C I O F S LIST

Characteristics of Franciscan Work for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation

Characteristics

Conclusion

Characteristics

The Franciscan movement began with the lives and the treasured stories of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi which give it permanent inspiration and direction. For centuries, hundreds of thousands of men and women have been guided by the Holy Spirit and inspired by the simple genius and practical theological wisdom of Clare and Francis. Generation after generation, brothers and sisters have developed and popularized the original Franciscan inspiration. This evolution of the spirits of Francis and Clare has had profound humanising effects within Christianity, Western civilisation, and other cultures.

Franciscan men and women have a history of responding in practical ways to acute social problems, motivated by beliefs inherited from St. Francis: his conviction about the absolute Goodness of God and creation, the primacy of Love, the Incarnation and its Christocentric implications. The early ban on weapons for members of the Secular Order helped to collapse the feudal system in Europe. Franciscans were responsible for establishing some of the first pharmacies in Europe, initially to meet the needs of infirm pilgrims flooding into Assisi. To protect the poor who were being crippled with huge unjust interest payments on loans, friars in Italy organised the "-Mons Pietatis-", a financial society which was the precursor of the modern banking system. Countless Franciscan men and women have opened their homes to homeless young people, giving them the protection and education not provided by their societies. In countries where the poor could not afford health care, Franciscan women and men responded in practical ways by establishing hospitals and health care systems.

Francis was possessed by a great mission. He was the Herald of God and of God's message of Peace. The message of God's love burned so strongly within Francis that it could not be contained. Like the heralds of his day, who preceded their lords announcing their arrival, Francis travelled from village to village proclaiming the Goodness and Peace of God. According to Francis, the Gospel is to be proclaimed primarily by our witness of Gospel life, not only by words. When it is appropriate and we are prompted by the Spirit of God, we take the opportunity to explain to others the reasons for our belief, never becoming argumentative. For Francis the most perfect form of evangelisation was martyrdom, in which we are united with Jesus, the perfect Evangelist, giving our lives completely for the Gospel message of God's love.

In such writings as "-The Canticle of Creatures-" and the "-Rule for Hermitages-", as well as in the interaction among the Lesser Brothers, the Poor Ladies and the Penitents, we see that from the very beginning the Franciscan movement combined feminine and masculine energies and talents. Historically and theoretically, Franciscan life implies mutual respect, co-operation and collaboration among men and women.

Francis' Great King was the same, yet very different, God of the Christians of his day. When the Church was waging a Holy Crusade against its enemies, the Saracens, Francis' interpretation of Gospel life and its demands were revolutionary. He was non-violent, creative and active in his approach to conflict. He was not passive. He took the initiative as an arbitrator and sought opposing parties for dialogue to achieve reconciliation. Francis was quick to dialogue with the wealthy Sultan, who was considered an enemy of Christians, and with the Wolf feared by the people of Gubbio. The friars were instrumental in bringing together the Bishop and Mayor of Assisi, not by shaming them with a public scolding, but by singing the Canticle of Creatures to them.

During a period of deep discouragement Francis wrote "-The Canticle of Creatures-". At that time he continued to experience perfect joy although he was ill, suffering the physical wounds of Jesus and the psychological discouragement of disappointment in his brothers. His joy in pain was not masochistic but was an honest acknowledgement of his pain and injury, accompanied by the surprising joy of being sustained in that injury. There had to be a grace, or Someone, supporting him in his suffering. Francis' joy came with the recognition that God's Spirit was sustaining him in his most painful situations. The Holy Spirit, the "-General Minister-", helped Francis to understand rather than be understood, to console rather than be consoled, to love rather than be loved. Franciscan joy is not a naive denial of human suffering and problems. It is a conviction that despite all that is bad in life, God's Spirit is always within us, in others and in Creation. Joy kept Francis from growing bitter in the midst of suffering and disappointment.

Conclusion

St. Francis and St. Clare had ways of gradually modifying and absorbing violence by love. With open eyes and affectionate respect for all classes of people, they chose to be poor among the poor. Rather than dwell on the negative and evil within their societies, they chose in prophetic ways to emphasise the positive with constructive action.

Franciscans have conscious and unconscious traditions of reading signs of the times revealed in the needs of the poor. Responses to these needs have been practical, often small, steps which have helped to unravel oppressive cultural systems.

Today, our collective and personal challenge is to develop these traditional Franciscan charisms according to our particular circumstances and cultures. While addressing the root causes and not merely the symptoms of problems, we must work diligently to devise constructive practical remedies.

With determined education and practice, we must take advantage of new instruments available to us for bringing about "-Peace and All Good-" within our societies. We hope that our Franciscan formation programs, both initial and continuing, will contain biblical, religious and moral reflections on justice, peace and the integrity of creation, as well as offer familiarity with the social, psychological and political sciences. We urge a more public and collective witness of our work and advocacy on behalf of peacemaking, concern for the poor and the care of creation.

With all people of goodwill we share an important obligation and challenge to respond to the problems of our planet and its societies. Given our tradition, our numbers, our education, and our moral influence within different societies, does not the international community have a right to expect the Franciscan Family to have considerable positive impact on the world's problems? "-From those, to whom much has been given, much will be expected.-"

Assisi, 12 December, 1993