TITLE III

THE GENERAL CHAPTER

143- §1. The General Chapter shall be convoked by the Minister General and celebrated according to the General Statutes.

§2. The ordinary chapter in which the Minister General is to be elected shall be celebrated at Pentecost with due regard for number 152 of these Constitutions.

144- The Minister General with the consent of his Council may convoke an extraordinary general chapter to deal with more serious items of business.

145- §1. The capitulars for each act of the ordinary chapter are: the Current Minister General in office, the General Councilors currently in office, the former Minister General, the delegates elected according to the General Statutes, unless in the previous ordinary general chapter the participation of all perpetually professed brothers has been chosen in accordance with the General Statutes.

§2. The capitulars for the extraordinary chapter are: the former Minister General, the Minister General currently in office, the General Councilors currently in office, the delegates who were present at the previous ordinary chapter, unless all perpetually professed brothers were present at the previous ordinary chapter.

146- The ordinary General Chapter shall choose by written ballot one of the two methods allowed by the General Statutes for selecting the capitulars to the General Chapter, who will elect the Minister General and other General Offices as well as the Local Ministers, and other assignments.

147- The Minister General himself presides over the General Chapter or, when he is absent, the Vicar General.

TITLE IV

THE MINISTER GENERAL AND HIS COUNCIL

148- §1. The brother to be elected Minister General must be perpetually professed at least five years and possess the sacred order of the presbyterate. The same qualifications apply to the Vicar General.

§2. The duty of guiding and caring for our Fraternity and of promoting the works and projects of the Fraternity for the good of the Church rests upon the Minister General as the father of the entire brotherhood.

149- §1. Subject to the Bishop of Birmingham, the Minister General has proper authority in the entire Congregation according to the norms of the universal law of the Church for Public Associations of the Christian Faithful and according to our own particular law approved by the Bishop of Birmingham.

§2. The following are immediately subject to the Minister General: the General Councilors including the Vicar General, other officials in the exercise of their assignments, Local Ministers of friaries, Regional Superiors and Regional Councilors, all capitulars. All other Brothers are mediately subject to the Minister General.

150- §1. The Minister General in the government of the Fraternity is assisted by the General Councilors who are also called Assistants General.

§2. With the exception of the Vicar General all other Councilors are to be perpetually professed for at least three years.

§3. The vicar and three other assistants constitute the General Council, unless more are required by the General Statutes.

§4. The office of Vicar General, Secretary and Econome (Treasurer) are to be elected from those who have already been elected as Councilors.

151- It is the duty of the General Councilors to examine the matters of the entire Fraternity, to visit the various friaries frequently and present their appraisal of them to the Minister General and to maintain communication with all the brothers.

152- When the authority of the Minister General ceases outside of chapter, the Vicar General assumes the government of the entire Congregation and convokes the General Chapter to be held no sooner than three nor later than six months from the vacancy of the office of Minister General.

153- To coordinate and promote the principal activities of the Fraternity, if it is opportune various commissions may be established. Their number, membership, competence and modus agendi shall be determined by the General Statutes.

TITLE V

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FRIARY

154- The local friary is governed by the Local Minister, referred to as Father Guardian, either alone or with the Friary Chapter.

155- §1. It is the duty of the Local Minister to direct and coordinate the life and the activity of the brothers according to the Rule, Constitutions and the General Statutes and to foster a spirit of true brotherhood.

§2. The Local Minister has authority over all the brothers de familia and over other residents of the friary.

156- §1. All perpetually professed brothers in the friary, but not fewer than three, with chapter rights according to number 158 of our Constitutions, constitute the Friary Chapter which is presided over by the Local Minister.

§2. Ordinarily, every month and whenever it is necessary the Friary Chapter is to be convoked by the Local Minister or, when he is absent and if the matter cannot be postponed, by the Local Vicar of the friary.

157- §1. It is the duty of the Friary Chapter to constitute the officials of the friary and of filial houses, if there should be any, and to establish norms for the individual offices. Other matters to be dealt with in the Friary Chapter in a collegial manner are indicated throughout these Constitutions, especially in chapter IV.

§2. Matters already indicated in the Constitutions for which the Local Minister needs the consent or advice of the Friary Chapter should also be specified in the General Statutes. In these cases what is prescribed in the Constitutions and General Statutes concerning the General Chapter should also be applied to the Friary Chapter.
158- §1. All perpetually professed brothers are to be assigned de familia to the friary where they reside and exercise their rights and obligations according to the norm of the Constitutions.

§2. Each perpetually professed brother has active and passive voice in the friary according to the norms of the Constitutions.

159- The brothers have before their eyes the salvation of souls which is always the supreme law of the Church (can. 1752).

PRAISED BE THE KING OF KINGS IN THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT!

Let the whole of mankind tremble
the whole world shake
and the heavens exult
when Christ the Son of the living God (Jn. 11:27)
is present on the altar
in the hands of a priest.
O admirable heights and sublime lowliness!
O sublime humility!
O humble sublimity!
That the Lord of the universe,
God and the Son of God,
so humbles himself
that for our salvation
He hides himself under the little form of bread!
Look brothers, at the humility of God
and pour out your hearts before him (Ps. 61:9)
Humble yourselves as well
that you may be exalted by him (cf. 1 Pt. 5:6, Jas. 4:10).
Therefore,
hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves so that
He Who gives himself totally to you
may receive you totally.

(Letter to All the Brothers 23-29)