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The General Secretariat for Formation and Studies and the JPIC General Office jointly organized the online conference: The Global OFM – Laudato Si’. The meeting was planned to be an alternative offering for all the friars in initial formation of the Order during the time of the pandemic. Two online meetings were held in order to cover all the regions and time zones where the Order is present.

The goal was to deepen the challenge that Pope Francis has made to all Christians, but especially to us Franciscans, with his encyclical Laudato si’. We thought that it could be a further way to deepen the focus in the initial formation program on the themes of justice, peace and integrity of creation, as the Ratio formationis of the Order envisions.

In the words of Fr. Michael Perry “Our meeting today is also a sign of the significant growth that the Order has made since the renewal of our specific charism after the Second Vatican Council. As you will recall, in article two of the General Constitutions, we discover the full scope of an integrated vision of the life and mission proposed to us by St. Francis. I quote this article:

“The friars, as followers of St. Francis, are bound to lead a radically evangelical life, namely: to live in a spirit of prayer and devotion and fraternal fellowship; they are to offer a witness of penance and minority; and, in charity towards all mankind, they are to announce the Gospel throughout the whole world and to preach reconciliation, peace and justice by their deeds; and to show respect for creation.”

All the talks given at the Global OFM – Laudato Si´ conference have been compiled in PDF and available to the brothers and the Franciscan family for download:

Available in Spanish, English and Italian