Official logo of the 2024 General Chapter

The General Minister and his Council have chosen the official logo for the LXXXVI General Chapter after receiving more than 30 proposals from brothers who participated in the contest sponsored by the General Secretariat. The starting point that guided the hands of our artistic brothers was the slogan of the Chapter itself, the result of the work of the Chapter Preparatory Commission and the General Council: “Dominus dedit mihi fratres... ut irent in mundum.”

 The slogan, in its first part, refers to the gift of fraternity presented by St. Francis in his Testament, then, in the second part, to going into the world to evangelize, paying attention to the manner in which one goes "into the world," described in the Rule. The motto interweaves these texts without citing a direct and complete quotation (cf. Testament, 14; and Regula Bullata, III, 11-15).

 The chosen logo is by Br. Nithin Leo of St. Francis Province, Kerala, India. The design graphically represents the elements contained in the motto, having as a backdrop the theme of “collaboration” which will be a subject of reflection at the Chapter.

 The artist describes his design as follows:

-       Christ is the light of the world as symbolized by his halo, which is depicted in a radiant yellow hue similar to that of the sun. St. Francis, traditionally called the second Christ, is illuminated by the divine light of Christ represented by his halo of a serene white, like the moon reflecting the light of the sun.

-       The brothers sailing in the boat symbolize the fulfillment of the mission entrusted to them as exhorted by St. Francis. The different colors of the brothers represent collaboration in mission. The three white waves symbolize the evangelical vows, which characterize our mission within the Capuchin charism.

-       The circle as a whole symbolizes the totality of the world. The green circle represents the earth, a source of hope that extends to all regions. This hope also permeates the semi-desert (yellow circle) and the desert (brown circle), which symbolize the challenges and the bleakness of life, infusing them with hope and meaning.

-       The Tau and the depiction of the suffering Christ are a visual representation of Jesus' invitation, "Whoever would come after me, must take up his cross and follow me." They symbolize the path of discipleship and the guidance provided by Christ as we walk this path.

 

A warm thank you to all the brothers who participated in the competition for the 2024 General Chapter’s logo. The celebration will be held from August 26 to September 15 at the International College of St. Lawrence of Brindisi in Rome.

Logos in the competition: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_KZp1gG45aVTvEuOAgBv2g_CcAkTRUkO/view?usp=share_link