RATIO FORMATIONIS ROME - GENERAL COUNCIL - TOR - 2001
The text of the Order's Ratio formationis had its beginnings during the previous administration's term of office. The first draft, entitled Ratio formationis. Guidelines for initial and ongoing formation, was prepared by Fr. Seraphin Conley, General Councilor and General Formation Director, on 2 May 1994. The draft was then sent to the ministers provincial, to the provincial formation directors and the provincial formation commissions, who were asked to offer further suggestions so that the draft might be revised before presenting the document to the General Council. The last responses came in February 1995. The text, however, which incorporated the responses, was not discussed by the outgoing General Council. It thus became the task of the new General Council to finish preparing the Ratio formationis of the Order, taking into consideration the Post Synodal Exhortation Vita Consecrata and what was requested by the General Chapter of 1995. The text prepared by Fr. Seraphin and the suggestions that came in were discussed by the General Council in March 1996; the reworked text was discussed again in September and December of 1997. This brought forth a new text, the second draft, which was presented and discussed in the Plenary Council of the Order, which was held in Croatia in May 1998. The ministers provincial asked that the text have greater flexibility so that the provinces, considering the various situations of the society and culture, could adapt it more concretely according to their own reality. Respecting the suggestions of the Plenary Council, a third draft was formulated and presented to the General Council on 15 December 1998 and 18 March 1999; it then served as an Instrumentum laboris for the meeting of the Order's formation directors for Asia and Africa (December 1999), for Latin America (January 2000) and for Europe (July 2000). The formation directors of the United States provinces studied the third draft during their annual meeting in June 2000. This Ratio formationis has incorporated the many suggestions made during these meetings. The final text was approved during the meeting of the General Council in March 2001. Some provinces already have their formation plan, and others are preparing their own, or are awaiting this general plan. We now present this Ratio formationis of the Order, at the dawn of the third millennium, in the hope that it may be useful for further preparing the formation plans in the provinces and may stimulate a formation that is even more organized and fruitful. It seems that the words of the Holy Father are very important: "You have not only a glorious history to remember and to recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished! Look to the future, where the Spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things" (VC 110). The return to the original inspiration of the Franciscan penitents, the rediscovery of the sound traditions of the Order, have helped us to rediscover our identity and mission in the Church and the world (1) . The renewed text of the Rule (1982) and the Constitutions (1991) are a clear conclusion coloring the dimensions of our life in fraternity (2) and therefore, of our formation as well. With this new aid, we want to help ourselves and others understand the novelty of our charism in the Church and the world of today and suggest a formative journey for all those whom the Lord will call to life in our Order. Fr. Zvonimir Brusac ________________________ 1 Cf. PC 2. 2 Cf. The presentation of the new TOR Constitutions by Jose Angulo Quilis, Minister general, in Constitutions of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis, Rome 1992, 5-13.
ABBREVIATIONS Documents of the Second Vatican Council Papal Documents ET Apostolic Exhortation Evangelica
Testificatio, Paul VI, 1971. Documents of the Holy See CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church,
1992. Documents of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis Cost. Constitutions of the Third Order
Regular of Saint Francis, 1992. Franciscan Sources FF Fonti Francescane, Edizioni
Messaggero, Padova - Movimento Other abbreviations cn canon of the Codex luris Canonici,
1983. 1 Cor First Letter of St. Paul to
the Corinthians IFOFS Guidelines for the formation of the
friars for understanding and Purpose of the Ratio formationis of the
Order 1. The Ratio formationis of the Order is a complex of principles, guidelines and norms for planning formation and putting it into effect in our Order. It is the basis and the common denominator for the acquisition and harmonious development of the religious life of the Order and tends to strengthen its identity and communion in conformity with the spiritual patrimony that has been received. The Ratio presents progressively and systematically formation in the Order, so that the spirituality - delineated on the basis of the founding charism and sound tradition with reference to history and legislation - may be fully assimilated. It seeks to relate formation with the charism and the specific mission of the Order, keeping in mind the signs of the times. Because of its pedagogical and didactic nature, the plan also contains methodological guidelines and reference to the sources and documents that can be of help to the friars and the formation personnel. The Ratio also takes into consideration the Constitutions and the General Statutes(5), guidelines from the Congress on Franciscan formation in the TOR (6), the Plenary Council of 1980 (7) and the dispositions of the various General Chapters. ___________________________________ 3 Cf. cn. 659, 2; Some such recent Documents are: The Directory of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis, Rome 1938 and Ratio Studiorum Generalis Tertii Ordinis Regularis S. Francisci, Rome 1960. 4 Cf. EE 44-48. 5 Title 11 of the Constitutions Acceptance into the Order (11-60) is devoted to formation. The subsequent titles (III-IX) contain many statements about formation. Many of the General Statutes (1-39; 41-114) refer to corresponding articles of the Constitutions. 6 Cf. Return to Francis: Acts of the Congress on Franciscan formation in the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis (Assisi, 8-19 July 1979), Rome 1980 (especial Acta TOR, vol. II, 7/1980, pp. 1-380). 7 Cf. Acta TOR 1980, n. 8. The norms suggested here are meant to help achieve a unity in formation, which is a condition, an instrument and guarantee for the unity of the Order. Structure of the Ratio 2. The Plan is divided into five chapters: - Identity of the Order After mentioning the value of the religious life, the Ratio illustrates the identity of the Third Order Regular. Passing over to the stages of formation per se, it begins with vocation ministry and the companioning of the candidates, which is an indispensable preparation for initial formation. The chapter on ongoing formation is at the end of the text only for methodological reasons. It is, however, equally important for the whole life of the Order and creates a life-giving environment for initial formation. 3. The chapters contain the following subtitles: - Description The contents are concerned first and foremost with the cognitive aspect of formation and other means for achieving its objectives. They are divided according to the various dimensions of formation: human formation, Christian formation and the formation specific to religious life (formation in the charism that includes formation in fraternal life and formation for the apostolate) (8). Under the subtitles regarding agents of formation are found the characteristics of the candidate in the respective phase, the responsibilities of the formation director and the role of the fraternity in the formation house. Since this Plan is for the whole Order, it is limited to the objectives, content and methodological guidelines that are valid for all. Each province, vice-province and delegation should then integrate and adapt them to its own Ratio formationis in accord with the situation of each country. _____________________________________ 8 Cf. The structure of the Exhortation Vita Consecrata.
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