VADEMECUM for the use of the Commissaries of the Holy Land Index
Part One THE DUTIES OF THE COMMISSARIES OF THE HOLY LAND 1.0 Definition and description of the Office of the Commissaries of the Holy Land 1.1 Love for the Holy Places 1.2 Pilgrimages 1.3 Solidarity with the needs of the Custody of the Holy Land 1.3.1 Economics 1.3.2 The Good Friday Collection 1.3.3 Communication
Part Two THE RELATIONS OF THE COMMISSARIES OF THE HOLY LAND WITH VARIOUS ENTITIES 2.1 Relations with the Custody 2.2 Relations with the Province 2.3 Relations with the Dioceses 2.4 Relations with other Entitites
Part Three THE COMMISSARIATS LIAISON OFFICE 3.1 Establishment 3.2 Purpose
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Part One THE DUTIES OF THE COMMISSARIES OF THE HOLY LAND 1.0 Definition and description of the Office of the Commissaries of the Holy Land The Holy Land Custody is a mission that has a special and international character. Its aim is that of taking care of the Holy Places and of the cult celebrated therein, as well as that of assisting Pilgrims and developing pastoral and educative undertakings, according to Art. 1* §1 of the Special Statutes of the Holy Land Custody. It, therefore, has the duty to preserve the Christian character of the Holy Land and in particular the memory of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This character is expressed in the care of the Holy Places of the Redemption and in supporting the Christian presence, the living stones, not only in the Holy Land as such, but also in the other lands of the Middle East, in particular in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. In fact, the Holy Land is still today a witness of the History of Revelation, which is, precisely, history and which, in its geography, conserves the visible traces of such an extraordinary manifestation 1. Moreover, “Providence decreed that, alongside the brethren of the Eastern Churches, for Western Christianity it would be the sons of Francis of Assisi, the saint of poverty, gentleness and peace, who in truly evangelical style would give expression to the legitimate Christian desire to protect the places where our spiritual roots are found” (John Paul II, Letter concerning Pilgrimage to the Places linked to the History of Salvation, 4 [29.06.1999]). Ever since its origins, the Order of Friars Minor has given particular attention to the Land of the Redemption and has considered its Midde Eastern Province the “pearl” of its missions, since it safeguards not only the memory of Revelation, but also an important part of the Franciscan charism: love for the humanity of Jesus. The Friars Minor, in their care for the Holy Places and in their loving service to all those who live in this Land, express their charism in a wonderful synthesis. The Franciscan presence in the Holy Land has also a universal character and, with the presence of friars coming from all over the world, it makes visible and concrete the bond of the local Churches of the Holy Land with the Universal Church, guided by the Holy Father. “So and so was born there. But of Zion it will be said, ‘Every one was born there,’ her guarantee is the Most High” (Psalm 87,4-5). In order to strengthen the love of the Christian faithful for the Holy Land and to help the friars in this important and difficult mission, the Order of Friars Minor, with the encouragement of the Universal Church, for many centuries has instituted the figure of the Commissary of the Holy Land. The Commissary of the Holy Land is a Friar Minor who receives from his Provincial the mandate to arouse, in the provincial fraternity and in the local churches of his own territory, interest and love for the Holy Land, in particular for the mission of the Friars Minor of the Holy Land.
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“Next to the «history of salvation» there is a «geography of salvation.» Therefore, the Holy Places have a high quality to offer to the faith unbreakable support, enabling the Christian to come into direct contact with the environment, in which «the Word became flesh and dwelt among us»” (Paul VI, Nobis in Animo).
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Concretely, the Commissary works to promote all the activities that can serve and sustain the mission of the Church and in particular of the Franciscans in the Holy Land: pilgrimages, biblical animation, displays, meetings, missionary days, preparation of volunteers, discernment of vocations for the Custody, collection of requests for perpetual Masses, fundraising, etc. Special attention is always reserved for the promotion of the Good Friday Collection (which in some countries is changed to other days of the liturgical year), one of the main sources of sustenance for the activities of the Custody of the Holy Land. The Commissary, in other words, is the liaison between the universal mission of the Friars Minor of the Holy Land and the Churches spread throughout the world and viceversa. The Commissary of the Holy Land expresses this mandate in harmony with his Provincial Minister and with the fraternity of the Province. The Commissariat is an evangelizing reality of the Province, at the service of the Holy Land. The Provincial Minister is to sustain, encourage and check the different ambits of the activities of the Commissary of the Holy Land, in coordination with the Custody of the Holy Land. In order to carry out this mandate today, a preparation and a dedication of time and energy more compelling than in the past is required, and so the Commissaries are invited to dedicate time and passion to the service of what is rightly called the “first” mission of the Church and of the Order (cfr. SS 4,5). Means: a) It is desirable that the Commissaries, especially at the beginning of their mandate, can stay for an adequate time in the Holy Land, to learn and know about it by meeting the friars, by visits to the Places and to the works carried out by the Custody, and to experience personally the social, cultural and religious surroundings expressed by the “living stones” who dwell there. b) The Commissaries are invited to follow the convenient courses of formation and updating, aimed at preparing them for carrying out the service in their own territory and for the biblical and spiritul animation of pilgrimages (cfr. SS 4,2,5). c) The courses of formation and updating are organized by the competent Conferences and/or in the Holy Land by the Custody, in collaboration with the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (cfr. SS 10,1). 1.1 Love for the Holy Places To raise interest, provide knowledge and foster love for the Holy Land is a service to the Church and to the Order. The motivations of this service are pastoral and directly linked to the Franciscan history of the Holy Land. Means: a) Catechesis, as any other form of announcement, is to contain primarily theological and spiritual guides, able to recall the Holy Land as our “birth place”, “root” of our faith and of our Judeo-Christian tradition. b) Some Holy Places are such also for the Jews and for the Muslims. More in general, the Holy Land is a strong historico-cultural recall also for the non-believers. In formation and catechesis, account should be taken also of this universal meaning that such Places take on. 1.2 Pilgrimages Today, pilgrimages constitute an important resource for catechesis. Christians – practising and not – are always the majority of those who take part in pilgrimages with the desire to reconsider and rebuild their faith. Pag. 3
There is no other sanctuary in the world like the great and copious sanctuary of the Holy Land, where it is possible “visibly” to anchor in history and in geography the “condescensions of God” that are revealed in the promises and alliances, in the Jesus of Nazareth event and in the birth of the Church.
Means: a) The promotion, organization and animation of pilgrimages are among the first and principal tasks of the Commissaries. In order to fulfil this task, the Commissaries are to be well prepared and competent. To carry out the service of “guide” they need to be authorized by the Custody. b) Pilgrimages are to be animated in respect to and in the furrow of the biblical and spiritual message proper to the Holy Places, with fidelity and simplicity, without neglecting the necessary historical-archeological explanations, that allow them to be anchored in history and geography. c) Pilgrimages are to foresee moments of prayer and devotion, both personal and communal. These are to be fostered in all modes, avoiding the overload of visits that can gratify curiosity, but also repress more urgent spiritual formation. Where possible, the pilgrims are to take part in the liturgical life of the Holy Places. d) Franciscan pilgrimages, as much as possible, are to foster participation in the life of the local Church. Therefore they should be moderate, avoiding every form of luxury and, if possible, arranging for lodging near the Holy Places. They should foresee moments and ways for meeting the friars of the Custody and the “living stones” of the Holy Land, in particular, in our parishes and schools. 1.3 Solidarity with the needs of the Custody of the Holy Land The Commissaries are to encourage the friars of their own Province to come to the Custody not only on pilgrimage, but also for longer periods. The Commissary should also remind his provincial fraternity of the possibility, foreseen also by the Order’s legislation (SSGG 73; cfr. CCGG 125; SS 4,4), to offer temporary service in the Custody. The Commissaries, furthermore, in coordination with the vocational animators, should endeavour to foster and support, with sound discernment, “vocations for the Custody among the youth of their respective territories” (SS 4,4). 1.3.1 Economics The administration of goods and the collection of money for the Holy Land absorb much of the energies of the Commissary. It is necessary, therefore, that such an administrative task be carried out in an orderly, transparent and systematic way. To this end, the Commissaries will have to hold to some customs and mandates. Among these, the most important are the following: a) In their activity of collecting funds, the Commissaries should always be coordinated with the Custody, to avoid misunderstandings and/or duplicate collections. Harmony between the Commissary and the Custody is necessary for an orderly and transparent service of the custodial activities. b) the Commissaries, in agreement with the custodial Office of the Bursar and respecting the civil laws of their own Country, are to work out the most opportune ways for transferring funds to the Custody. c) The custodial Office of the Bursar is to take care to send promptly a receipt of the funds that have been sent. Pag. 4
d) The aim of the Commissariat’s activities is to support the activities of the Custody. Therefore, forms of investment or other forms of reserving funds are to be avoided. Every year, the Commissary is to send the received contributions, retaining only the sum necessary for current activities. Possible exceptions must be approved by the Provincial Minister and the Custos. e) The Commissaries “may not incur relevant expenses without the written authorization” of the Custos (SS 5,3). The maintenance expenses of the Commissariat must not exceed 3% of the general income of the activities of the Commissariat. f) In Countries where the transfer of money is a problem, the Commissary should look for the best possible solution in coordination with the Province and the Custody. g) The Provincial Curia must have the legal possibility to check the account of the Commissariat and to verify its orderly despatch to the Custody. h) In forms that will be held to be the most suitable (provincial assemblies, chapters, etc.), it is fitting that also the Commissary of the Holy Land, as with all the activities of the Province, should have the possibility of presenting the work carried out, including the financial accounts. i) It is to be absolutely avoided that the bank accounts be registered in the person of the Commissary. The bank accounts must be registered only by the Commissariat and, if this is not possibile, steps will have to be taken in accord with the deliberation of the Provincial Minister, after hearing the opinion of the Custos of the Holy Land. The deposited signatures are always to be those of the Commissary and another friar authorized by his Provincial Minister. j) The stock of mobile goods (in market value), cash in hand and/or deposited in a bank, their source and movement, and also the stock and the condition of immobile goods (houses and grounds) and other goods (libraries, archival, various valuable objects), must be registered and updated systematically and regularly. k) The mobile and immobile goods registered by the Commissariat or belonging to it in any other way, are to be diligently cared for and administered in full respect of the civil laws of the particular Country, in coordination with and under the supervision of the Provincial Curia. Problems that may arise with regard to such goods and relative to relations with the Province or with other Entities, are to be resolved through suitable conventions established between the Custody and the Entity concerned. l) In the management of housing and/or other properties and to posit important civil acts, the Commissary needs the mandate or the licence of the Government of the Custody (SS 5,2) and to consult with the respective Provincial Minister. m) All the accountable registers and all other documentation are to be carefully kept in the archive of the Commissariat. n) Every year the Commissariat is to make a general report of the economic activities and to prepare a complete report. This report must be sent to the Custos of the Holy Land and to the respective Provincial. o) In the lack of a timely and systematic sending of the financial report of the Commissary to the Provincial and to the Custody, or in the absence of a complete financial report, one will not be able to comply with art. 8 of Chapter II of the Special Statutes of the Custody of the Holy Land, relative to 3% of the expenses, placed at one’s disposition for acquiring religious objects. p) It is important to distinguish clearly, in the economic accounting, between the entries deriving from the Good Friday Collection and the entries deriving from one’s own activities. q) The Custody is to arrange to communicate annually to all the Commissaries a balance sheet of the economic activities of the Custody itself. 1.3.2 The Good Friday Collection There are two ways of sending the Good Friday Collection. The first expects that the diocese send the money to the Commissariat of the Holy Land, which will send it to the Custody of the Holy Land. Pag. 5
The other way expects that the Diocese send the money to the Apostolic Nunciature, which will send the money directly to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome. The Custody, by ancient tradition, then consigns to the Holy See the complete list of contributions of all the Dioceses that have paid in the collection. For this reason, it is important that the Commissary endeavour within the Diocese (or Dioceses) or the local Bishops Conference, to make himself known and to promote the activities of the Holy Land. Specifically, with regard to the Collection, he will have to take the following steps: a) To contact all the bishops’ Chanceries (not only the Bishops, but also the diocesan Bursars), to solicit the discharge of the collection to the Commissariat or, if this has already been consigned to the Nuncio, to ask about its exact total amount. b) To deliver to the Custody by the end of the year precisely the exact amount of the collection received and the list of the Dioceses that have paid in. The list should be complete and should foresee the distinction between the Dioceses that have paid in to the Commissary and those that have paid in to the Congregation through the Nunciature. c) To send to all the Bishops of one’s own territory the list of all the Dioceses that have paid in the collection and the exact amount. d) To send to the Apostolic Nuncios of one's own territory the list of all the Dioceses that have sent the collection and the exact amount. The relationship with the Dioceses is particularly delicate. So it is up to the local Commissary to understand what would be the most adequate means, according to the usage and the customs of the places, in order to take care of the relationship adequately. 1.3.3 Communication The power that communication has today in every sector of public and private life is well known. Also in the general ambience of the Church and in our structures communication is recognized as a sector to look after, to cultivate and foster, both by traditional means, which many of us are used to, and by the means provided by modern technology (Internet, multimedia, etc.). In order to love the Holy Land it is, in fact, important to know it and to make it known. Means: a) To promote devotion to the Holy Land and the activities of the Custody, the Commissaries should use the traditional means (brochures, books, reviews, etc.) and the new technologies (websites, social networks etc.) (cfr. SS 4,2,3). b) The Commissaries are warmly invited to forward and circulate to the Custody the promotional material that they produce. c) The Commissaries can freely make use of and contribute to the activities of communication of the Custody (Edizioni Terra Santa of Milan, for the reviews in different editions; Franciscan Multimedia Center for films; the website, etc.).
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Part Two THE RELATIONS OF THE COMMISSARIES OF THE HOLY LAND WITH VARIOUS ENTITIES 2.1 Relations with the Custody a) Communication between the Custody and the Commissariats is facilitated by the Commissariats Liaison Office (cfr. SS 10,2). b) International Congresses of the Commissaries, convoked by Father Custos according to linguistic or other convenient criteria, are to be held with reasonable frequency and the Commissaries should take care to participate in them, aware of sharing responsibilities. d) Representatives of the General Curia of the Order and of the Conferences of Provincial Ministers are to be invited to the International Congresses. e) The Regional Conventions of Commissaries, periodically convoked by the respective President of the Conference and in which the Custos or his representative participates, are to be held with reasonable frequency. These are occasions for updating on the state, activities and necessities of the individual Commissariats and the Custody (cfr. SS 9,3).
2.2 Relations with the Province “All the Provinces of the Order are to foster the activity of the Commissaries of the Holy Land in accordance with the General Statutes” (CCGG 125). With regard to the juridical state of the Commissariat, clearly it belongs to the Province with consequent obligations and rights. The activity of the Commissariat must be considered with all its effects an activity of the Province. This guarantees the right of the Provincial Minister to visit and inspect the activities of the Commissariat. The Commissary is not exempted from the obligation of presenting the report of his activities to the Provincial Chapter and to the Government of the Province. 2.3 Relations with the Dioceses For a greater efficacy of pastoral action carried out by the Commissaries through preaching and pilgrimages, it is necessary to cultivate and maintain cordial relations of collaboration and acquaintance with the different diocesan entities. Means: a) The Commissaries should visit the Bishops (and possibly the Nuncios) periodically to let them know the activities of the Commissariat and the needs of the Custody. b) On the occasion of his visit to the Commissariat, the Custos is to endeavour to meet the Bishop of the Diocese in which the Commissariat has its seat. c) The Commissaries are to entertain cordial relations with the Parish Priests and the Rectors of Sanctuaries to whom they should propose the Holy Land Days and any other initiative useful to the Holy Land. d) The Commissaries should look for reciprocal collaboration with the Pilgrimage Office of the Dioceses. 2.4 Relations with other Entities The office of the Commissaries of the Holy Land and the organisation of work of the Commissariats are regulated by the General Constitutions and Statutes according to Art. 74 §3 of the General Statutes of the Order. Pag. 7
The needs of the time suggest an ever greater harmony between the various Institutions, ecclesial or not. Support and collaboration with the different entities involved for the Holy Land are therefore desirable.
Means: a) It is noted that the Associazione Terra Santa ong (ATS), the Fondazione Terra Santa (FTS) and the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL) belong to the Custody and depend on it directly. b) It is important that the Commissaries collaborate with various associations and entities present in their territory that work to support the Holy Land at all levels, both local as well as national. In this way the multiple associations create a system of coordination among themselves, with the aim of resulting in an operative arrangement that would have the scope of a greatly efficacious organisation. The various associations that endeavour in the territory of the Commissariat or at the national level to support the Holy Land are to be encouraged both by the Commissaries and by the Government of the Custody in carrying out their precious service.
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Part Three THE COMMISSARIATS LIAISON OFFICE 3.1 Establishment a) Upon the decision of the Custodial Discretory (July 2011) the Coordination Office of the Commissariats of the Holy Land was established, with its seat in Jerusalem, at Saint Saviour’s Monastery. b) The head of the Office works in strict dependency on the Custos and in collaboration with the other custodial offices (Secretariat and Office of the Bursar). 3.2 Purpose The purpose of the Coordinating Office of the Commissariats of the Holy Land is: a) to foster communication between the Custody and the Commissariats. b) to make the Commissaries aware of the needs and problems of the Custody and viceversa. c) to foster cooperation between the Commissariats and the Custody with regard to the activities, projects and objectives indicated by the Custody. d) to transmit to the Commissariats information, requests and directives coming from the Custody (cfr. SS 4,3) and viceversa. e) to collaborate with the custodial Curia in the organization of the international Congresses and/or other initiatives regarding the animation of the Commissaries. f) to participate in regional Conventions of the Commissaries, upon request of the Conferences or mandated by the Custody. g) to collaborate with the offices and other entities of the Custody, for example, Christian Information Center (CIC), Franciscan Media Center (FMC), Associazione Terra Santa (ATS), Fondazione Terra Santa (FTS), Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL), etc. h) to offer to the Commissaries promotional and educational material useful for animating pilgrimages. i) to organize in the Holy Land, in collaboration with the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, courses of formation and updating for the animators of pilgrimages. j) to keep the address list of the Commissariats up to date.
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