The chapter of the Custody of the Holy Land, which began on Sunday 4th July and will end on 15th July, marked a stage in its progress with the commemoration, at the Cenacle of the washing of the feet.
The celebration was presided by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattistta Pizzaballa, surrounded by the President of the Chapter, Fr. Francesco Bravi, and by the Apostolic Nuncio and Delegate, Mons. Antonio Franco.
In a Cenacle reserved for the Franciscans and their guests, in this place of origin for the Franciscans in the Holy Land and even more for the Church, the Custos of the Holy Land invited his brothers to return to the origins of their vocation in this land, and to the origins of what the nascent Church experienced at the Cenacle with the gift of the Eucharist, with the spirit of humble and free service, with the gift of the Spirit that renews everything and everyone.
To mark the celebration, the Custos washed the feet of six friars representing different types of service in the Custody and of six laypeople committed to the service of the Holy Land in the Custody in different ways.
Whilst the sessions of the chapter are held in the atmosphere of a conclave, surrounded by discretion and seriousness (see the chapter’s blog), the Custody had invited to the celebration of the Cenacle the religious and the lay people attached to the Custody to join in its prayer.
It is the whole of the Holy Land and all the territory covered by the Custody that feel concerned by this Franciscan event.
With this chapter, the sixty or so friars meeting here, out of the Custody’s almost 300 friars, will elect the new discretorium – the “Board of Directors” of the Custody – and a new vicar. They will be new, even though the members can be renewed.
It is this discretorium which, at a chapter congress, will proceed with all the appointments and changes at the head of the sanctuaries, convents and various different positions of the Custody. This is precisely what the local Christians are waiting for. It is so gripping for them that a parallel, and obviously not official, chapter is held, the one of the Christian street. One person thinks that this priest is going to change, that this other one is going to arrive. The street makes its comments on the attribution of one position or another. If there is a change of guardian, people despair or the contrary !… With rumours, pious wishes, hopes, dreams and indiscretions, the chapter of the street shows to what extent the future of the Custody interests the local Church and how deeply it is anchored in it.
A local and universal Church which are not forgotten by the friars at the chapter. All the more so as the linguistic group of Franciscans from Arab countries is the second largest group in the Custody after the Italians and before the Spanish-speaking friars and the Poles. The Custody groups together friars of a total of 33 nationalities.
In its concern of service for the local and universal Church, the chapter of the Custody will receive in turn the Apostolic Nuncio and Delegate, Mons. Antonio Franco, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Mons.Fouad Twal, to listen to them and consider their remarks as well as their expectations.
For the time being, after having heard the reports on the main activities of the Custody, the friars continue in the commission to work, hone, orient and study in greater depth the main lines of the Custody for the next three years.
The footnotes of history will say whether the chapter of the street was well informed. Official history will remember that the Franciscans have been at the service of the Custody of the Holy Land for almost 800 years. That is a lot of chapters !
Mab
The celebration was presided by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattistta Pizzaballa, surrounded by the President of the Chapter, Fr. Francesco Bravi, and by the Apostolic Nuncio and Delegate, Mons. Antonio Franco.
In a Cenacle reserved for the Franciscans and their guests, in this place of origin for the Franciscans in the Holy Land and even more for the Church, the Custos of the Holy Land invited his brothers to return to the origins of their vocation in this land, and to the origins of what the nascent Church experienced at the Cenacle with the gift of the Eucharist, with the spirit of humble and free service, with the gift of the Spirit that renews everything and everyone.
To mark the celebration, the Custos washed the feet of six friars representing different types of service in the Custody and of six laypeople committed to the service of the Holy Land in the Custody in different ways.
Whilst the sessions of the chapter are held in the atmosphere of a conclave, surrounded by discretion and seriousness (see the chapter’s blog), the Custody had invited to the celebration of the Cenacle the religious and the lay people attached to the Custody to join in its prayer.
It is the whole of the Holy Land and all the territory covered by the Custody that feel concerned by this Franciscan event.
With this chapter, the sixty or so friars meeting here, out of the Custody’s almost 300 friars, will elect the new discretorium – the “Board of Directors” of the Custody – and a new vicar. They will be new, even though the members can be renewed.
It is this discretorium which, at a chapter congress, will proceed with all the appointments and changes at the head of the sanctuaries, convents and various different positions of the Custody. This is precisely what the local Christians are waiting for. It is so gripping for them that a parallel, and obviously not official, chapter is held, the one of the Christian street. One person thinks that this priest is going to change, that this other one is going to arrive. The street makes its comments on the attribution of one position or another. If there is a change of guardian, people despair or the contrary !… With rumours, pious wishes, hopes, dreams and indiscretions, the chapter of the street shows to what extent the future of the Custody interests the local Church and how deeply it is anchored in it.
A local and universal Church which are not forgotten by the friars at the chapter. All the more so as the linguistic group of Franciscans from Arab countries is the second largest group in the Custody after the Italians and before the Spanish-speaking friars and the Poles. The Custody groups together friars of a total of 33 nationalities.
In its concern of service for the local and universal Church, the chapter of the Custody will receive in turn the Apostolic Nuncio and Delegate, Mons. Antonio Franco, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Mons.Fouad Twal, to listen to them and consider their remarks as well as their expectations.
For the time being, after having heard the reports on the main activities of the Custody, the friars continue in the commission to work, hone, orient and study in greater depth the main lines of the Custody for the next three years.
The footnotes of history will say whether the chapter of the street was well informed. Official history will remember that the Franciscans have been at the service of the Custody of the Holy Land for almost 800 years. That is a lot of chapters !
Mab