make for Him, within us, a temple and a dwelling place: for Him, the Lord God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who says to us: Watch and pray at all times! Let us adore Him with a pure heart, for we must pray always without ever tiring.
(First Rule of Saint Francis, chapter 22)
"The lesser brother is the one who contemplates in the first place a God who makes himself a minor in the crib, on the cross and in the Eucharist and who never loses sight of his sisters and brothers - especially the poorest - as well as all of creation" (VII Plenary Council of the Order)
Prayer is at the heart of our lives. We are contemplatives but not cloistered. Silent prayer gives a contemplative accent to the way we look at others and our commitments.
"Our prayer is truly a prayer of minors when we live united to the humble and poor Christ, presenting to the Father the cry of the poor and effectively sharing their living conditions." (Constitutions 46)
Life of evangelical fraternity
Local Brothers and Fraternities
For all 11,000 brothers present in 99 different countries belonging to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, life in fraternity is realized first by sharing everyday life within a local fraternity.
Our Order has more than 800 local fraternities, composed of at least 3 brothers. In general, the number of brothers in a local fraternity is between 5 and 12. Exceeding 30 is a rare exception.
The local fraternity lives prayer in common, eats at the same table and shares the responsibilities that a common life requires, as well as the services it owes to the population among which it lives. Fraternal help, the community of goods, and sharing with people in the neighborhood are the essential aspects of life in fraternity. The coordination of fraternal life is entrusted to a "guardian", assisted by a vicar. But all the brothers take part in the organization and enrichment of community life, by means of regular meetings, called local chapters.
The religious habit, the Rule and the Constitutions of the Order
Regional Fraternities
The local fraternities together form a network of communion in a defined territory that constitutes a circumscription of the Order. The typical circumscription is called a "province". However, based on certain criteria - which take into account the number of brothers, the date of establishment, the level of development and its capacity for autonomy - these circumscriptions can be called: vice-provinces, custodies or delegations.
The delegations represent the beginning of an organized province, in a specific territory. As a consequence, the fraternities that compose it are still under the authority of the province from which the brothers originate.
But the network of local fraternities that form the custodies, or the vice-province, always have their own government elected by the chapter of the circumscription. These chapters, which take place every three years, can bring together all the brothers of the circumscription or the delegates of the local fraternities: It is up to each circumscription to choose one or the other way of doing things. The chapter is the highest authority of the circumscription. In accordance with the Rule of Saint Francis and the Constitutions of the Order, it is up to the chapter to regulate questions that concern fraternal life in the respective territories, and also to elect those who will have the responsibility of governing, namely: a "minister" and four councilors. These councilors are traditionally called "definitors". The minister - or servant of the fraternity - and his councilors are elected for three years. The mandate of the minister can be renewed for three more years. But every three years at least two out of four councilors must be changed, for the government of the fraternity.
Each province has a great deal of autonomy in organizing its life and the services that fall to it. It is the province that is responsible for the admission of candidates to our form of life, as well as for its religious and professional training.
In our order, some brothers become priests, after having followed the path of formation required by the Church to prepare for this ministry. The others fully assume their vocation as Friars Minor, while remaining lay people. It is the profession of the Rule of Saint Francis and the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience that bring us together in fraternity. The priesthood does not create any difference between us. According to the terms of our legislation, all brothers who have made their perpetual profession have the same rights in the Order and can be elected to all the positions necessary for the common good of the fraternity.
The size of the Provinces can vary, currently ranging from less than thirty to more than 300. To preserve the fraternal climate and avoid bureaucratic anonymity, a very large province can decide to articulate itself into smaller regions, and by the same token, more apt for a more familiar sharing. At the same time, when a Province is too small to govern itself and develop, it can unite with another province to form with it a more vigorous province.
In each of the major regions of the world, the provinces are grouped into "conferences". This regional structure, due to language, culture and other social factors, makes it easier to collaborate in areas of common interest.
The World Brotherhood
As the provinces and other circumscriptions are networks of local fraternities, so the Order at the world level can be defined as a network of provinces, vice-provinces, custodies and delegations, whose animation is the responsibility of the Minister General assisted by eight councilors (general definitors).
The Minister General and his councilors are elected during the General Chapter of the Order, which takes place every six years. The General Chapter brings together the ministers of all the provinces and vice-provinces, and also a certain number of delegates from the larger provinces and custodies.
Beyond the election of the Minister General and his advisors, who must be chosen in each of the major regions of the World, the General Chapter must deal with all the problems of the Order and update our legislation, so that it corresponds to all the needs of the Church and the development of society.
During the six years of his mandate, the Minister General shall endeavour to visit all the districts of the Order and, as far as possible, all the brothers. His councillors shall more frequently visit the regions of which they are representatives and for which they have received a particular responsibility. Their constant concern shall be to encourage local development and its diversity, while preserving cohesion and unity. They shall also pay particular attention to their needs, whether in personnel or in material means, calling upon, if necessary, the solidarity of the Order.
To draw attention to central questions concerning the life of the Order, the Minister General may convene a larger temporary council, called the Plenary Council of the Order. The PCOs that have met so far have dealt with themes such as: prayer, missions, formation, our presence in the world and evangelical poverty lived in fraternity. In 2004 the seventh PCO dealt with "our fraternal life as minors".
Being brothers is the fundamental expression of our belonging to the Order. Therefore, we are an extremely diverse family, united and at the same time different by so many cultures, by so many different political, economic and social situations which, to a large extent, reflect the very great wealth of humanity, to which we ourselves, present in so many places, belong. But we all share the Franciscan tradition as a common and intimate history; we are united to ancient institutions, which we adapt in accordance with the needs of our development. Furthermore, we have all decided to live “according to the form of the Holy Gospel”: to serve the Lord and our brothers in solidarity and in Peace. In the prayer and daily sharing of our local fraternities, there is always an open space for those of our brothers who come from other parts of the world, so that, if they come to us, they find themselves among us as their own and true brothers.
“I worked with my hands, and I will work; and I firmly desire all the brothers to employ themselves in honest work.”
Francois
Life in the service of all
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"The brothers should rejoice when they are among the lowly and despised, the poor and the infirm, the sick and the lepers, and the street beggars." (First Rule of St. Francis, chapter 9)
The first Capuchin friars insisted on the contemplative life, in particular on prayer and common prayer. At the same time, they responded to the calls of the Church and the world. At the risk of their lives, they cared for the victims of the plague; then, by settling in the large cities of Italy, they placed themselves at the service of the sick and the incurable in the large hospitals. Thus developed the original form of life of our Fraternity: we are both contemplatives and active. We are men at the service of all through prayer and action!
We were not founded with a specific task in mind, such as teaching, health or communications. Our mission is to live fraternity by putting our gifts and personal qualities at the service of all, at the service of the Church and humanity, especially the poor. Our passion is to bear witness to the Gospel through action and word, but above all through the action of the Word of God in our own lives! Contemplation, compassion and presence sum up our life.
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"We were simple people, and we put ourselves at the disposal of everyone." (Testament of Saint Francis)
Our commitments
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"The Holy Spirit raised up Saint Francis and his apostolic fraternity to respond to the most urgent needs of the time and to place all his strength at the service of the mission of the Church, especially among those who had the greatest need to hear the Gospel message. Docile to the spirit of the Lord and to his holy action, our Fraternity fulfills its service in the Church by working for evangelization through action and word." (Constitutions of the Capuchins)
Today our commitments are varied and reflect the diversity of the gifts of the brothers of our Fraternity. Brothers are involved in the pastoral animation of sanctuaries (see Links ), parishes or in prison and hospital settings; others are involved in community organizations, social movements or helping people in need; still others in teaching, preaching or the animation of Church movements.
Following the example of Francis of Assisi and the first brothers, we desire to live by the work of our hands:
“I worked with my hands, and I will work; and all the brothers,
I firmly want them to do honest work."
he reminds us in his Testament. Following his example, we are also called to go to those who are on the margins of society or who are not reached by the Church. "In Francis' time, society was marked by the struggle for social domination that generated much violence. After his conversion, he turned to the periphery of Assisi society and chose to live among the minors and the marginalized." (CPO VII, 6)
Missionary life
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This is what Francis writes to the brothers who leave on missions abroad:
"The brothers who go thus can live spiritually in two ways. One way is to make neither disputes nor quarrels but to be subject to every human creature for God's sake and to confess simply that they are Christians. The other way is, when they see that it pleases the Lord, to announce the Word of God so that they believe in the Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
(First Rule chapter 16)
Mission à l’étranger
From the very beginning, the mission abroad occupied a great place in Francis' heart; it was even part of our rule of life. He himself would go to meet Sultan Malik al-Kamil (see Francis meets the Sultan) and the first brothers would go to preach as far as China. Did you know that the first bishop of Beijing was a Franciscan?
Our Provincial Fraternity also has a rich missionary tradition; several brothers have dedicated many years of their lives to proclaiming the Gospel in India, Ethiopia, Chad and the Central African Republic. Recently, brothers have spent missionary time in Brazil and Costa Rica. In the coming years, it would not be surprising if brothers from our Province were called to support the establishment of the Capuchins in Haiti.
Tchad
At the age of 38, my Provincial asked me to go to Chad to lend a hand to my Capuchin brothers who were working there with French and Italian brothers. I spent 34 years in this country where I worked mainly in the parish, in the formation of Chadian brothers and in the spiritual assistance of the Secular Franciscan Order. I also worked on the translation of the New Testament into the Marba language.
I experienced several years of war in Chad, and I find the same situation here.
Opponents of the government, highwaymen, and bandits of all kinds (all equally dangerous) are constantly threatening. So taking to the road is always a danger…
The villagers are the first victims of these brutalities, they are continually threatened. This state of affairs only increases the poverty and misery of the country; the middle and high school students with whom I am in contact too often have empty stomachs and complain about the lack of money to pay their school fees.
Central African Republic
Three years ago I was asked to come to the Central African Republic to live with Italian and Polish brothers in our post-novitiate formation house. This is where I currently live with 29 young Central African and Chadian Capuchin brothers.
As the only French speaker in the institution, I have to monitor the quality of French. I spend my time listening to the brothers and correcting homework. I also work with young middle and high school students: spiritual guidance, a group of aspirants to the Capuchin life, leading retreats, etc.
Je aussi assistant spirituel de l’Ordre Franciscain Séculier pour le diocèse, cela me vaut deux ou trois voyages chaque année pour visiter les fraternités ; jusqu’à 250 km sur des routes que je qualifierais de lunaires.
Que faire dans de telles circonstances ? Écouter, sympathiser… C’est ce que j’essaie de faire chaque jour : représenter l’amour de Dieu pour les hommes.
frère Jean-Charles Côté, capucin