The Care of Creation, migrants and refugees. Interprovincial Franciscan Days in Spain and Portugal

Dec 4, 2024 | Migrants and refugees

Madrid, Spain (November 4-6, 2024). The Franciscans of Spain and Portugal held their interprovincial formation days with the theme “Minor Brothers Caring for Creation and Migrant People.”

These days are part of the ongoing formation of the Minor Brothers, with the main objective being the study, awareness-raising, and updating on various topics of interest. Over 30 friars from the four Franciscan provinces of the Iberian Peninsula were joined by a married couple of Franciscans from Pamplona and two brothers from the custody of Morocco.

On the first day, Fr. Joaquín Zuberó, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Immaculate Conception Province of Spain, gave the welcoming words in the meeting hall of the House of Spirituality of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Mother of the Divine Pastor, the location of the gathering.
Then, Fr. Daniel Rodríguez Blanco, Director of the General JPIC Office, presented what the last two General Chapters and the 2018 Plenary Council have highlighted regarding the Care for Creation and work with migrants and refugees. He also quoted several letters or reflections from Fr. Michael Perry, former General Minister, and Fr. Massimo Fusarelli, General Minister.

The next three presentations of the day focused on the Care for Our Common Home. Br. Vicente Felipe discussed the relationship between this topic and Franciscan minority, while Jaime Tayay, SJ, presented the challenges of the encyclical Laudato si’ to consecrated life. Finally, Fr. Martín Carbajo, connecting online, reflected on the Franciscan contribution to integral ecology.

During the morning of the second day, Carlos Jesús Delgado, President of the Diocesan Commission for Integral Ecology of Madrid, offered valuable suggestions for ecological conversion. Before the group work, Fr. Daniel Rodríguez Blanco presented the work being carried out by the Franciscan Mediterranean Network.

The second part of the interprovincial days was dedicated to migrants and refugees. It involved reflecting on the political, social, and human opportunities, as well as the challenges for the Church presented by human mobility. The third and final day focused on concrete experiences of working with migrants and refugees, led by the Mercedarians, Capuchins, and the Juan del Castillo Foundation.

After the evaluation, the sessions for 2024 were concluded, during which the cries of the earth and the cries of migrants and refugees were made present.