General Chapter of Diffinitors
7th day
Tultenango, July 22, 2022
The capitular friars began Friday with lauds and the celebration of the Eucharist in French, presided over by Friar Liboire Kagabo, OP, of the Province of Canada, and with the homily preached by Friar Antonie de La Fayolle, OP, of the Province of France; he started from the quest of Mary Magdalene ꟷProtector of the Order of Preachersꟷ celebrated in the liturgy of the Eucharist, to speak of the “black hole effect”, that is, “the inability to look beyond setbacks”.
According to Friar Antonie, Mary Magdalene comes out the black hole “because of a word addressed to her”. This is why this friar asked: “What word can we address to our contemporaries who are locked in their misfortune, who turn away from life […] Jesus repeats the word that frees Mary Magdalene, a word of compassion, a word of closeness, and invites her to return to her deepest desire. Whom do you seek? How do we listen to our deepest desire, which is experienced in emptiness, in silence and in solitude?”
At 9:30AM, the capitulars came to the auditorium to listen to the announcements and instructions of the moderators. Friar Diddier Caenepeel, OP, of the Province of Canada, asked the friars to pray for the eternal repose of Friar Marcel Zibognon, OP, of the Province of Saint Augustine in Burkina Faso, West Africa. On the occasion of this loss of our Order, the capitular friars kept in mind in their prayers the people who continue to suffer from covid-19 and its economic and social consequences.
The capitulars sang “happy birthday” to Friar Franklin Buitrago, OP, moderator, of the Province of St. Louis Bertran in Colombia, and to Friar Bruno Esposito, OP, of the Province of St. Catherine in Italy. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Chapter, of the dialogues and discussions in the commissions, the friars do not cease to live the fraternity so characteristic of the Order.
The commissions continue working hard to present their reports. For example, the commissions of Study, Formation and Constitutions will work on Saturday, July 23; while the commissions on Preaching, Communion and Mission, and on Economy, will do so Monday 25. The dynamics consists of strict deadlines, after the presentation of the reports, the reactions of the friars are listened to in the plenary; even, if the commissions judge it convenient, they can treat other topics, besides those entrusted by the Chapter.
In contrast, the moderators shared with the friars the letter that the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM) addressed to the Master of the Order and to the capitular friars. In this letter, the CEM expressed: “The bishops of Mexico we rejoice for this event, which constitutes a privileged moment for the universal Church, because the audacity of the Spirit will take the Order to new evangelizing horizons and this will enrich the Church spiritually and apostolically. In fact, the Chapter is not a private history of the Order, it is essentially an ecclesial act. The fruits of the Chapter will benefit the whole ecclesial community”, Tlaxcala, Tlax, July 15, 2022.
The day ended with the recitation of vespers. The commissions will continue their respective work until their reports are presented and heard by all the capitular friars.
