The Animation Committee for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation Office of the Franciscan Order met from the 26th to 30th of November in Panewniki/Katowice, Poland. Present were: Jaime Campos, OFM and Rufino Lim, OFM from the JPIC Office in Rome as well as Fausto Yudego, OFM representing Europe and Jacek Orzechowski, OFM representing the Americas. Among the first things we did was to choose – pending the approval of the General Definitory – a friar who will represent Asia and Oceania at the Animation committee of the Order.
The committee spent a week evaluating the implementation the JPIC Animation Plan 2016-2021, reviewing the document of the 2018 Plenary Council in Nairobi, and developing a plan for the 2019 International Council JPIC, which will take place in Jerusalem. Furthermore, we have worked to develop a series of online JPIC courses for 2019. They will focus on the issues of forced migration, climate change, Laudato Si’.
Just as a reminder, the 2016-2021 JPIC Animation Plan has six specific objectives: (1) to change the environmental impact of our lifestyle on God’s creation, (2) to embrace the preferential option for the lesser ones in our world, (3) to promote an attitude of equality, peace and active non-violence in our lives, (4) to promote the JPIC values in the Initial and Ongoing Formation, (5) to promote the collaboration between various secretaries and the offices of the Order, (6) to collaborate with the Franciscan Family and Social Movements.
Our JPIC Animation committee members have discussed the progress of the implementation of these objectives and develop strategies that may help overcome some of the challenges. However, we need active involvement and collaboration from the individual provinces and friars to carry out our Franciscan mission. We will continue to send out more information on how to seize the opportunities to have an impact and respond in innovative ways from the perspective of the JPIC values to the signs of the times.
In addition to a hard work of evaluation, strategizing and planning, the JPIC Animation Committee didn’t neglect to have a wonderful fraternal time with a lot of joy, enjoying a great hospitality of friars in Poland, in particular of the Province of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Br. Jacek Orzechowski, OFM