Wednesday, November 20, 2013

3rd Day of the Council Meeting




This morning was free in order to study the material that we have been given. So we gathered together in the afternoon with Br. Paulo Martinelli, president of our Franciscan Institute at Antonianum. He dealt  with the theme of "Vocational Crisis". He gave various reasons from the point of view of sociology, Theology, political and psychological. He said that there around 3000 who leave either the religious Orders or Diocesan life. Many of them fall in love and get married, some of them change their Orders or congregations. Many of them enter into diocesan life. He made a comparison between the crisis of vocation and the formation models which are becoming weak. The Formation models need to read the vocation crisis. He underlined the importance of ongoing formation in the religious life. He said that the abandonment (exist) is the an abortion of the crisis. In the past young religious and priests used to leave the priesthood but today priests who are above 50 years old are leaving because life has prolonged. so there are years for one to live the life even after advanced age.
The crisis of vocation is like the crisis of faith. Weakness of faith accompanies the crisis of Vocation. He strongly put forward the idea that today there is no connection and legame between the Life of prayer, fraternal life and apostolate. Either one is too much given importance or completely neglected which leads to a crisis in vocation. 
He also underlined that today when one goes out is very much happy, contended and in peace because he discovers himself and feels that the religious life is not meant for him.
He once again strongly put forward that today there is a lack of and absence of Paternity of the formator. 
Another reason for crisis he stipulated was that the candidates are presented a very good picture of Franciscan Capuchin charism but the lived reality is not very favorable in religious life. There is a dichotomy between the charism and lived life of the religious.
After his presentation we had many questions and clarifications to be sought from him. He was very prompt and exact in answering the questions.

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