THEOn October 4th it could soon return to be the national feast of San Francesco d’Assisi, the first green light from the Chamber has already been there. Poet, mystical, protector of the environment and animals: the fame of St. Francis, like that of a rock star, resists the passage of time. He was the first to celebrate love for nature as a divine reflection and to express universal feelings decidedly against the current compared to the religions of the time.
His philosophy, based on respect for every living form, resounds current as never before, just think of the message of peace he contains: “San Francesco has created a real cultural and spiritual revolution of Europe in the period in which he lived, to the point that a great historian of the Middle Ages, Jacques Le Goff, defined his work as a” upset of social ideology “and as a” socio-social revolution “” Vito Limone, associate professor of History of Christianity of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan.
St. Francis and its intangible values
St. Francis of Assisi (1181/1182–1226) is the patron of Italy, a figure symbol of alliance, humility and love for creation. Born in Assisi in a wealthy family, he renounced material assets to devote himself to a life of poverty and the service of others, founding the order of the friars Minor. His innovative spirituality and the deep bond with nature continue to inspire millions of people, making it a point of reference.
A glimpse of the Basilica of Assisi. Image source: pixabay
Attention to the most fragile, solidarity, fraternity, have become spiritual and intellectual heritage of Europe and Italy: “He has radically reversed our gaze towards nature, which must not be considered at the service of man, but is a good that man must take care of.” Limone comments – “He insisted on the centrality of the human being and the importance of dedication to others, especially to the weakest and poor”.
October 4th of the new national party
With the definitive yes of the Senate, starting from 2026 on 4 October he will return to be a national party. Its anniversary becomes a moment to bring to light the universal values of which St. Francis made itself spokesperson, Starting from that of peace in a world furrowed by conflicts: “The sources report that in the summer of 1219, during the fifth crusade, the saint of Assisi went to Damietta, in the Nile delta, then besieged by the crusaders, and met the sultan of Egypt al-Malik al-Kamil, who welcomed him with surprising friendliness. We do not know the content of this interview, but it is plausible to assume that Francesco tried to spread the Gospel not with weapons, but through the word and dialogue. Today he mainly represents a model of opening and comparison between different cultures and religions. », Comments Prof. Limone.
An image of St. Francis. Source: Travelinginumbria.com
St. Francis, the first environmentalist
This year the eighth centenary of the Canticle of Creatures occurs, which according to tradition wrote in the convent of San Damiano. Considered one of the first poetic works in Italian vulgar, this prayer in the form of praise is not only a spiritual masterpiece: it is also a text of surprising modernity, which invites you to look at creation not as a reality to be dominated, but as a community of brothers and sisters to be respected and guarded: “Nature, in fact, is not a resource that man can exploit or use according to his needs, but it is the” common house “in which the human being lives together with the other living species, his brothers and his sisters.” – says Prof. Limone regarding the work – “Furthermore, man is not a neutral and indifferent spectator of the beauty of creation, but has the responsibility and duty to take care of the environment and to guarantee its survival”. A message that, after eight centuries, continues to speak to our present marked by environmental emergencies and global tensions.
Events in his honor
In recent years, the figure and the work of the Poverello of Assisi have received increasing attention, also by virtue of the approach of the eighth centenary of his death, which took place at the Porziuncola of Assisi in 1226. To this proposal the National Committee for the celebration of the eighth centenary of death with the function of promoting numerous initiatives to celebrate this important anniversary, paying homage to one of the most loved protagonists of Italian spirituality.
Here are 5 books to get to know him and his writings better, who never go out of fashion.
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