Christmas 2020 – Franciscan Family Conference
Hope is bold! – The language of Christmas is full of music and light
The IFC-TOR web site is conceived of as an instrument of collaboration and peace. It is a meeting point for those who wish to know about us and have news of the International Franciscan Conference-TOR.
It hopes to be a source of information and a means to know the history of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular, the aims of the Conference, in how many and which countries of the world they are present members, their addresses and information about each associated Institution.
In addition the site has the messages issued during the last General Assembly (a meeting held every four years in Assisi).
The IFC-TOR publishes a periodical Propositum, as a further means of sharing the message of the Franciscan Family.
Hope is bold! – The language of Christmas is full of music and light
Pope Francis states in Fratelli Tutti (FT) #8, “Let us dream as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all.”
We would like the sisters or brothers of your congregation to tell how they are giving witness to these aspects in light of living the Third Order Charism. The articles should be submitted electronically to the General Secretary to be translated and prepared for the website.
Second Letter to the Faithful: “Let us love God, therefore, and adore Him with a pure heart and a pure mind… And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon all those men and women who have done and persevered in these things and [the Spirit] will make a home and dwelling place in them…” In these days of pandemic, Francis would say the same to us. Perhaps we can help our world turn the pandemic of disease into a worldwide venture into newness of life, a pandemia of love, justice and peace.
Looking ahead, we ask ourselves questions about the meaning of the international gathering in light of our Franciscan heritage and our charism of fraternity. We have not answered all these questions yet, however, we feel that it is in the best interests of all the members of IFC-TOR to postpone the 2021 General Assembly until May of 2022. With this letter we come to you for your affirmation of this proposal. We would also like to know your comments, questions and suggestions.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, Let the sisters and brothers always be mindful that they should desire one thing alone, namely, the Spirit of God at work within them. TORule #32 The Spirit of God…ruah…the breath of God… We are Franciscan Sisters and Brothers of the Third Order Regular who follow St. Francis, in whose unique way saw through everything false and divisive.
Please send your contributions about INCARNATION for Propositum to Sr. Margherita Merlino, the General Secretary, at her email: secretary@ifc-tor.org by September 1, 2020. At our IFC-TOR Council meeting, we discussed your input from the General Assembly in May, 2017. You have indicated that you like the way Propositum is being done and we thank you for the contributions that have been made: in the past four years, 70 Sisters and Brothers have contributed an article to one of the ten issues. We are grateful for your sharing.
Please send your contributions about conversion for Propositum to Sr. Margherita Merlino, the General Secretary, at her email: secretary@ifc-tor.org by March 1, 2020. Please give the name, congregation, country and language of the sister or brother who wrote the article.
As you know, the IFC-TOR Council met in November in Rome. One part of the meeting was dedicated to remote planning of the General Assembly 2021 which will be held in Assisi. You had given us good input in the evaluations of the General Assembly 2017 and your ideas were helpful to us.
Latest IFC-TOR Council Meeting in Rome / Group picture
Additional TOR Resource Available
The TOR Conference was asked to distribute the English language issues of the TAU Series.
The TAU Series contains materials/articles which may be used for formation and Franciscan spirituality.
These reflections are provided by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia with Sister Kathleen Moffatt coordinating the project.
We are grateful to the congregation and to all the Sisters who are contributors.
These articles will be posted monthly on the IFC-TOR website, beginning in January 2019.
“The Letter to All The Faithful – Recensio prior” from A Biblical-Theological View of Penanceand Its Present Day Expression
Evangelical Identity, Chapter 1 – The unity of the whole Franciscan movement is expressed in this opening article
Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis – ORIGINAL COMMENTARY
Pope Francis states in Fratelli Tutti (FT) #8, “Let us dream as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all.”
We would like the sisters or brothers of your congregation to tell how they are giving witness to these aspects in light of living the Third Order Charism. The articles should be submitted electronically to the General Secretary to be translated and prepared for the website.
Second Letter to the Faithful: "Let us love God, therefore, and adore Him with a pure heart and a pure mind... And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon all those men and women who have done and persevered in these things and [the Spirit] will make a home and dwelling place in them…” In these days of pandemic, Francis would say the same to us. Perhaps we can help our world turn the pandemic of disease into a worldwide venture into newness of life, a pandemia of love, justice and peace.
Looking ahead, we ask ourselves questions about the meaning of the international gathering in light of our Franciscan heritage and our charism of fraternity. We have not answered all these questions yet, however, we feel that it is in the best interests of all the members of IFC-TOR to postpone the 2021 General Assembly until May of 2022. With this letter we come to you for your affirmation of this proposal. We would also like to know your comments, questions and suggestions.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, Let the sisters and brothers always be mindful that they should desire one thing alone, namely, the Spirit of God at work within them. TORule #32 The Spirit of God…ruah…the breath of God… We are Franciscan Sisters and Brothers of the Third Order Regular who follow St. Francis, in whose unique way saw through everything false and divisive.
Hope is bold! - The language of Christmas is full of music and light
Two important events are marked during 2016: the anniversary of the date tradionally associated with the granting of the Portiuncula Indulgence and the celebration of the Jubilee of Mercy, inspired by the Pope who bears St. Francis' name.
Dear young Franciscans all over the world! Our Seraphic Brother Saint Francis showed himself to be a true lover of God's mercy. Finding himself deeply loved by the "Father of Mercies" (Cf. 2 COR 1.3) while still in his youth, the poor man of Assisi allowed this virtue to embrace his life and become in him availability, movement and liberation.
The Ministers General of the Franciscan Family offer their joy and thanks for publication of Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Laudato sì, on care for our common home.” In the letter Saint Francis is cited twelve times, making him the key to reading the entire text...
We, the Ministers of the Conference of the Franciscan Family (CFF), wrote to you regarding the financial situation of Franciscans International (FI), and asking for your assistance. It is with joy that we write once again, this time with good news about the organization and its work.
For more than a year the Conference of the Franciscan Family (CFF) has been discussing how we might commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace, which was held in Assisi on October 27, 1986.
The Outreach Officer (OO) is based in New York and supports the global outreach program of the organization. The OO contributes to enhance the visibility of and the knowledge about Franciscans International (FI) within the Franciscan Family worldwide.
On 25 January, a tailing dam in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state breached, killing over 214 people. It soon emerged that its owner, mining company Vale, had repeatedly ignored warnings and failed to take measures that could have prevented this disaster.
By meditating on the passion of Christ through the lens of migration, we hope to engage in a deep, spiritual reflection on the realities faced by many of our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters.
Franciscans International’s Advent 2017 Reflection focuses on the four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.
Our involvement in Franciscan International enables us to know the international efforts being made for peace and justice all over the world.
First anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ Encyclical on Care for our Common Home, with its incipit taken from St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures.
We, members of Romans 6, the delegates general and representatives for JPIC for the worldwide Franciscan family, want to remind you of the invitation and encouragement that we received from the Conference of the Franciscan Family to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the “spirit of Assisi” and to keep alive the values promoted in that celebration at all times.
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