Resources
- Joint Committee on Franciscan Unity
- **New** Video series on Elements of Franciscan Unity
- Committee Members
- Order of Ecumenical Franciscans
- Order of Lutheran Franciscans
- Third Order Society of St. Francis
- Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute
- Pluralism Project of Harvard University
Current events:
- Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury Plea for Peace in the Holy Land and the World
- Synodality Benefits from Ecumenicalism
- The Levys of Monticello
- Italy Grapples with Rise of Anti-Semitism
- Anti-Semitic Attacks Increase by 500 percent
- Six-year-old killed in Chicago for being a Muslim
- What did Pope Pius XII Know About the Holocaust?
- Pope Prays for the Synod
- The Pope and the Buddha – Virtue in All Direction:
- Are Some Evangelicals Rejecting the Sermon on the Mount?
- Pope Francis Creates Commission for New Martyrs – Honoring the Witness of All Christians
- Ecumenical Patriarch Says War Is Also War Against Creation
- Sainthood Status Advances for Priest Shot for Saving Jews
Film Watch:
- Stranger Sister
- The Letter Pope Francis-Laudato Si film
- Christians Should Study the Qur’an Fr.Dan Horan, OFM
- A Franciscan Response to Racism and the fear of the “Other”
- The Chosen Film Series
- International Conference on Fratelli Tutti
Presentations
- JCFU Vocation Presentation
- Baptism Presentation
- Charism Mini-Retreat April 2023
- The People of God as a Sacred Prism
- The Franciscan Charism
Monthly Challenge: March
- Since Earth Day comes to us this month, read Laudato Si and do something positive for the care of ‘our Sister, Mother Earth.
Mission Statement
The Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee seeks to bring an authentic ecumenical and interfaith spirit and understanding to the ongoing renewal of the Secular Franciscan Order. In the Spirit of our Lord and our beloved St. Francis, we seek to foster the ministry of reconciliation in every part of our fraternal life, and, thereby, witness to the world our unique Franciscan charism and our prophetic witness to the unity of all creation.
The Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee’s focus is to encourage and empower fraternal relationships through reflective, responsible, and respectful dialogue with our ecumenical and interfaith sisters and brothers. Our Rule and Constitutions and the documents of the Church provide us guidance in this endeavor.
Our task is thus to be an instrument of unity and understanding for the Franciscan family. Therefore, we challenge each other to bring a Franciscan focus to the ministry of unity through our intentional and continual building of ecumenical and interfaith relationships.
From Our Rule of Life
As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ. A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ. (Article 13)
Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that anyone “who follows Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself”, let them exercise their responsibilities competently in Christian spirit of service. (Article 14)
Mindful that they are bearers of peace which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon. Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others. (Article 19)