acta ordinis fratrumminorum - OFM

62 AN. CXXVIII – IANUARII-APRILIS 2009 – N. 1volontà verso una cosa si arguisce dal fatto chela vuole prontamente e gioiosamente, pur nonavendone l’abitudine. Ora, la volontà libera –come ci sembra di percepirla attraverso l’amoredel Bene infinito – non riposa perfettamenteche nel Bene sommo».Non è forse urgente riaffermare questa capacitàdell’uomo di desiderare ciò che eccede lasua misura, l’infinito in quanto tale, per affermarela dignità della creatura? Non è un servizioall’uomo affermare che l’uomo non soloesperisce attualmente in sé il desiderio di amareun bene infinito, ma altresì che la volontàumana non sembra acquietarsi in modo perfettoin nessun altro bene? (cf. Al e s s a n d r o Gh i-s a l b e r t i, Intervento introduttivo al convegnodel Dipartimento di Filosofia dell’UniversitàCattolica del Sacro Cuore, in L’OsservatoreRomano, 9 novembre 2008).Non troveremo qui le tracce per fondare unnuovo umanesimo?Desidero affidarvi queste semplici riflessioniin forma di domanda, mentre mi auguroche questo Convegno porti un frutto abbondantee accompagni in questa Pontificia UniversitàAntonianum una stagione di rinnovatointeresse e studio del Dottor Sottile, in vistadel quanto mai urgente incontro con le tanteforme del pensare e dell’agire dell’uomo contemporaneo.Fr. Jo s é Ro d r í g u e z Ca r b a l l o, o f mMinistro generalee Gran Cancelliere2. OFM Course for Formators of SAAOCand EAC: accompaniment in the franciscantradition and in a pluralistic AsiancontextThe General Secretariat for Formation andStudies facilitated several presentations of theCourse for OFM Formators in Assisi in recentyears. More recently, we wished to create andoffer the course in the more specific context ofthe Conferences, particularly in those of Africaand Asia. This was achieved in the AfricanConference when Formators gathered inNovember 2006 not only to study personalisedaccompaniment within their local cultures, butto continue the shared process of discerninghow to interpret the present orientations ofthe Order for formation within their own contexts.We then had an opportunity for the Formatorsof Asia. At the meeting of the Secretariesfor Formation and Studies of the SAAO Conference,held in Singapore in January 2008,the brothers shared openly about the currentsituation of initial formation in their entities.They also arrived at an outline for a Course forOFM Formators in a pluralistic Asian context.The General Definitory gave its approval tothis course.The General Secretary for Formation andStudies wrote to the Ministers and Custodesof the two Conferences in Asia to encouragethe attendance of their present and possible futureFormators at this course, to be held at the“Claret Nevas” Centre in Bangalore (India)from the 17 th to 31 st of January 2009. 35 OFMFormators from all the Entities of the twoConferences of Asia attended the course. Br.Massimo Fusarelli, Secretary General for Formationand Studies, was present at the course.As was the case with the course held in theAfrican Conference, the course was not onlyan opportunity to offer a contextualised formationto our Formators, but also a vital opportunityfor our Order to receive new perspectiveson our charism from the assembled Friars. Thehope is that this course was helpful to all theFriars in better understanding and appreciatingthe richness and the special contribution of thecultures and local churches of Asia.The first week was dedicated to Formationin the Pluralistic Asian Context. Some of the issues.Some of these issues were: Personalizedformative accompaniment in the RFF; the social,political, economic and religious contextof Asia; the significance of Islam in Asia andthe Franciscan Response; Buddhist presenceand Franciscan charism; the elements of an anthropologyof vocation in an Asian context.The second week was dedicated to the AffectiveLife and the Integration of PersonalAccompaniment in a Franciscan-SpiritualDimension. The special importance of the issuesof affectivity and sexuality, their impacton vocational development and maturity, andaccompanying the Friar in matters of the affectivelife and sexuality was stressed.The third week was dedicated to Discernmentin Personal AccompanimentThe hospitality offered by the Province ofSt. Thomas Apostle of India was very fraternal,allowing us to discover some of the richness ofthe country. The main theme of this course was“personalized accompaniment in the context