By Sujata Jena

Bangkok, August 27, 2019: As many as 60 major superiors from different South Asian countries underwent a Franciscan training program in Bangkok to become ambassadors for justice, peace and caring for the common home.

“The South Asian countries face similar challenges with regard to social injustices, extreme poverty, gender disparity, abuse of child rights, migration, climate change, extreme fundamentalism, social-religious discrimination, oppression of indigenous and minorities,” says Father Nithiya Sagayam, an Indian Capuchin who organized the August 18-24 “ South Asian Franciscan Assembly.”

In this opening remark, Salesian Bishop Joseph Pradhan Sridarunsil of Surat, Thani diocese in Thailand urged the Franciscans to involve more deeply into the daily struggles of people through option for the poor, for peace and for creation.

Religious leaders from Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity were also present during the important assembly.

Father Benedict Ayodi, the secretary to the general curia of the Capuchin Friars in Rome who was a participant, said the meet discussed fundamental values of Franciscans.

“The first value is to promote interreligious dialogue. Indeed we are doing this in the context of celebrating the 800 anniversary of the meeting between Saint Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik Al Kamil. This is a very important value in South Asia because people come from diverse culture, religion, color, place, background and so on,” he noted.

Another value discussed was the preferential option for the poor. “Certainly, this value has to do with extreme poverty and how to lift people from poverty. Indeed, our charism is to promote the values that lift extreme poverty, promote justice and peace and protect environment, our common home that is being destroyed in the advent of global warming,” explained Father Ayodi, who is secretary to the director of justice, peace and integrity of creation of the Capuchin Friars.

Sister Gnanapragasam Rajamani, the Mother General of the Franciscan Sisters from India’s Puducherry, said the week-long training program offered 25 excellent lessons on various dimensions of Franciscan Spirituality in relation to the burning concerns of society imparted by expert resources persons.

“We are overwhelmed with it. We would like to practice peace and Franciscan way of life more intensely in our communities,” she added

Joseph Matthew, provincial of Capuchin’s St. Joseph Province Kottayam, India, remarked, “I am encouraged and interested to practice and promote the simplicity, poverty and the original life of the Franciscan.”

Father Peter, provincial of St. John the Baptist province, Pakistan, said although they have been practicing Franciscan Spirituality since long, there was a time they break up. “I am planning to stress once again the spirituality of St. Francis in our life and mission and in the lives of our seminarians,” he said.

Sister Lucia Jeyakumary, provincial councilor of Sri-Lanka, acknowledged that the inputs were “very good and reflective which brought us close to St. Francis and Claire. We are very much backward about St. Francis. We need more and more this kind of program for our Sisters.”

Father Praveen Henry D Souza, president of the Association of Franciscan Families in India, said the training program was an initiation of the association, which has 50,000 members spread over 164 provinces of 54 congregations in India with a special mission to highlight God’s unconditional love and mercy for human.

Franciscans International (FI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with general consultative status at the United Nations. The Franciscans have special commitment towards the poorest of the poor both individually and collectively.

The Assembly unanimously agreed to meet once in three years for similar training programs in the future.