THE PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE ORDER IN BRAZIL  2004

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the presence of the Franciscans Third Order Regular in Brazil.

Minister General M.R. llija Zivkovic, T.O.R. Once in every term, the Minister General, may convene an extraordinary gathering called the Plenary Council. Our current General, Most Reverend Ilija Zivkovic, T.O.R., chose Pocon�, Brazil as the site for the Plenary Council because this year marks the 100th anniversary of the presence of the T.O.R. in Brazil.

PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE ORDER
 

As has been noted, the 6th Plenary Council of the Order took place at Pocon�, in the heart of Mato Grosso, Brazil, from July 11-20, 2004. Themes discussed include: the identity of the Order; and the organization of the general economy. The site was chosen in order to participate in the closing celebrations of the centenary of the TOR presence in Brazil (1904-2004). The remembrance of such an event of evangelization can serve the entire Order to visualize more clearly the direction of our own present journey.

Article by:
Most Rev. Fr. Bonaventure N. Midili, T.O.R.
Ex- Minister General 1996 - 2001

The plane landed at Cuiab� in central Brazil on July 9, 2004. Three American TOR Franciscans deplaned: the Very Rev. Christian Oravec, Provincial of the Sacred Heart Province, Bro. Mark McBride, Treasurer of the Order and myself. We were on our way to the Plenary Council of the Order, which the Minister General had convoked. Our instructions were to be at Hotel Velas in Cuiab� by Sunday morning no later than 10 a.m. to board a chartered bus to take us to Hotel Pantanal.

Thirty friars from all over the world were present at the designated place and time. But in typical Latin American fashion, the chartered bus arrived one hour late.

In 1904 six Franciscan TOR missionaries arrived in Cuiab� after a long trans-Atlantic voyage from France. The Vatican had assigned these French friars an area in central Brazil to evangelize. The area was twice the size of France and is called the Mato Grosso, the great forest. These brave missionaries began their activities using Cuiab� as their staging area. Later they found that the town of Pocon� was closer and more convenient to serve the indigenous people of Mato Grosso.

One hundred years later the staging area for us, the participants of the Plenary Council, also was Cuiab�. It was from there that we began our 35-kilometer journey to Pocon�. Here we were, the leadership of the Order, namely the Minister General, his council, all the Provincials of the Order retracing the steps of the early TOR Franciscans missionaries. How fitting that the Plenary Council be held in Brazil to afford us the opportunity to join in the celebration of the centenary of the presence of the TOR Franciscans in Brazil.

On our way, about five miles from town, we saw a sign on the side of the road: "Welcome Franciscans TOR." The sign, like the rays of the winter sun, made us feel warm and relaxed in a very uncomfortable bus.

As we approached the edge of the town, we began to hear music. It was coming from loud speakers mounted on the bed of a pick up truck. At this point, there was another a big sign across the road that read: "Welcome Franciscans TOR to Pocon�." The bus stopped, as if the loud music prevented it from proceeding further. It was Sunday morning. A large crowd has come and gave us a simple and sincere welcome. The people were singing, clapping and swaying. Cameras were everywhere. The music stopped and the mayor of Pocone�, a very cultured woman, extended us a hearty welcome. Fr. General was invited to the microphone and thanked her and the people.

We proceeded to the parish Church of Pocon� and celebrated the Eucharist. Tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of many when a teen-age girl and her four pages carried the book of the gospels down the main aisle amidst the singing and clapping of the assembly.

After the liturgy we continued on our way to the hotel, located in the middle of Pantanal, the largest bird/animal sanctuary in the world. Our neighbors were lovely birds of all colors and. some sleeping alligators. One morning I heard some commotion in the courtyard outside my room. I put on my robe and went to the source of the clamor. The people were applauding a fisherman who caught a piranha with a simple fishing pole as he was feeding it to a small alligator for his breakfast.

The formal agenda of this of this Plenary Council featured fraternal life and record keeping. Father Bernat Nebot, provincial of the Spanish Province, gave us an inspiring conference that stressed the importance of the fraternal bonds between the friars and their witness value to the gospel. The second part of the Plenary Council was dedicated to the need for standardizing the financial accounting procedures in the Order. Brother Mark McBride, Treasurer of the Order, outlined a process for achieving that goal. That was the formal agenda.

The Plenary Council also had an informal agenda also. The bonds of brotherhood and friendship between the friars in attendance were renewed and new ones formed. Provincials are leaders of the friars at the grass roots levels. They share their experience with each other. They also can bring to the attention of the Minister General a wide range of issues and concerns that might the Minister General and his Council can address in the remaining three years of his term. It was a very profitable meeting at both levels.

After four religious celebrations, two civil celebrations and a churrascaria, three American friars, tired by enriched, returned home.

Peace and good to one and all.

Fr. Bonaventure Midili, T.O.R.

The country was Brazil. The city was Pocon�. The participants came from Europe, the Americas and the Far East. Sixteen countries had their mention and their moment to share and celebrate our common Third Order Franciscan charism together.

Native food, national and international humor, three language groups, yet one world-wide family gathered to share prayer, problems, joys, celebrations, sorrows, and fraternity. For me, that was the big gain� the deep fraternity and brotherly support given and received. Each Province shared their story and history and told of the future they envisioned for the Order in their respective country.

The United States, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Sicily, India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Bangladesh, and South Africa participated, with information and voices sentfrom France, Peru, the Philippines and Sweden. All were listened to; all stories were treasured.

As a translator for the Spanish/ English group I caught a glimpse of the love and dedication of the friars from all over the world. A pervasive spirit of joy and prayer accompanied all our events. The dedications of a medical clinic and a hand carved 40-foot statue of Saint Francis in the middle of the world�s largest wetland reserve, the Pantanal, were also big highlights.

The Pantanal, the Brazilians say, is the lung of the world. Of course, there was time to fish for piranha. They were so plentiful in the Pantanal that we made, and ate, a soup out of them. The alligators were lined up on the banks of the river sunning themselves as if it were a contest to measure who was the longest and strongest.

No gold, silver or bronze medals were won by any one country but rather we all received the golden opportunity to be together, think together, plan and share together.

The Plenary Council was just that, a worldwide event full of faith-filled friars and overflowing with fraternal love and joy in serving the Church and building it up like Saint Francis.