FRANCISCAN YOUTH AND SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE

GENERAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER Title VII: The Franciscan Youth (Art )

1. The SFO, by virtue of its very vocation, ought to be ready to share its experience of evangelical life with the youth who feel attracted to Saint Francis of Assisi and to seek the means of adequately presenting it to them. 2. The Franciscan Youth (YouFra), … is formed by those young people who feel called by the Holy Spirit to share the experience of the Christian life in fraternity, in the light of the message of Saint Francis of Assisi, deepening their own vocation within the context of the Secular Franciscan Order. 3. The members of the Franciscan Youth consider the Rule of the SFO as an inspirational document for the growth of their own Christian and Franciscan vocation either individually or in a group. After a suitable period of formation, of at least one year, they confirm this option with a personal pledge before God and in the presence of the brothers and sisters. Article 96

4. The members of the Franciscan Youth who wish to belong to the SFO should satisfy the requirements of the Rule, the Constitutions, and the Ritual of the SFO. 5. The Franciscan Youth has a specific organization, methods of formation, and teaching methods adequate for the needs of the world of youth, according to the existing realities in the various countries. The national statutes of the Franciscan Youth should be approved by the respective national council of the SFO, or in its absence, by the Presidency of the International Council of the SFO. 6. The Franciscan Youth, as a component of the Franciscan family, requests from the competent secular leaders and religious superiors, respectively, fraternal animation and spiritual assistance.

Specific characteristics of Franciscan Youth

In the field of pastoral care of youth, it is found that young persons are attracted to St. Francis and that they wish to deepen their Christian and Franciscan vocation. To these young persons, Franciscan Youth and the SFO provide options, while respecting the demands of the youth in modern times, their crises, problems and questions.

Some of the essential elements in their vocational journey are: To feel the call of the Holy Spirit to undergo, in fraternity, the experience of Christian life; Progressive discovery of St. Francis, his project of life and his values; Ecclesial and social presence, as condition to having concrete apostolic experiences.

The Franciscan Youth, as described in the SFO General Constitutions, differs from other Franciscan youth groups by: The acceptance of the Rule of the SFO as an inspirational document; The personal and formal commitment made before God and the fraternity to live that inspiration; Belonging to the Franciscan Family and deepening their own vocation within the context of the Secular Franciscan Order; The accompaniment and animation provided by Secular Franciscans; Spiritual and Pastoral assistance; Its organisational structure and specific methods of formation for a vocational process which normally, but not necessarily, leads to the SFO; The proper National Statutes approved by the National Council of the SFO or, in its absence, by the Presidency of the CIOFS, which sets down the conditions to belong to the Franciscan Youth.

Vocational journey Members of the YouFra deepen their own vocation in the light of the message of St. Francis through an itinerary of progressive formation. Vocational discernment is the main focus during this journey. Normally, this vocational journey is made up of the following stages: a) Initiation b) Formation for the promise in the YouFra c) Deepening the personal call

SPIRITUAL AND PASTORAL ASSISTANCE TO THE FRANCISCAN YOUTH

As a component part of the Franciscan Family, linked in a special way to the SFO, each YouFra fraternity should, in accordance with the General Constitutions of the SFO, request: [*][*] Cf. Const. 96,6. a) Fraternal animation from the authorities of the Secular Franciscans; b) Spiritual assistance from the competent religious Superiors [*]. [*]

With regard to fraternal animation, the SFO Fraternities, from among their responsibilities related to YouFra, must: [*][*] Cf. Const. 97,1 Promote the Franciscan youth, through appropriate initiatives and dynamics; Take care of the vitality and expansion of the YouFra Fraternities; Accompany the young in their process of human and spiritual growth, through proposals of activities and of thematic contents [*]. [*]

Another important duty that the SFO Fraternities should take care of is that of giving the YouFra a fraternal Animator, who, together with the Spiritual Assistant and the Council of YouFra, should guarantee a suitable secular franciscan formation [*]. [*] [*] Cf. Const. 97,2

In the Statutes for the spiritual and pastoral assistance to the SFO we read in art. 2 §1: The spiritual and pastoral care is provided as a two-fold service: - The fraternal office of the altius moderamen on the part of the Major Superiors; - Spiritual assistance to the fraternities and their Councils.

This two-fold, fraternal service integrates, but does not substitute for the responsibility proper to the Councils and Ministers of Fraternities, to whom pertain the guidance, coordination and animation of the Fraternities on the various levels [*]. [*] [*] Cf. Const. 86,2; The Statutes for Assistance, 3,1

In the Statutes for Assistance (art. 2,3) we also find an explication of what should be the aim of spiritual assistance: The purpose of spiritual assistance is to foster communion with the Church and with the Franciscan Family through witness and sharing of Franciscan spirituality, to cooperate in initial and on-going formation of Secular Franciscans and to express the fraternal affection of the religious towards the SFO.

The Spiritual Assistant to the YouFra

In the document YouFra: The journey of a franciscan vocation, a basic document for the YouFra, approved by the CIOFS Presidency in 2004, we find the following in point 6: YouFra, as a component of the Franciscan Family, needs spiritual assistance in order to guarantee its fidelity to the franciscan charism, communion with the Church and its unity with the Franciscan Family.

As the delegate of his Major Superior, the Assistant to the YouFra must give witness to the franciscan religious spirituality and to the fraternal love of the religious for the YouFra, to the communion between the franciscan religious and the Franciscan Youth; Must be a guarantor of the fidelity of the YouFra to the franciscan charism, of their communion with the Church and of the unity of the YouFra with the Franciscan Family.

Since it is a question of spiritual assistance to the young in their vocational journey and of deepening their vocation, the Assistant has the very particular task of helping the young people in their vocational discernment, which should be based on an integral human, Christian and franciscan formation.

The document, YouFra: The journey of a franciscan vocation then continues by pausing on the appointment and profile of the Assistants: The appointment of Spiritual Assistants pertains to the competent franciscan Major Superiors in an analogy with what is established in the Statutes for the Spiritual and Pastoral Assistance to the SFO. In so far as is possible, the service of assistance to the YouFra and SFO should be carried out by the same person.

The Assistant must help the Fraternity to live unity in diversity and to respect autonomies, different ways of living fraternal life, different formative methods, the way of holding meetings or doing the various apostolic activities, keeping in mind, however, that it is certainly very nice and important to share some moments of prayer, encounter, formation and apostolic activities together in order to give witness to the common mission.

The Assistant in the formation of the YouFra

The Assistant has a particular role in the area of formation, that of cooperating with the fraternal Animator and the Council of YouFra in the formation of the young [*]. However, the responsibility of all the Fraternity of the YouFra for the accompaniment of its members is not diminished by the fact of having a Spiritual Assistant and Fraternal Animator. The two figures are complementary but do not substitute for the work of the YouFra as a Council, as a Fraternity and as people. [*] [*] Cf. Const 97,2.

It is necessary for the Franciscan Youth to receive a solid human, Christian and franciscan formation in order to be able to live their Christian life in Fraternity. They must be helped to know franciscan spirituality and the Franciscan Family better. It is a question, therefore, of a more practical rather than a theoretical formation, which is based on lived experiences in the Fraternity and, as far as possible, with other Franciscans, religious and secular.

The Spiritual Assistant, in his cooperation with the accompaniment of the young Franciscans, must: accompany the young in living their life according to the Gospel; help and accompany the young in the continuous conversion requested by the Gospel; know how to listen, wait, have patience and, above all, to love; enter into personal dialogue with the young, help them in their progress and, in a particular way, in their vocational discernment; collaborate in forming the young to the fulfilment of their mission in the Church and in society.

Saint Francis’ prayer before the Crucifix Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out Your holy and true command. Amen.