FranciscansFranciscansCharismCharismPresented byPresented by

Leonel Aruajo, OFM and Joseph Leonel Aruajo, OFM and Joseph Koh, OFMKoh, OFM

Kairos 2005Kairos 2005

ContentContent What is Charism?What is Charism? Story of FrancisStory of Francis Story of ClareStory of Clare Symbols of FranciscansSymbols of Franciscans Franciscans in Oceania & Franciscans in Oceania &

E.TimorE.Timor Ministries in Modern TimesMinistries in Modern Times ConclusionConclusion

What is Charism?What is Charism? In GeneralIn General

Indicates a personal gift of the Holy Indicates a personal gift of the Holy Spirit used for the good of the Church. Spirit used for the good of the Church.

To participate in the official mission of To participate in the official mission of the Church to make Christ present in the the Church to make Christ present in the world. world.

Franciscan CharismFranciscan Charism Franciscans contribute their particular Franciscans contribute their particular

charism to the Body of Christ. charism to the Body of Christ. When writing the Rule or When writing the Rule or "Way of Life" "Way of Life"

for the first Order, Francis wrote: for the first Order, Francis wrote:

    "The Rule and Life of the Friars Minor "The Rule and Life of the Friars Minor is this, namely, to observe the Holy is this, namely, to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Franciscan CharismFranciscan Charism

The charism of Franciscans was The charism of Franciscans was simply to live the Gospel of Our simply to live the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ.

Franciscan CharismFranciscan Charism

The essence of this Franciscan The essence of this Franciscan life remains the same today, life remains the same today, despite changes in times and despite changes in times and circumstances through eight circumstances through eight centuries of history.   centuries of history.  

Franciscan CharismFranciscan Charism The Franciscans continue:  The Franciscans continue:   to share the Good News of Jesus to share the Good News of Jesus

Christ,Christ, in fidelity to the Church,in fidelity to the Church, living in brotherhood,living in brotherhood, in poverty, chastity and obedience,in poverty, chastity and obedience, working for those in need and for working for those in need and for

justice,justice, for the respect due to all people and to for the respect due to all people and to

all creation,all creation, promoting harmony and peacepromoting harmony and peace

Life of FrancisLife of Francis

Life of Clare Assisi (1194-1253) Noble Class 1212, heard Francis’s

preaching Asked to be received

as a nun, following the life of Francis in absolute poverty

Life of Clare During Middle Ages,

impossible for nuns to go begging i.e. without property

Francis sent her to a Benedictine monastery to keep her safe

Clare’s sister and mother joined her

Life of Clare Francis gave the

nuns a Rule of Life Pope Innocent IV

gave Clare the approved Rule at her death bed

Poor Clares The life of all those who follow in the footsteps

of Saint Clare are …filled with security and peace, knowing that

the Divine Child dwells among them in the Most Blessed Sacrament and He will always defend them. 

Poor Clares "There is one thing I ask of the

Lord, for this I long, to live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to savor the sweetness of the Lord, to behold His Temple" (Psalm 26:4).

BrotherhoodBrotherhood

►Francis called his followers Francis called his followers fratres fratres minores, minores, or lesser brothers. or lesser brothers.

►Chief concern was being brothers, in a Chief concern was being brothers, in a lowly and poor way, a lowly and poor way, a minoritasminoritas

►MinoritasMinoritas is subordinated to and is subordinated to and directed towards the directed towards the fraternitasfraternitas, i.e , i.e brotherhoodbrotherhood

►Francis called it “Order of Friars Minor”Francis called it “Order of Friars Minor”

Poverty

How did it begin?

Poverty

Francis– Well-dressed– prominent young man

with bright future

– Sinful man

The Leper– Poorly dressed, ugly,

deformed– no social status– God in him

Poverty

translate his meeting with the leper into an ideal or spirituality of poverty

realised that since the Lord met him in the person of a leper, it was clear the Lord did not attach any importance to social status for its own sake

learnt to regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [Phil 3:8].

Poverty

it is only in emptying ourselves as Jesus did that God can enter our lives, and fill the emptiness with his love and goodness.

Symbols• Tau Cross• San Damiano Cross• Habit

Tau Cross• The Tau - the last letter in the

Hebrew alphabet,

• For Francis it's significance lay in the mention made in Ezekiel "Go through city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is distressed and troubled because of all the disgusting things being done in the city." (9:4)

Tau Cross• Scholars speculate that Francis attended the

Fourth Lateran Council (1215) where he heard Pope Innocent III use the Ezekiel reference in the opening liturgy.

So it is basically a call to repentance and support for those who are troubled. The symbolism seems as apt today as it was in the time of Saint Francis and all the way back to Ezekiel.

San Damiano Cross• While gazing at the

Cross, Francis saw the lips of Jesus move and he heard the words, "Francis, go repair My House which, as you see, is falling completely to ruin". Francis responded, "gladly will I do so, Lord".

San Damiano Cross• an icon of the

paschal mystery of Messiah, a visual reminder of the tenets of our Faith.

• invites us to reinforce our Faith and thus help repair God's Church today, as Saint Francis did centuries ago

Habit• Peasants’ clothing

in Middle Ages• Originally coarse

like in sackcloth, as a symbol of repentance

• Also symbolises the Cross

Habit• White cord with

three knots, representing the three vows, e. Poverty, Chastity and Obedience

Franciscans in OceaniaFranciscans in Oceania

• 1788 – Louis Le Receveur first arrived in Australia with the French explorer La Perouse

• 1839 – Bonaventure Geoghegan, Irishman arrived in Australia

• 1854 – Peter O’Farell began minstering in Sydney

Franciscans in OceaniaFranciscans in Oceania

• 1879 – community in Waverley began with three Irish friars

• 1904 – first Australian entered the order• 1939 – Australia became independent

province

Franciscans in OceaniaFranciscans in Oceania

• 1860 – Italian and Irish friars arrived in Aotearoa

• Worked with the fledging European settlement around Auckland and as missionaries among the Maori

• 1880 – withdrew from New Zealand• 1937 – returned to New Zealand

Franciscans in OceaniaFranciscans in Oceania

• End of WWII, strong push for friars to work as foreign missionaries

• 1946 – first missionaries sent to Aitape region, northern Papua New Guinea

• 1969 – assumed responsibility for the order presence in Singapore and Malaysia

• 2000 – a community in Kuching, East Malaysia

Franciscans in OceaniaFranciscans in Oceania

• Friars in this province have worked as missionaries in various parts of the world, such as Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Zambia

Franciscans in East Franciscans in East TimorTimor

• Belonged to the province of Indonesia, which was founded by Dutch Franciscans

• 1982 – Friars arrived in East Timor from Indonesia

• Currently, an independent Franciscan entity

Franciscans TodayFranciscans Today 11stst Order (Male Order) OFM, OFMCap, Order (Male Order) OFM, OFMCap,

OFMConvOFMConv 22ndnd Order (Female Order) Order (Female Order)

Contemplative Nuns, OSC, PCContemplative Nuns, OSC, PC 33rdrd Order (Male and Female religious, Order (Male and Female religious,

eg. FMM, FMDM, OSF, TOR) and eg. FMM, FMDM, OSF, TOR) and seculars (Secular Franciscan Order) seculars (Secular Franciscan Order)

Others – Anglican FranciscansOthers – Anglican Franciscans

MinistriesMinistries Peace & Justice – JPICPeace & Justice – JPIC Human Rights – Franciscans Human Rights – Franciscans

InternationalInternational Poor, Schools, Prisons, Immigrants, Poor, Schools, Prisons, Immigrants,

Missionaries, etcMissionaries, etc

ConclusionConclusion The variety of charisms reflects the The variety of charisms reflects the

universalism of the Gospel. universalism of the Gospel. Each charism serves a portion of the Each charism serves a portion of the

kingdom's gifts to humankind. The Body of kingdom's gifts to humankind. The Body of Christ finds expression in a variety of Christ finds expression in a variety of groups. Together they build the kingdom groups. Together they build the kingdom and make the Body of Christ present to our and make the Body of Christ present to our world. world.

The call to Franciscans is to live the Gospel The call to Franciscans is to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the manner of St Francis. of Jesus Christ in the manner of St Francis.