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CAPUCHIN GENERAL MINISTER PACIFICUS CARLETTI OF SEGGIANO 513 He said that once the elections would be over the draft of the revised constitutions would be presented to the capitulars. There were, moreover, "certain disciplinary and criminal matters" and it would be up to the Chapter to take the appropriate decisions on that regard. The report dedicated relatively ample space to the question ofthe opening ofan international study centre in Rome for the Capuchin friars. An explicit mention was made ofthe directive of the Congregation ofBishops and Regulars "these past years, on the secret initiative of certain persons" for the establishment in the course of the next two years of a Capuchin college in Rome, "in which young religious destined to be lectors could receive a better formation and be sent for the particular studies''. The general Minister frankly admitted, "I could not comply with this directive for the simple reason that I did not have at my disposal any building in which to house such a college" 23 • With a touch of irony Felder says that it was in the evening of the same day, namely 17 May 1908, that the president of the Chapter made known to the house the norms drawn up by the pope for the elections in the Chapter and for the future administration of the Order, undoing with one stroke a good part of the work done by Fr Bernard. "The following norm in particular caused a stir: The new general superiors should without delay, establish in Rome an international Seraphic Col– lege for the superior formation of select intellectuals of the Order and at the same time prepare a Statute suited for the religious and scientific discipline on the basis of which the college is erected" 24 • On the following day, 18 May 1908, the general definitors were chosen, result– ing in the election of the following friars according to the order ofprecedence: Paci– ficus of Seggiano, province of Tuscany (I), Benno of Munich, province of Bayern (II), Seraphinus of Udine, province of Venice (III), Venantius of Lisle-en-Rigault, province of Paris (IV), Angelus ofVillava, province ofNavarro-Cantabro (V) and Paulinus of Palma, province of Rome (VI). On 20 May the Chapter proceeded to the election of the general Minister. Fr Pacificus of Seggiano was declared voted as general Minister of the Capuchin Order and Fr Venantius of Lisle-en-Rigault was chosen by the Chapter as the Order's general procurator, The president ofthe Chap- 23 Bernardus ab Andermatt, Relatio, in Analecta OFMCap 24 (1908) 168. Bonaventura ab Andermatt, Collegium internationale S. Laurentii a Brundusio Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Capuc– cinorum. Conspectus historicus 1908-1958, Romae 1958, 7-10, refers to the various attempts ofFr Bernard ofAndermatt to raise the cultural and academic level ofthe formation of the friars in the various provinces. 24 Felder, Ministro generate earcivescovo Bernard Christen da Andermatt, 346-347.

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