Friars Dzoni, Damian and David. Photos: courtesy of the
Franciscans Pope Leo has declared the Eight Centenary of the death of Francis of Assisi the special Jubilee Year of St Francis, “a year of grace”.
In 1226 Francis of Assisi left this world. Lying naked on the naked earth close to the little chapel of the Portiuncula he had rebuilt, he went to meet his beloved Lord, poor and humble to the end. This year of the ‘Transitus’ of St Francis, his ‘crossing over’ into glory, comes at the culmination of a series of commemorations that retraced the final years of the life of the ‘Poverello’ the little poor man: the approval of the Rule of the Friars Minor and the first Christmas crib at Greccio (2023), the gift of the Sacred Stigmata on Mount La Verna (2024), and the composition of the great Canticle of the Creatures, celebrating the divine presence and beauty in all God’s creation (2025).
A papal letter
To mark this Jubilee Year of St Francis that he has declared, Pope Leo has written a letter to the Franciscan Family throughout the world. The Letter begins, “Welcome Our Sister Death, exclaimed St Francis on October 3, 1226, at the Portiuncula, as he approached her like a man finally at peace. Eight centuries have passed since the death of the Poverello of Assisi, who incisively wrote Christ’s saving word in the hearts of the people of his time.”
The Lord revealed to me that we should say this greeting, May the Lord give you peace”
“In remembering the significant anniversary of the Eight Centenary of his passing, I wish to unite myself spiritually with the entire Franciscan Family and with all those who will take part in the commemorative events, hoping that the message of peace may find a profound echo in the Church and society today.”
Pope Leo recalls St Francis’ mission of peace, “At the beginning of his evangelical life, he had heard a call, ‘The Lord revealed to me that we should say this greeting, May the Lord give you peace.’ With these essential words, Francis delivers to his brothers and to every believer the interior wonder that the Gospel had brought into his existence: peace is the sum of all the goods of God, a gift that comes down from above. What an illusion it would be to think of building it with human strength alone! And yet it is an active gift that must be welcomed and lived every day.”
Message of peace
The Pope realises that our world today especially needs to hear this message of peace. “In this age, marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that breed mistrust and fear, Francis continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace… Peace with God, peace among people, and peace with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.”
Pope Leo prays that this Year of Grace may bear fruit: “Dear brothers and sisters, may the example and spiritual legacy of this Saint, strong in faith, steadfast in hope, and ardent in active charity toward others, inspire in all the importance of trusting in the Lord, of dedicating oneself to a life faithful to the Gospel, and of accepting and illuminating with faith and prayer every circumstance and action of life. In this Year of Grace, I pray that St Francis of Assisi may continue to instil in all of us perfect joy and harmony.”
Precious Legacy
The Minister Generals of the different Franciscan Orders have also written a letter to their brothers and sisters in the Franciscan Family, ‘Francis of Assisi: A Seed for Eternal Life’. They write: “Eight hundred years ago, Francis left this world. But the seed he planted continues to germinate. In his letter to the Galatians, St Paul writes words that seem mysterious, ‘one who sows in the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.’”
“These words were fulfilled in Francis. After welcoming the Spirit of Jesus into himself, to the point of bearing the marks of the Crucified One on his body, he himself became a seed of the Gospel filled with the fruits of eternal life. This is the precious legacy Francis left us. With this letter, we wish to thank the Lord for the seed of the Gospel that he planted in the Church 800 years ago and which is still alive and fruitful today.”
Pope Leo’s prayer to St Francis
St Francis, our brother,
you who eight hundred years ago
went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,
intercede for us with the Lord.
In the Cross of San Damiano
you recognised true peace.
Teach us to seek in Christ
the divine source of all reconciliation
that breaks down every wall.
You who, unarmed,
crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding,
give us the courage to build bridges
where the world erects borders.
In this time plagued by conflict and division,
intercede so that we may become peacemakers:
unarmed and disarming
witnesses of the Peace that comes from Christ. Amen.
For more information, updates and events from the Franciscans in Ireland this year, visit www.franciscans.ie.
Fr Francis is a member of the Franciscan Province of Ireland and assigned to the Dublin Friary.