CECOC: Fraternal economy - how to put it into practice

SERPELICE, Polond How do we live the charisma of St. Francis today in a world driven by the rules of the economic market? - is the theme upon which the brother ministers and bursars reflected at the Capuchin Conference of Central Eastern Europe. The meeting of the ministers and bursars took place from June 2-6, at Serpelice, amidst the forest, toward the border between the European Union and Bielorussia. The general Bursar, Luis Eduardo Rubiano, the vice-Secretary of the Office of Solidarity, Piotr Komorniczak, and the general Definitor, Jure Šarčević also participated in the gathering. This was the second meeting devoted to the introduction of the principles of a fraternal economy as delineated by the VI and VII PCO.

After an exchange of experiences on "how does a fraternal economy function in my circumscription"?, the bursars had an opportunity to have a practicum under the guidance of the general Bursar. His topics were: how to prepare a budget, balance sheets, and so on. In other words, he focused on how a fraternal economy functions in practice. Nothing exists more concretely and really than money – as Br. Luis E. Rubiano had said in the quasi catechesis on the subject. He furthermore stated that the consecrated life meets its concrete expression in the measure as to how the economy is administered. But one needs to remember - the general Bursar continued - that the bursar is a servant of God, not of money. He underlined that it is urgent to organize a bookkeeping system with the participation of all the brothers and all the fraternities. The objective of our fraternal economy - our Colombian confrere concluded - is to increase and to protect the communion between us, because the economy either builds fraternal relationships or is the factor of disunity and division within the province. The participants of the meeting were encouraged by the vice-Secretary of Solidarity to elaborate a strategy in the projects at the level of the Conference. It deals with the establishment of the projects to which we want to give a priority. This would be a good indication for the International Commission.

The reunion could not be concluded without a brotherly meeting with Mons. A. Pacyfik Dydycz, OFMCap, Ordinary of the Diocese of Drohiczyn (where Serpelice is), and who himself had been a general Definitor. With his extraordinary memory, he recounted some adventures and histories of the rebirth of the Capuchin charisma in the countries of the Eastern Europe. It was decided that the next meeting will be at Zagreb in the month of September.