STATUTES OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER
REGIONAL FRATERNITY OF …….
INTRODUCTION
We, the Council of the Regional Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order of ……….., called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi in order to provide for the life of the Order and specifically for its organisation and function, do establish and adopt these Statutes.
CHAPTER 1
THE REGIONAL FRATERNITY
1.1 Composition
The Regional Fraternity of ……………….. is the organic union of Catholic Secular Franciscan local Fraternities existing within the geographical boundaries of …………. (or of the Australian State of ………) and of other local Fraternities which may be officially established in the future.
1.2 Civil and Legal Identity
The Regional Fraternity acquires civil legal identity through appropriate incorporation (where
possible through the National Fraternity of Oceania's incorporation).
1.3 Governing Bodies
The Governing Bodies of the Regional Fraternity are:
* Regional Chapter
* Regional Council
* Regional Executive
CHAPTER 2
REGIONAL CHAPTERS AND ASSEMBLIES
2.1.1 Composition
The Regional Chapter is the representative organ of the Regional Fraternity and is composed of:
a] the outgoing Regional Executive;
b] local Fraternity Ministers (or their delegates);
c] a number of Local Fraternity Delegates as determined by the Regional Council.
Local Spiritual Assistants may be invited as observers.
2.1.2 Duties
The Regional Chapter has elective and deliberative powers and shall elect the Regional Minister and Regional Officers (GC.64).
2.1.3 Convocation
The Regional Elective Chapter shall be convened by the Regional Minister every three years (GC.63.2a) in conformity with GC.76. Extraordinary Regional Chapters may be convened by an absolute majority vote of the Regional Council and should be held within four weeks of convocation.
2.2 Regional Assemblies
Regional Assemblies are meetings in which all Secular Franciscans of the Regional Fraternity are invited to participate in order to promote its own unity, life and apostolate. A Regional Assembly may be convened by the Regional Council or Regional Executive as required.
CHAPTER 3
REGIONAL COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE
3.1.1 Composition
The Regional Council shall consist of.
a] The Regional Executive.
b] local Fraternity Ministers (or their delegates).
c] AT LEAST ONE representative of each local Fraternity, the actual number to be determined by the Regional Council.
Local Spiritual Assistants may be invited as observers.
3.1.2 Duties
The duties of the Regional Council shall be as stated in GC.62.
3.1.3 Convocation
The Regional Council shall be convened by the Regional Minister (GC.63.2a) once a year but not in the year of the Regional Elective Chapter.
3.2.1 Composition of the Regional Executive
The Regional Executive shall consist of:
a] Regional Minister
b] Regional Vice Minister
c] Regional Formator
d] Regional Secretary
e] Regional Treasurer
f] Regional Spiritual Assistant
g] Other Councillors as required to fulfil given portfolios.
3.2.2. Duties
The duties of the Regional Minister shall be as stated in GC. 63. The duties of the other Regional Officers shall be as stated in GC.52.
3.2.3. Convocation
The Regional Executive shall be convened by the Regional Minister at least twice a year in addition to the Regional Council meeting.
3.2.4. Term of Office
Executive Officers of the Council shall be elected for a term of three years, such elections being carried out at the Regional Chapter according to GC.79.1-3.
3.2.5.
The form of the elections shall follow the same procedures as provided for in GC. 76-80.
3.3 Vacancies
Vacancies shall be filled as follows:
a] Regional Minister and Vice-Minister - refer GC. 81.1-2;
b] Regional Councillors - vacancy to be filled by co-opting a substitute until the next meeting of the Regional Council when an appointment will be made which will be valid until the next election.
3.4 Relationship with Other Levels of Fraternity.
Having in mind that local Fraternities are coordinated by the Regional Council, there should be effective and frequent communication between Regional and local Fraternity Councils.
3.4.1.
The Regional Council carries out the programs of the National Fraternity (GC 33.2).
3.4.2
The Regional Executive shall communicate effectively with the National Council and the National Executive.
3.5 Relations with the Church
The Regional Council should establish effective communication with the local Bishop(s) within the region for the purpose of:
a] involvement in apostolates of the Church (GC.17 particularly Evangelisation and Ministry to the Poor (GC.19);
b] participation in Ministries of the Word and Liturgy (GC.101);
c] collaboration with and supporting the local Church (GC.102).
CHAPTER 4
SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE
4.1
The Regional Council should request competent and well prepared Regional Spiritual Assistants from the competent major Superiors (GC. 91.1), through the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants (Stats.Assist. 19.3) (or, where there is only one Order of friars giving spiritual assistance, through the appropriate National Assistant).
4.2
The Regional Council should encourage local Fraternity Councils to request competent and well prepared Spiritual Assistants from the competent major Superiors (GC. 91.1), through the Conference of Regional Spiritual Assistants (Stats.Assist. 21.3) (or, where there is only one Order of friars giving spiritual assistance, through the appropriate Regional Spiritual Assistant).
4.3
The Regional Council should request the involvement of the Conference of Regional Spiritual Assistants (or of the Regional Spiritual Assistant) in Regional Formation Programmes conducted for Secular Franciscans.
CHAPTER 5
APPROVAL AND AMENDMENT
5.1
Approval and amendment of these Statutes are within the competency of the Regional Council.
5.2
Confirmation of these Statutes and of any amendments shall be obtained from the National Executive of the S.F.O. in Oceania prior to adoption.
5.3
The Regional Executive, acting on behalf of the Regional Council, has the right to interpret these Statutes, until the next meeting of the Regional Council.