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The Saint and the Pope: What the Spirituality of Two Men Named Francis
Can Teach Us about Christian Living
Presented by Fr. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M.
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Fr. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M.
r. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., is an award-winning author, a
Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province, and a columnist for
America magazine. His books include Dating God: Live and
Love in the Way of St. Francis (St. Anthony Messenger, 2012);
Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith: Exploring Franciscan
Spirituality and Theology in the Modern World (Tau Publishing, 2012);
The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering (Franciscan
Media, 2013); The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New Look at
the Spiritual Inspiration of His Life, Thought, and Writing (Ave Maria
Press, 2014); and Postmodernity and Univocity: A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Fortress Press, 2014).
The author of more than eighty popular and scholarly articles, Fr. Horan has written for such journals as
Theological Studies, New Blackfriars, The Heythrop Journal, Worship, and Cistercian Studies Quarterly.
He taught in the Department of Religious Studies at Siena College and in the Department of Theology at
St. Bonaventure University. He is a frequent lecturer and retreat director throughout North America and
Europe, focusing on the retrieval of medieval Franciscan theological insight for contemporary application.
Fr. Horan is the former Catholic chaplain at Babson College and currently serves on the Board of Directors
of the International Thomas Merton Society.
F
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Table of Contents
Course Information
Presenter Biography………………………………………………………………….i
Course Overview ......................................................................................................... 1
Course Materials
Lecture 1. The “Foolishness” of Faith ......................................................................... 2
Lecture 2. The Foundations of Franciscan Prayer ....................................................... 8
Lecture 3. The Two Pillars of Franciscan Prayer ...................................................... 12
Lecture 4. Pope Francis and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Part I................................ 15
Lecture 5. Pope Francis and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Part II .............................. 20
Lecture 6. The Many Meanings of “Poverty” ........................................................... 24
Lecture 7. The Spirituality of Franciscan Poverty ..................................................... 28
Lecture 8. Christ the Model of Evangelical Poverty ................................................. 32
Lecture 9. The Goal and Purpose of Evangelical Poverty ......................................... 36
Lecture 10. How St. Francis Discovered Mercy........................................................ 41
Lecture 11. Mercy in the Writings of St. Francis ...................................................... 45
Lecture 12. Pope Francis: Changed by Mercy ........................................................... 48
Lecture 13. Mercy is the Greatest Virtue ................................................................... 53
Lecture 14. Introducing Christian Approaches to Creation ....................................... 58
Lecture 15. St. Francis and the Kinship of Creation ................................................. 62
Lecture 16. The Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor ........................................ 66
Lecture 17. Key Themes of Laudato Si ..................................................................... 70
Lecture 18. Conclusion: Walking in the Footprints of Francis ................................. 74
Supplemental Materials
Bibliography .............................................................................................................. 78
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Course Overview
Explore the spirituality of two pillars of Christian living: St. Francis of Assisi and
Pope Francis.
Both St. Francis (ca. 1182–1226) and Pope Francis (b. 1936) have captured the
attention of the world. For centuries, the Poor Man of Assisi has inspired countless
men and women with his dedication to helping the poor. And in taking the papal
name of Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio paid homage to the saint, sending
a powerful message to those watching him in Saint Peter’s Square.
Now, in this 18-lecture course, you will explore the rich theological tradition of
Francis of Assisi and the spiritual work of Pope Francis. You will give special
attention to four themes: prayer, evangelical poverty, mercy, and creation. In
addition to learning about the life, writings, and teachings of these two inspiring
men, you will discover how these themes provide a model of Christian living in the
modern world.
Under the guidance of Franciscan theologian Fr. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., you will
gain an appreciation for the uniqueness of the Franciscan tradition and the ways in
which St. Francis’ example have inspired a twenty-first century Jesuit-turned-Pope.
As you will explore, the spiritual legacy of Francis of Assisi is embodied in
profound experiences of the practice of Christian prayer, the unmitigated embrace
of evangelical poverty, the emulation of divine mercy when encountering all
women and men, and a kinship shared with all of God’s creatures.
When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected by the College of Cardinals to
become the 266th pope on March 13, 2013, these themes were on the forefront of
the new pontiff’s mind, especially evangelical poverty. Since then, Pope Francis
has returned to these key Franciscan spiritual themes throughout his pastoral
ministry. In his homilies, public addresses, interviews, prayers, Apostolic
Exhortation, and Encyclical Letters, he has continued to emulate St. Francis.
Let these two men named Francis guide your spirituality today.
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Lecture 1. The “Foolishness” of Faith
Overview
e so often take the Christian faith for granted. Most contemporary women and men assume
that the tenets of the Christianity are logical, sensible, and align comfortably with our modern
societies (especially in North America). However, as St. Paul explains in his First Letter to
the Corinthians, Christianity should appear foolish to those who subscribe to the logic of the world (vs.
the logic of God). As a result, Christians who take their baptismal vocation seriously likewise risk
appearing foolish. Such is the case with Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis—both are, in the best sense,
great “fools” for God. This presentation explains the nature of this “foolishness.”
The Concept of the “Foolishness” of Christianity
Though it may sound disrespectful, but in truth there is something incredibly foolish about
Christianity. It is important to remember this reality.
For most people today, Christianity does not appear foolish at all.
We, especially in the United States and other cultures deeply influenced by European history, have
become accustomed to thinking that Christianity is part and parcel of our society.
Language about our country being a “Christian nation” is popular (despite the historical
evidence to the contrary).
Christianity, both as a religion and as a fundamental part of our cultural identity, is
presupposed and believed to be perfectly in sync with the world around us.
We have largely become desensitized to our faith claims, doctrines, and core beliefs.
Many elements of the gospel have largely lost their shock in their familiarity. The novelty and
radical vision of the gospel has lost its challenge and sting:
The foolishness of the gospel (love, forgiveness, reconciliation, nonviolence, sacrificial love,
etc.)
The absurdity of the Incarnation (God becoming human)
The silliness of evangelical poverty (letting relationship with others take priority over
fending for myself first)
The mercy of God (true, gratuitous, unconditional love)
The inherent goodness and intrinsic value of creation (that world is not all about us and what
we can take from it)
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There are two main reasons for this indifference in our relationship with the gospel:
In one sense, the gospel and the Christian story have become so familiar that we fail to hear
the depth of its message anew.
In another sense, we have grown accustom to “domesticating” the gospel, romanticizing or
playing down the challenge of Christian discipleship.
Christianity for many today is easy, logical, and it fits comfortably alongside our
political, cultural, and personal assumptions.
This has not always been the case—nor should it be today!
St. Paul and Foolishness
St. Paul understood the true shock and impact of
Christianity.
In his letters (which comprise the earliest texts
of the New Testament), most of the subject
matter is geared toward particular issues arising
in local communities struggling to understand
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul
opens with an acknowledgement of the
foolishness of Christianity and then offers
an interpretation and some context about
Christian faith:
“For the message about the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but to us who
are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the
wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’ Where is the one who is wise?
Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the
wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God
through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those
who believe. For [our Jewish brothers and sisters] demand signs and the Greeks desire
wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles [Greeks]. ...Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were
wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But
God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what was weak in
the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things
that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, that no one might boast in the presence
of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from
God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written:
‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
– 1 Corinthians 1:18-23, 26-31 NRSV
St. Paul the Apostle by Claude Vignon, 16th c.
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Paul is emphasizing in no uncertain terms that what we proclaim as Christians will make
absolutely no sense to those seeking the worldly wisdom of human logic.
To proclaim Christ crucified is to embrace a different wisdom, it is to risk appearing foolish
to the rest of the world.
Two of God’s Fools Named Francis
Both St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis have demonstrated by both their words and deeds that
they are fools for Christ in the sense that St. Paul is talking about in the opening of his letter.
Both St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis operate according to the logic of Christ, according to
the wisdom of the gospels, rather than wisdom or logic of their respective cultures, including both
civil and ecclesiastical politics.
Both St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis remind us of the inherent foolishness and
shocking reality of the Christian faith claim.
This is the reason that 800 years later we are still talking about a short Italian from the
Middle Ages, and likewise, this is the reason that the world is continually fascinated with
everything an Argentinian Jesuit is doing as Bishop of Rome.
Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi was born around 1182, and died on October 3, 1226.
The son of a wealthy cloth merchant, Francis had aspirations of military success as a knight
(actually not very good at it, gets captured in Perugia battle).
Out of this experience, Francis began what becomes a series of lifelong conversions.
Did not seek to found a religious community, but instead attributes the emergence of the
“Order” to the Lord’s will.
He often referred to himself as an Idiota (an unlearned person, a fool), as well as Novellus Pazzusor
a “NEW FOOL” for Christ.
The French author Julien Green wrote a biography adopting this name, titling it: God’s Fool!
As we will see in greater detail in the coming lectures, Francis of Assisi was willing to
appear foolish for the gospel in a variety of key and telling ways.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to immigrant parents of
Italian descent.
His service in the Church is as follows:
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He entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1969 (the first
Pope to be ordained as a priest after the Second Vatican Council had closed).
He served as the provincial superior of the Argentinian Jesuits from 1973 until 1979.
Served for a short period of time as rector of the local seminary.
He was made auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and then Archbishop 1998.
He was elected Bishop of Rome on March 13, 2013.
In our own day, Pope Francis offers us just one inspiring example of how we are called to become
“fools for God.”
From the very beginning of his Pontificate, Pope Francis has demonstrated his willingness to
risk appearing “foolish” in the eyes of some—including some other leaders in the Church—
in order to preach the gospel by word and deed.
The Bishop of Rome is as foolish as they come, in all the best ways. Embracing this quality
of “gospel foolishness,” Pope Francis is:
Foolish with his time
Foolish with his health
Foolish with his security
Foolish with his words
Foolish with his mercy
Foolish with his love
Overview of the Main Theme: Foolishness
In some ways, there is nothing particularly original about either St. Francis of Assisi or Pope
Francis—both focused their energies and efforts on living the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their
respective times and settings.
Yet their commitment to the gospel has resulted in a renewed sense of the inspiration, challenge,
and possibility of Christian discipleship in our complex world.
Going forward in this lecture series, we will explore four of the most-central themes in the
spirituality of both men named Francis. These include:
Prayer
Evangelical Poverty
Mercy
Creation
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This is not, of course, an exhaustive list of possible themes. Rather, in exploring these key topics,
the hope is that it will inspire you to delve more deeply into what the spirituality of two men named
Francis can teach us about Christian living today.
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Reflection Questions
1. St. Paul asserted that the Christian faith would appear “foolish” to a world that operated in any
way other than according to the logic of God. What has your experience of Christian faith been?
In what ways might it appear “foolish” to you or to others? How does that challenge our
preconceptions about how we should live and act?
2. Many times we use pragmatism and sensibility as excuses not to do what is right or what the gospel
may call us to do. How does the example of Francis of Assisi challenge you to live differently?
3. Pope Francis is a modern person, living in the same world as you. What do you find appealing,
difficult, and/or inspiring about his example?
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Lecture 2. The Foundations of Franciscan Prayer
Overview
his presentation examines the foundations of Franciscan prayer by situating the contributions of
Francis of Assisi (and those who follow him) within the broader context of Christian spirituality
and prayer. Additionally, the Franciscan spiritual tradition is deeply rooted in the scriptural
understanding of a God who reveals God’s self as love in relationship. The general thrust of Francis’
approach to prayer can be summarized in the self-reflective question: How do I love when I love my God?
Classic Spirituality of Prayer & the Foundations of Franciscan Prayer
St. Augustine of Hippo:
St. Augustine’s Confessions acknowledges God as the goal of all creation, poetically and
prayerfully exclaiming: “My heart is restless until it rests in you, O Lord.”
The central thrust of Augustinian spirituality is to get to know better who this Creator is in
whom the restless heart can find peace and satisfaction. Augustine asks: “What or Who do I
love when I love my God?”
It is, in many ways, an intellectual quest—knowledge is the means by which we come to
know our God.
Franciscan Spirituality:
The core question is somewhat different from the Augustinian question (not that it is not an
important question in its own right). Rather, at the core of the Franciscan Spiritual tradition
stands the question: “How do I love when I love my God?”
This question of “How” is a question about relationship that shifts the focus from the object
of our prayer lives toward that bond that is formed between us and God, creature and Creator.
The shift is from, “Who or What is my lover?” to the question: “How am I loving?” And in
the process we also come to discover “How am I being loved?”
Core of Franciscan Spirituality: Relationship
This question: “How do I love when I love my God?” presupposes that we have some sort of
relationship with God.
This questions hits on the central dimension of the Christian spiritual life. Everybody,
whether they are conscious of it or not, has a relationship with God.
The fact that anybody exists, testifies to the reality that we are in relationship with our
Creator.
T
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This notion makes sense, particularly if we take the gospel seriously.
At the heart of the gospel stands the notion of relationship.
In fact, all of Scripture is the narration of God’s relationship with Humanity and the Rest
of Creation.
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the Notion of Relationship
Genesis 1 & 2
Tohuwabohu & Tehom Ruach Elohim draws near, orders, gives structure, future, hope.
Ha-Adamah (the human) and Ruach Elohim (breath of God)
CPR analogy
Intimacy of breath
Augustine again: “God is closer to us than we are to ourselves”
Exodus 3:14ff
Meaning of YHWH
Prophetic Literature
Call of Jeremiah
End of Isaiah
Wisdom Literature
Psalms, etc.
New Testament and the Notion of Relationship
Letter to the Hebrews:
Story of God’s relationship with us reaches its pinnacle in the Incarnation.
Chapter 1 “varied, partial ways” is now Fullness
Prologue to John’s Gospel
Expression, exegesis, behold how God is!
Preaching, ministry, healing:
The gospel narrative and model of right living presented by Jesus of how we should live
together.
How God sees us as revealed in the narrative of Sacred Scripture.
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Franciscan Spirituality: In a Nutshell
Relationship is at the heart of the gospel, and so then it is necessarily also at the heart of Franciscan
Spirituality and prayer.
Franciscan way of life is simply this: “To live after the pattern of the Holy Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ.” (Opening paragraph of Regula)
What then is so special about “Franciscan Spirituality” as such?
Francis would say, “Nothing!” Francis of Assisi’s own experience of lifelong conversion is
really a story of someone trying to discover his own way of living up to his baptismal call to
follow the gospel.
The call of all Christians—by virtue of baptism—is to follow Jesus Christ and “live after the
pattern of the Holy Gospel.”
Francis of Assisi came to discover this relational quality of Christian life over the course of
time.
Francis of Assisi’s Increasing Relational Awareness
Francis was not born a saint, nor was he born a terrible sinner.
Most likely, he was something of the medieval equivalent of today’s average college student
or young adult.
Something changed around 1206. He
discovered a restlessness, and desired to
live the gospel more fully.
He came to realize (slowly) that the
Christian life means life in
relationship!
He ultimately discovered that no one can
live the gospel or be a Christian
independently, or individually. Over
course of his life he discovered Christian
discipleship was about:
Relationship with God
Relationship with others
Relationship with all of creation
Saint Francis Receives the Order from the Crucifix at
Saint Damian to Repair the House of God by Antoni
Viladomat, 1724–33
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Reflection Questions
1. So much of our Christian faith can become an exercise in intellectual inquiry instead of a personal
and relational experience. How does this view of Franciscan prayer challenge you to shift your
understanding of faith and prayer?
2. How does the understanding that the whole purpose of scripture is to recall and pass along the
narrative of God’s priority of relationship affect your understanding of scripture and prayer? What
practical implications do you see arising from this insight?
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Lecture 3. The Two Pillars of Franciscan Prayer
Overview
his presentation takes as its starting point the truth that Francis of Assisi came to an awareness of
the centrality of relationship in Christian discipleship over time. As a result, two pillars, or poles,
of prayer emerged in his lived witness, writings, and legacy. First, we are always already
communicating with, that is praying to, God––whether we realize it or not. The question is not do we
pray, but how do we pray? Second, our relationship with God requires solitude, which is taking time to
focus on God alone. Franciscan prayer is about balancing these two realities in our lives.
What Is Prayer?
Typical answers to this question include, but
are not limited to:
Talking with God
Being in the presence of God
Mindfulness
Awareness
Listening
ACTS
The “common denominator” under which all of these disparate dimensions fall is that in the
broadest sense most people can agree that prayer is communication with God.
If prayer is communication with God, then how do we communicate?
Words/thoughts
Body language
Tone
Actions
Use of our time
Our presence or absence
The old adage is, in fact, very true: actions speak louder than words more often than not!
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Relationship as Prayer
If prayer is “communication with God” in this manifold sense, and—as St. Augustine says: “God
is closer to us than we are to ourselves”—then we are always already communicating with God,
whether we realize it or not.
Francis of Assisi realized this and his life reflected it.
Francis’ first biographer, Thomas of Celano, wrote that, in the beginning, Francis of
Assisi also thought of prayer in terms of “words” thought and spoken.
However, Thomas of Celano writes that Francis eventually moved from just “saying
prayers” to becoming “a living prayer.”
St. Francis’ actions revealed something about how he understood his relationship with
God. His actions, his decisions, his words, his whole life became a communication with
God, so that his whole life became his prayer.
While Francis never actually said the popular phrase attributed to him, “Preach the gospel at
all times, if necessary use words,” the point is in sync with his life.
We can at times be in the right place, be saying the right words, and even be looking the right part,
but our actions, decisions, and lives could be communicating something very different to God.
The question about prayer is not “Do we or don’t we pray?” according to St. Francis’ model
and tradition. The question is, “How do we pray? How do I love when I love my God?”
Francis’ Two Poles of Prayer
As Francis of Assisi increasingly came to recognize that his whole life was communicating with
God, he also realized the importance of solitude in Christian living.
In addition to recognizing our lived experience of prayer in the day-to-day—as with all other
relationships—we need time set aside to be “alone” with God.
One cannot claim to have a relationship with someone, yet never spend any time with that
person. The same is true with our relationships with God.
Francis of Assisi, like Jesus in the gospels, would go off to “deserted places”—to the mountains
and hermitages—to spend some very focused time alone with his Creator. This allowed for renewal
and reconnection, which only strengthened his sense of God’s nearness and loving presence during
the other times of his life.
We must learn to balance our lives in terms of prayer between these two poles:
Prayer through God’s presence in daily life.
Prayer through setting aside time to be “alone” with God (solitude).
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Reflection Questions
1. There are many ways to understand and approach prayer. How do you understand prayer? What
do you find appealing about these two poles of Franciscan prayer? And what do you find yourself
resisting about these? Why?
2. Relationship stands at the heart of Christian discipleship. In what ways do you need to reexamine
your understanding of faith and prayer in light of the priority of relationship? With whom do you
struggle to relate? How might this affect your relationship with God?
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Lecture 4. Pope Francis and the Gifts of the Holy
Spirit: Part I
Overview
his presentation begins with the recognition that, like Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis recognizes
that the whole of Christian life is centered on relationship. For this reason, prayer is never private,
but always a communal reality. One of the most under-appreciated dimensions of Christian faith
is pneumatology, which means the study of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis dedicated a significant amount
of time over the course of many weeks to teach the Church about the Holy Spirit and prayer. Here we will
begin to explore those teachings, which are organized according to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. In
this lecture, we will look at the gifts of wisdom, understanding, and counsel.
Pope Francis on Relationship
In accord with St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis holds that the whole of Christian life is centered
on this notion, “Relationship.”
He begins his Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium)
proclaiming this message. The relationship with God is personal, individual, and unique—but
it is, “never private!”
It is a communal reality that calls us to move beyond ourselves and become more aware
of the Spirit’s work in the world.
“I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter
with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do
this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her,
since ‘no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.’”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013), par. 3.
The Role of the Holy Spirit
Pope Francis speaks about prayer and relationship with God in myriad places, and one of the
recurrent themes is the centrality of the Holy Spirit.
In today’s society, the Holy Spirit can seem like a Trinitarian “Third Wheel,” inasmuch as the Holy
Spirit is frequently forgotten, an afterthought in our prayer, or a “technicality” of our faith.
We can easily imagine God the Creator (Father/Mother), and certainly the Word Incarnate in
the historical person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.
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However, the Holy Spirit too often becomes that “Divine Person” of the Trinity that we
“technically believe in,” but that is misunderstood, hard to relate, and neglected.
In Pope Francis’ teachings on prayer, when one looks at the role of the Holy Spirit, one finds a vital
and poignant pneumatology (theology of the Holy Spirit).
The Seven “Gifts” of the Holy Spirit
In April and May of 2014, Pope Francis
dedicated his catechetical messages
during his weekly audience to the Seven
Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord
Pope Francis’ reflections on the seven gifts of the Spirit functions as both a “refresher” in terms of
revisiting these gifts, as well as a glimpse into Pope Francis’ wisdom in terms of renewing our
understanding of prayer.
In this presentation and in the next, we will look at Pope Francis’ teaching on the Seven Gifts
of the Holy Spirit.
This presentation: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel
Next presentation: Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord
Wisdom
Recall 1 Corinthians and the juxtaposition of the “wisdom of God” vs. the “wisdom of the world.”
This is foundational for really grasping what the gift of Wisdom is all about.
Pope Francis emphasizes this distinction:
“It is not simply human wisdom, which is the fruit of knowledge and experience…
wisdom is precisely this: it is the grace to be able to see everything with the eyes of God.
It is simply this: it is to see the world, to see situations, circumstances, problems,
everything through God’s eyes.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (April 9, 2014), 1.
The Pentecost by Girolamo Muziano, 16th c.
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Pope Francis says that wisdom comes from “intimacy with God, from the intimate
relationship we have with God.”
“If we listen to the Holy Spirit, she teaches us this way of wisdom, she endows us with
wisdom, which is seeing with God’s eyes, hearing with God’s ears, loving with God’s
heart, directing things with God’s judgment…We only have to ask it of the Holy Spirit.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (April 9, 2014), 3.
Like St. Francis, Pope Francis recognizes that prayer is essentially about relationship.
Understanding
Like the gift of Wisdom, Understanding is not merely “human knowing.” Pope Francis says it is:
“…a grace that only the Holy Spirit can infuse and that awakens in a Christian the ability to
go beyond the outward appearance of reality and to probe the depths of the thoughts of God
and God’s plan of salvation.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (April 30, 2014).
This gift of understanding helps us to understand situations as God understands them.
It allows us to see something like the sensus plenior of Scripture and life.
The great scripture scholar Raymond Brown explains, in terms of biblical exegesis, that the
Sensus Plenior is:
“…that additional, deeper, ‘fuller meaning,’ intended by God but not clearly intended by
the human author, which is seen to exist in the words of a biblical text (or group of texts,
or even a whole book) when they are studied in the light of further revelation or
development in the understanding of revelation.”
– Raymond Brown, Introduction to the New Testament (Doubleday, 1997), 42.
Pope Francis points to the narrative of the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27) as an
illustration of the gift of Understanding. He says:
“This episode in the Gospel of Luke aptly expresses the depth and power of this gift.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (April 30, 2014).
The way in which the Lord, in the Spirit, opens the minds of the two disciples, is also
what the Holy Spirit does with us.
Pope Francis ends his reflection on this gift of the Holy Spirit with the following prayer:
“Let us ask it of the Lord, that he may give us all this gift to understand the things that
happen as he understands them, and to understand, above all, the Word of God in the
Gospel.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (April 30, 2014).
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Counsel
Pope Francis stated:
“Counsel, then, is the gift through which the Holy Spirit enables our conscience to make a
concrete choice in communion with God, according to the logic of Jesus and his Gospel.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (May 7, 2014). 1.
Pope Francis then explains that the Spirit, through the gift of counsel, helps us to:
Grow interiorly
Grow positively
Grow in the community
Not fall prey to self-centeredness and our own way of seeing things
The “key” to recognizing the gift of Counsel is prayer. Pope Francis takes an opportunity in talking
about this third gift of the Spirit to reiterate the centrality of prayer:
“The essential condition for preserving this gift is prayer. We always return to the same
theme: prayer! Yet prayer is so important. To pray with the prayers we learned as children,
but also to pray in our own words. To ask, ‘Lord, help me, give me counsel, what must I do
now?’ And the prayer will make space so that the Spirit may come and help us in that
moment, that she may counsel us on what we all must do. Prayer! Never forget prayer.
Never!”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (May 7, 2014). 1.
The gift of Counsel is not only an individual experience, but one involving the whole Body of
Christ!
Pope Francis explains:
“As with all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, then, counsel too constitutes a treasure for the
whole Christian community. The Lord speaks to us not only in the intimacy of the heart––
yes, he speaks to us, but not only there––but also through the voice and witness of our
brothers and sisters.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (May 7, 2014). 3.
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Reflection Questions
1. Some theologians have suggested that the Holy Spirit is akin to the “third wheel” of the Holy
Trinity because so few Christians pay the Spirit much attention in their prayer lives and spiritual
reflection. How have you understood the Holy Spirit? What role does the Holy Spirit play in your
prayer life?
2. What does Pope Francis’ teachings on the gift of wisdom mean for your own view of faith and of
Christian living in the world? How might it affect your future decision-making?
3. How does Pope Francis’ teachings on the gift of understanding affect your own view of sacred
scripture? In what ways might you approach the sensus plenior of the scripture in the future?
4. How do you see the connection between the gift of counsel and the living of Christian faith in
community playing out in your own life, family, or parish?
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Lecture 5. Pope Francis and the Gifts of the Holy
Spirit: Part II
Overview
his presentation continues with Pope Francis’ teachings on prayer and the Holy Spirit. Drawing
on examples from scripture, Pope Francis illustrates how the gifts of fortitude, knowledge, piety,
and fear of the Lord enter into the Christian life of discipleship. Each of these four gifts of the
Holy Spirit are given in order to bolster the life of prayer.
Fortitude
The gift of Fortitude is that which comes from the Lord to sustain us in our weakness.
Pope Francis exhorts us to draw near to Christ and pray for the gift of fortitude from the Holy
Spirit so that we may avoid the temptation to:
“give in to laziness or, worse, discouragement, especially when faced with the hardships
and trials of life.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (May 14, 2014), 3.
Pope Francis cites the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9) to illustrate the importance of the gift
of fortitude.
Pope Francis explains:
“The seed, however, often meets with the aridity of our hearts and even when received is
likely to remain barren. However, through the gift of fortitude, the Holy Spirit liberates
the soil of our heart; she frees it from sluggishness, from uncertainty, and from all the
fears that can hinder it, so that the Lord’s Word may be put into practice authentically
and with joy.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (May 14, 2014), 1.
Knowledge
Pope Francis has a very interesting take on the Spirit’s gift of knowledge––it centers on our ability
to “Read the Book of Creation!”
Pope Francis says: “When our eyes are illumined by the Spirit, they open to contemplate God
in the beauty of nature and in the grandeur of the cosmos, and they lead us to discover how
everything speaks to us about God and God’s love. All of this arouses in us great wonder and
a profound sense of gratitude!”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (May 21, 2014), 1.
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This is the kind of divinely-illuminated knowledge that St. Bonaventure talks about at
various places. It is an awakening to the foundational truth of creation, that we are one
cosmic family.
“The gift of knowledge sets us in profound harmony with the Creator and allows us to
participate in the clarity of his vision and his judgment…All this is a source of serenity and
peace and makes the Christian a joyful witness of God, in the footsteps of St. Francis of
Assisi and so many saints who knew how to praise and laud his love through the
contemplation of creation.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (May 21, 2014), 2.
Piety
Piety is too often misunderstood. Pope Francis says that “it should be clarified immediately” lest
we confuse its true meaning with the popular one.
Pope Francis explains:
“[This] is a bond that comes from within. It is a relationship lived with the heart; it is our friendship
with God, granted to us by Jesus, a friendship that changes our lives and fills us with passion, with
joy.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (June 4, 2014).
The gift of piety is about relationship of a deep, intimate, and familial nature.
The root word, pietas in Latin, means “duty or care owed to the family.” A truly pious person
fulfills his/her responsibilities to those with whom she or he is in relationship.
Fear of the Lord
The gift of fear of the Lord is not about “being afraid of God.”
Pope Francis says:
“Fear of the Lord, instead, is the gift of the Holy Spirit through whom we are reminded of
how small we are before God, and of his love, and that our good lies in humble, respectful,
and trusting self-abandonment into God’s hands. This is fear of the Lord: abandonment to the
goodness of Our Father who loves us so much”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (June 11, 2014).
Some have suggested that a better descriptor for this gift might be “Awe and Wonder” in
the presence of the Lord.
Francis of Assisi’s understanding from the Admonitions is that all good things, come from God
alone. The only thing we can truly take credit for are our faults, our sins.
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Pope Francis says: “Fear of the Lord allows us to be aware that everything comes from grace and
that our true strength lies solely in following the Lord Jesus and in allowing the Father to bestow
upon us his goodness and his mercy.”
– Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (June 11, 2014), 2.
Pope Francis at prayer. Photo credit: EPA/Alessandro Di Meo
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Reflection Questions
1. Perhaps more so than the first three gifts of the Holy Spirit explored in the previous lecture, the
gifts of fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord are generally misunderstood by Christians.
How did you previously understand these gifts and how has the teaching of Pope Francis affected
your understanding?
2. Piety is more than simply maintaining a devotional disposition or practice. Piety has to do with the
way in which one’s relationship to family members is lived out. How does Pope Francis’ teachings
on the gift of piety shape your understanding of God, family, and the broader community?
3. Fear of the Lord sounds very frightening at first. Yet, Pope Francis lifts this last gift of the Spirit
up for appreciation and consideration. How does this fuller understanding tied to awe and wonder
inform your view of God and practices of prayer?
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Lecture 6. The Many Meanings of “Poverty”
Overview
his presentation provides an overview of the manifold meaning of “poverty,” highlighting the
ways that we commonly misunderstand or complicate the gospel imperative to embrace
evangelical poverty. The gospel notion of poverty that Francis of Assisi celebrates, following in
the footprints of Jesus Christ, is always a means toward an end. That end is relationship with others, which
is accomplished by means of the twofold act of solidarity and protest.
Manifold Meaning of “Poverty”
Much akin to the English word “Love,” the word “Poverty” has a variety of meanings.
But unlike the word “Love,” the word “Poverty” almost always has a negative connotation.
It is typically understood to refer to something negative, bad, or to be feared.
There are however, different types of poverty, and we will be exploring the nuances, good and bad.
Types of Poverty
Material or Abject Poverty:
This is what most people think of when they think of “Poverty.”
In brief, it is that condition when women and men do not have access to those things required
for basic human flourishing (e.g. food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, human love and support).
Nobody in his or her right mind would claim that material or abject poverty is somehow a
“good” thing. Rather, material poverty is a topic that people avoid discussing. There is a
danger in romanticizing this poverty.
This poverty is an evil, an ill against which we should always strive to fight. When we
talk about “poverty” in the gospel sense, this is not what we are talking about.
Spiritual Poverty:
Often arises from a certain interpretation of Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”
There is a positive dimension to this––but too often there is a temptation to interpret
“spiritual poverty” in a self-justifying way.
“Legitimate” spiritual poverty is the opposite of this, it is the surrender or letting go of
those things that are non-material or internal––our pride, selfishness, self-centeredness,
opinions, judgments, prejudices, etc.
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The problem arises when individuals or perhaps society as a whole has embraced and
promoted a disconnection between the interior life of legitimate “spiritual poverty” and
the external life of material possessions.
Evangelical Poverty:
To mistake the poverty of authentic Christian discipleship for either the romanticizing of
“material poverty,” or this distorted view of “spiritual poverty” is to miss the point entirely.
In both cases it is a matter of taking part of the picture and confusing it for the whole
vision.
This happens when we emphasize the wrong points, projecting our own desires into our
understanding of the gospel call.
There is both an external and an internal dimension to “Evangelical Poverty.”
Evangelical Poverty is a form of intentional divestment of “things” (external and internal)
arising from the gospel commitment to discipleship as both a form of solidarity and protest.
Poverty in the terms that Jesus Christ understood in the gospel is never an end in itself, but
rather is a means:
Toward protesting the unjust systems that perpetuate material poverty.
Moving toward solidarity with our sisters and brothers.
Gustavo Gutiérrez and Liberation Theology
Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, a Dominican friar from Peru and the so-called “father of liberation
theology,” has contributed significantly to our understanding of Evangelical Poverty. In his classic
book, A Theology of Liberation, he explains:
“Poverty is an act of love and liberation. It has a redemptive value. If the ultimate cause of
human exploitation and alienation is selfishness, the deepest reason for voluntary poverty is
love of neighbor. Christian poverty has meaning only as a commitment of solidarity with the
poor, with those who suffer misery and injustice. The commitment is to witness to the evil
which has resulted from sin and is a breach of communion. It is not a question of idealizing
poverty, but rather of taking it on as it is––an evil––to protest against it and to struggle to
abolish it … Because of this solidarity––which one must manifest itself in specific action, a
style of life, a break with one’s social class––one can also help the poor and exploited to
become aware of their exploitation and seek liberation from it.”
– Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, A Theology of Liberation, 4.2.13 “An Attempt at Synthesis:
Solidarity and Protest,” p. 172.
Gustavo Gutiérrez outlines the movement toward more fully entering into solidarity through
ongoing conversion and the embrace of evangelical poverty. It includes:
Specific, concrete action
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Change in one’s style of life
Break with one’s social class
An experience of ongoing conversion
Francis of Assisi: An Example of Evangelical Poverty
Born ca. 1182, Francis was a young adult (early 20s) when he began to experience a call to gospel
conversion.
His own experience mirrors Gutiérrez’s description of a progressive sequence:
Specific, concrete action:
Rebuilding churches
Selling father’s cloth
Donating equipment to poor knights; etc.
Change in lifestyle:
Physically moving to live in the church, and then at the margins of society
Break with one’s social class:
Renouncement of father’s wealth, class, and status (essentially a break with stability)
St. Francis Renounces All Worldly Goods by Giotto, 1297–99
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Reflection Questions
1. What do you think of when you think of poverty? How has your understanding of Jesus’ call to
embrace evangelical poverty for the sake of the Kingdom of God changed?
2. Christian poverty is never a celebration of abjection or an excuse to compartmentalize one’s life,
but instead a means toward the end of solidarity with our sisters and brothers as well as action to
protest systems of injustice in our world. What can you do in your own life and community to put
this Christian call into action?
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Lecture 7. The Spirituality of Franciscan Poverty
Overview
his presentation examines the ways in which Francis of Assisi modeled his way of being in the
world after the example of Jesus Christ. At the heart of evangelical poverty stands the kenosis of
God, who empties God’s self to become a humble, poor human being. Franciscan poverty is
always a “foolish” stance, a way of being that rejects the “worldly wisdom” that promotes unbridled power
and encourages greed. In this lecture, we pay particular attention to the way that Francis of Assisi
associated poverty with power and what that might mean for us today.
Francis of Assisi and Poverty
Francis’ own movement from a place of power, wealth, and security (as a “maiore” in Assisi as the
son of a well-to-do cloth merchant) to a social location of vulnerability and minority reflected the
kenotic character of God becoming human in the Incarnation.
“Kenotic” stems from the Greek word, kenosis, which means “self-emptying.”
Francis of Assisi embraced a life of evangelical poverty, not out of his own ideas, but as he
understood to be the pattern set forth by Christ:
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of
God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, and being found in human form, he
humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.
Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
– Philippians 2:5-11
This sense of kenosis is also reflected in Francis’ writing in the Letter to the Entire Order:
“Brothers, look at the humility of God, and pour out your hearts before Him! Humble
yourselves that you may be exalted by Him! Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves,
that He who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally!”
– Francis of Assisi, “A Letter to the Entire Order” in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents,
vol. 1 (FAED 1), eds. Regis J. Armstrong, J. A. Wayne Hellman, and William J. Short (New
York: New City Press, 1999), verses 28–29.
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Understanding “Franciscan Poverty”
The Franciscan tradition is inseparable from the notion of poverty. Yet, as previously discussed,
“poverty” is a multivalent word. So it must be emphasized that to talk about so-called “Franciscan
Poverty”––that which Francis and Clare of Assisi both insisted was at the core of Christian
discipleship––is to talk about evangelical poverty.
The surrender or divestment of possessions was never an end in itself, but always a means
toward a greater end:
Solidarity with the poor and marginalized.
Protest of abject/material poverty.
The Franciscan emphasis on evangelical poverty emerges from a foundational stance on the
use and abuse of power.
As the renowned French historian of the medieval Franciscan tradition, Professor Jacques Dalarun,
has noted:
“[Francis] chose to establish in a rule of religious life the condition shared by the most
powerless classes in the society of his time: destitution, precariousness, itinerancy, and
manual labor. He showed a loathing for all forms of power that went far beyond the scorn of
the world as found in the monastic and ascetic tradition. With Francis, there is less of a
merely visible break with the world; at the heart of his life there is instead more intransigence
toward any compromise with the world and its powers.”
– Jacques Dalarun, Francis of Assisi and Power (Franciscan Institute Publications, 2007), p.
17.
Franciscan Poverty and Power
Francis of Assisi came to despise “worldly wisdom” (recall the former juxtaposition of “worldly
wisdom” and the “Wisdom of God”) that establishes rigid hierarchies, subjugates people, judges
value and dignity according to wealth or class, etc.
He sought to divest himself of any possessions that stood in the way of relationship, and he to
renounced the power structures of both his society and Church.
We see this intersection of poverty and power in Francis’ instruction to his followers.
In Chapter V of the Regula non Bullata, also known as the “Earlier Rule” or the “Rule of
1221” (Francis of Assisi’s initial instructions for how the friars were to live in religious
community) Francis writes:
“Likewise, let none of the brothers exercise any power or any form of domination in this
way, especially among themselves. For, if the Lord says in the Gospel, ‘the rulers of the
Gentiles lord it over them and the great ones make their authority over them felt’
(Matthew 20:26-28), it will not be this way among the brothers. And whoever will wish
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to become greater among them, let him be their minister and servant. And let he who is
greater among them become the least.”
– Francis of Assisi, FAED 1, Regula non Bullata, Chapter V: “The Correction of the
Brothers at Fault.”
Another example of how Francis instructed those who would come after him regarding
poverty, power, and self-understanding, appears in his Admonition XIX. Here Francis asserts
how the brothers are to interrelate in the inevitable exercise of power:
“Blessed is the servant who does not consider himself [or herself] any better when he [or
she] is praised and exalted by people than when he is considered worthless, simple, and
looked down upon, for what a person is before God, that he [or she] is and no more. Woe
to that religious who has been placed in a high position by others and does not want to
come down by his [or her] own will.”
– Francis of Assisi, FAED 1, Admonition XIX.
Poverty, Power, and Relationship for Francis of Assisi
For Francis, everything about the vita evangelica was rooted in
the inherent relationality of the human person as the Imago Dei
(image of God).
Just as God humbled God’s self to become human like us in the
person of Jesus of Nazareth and then proceeded to live in the
world according to the priority of service, love, peace, and
reconciliation, so too all people are called to do likewise (recall
John 1:18).
Francis desired that nothing should get in the way of
one’s ability to embrace and relate to others, just as
Christ allowed nothing to get in the way of his embrace
and relationship with others.
This is a twofold process of becoming aware of the
always operating dynamics of power, and then seeking to
renounce those practices of power that subjugate and
oppress others.
St. Francis Receives the Stigmata
by Cigoli, 1596
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Reflection Questions
1. How does the kenosis of God inform the way you think about both the Incarnation and the way
that you are called to live as a follower of Christ?
2. In what ways might you see the relationship between power and poverty playing out in your local
community? In your workplace? In your own heart? What about these things needs to change?
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Lecture 8. Christ the Model of Evangelical Poverty
Overview
his presentation begins with a brief examination of how Pope Francis himself came to view the
importance of evangelical poverty over time, eventually arriving at a realization not unlike
Francis of Assisi, who believed that Christ is our model of poverty and authentic human living
in the world. Pope Francis makes it clear that evangelical poverty is not an optional dimension of Christian
life or something reserved only for a few, but something that is required of all the baptized.
Christ, Our Model for Evangelical Poverty
Like Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis speaks often about Christ as the model and exemplar of
Evangelical Poverty.
In his Apostolic Exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” Francis explained:
“Our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is
the basis of our concern for the integral development of society’s most neglected members.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 186.
It is this spirit of kenosis, the divine self-emptying, that we are likewise called to follow
in the footprints of Christ.
In his 2014 Lenten message, Pope Francis cited 2 Corinthians as a starting point: “For you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor so
that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
He then asked about the meaning of these words for Christians today.
Answering his own question, he stated, “First of all, it shows us how God works. [God] does
not reveal [God’s self] cloaked in worldly power and wealth but rather in weakness and
poverty.”
– Pope Francis, “Pope’s Lenten Message 2014” (December 26, 2013), trans. Vatican Radio.
It is noteworthy that Pope Francis broadens this imperative, claiming it as the calling for
all the baptized to embrace evangelical poverty as part of the true Gospel life.
Prior, this had been deemed the sphere of the religious orders.
He continued, “We might think that this ‘way’ of poverty was Jesus’ way, whereas we who come
after him can save the world with the right kind of human resources. This is not the case. In every
time and place God continues to save [humankind] and the world through the poverty of Christ,
who makes himself poor in the sacraments, in his word and in his Church, which is a people of the
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poor. God’s wealth passes not through our wealth, but invariably and exclusively through our
personal and communal poverty, enlivened by the Spirit of Christ.”
– Pope Francis, “Pope’s Lenten Message 2014” (December 26, 2013), trans. Vatican Radio.
The Wisdom of the World vs. The Wisdom of God
The divide between the “Wisdom of the World” and the “Wisdom of God” plays an important role
in Pope Francis’ spirituality and teachings.
In his recent encyclical letter, Laudato Si (“On Care for Our Common Home”), Pope Francis returns
to the theme of the seemingly “illogical” stance of Christian discipleship when compared to the
presumed “wisdom” of the world:
“This vision of ‘might is right’ has engendered immense inequality, injustice, and acts of
violence against the majority of humanity, since resources end up in the hands of the first
comer or the most powerful: the winner takes all. Completely at odds with this model are the
ideals of harmony, justice, fraternity and peace as proposed by Jesus. As he said of the
powers of his own age: ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their
great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be
great among you must be your servant’ (Matthew 20:25-26).”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si (2015), par. 82.
Note that this last line, which is taken from chapter 20 of Matthew’s Gospel, is precisely
the passage Francis of Assisi points to in his own Rule for how the friars are to live in the
world.
In contrast to the unjust system of “might is right,” Pope Francis points again to Christ as
the image not just of the Invisible God, but also the true image of what it means to be
fully human.
This is a way of viewing reality according to the “Wisdom of God.” Pope Francis says:
“Poverty for us Christians is not a sociological, philosophical, or cultural category, no. It is
theological. I might say this is the first category, because our God, the Son of God, abased
himself, he made himself poor to walk along the road with us. This is our poverty: the
poverty of the flesh of Christ, the poverty that brought the Son of God to us through his
incarnation. A poor Church for the poor begins by reaching out to the flesh of Christ. If we
reach out to the flesh of Christ, we begin to understand something, to understand this
poverty, the Lord’s poverty.”
– Pope Francis, Vigil of Pentecost with the Ecclesial Movements, St. Peter’s Square (May
18, 2013).
Evangelical Poverty is a Universal Call
Pope Francis does not view evangelical poverty as something to be embraced by only a few people,
the religious or the clergy alone. It is a universal call.
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To this end, in The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis writes:
“Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the
liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This
demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid. A
mere glance at the Scriptures is enough to make us see how our gracious Father wants to hear
the cry of the poor … If we, who are God’s means of hearing the poor, turn deaf ears to this
plea, we oppose the Father’s will and his plan.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 186.
In addition to the fact that the whole of Sacred Scripture can be understood as a recounting and
transmission of God’s relationship to humanity and all of creation, it is also a telling of God’s
preferential option for the poor.
As Liberation theologians and scripture scholars are quick to point out, at each turn God
sides with the poor and outcast, the overlooked, marginalized, and voiceless.
God’s prophets likewise call the people to return to the covenant, which likewise calls them
to side with the poor.
No one is exempted from this call. Pope Francis says:
“No one must say that they cannot be close to the poor because their own lifestyle demands
more attention to other areas. This is an excuse commonly heard in academic, business or
professional, and even ecclesial circles. While it is quite true that the essential vocation and
mission of the lay faithful is to strive that earthly realities and all human activity may be
transformed by the Gospel, none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor
and for social justice: Spiritual conversion, the intensity of the love of God and neighbor,
zeal for justice and peace, the Gospel meaning of the poor and of poverty, are required of
everyone.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 201.
These are tough words. Yet,
Jesus never said discipleship
would be easy. On the
contrary, time and again,
Jesus tells the disciples and us
that we must carry our cross.
It is not enough to just be a
Christian according to our
lips, we must also follow
Christ with our whole lives.
Jesus Discourses with His Disciples by James Tissot, 1886–94
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Reflection Questions
1. The call to “empty oneself” as God did in the Incarnation is a difficult directive for most Christians
to accept, yet Pope Francis, like Francis of Assisi before him, asserts that this is not optional.
Sometimes it is a matter of taking some basic actions at first rather than making major changes
overnight. In this spirit, what sort of things might you be able to do to begin living more in line
with the gospel message? What are some of the challenges you face in embracing evangelical
poverty?
2. How do you understand the Church’s teaching on “the preferential option for the poor?” How
might you incorporate this teaching into your own decision-making practices and actions?
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Lecture 9. The Goal and Purpose of Evangelical
Poverty
Overview
his presentation continues our exploration of Pope Francis’ teachings on evangelical poverty and
its central place in the life of Christian discipleship. Taking up the themes of solidarity and
protest, the two goals of evangelical poverty examined in earlier lectures, we take a look at how
Pope Francis prioritizes these key aspects of gospel living in his teachings. Furthermore, at Pope Francis’
request, we consider what dimensions of our lives and perception of faith get in the way of embracing
evangelical poverty.
The Goal of Evangelical Poverty
Like Francis of Assisi and Gustavo Gutiérrez, Pope Francis sees evangelical poverty as a means
toward an end.
Fittingly, he points to Saint Francis as an example of one who both lived this way and
understood evangelical poverty’s true goal.
“The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but
something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used
and controlled.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 11.
The end is solidarity with our sisters and brothers, especially the poor and marginalized, and
protest against the structures and systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice in our
societies.
Solidarity
Solidarity is one of the two primary ends toward which evangelical poverty works to bring us.
To this point, in his Apostolic Exhortation The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis writes:
“The Church has realized that the need to heed this plea is itself born of the liberating action
of grace within each of us, and thus it is not a question of a mission reserved only to a few:
‘The Church, guided by the Gospel of mercy and by love for humankind, hears the cry for
justice and intends to respond to it with all her might.’ In this context we can understand
Jesus’ command to his disciples: ‘You yourselves give them something to eat!’ (Mark 6:37):
it means working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral
development of the poor, as well as small daily acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs
which we encounter. The word ‘solidarity’ is a little worn and at times poorly understood,
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but it refers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It presumes the
creation of a new mindset which thinks in terms of community and the priority of the life of
all over the appropriation of goods by a few.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 188.
The theme of “solidarity” is repeated in his recent encyclical Laudato Si, wherein Pope
Francis highlights the ways in which the global poor disproportionately suffer the
consequences of the economic structures of our world:
“In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of
people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the
common good immediately becomes, logically and inevitably, a summons to solidarity and a
preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters. This option entails recognizing
the implications of the universal destination of the world’s goods, but…it demands before all
else an appreciation of the immense dignity of the poor in the light of our deepest convictions
as believers. We need only look around us to see that, today, this option is in fact an ethical
imperative essential for effectively attaining the common good.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 158.
Protest
In his book, Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome, the Brazilian theologian and former Franciscan
friar, Leonardo Boff, notes how the two men named Francis seem to resemble one another in terms
of the relationship between evangelical poverty and power.
Boff writes:
“Francis of Rome has something of the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi; he is for poverty,
simplicity, and total stripping away of power.”
– Leonardo Boff, Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome (Orbis Books, 2014), Part II: “The
Temptations of Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome,” p. 70.
Boff also observes that:
“Where there is power, especially in an absolute monarchy like the Vatican State, anti-power
always arises, with intrigues, ambition, and struggles for more power. In his Leviathan,
Thomas Hobbes saw clearly: ‘Power cannot be guaranteed except by seeking power and
more power.’”
– Leonardo Boff, Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome, Part II: “The Temptations of
Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome,” p. 70.
In The Joy of the Gospel, in Laudato Si, in his homilies, and in his weekly audiences and other
addresses, Pope Francis has consistently called out the misuse of power in both civil and ecclesial
institutions.
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Pope Francis’ curial reforms work as a protest against unjust systems that perpetuate a
misuse of power that too often disproportionately affects the poor.
Pope Francis’ remarks even call out the priests and bishops of the world who are careerists,
seeking power for power’s sake.
Pope Francis ties the abuse of power with the environmental crises of the globe in Laudato Si.
“Many of those who possess more resources and economic or political power seem mostly to
be concerned with masking the problems or concealing their symptoms, simply making
efforts to reduce some of the negative impacts of climate change.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 26.
“Economic powers continue to justify the current global system where priority tends to be
given to speculation and the pursuit of financial gain, which fail to take the context into
account, let alone the effects on human dignity and the natural environment.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 56.
Again, drawing on the keen observations of Leonardo Boff, we might gain a sense of Pope Francis’
mission and aim:
“The church, as we have it today, will never be like the poor, but it can be for and with the
poor. The motherly behavior of Francis of Assisi wanted in his friars is what Pope Francis
wants to see in pastors … The favorite subject of the current pope is poverty. With poverty
come attitudes of meeting, living together, listening, dialogue, and compassion for the poor.
He has said clearly that poverty cannot be overcome with philanthropy but only with social
justice.”
– Leonardo Boff, Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome, Part II: “The Temptations of
Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome,” p. 68.
What Stands in the Way?
Pope Francis asks an important question when he suggests that despite the universal call all received
in baptism to embrace evangelical poverty in following Christ, few actually take up this challenge
in earnest.
What stands in the way?
We complicate the gospel to our benefit.
Pope Francis explains in The Joy of the Gospel,
“This message is so clear and direct, so simple and eloquent, that no ecclesial interpretation
has the right to relativize it. The Church’s reflection on these texts ought not to obscure or
weaken their force, but urge us to accept their exhortations with courage and zeal. Why
complicate something so simple?”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 194.
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We complicate the Gospel because we don’t want to accept the responsibility and
sacrifice that is required by virtue of our baptism.
Pope Francis’ call for all Christians to take seriously their Gospel call to follow in the footprints of
Jesus and embrace Evangelical Poverty is also disregarded for three other reasons:
“Not My Responsibility”
When people say: “This is not my responsibility,” “This
is not my vocation,” or “That is for Mother Teresa’s
sisters, etc.”
Recall that Pope Francis says in The Joy of the Gospel
that this is a key part of discipleship for everybody.
“None of us can think we are exempt from concern for
the poor and for social justice.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 201.
“The Specter of ‘Spiritual Poverty’”
This stems from the tendency to “over-spiritualize” this
aspect of our lives.
Those who may even recognize the authentic inescapability of the call to poverty in the
Gospel are tempted to nevertheless rely on the tradition of privatization and
compartmentalization that Gutiérrez identifies as the kind of thinking that allows the
wealthy, the powerful, the comfortable, the removed, and the self-interested to justify
ignoring the cry of the poor and to valorize the status quo.
“Domestication of the Gospel and The Desire for Control”
An insidious reason that creeps into our faith and lives is the desire to maintain control of
all aspects of our lives, to resist the vulnerability that is required to love as God has loved
us, and to continue to hold onto our “willful ignorance.”
This is a brand of selfishness that seeks shelter from the suffering and reality of other
people. It is avoidance, so one does not have to deal with it.
The moral theologian, Stanley Hauerwas, says, “It is my conviction that explanations,
that is, the attempt to make Jesus conform to our understanding of things, cannot help but
domesticate and tame the wildness of the God we worship as Christians.”
– Stanley Hauerwas, Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words,
(Brazos Press, 2004), p. 15.
This is dangerous precisely because it is the inverse of receiving the Holy Spirit’s gift of
wisdom and understanding. It is projecting into the gospel our wisdom and
understanding.
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Reflection Questions
1. Pope Francis frequently identifies structural or systemic problems that perpetuate cycles of
injustice and abject poverty. Our call to embrace evangelical poverty demands that we not only
examine our own decisions and actions, but also protest or work to eliminate structural causes of
poverty. What can you do today to contribute to that effort? What are some longer-term actions
or practices that you can also do?
2. Pope Francis acknowledges that there are many things that stand in the way of authentic Christian
living in terms of evangelical poverty. What are some of the perspectives, prejudices, selfishness,
or practices that stand in the way of your embrace of evangelical poverty?
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Lecture 10. How St. Francis Discovered Mercy
Overview
his presentation explores the role of mercy in Francis of Assisi’s personal story and how this
theme was a key element in his experience of ongoing conversion. Francis noted at the end of his
life that it was the experience of showing mercy to another that allowed him to recognize the
mercy God had always shown him. Francis’ own focus on mercy in his own experience and in his writings
reflects an historical shift of his time, one that would have a lasting effect on Christian spirituality.
“Beginning with the End”
Mercy features prominently in Francis’ personal story, and as might be expected, it played a role in
shaping his awareness and outlook.
Near the very end of his life in 1226, Francis
dictated his Testament to the brothers caring
for him. It opens with the following lines:
“The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus
to begin doing penance in this way: for
when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for
me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led
me among them and I showed mercy to
them. And when I left them, what had
seemed bitter to me was turned into
sweetness of soul and body. And
afterwards I delayed a little and left the
world.”
– Francis of Assisi, FAED 1, The
Testament, 1–3.
This showing of mercy to the lepers is the experience which allows him to both see the
mercy of God in his own life, and at the same time share that mercy with others.
Augustine Thompson, O.P., also noted this and writes in his recent biography of St. Francis
that, concerning the lepers:
“As Francis showed mercy to these outcasts, he came to experience God’s own gift of
mercy to himself. As he cleaned the lepers’ bodies, dressed their wounds, and treated
them as human beings, not as refuse to be fled from in horror, his perceptions changed.”
– Augustine Thompson, O.P., Francis of Assisi: A New Biography (Cornell University
Press, 2012), p. 17.
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Saint Francis Healing the Leper by Giovanni
Battista Crespi, 1630
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Historical Significance of Mercy
We take the importance of mercy in Christian living for granted, presuming it has always been an
attitude promoted among Christians in the face of misfortune or sin.
Historians actually date the significance of mercy as a particular theme only to the time of
Francis of Assisi, paralleling the emergence of lay associations.
Drawing from the gospel Beatitudes (e.g., Matthew 5:7), it was the late 12th and early 13th centuries
where we see the notion of “mercy” beginning to be applied not only to sinners, but also to the
poor, to pilgrims, to the sick, and to prisoners.
Similarly, there arose the idea that the aid one might bring these unfortunates––the works of
mercy––could be a privileged means for entering the Kingdom of Heaven (e.g., Matthew 25:
34-37).
“Mercy” began to take a concrete form around the time Francis, Clare, and their followers
appear on the Christian scene.
Where Did Francis Discover Mercy?
Vauchez explains:
“Francis did not invent the notion of mercy; it was something that he inherited from the lay religious
movements of his day. He was deeply influenced by this new sensibility to the suffering and
misfortunes of others, which enabled him to recognize in lepers the palpable form and presence of
Christ in human beings.”
“Penance, peace, and mercy were to become the watchwords of Franciscan preaching and to inspire
concrete actions”
– André Vauchez, Francis of Assisi: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Saint, trans. Michael
Cusato (Yale University Press, 2012) p. 24.
It was the sensus fidei, the work of the Holy Spirit among the people of God from “below”
rather than a spiritual practice prescribed “from above.”
It was, as Francis recalls in his Testament, through his “showing mercy” to the lepers that,
Vauchez tells us:
“…he made their reintegration into human society possible, thus helping to extend the
idea of justice to human and social relationships without giving it the appearance of an
aggressive demand, which would have rendered it unacceptable to the Church and society
of his time.”
– André Vauchez, Francis of Assisi: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Saint, trans.
Michael Cusato (Yale University Press, 2012) p. 24.
It was the living model of Jesus in the gospels in the form of merciful encounter that shaped Francis’
imagination and outlook (e.g., stories of Jesus’ mercy in the gospels).
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Vauchez explains that Francis came to recognize that in turning toward others, he was called
to relationship with all God’s creatures.
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Reflection Questions
1. For Francis of Assisi, it was showing mercy to a leper that marked the beginning of his recognition
of God’s mercy in his own life. In what moments or encounters have you shown mercy to others?
Did you recognize God’s merciful presence at that time?
2. The importance of mercy as a Christian value and practice blossomed in Francis’ time because of
the historical circumstances in which he found himself. What are some of the historical
circumstances that shape your experience of giving and receiving mercy? Who are the “lepers” of
today to whom you are called to show love and mercy?
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Lecture 11. Mercy in the Writings of St. Francis
Overview
ontinuing with the exploration of the theme of mercy in the life and spirituality of Francis of
Assisi, this presentation examines the writings of Francis in order to understand better the place
this theme had in Francis’ vision of gospel living. This lecture includes close consideration of
the theme of mercy as it appears in Francis’ Admonitions, prayers, letters, and in his Rule (or way of life).
Mercy in the Franciscan Vision
In the previous presentation, we looked at the role of mercy in Francis’ own life—now we shift
gears to see how this was translated in his writings and prayers.
Mercy appears everywhere in Francis’ writings and instructions to those who desire to follow him.
Oftentimes, in direction or advice to those who minister in leadership.
In Francis of Assisi’s Later Admonition and Exhortation, which is addressed to the
community inspired by Francis’ model and way of life, he says:
“Let whoever has received the power of judging others pass judgment with mercy, as
they would wish to receive mercy from the Lord. For judgment will be without mercy for
those who have not shown mercy.”
– Francis of Assisi, FAED 1, The Later Admonition and Exhortation to the Brothers and
Sisters of Penance.
We see this again in an expanded sense in a letter Francis wrote to an anonymous minister (a
regional superior of the friars).
Facing the difficult case of having to decide how to respond to the situation of a problematic
friar, he asked Francis for guidance. Francis replied:
“I wish to know in this way if you love the Lord and me, His servant and yours: that there
is not any brother in the world who has sinned––however much he could have sinned––
who, after he has looked into your eyes, would ever depart without your mercy, if he is
looking for mercy. And if he were not looking for mercy, you would ask him if he wants
mercy. And if he would sin a thousand times before your eyes, love him more than me so
that you may draw him to the Lord; and always be merciful with brothers such as these.”
– Francis of Assisi, FAED 1, A Letter to a Minister.
Mercy in St. Francis’ Other Works
Many of Francis’ writings discuss mercy as it relates to life and other virtues. One such example
comes from his Admonitions.
C
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“Where there is a heart full of mercy and discernment, there is neither excess nor hardness of
heart.”
– Francis of Assisi, FAED 1, Admonition XXVII: “Virtue Puts Vice to Flight,” 6.
Francis wrote this prayer in red ink on one side of a piece of parchment that he gave to Brother Leo
with a blessing to him, this is believed to have been done shortly after “receiving the stigmata” on
Mount LaVerna.
In his The Praises of God (ca. 1224) Francis writes:
…You are love, charity; You are wisdom, You are humility.
You are patience, You are beauty, You are meekness,
You are security, You are rest,
You are gladness and joy, You are our hope, You are justice
You are moderation, You are all our riches to sufficiency
You are beauty, You are meekness,
You are the protector, You are our custodian and defender
You are strength, You are refreshment, You are our hope
You are our faith, You are our charity
You are all our sweetness, You are our eternal life:
Great and wonderful Lord, Almighty God, Merciful Savior.
– Francis of Assisi, FAED 1, The Praises of God, 1-5 (Edition of Duane Lapsanki and
Katejan Esser).
It is believed that this is inspired in part by his time among the Muslims in Egypt four years
earlier and their 99 Names of Allah.
The Vision of St. Francis by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, ca. 1667
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Reflection Questions
1. Francis of Assisi discusses mercy frequently throughout his writings, thereby illustrating its
centrality in his own life. What sort of role does mercy play in your own life?
2. Francis’ advice to another friar that has the responsibility for a local community is to always show
mercy and love regardless of how egregious the sin or scandal the other caused might be. What is
your response to such advice? What do you find attractive about this? What do you resist about
this?
3. One of the names Francis gives to God is “Mercy.” What names do you give to God? How does
God’s name shape the way you understand and live your faith?
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Lecture 12. Pope Francis: Changed by Mercy
Overview
his presentation opens with a reflection on the prayer for the Jubilee Year of Mercy (2015–2016)
that Pope Francis prayed at the announcement of the holy year. Pope Francis again points to Jesus
Christ as the model and source for what the mercy of God and the mercy we are called to show
looks like. Mercy has played such an important role in the spirituality and personal prayer life of Pope
Francis that he began his pontificate preaching on the subject, thereby signaling the tenor of his pastoral
leadership from the outset of his ministry. Mercy is something that God gives us freely and without
reserve; it is something we are challenged to accept and then be changed by in order to show mercy to
others.
Prayer for the Year of Mercy
This is one of the prayers of Pope Francis; it is from the official document announcing the Jubilee
Year of Mercy:
“Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father, and have told
us that whoever sees you sees Him. Show us your face and we will be saved. Your loving
gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and
Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things; made Peter weep after his
betrayal, and assured Paradise to the repentant thief. Let us hear, as if addressed to each one
of us, the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman: ‘If you knew the gift of God!’
You are the visible face of the invisible Father, of the God who manifests his power above all
by forgiveness and mercy: let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and
glorified. You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in weakness in order that they
may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error: let everyone who approaches them feel
sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.
Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing, so that the Jubilee of
Mercy may be a year of grace from the Lord, and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm,
may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, and restore
sight to the blind. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy, you who
live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.”
– Pope Francis, “Prayer for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy” (2015).
It is unsurprising that Pope Francis has stated on multiple occasions that “Mercy” is the primary
lens through which we should view God and view God’s relationship to humanity.
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Jesus Christ is the Source of Mercy
Pope Francis writes in the Papal Bull that announces the “Extraordinary Year of Mercy”
(Misericordiae Vultus) that Christ is the source and foundation of Mercy because it is Jesus Christ
who reveals God’s true nature:
“Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery
of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its
culmination in him. The Father, ‘rich in mercy’ (Ephesians 2:4), after having revealed his
name to Moses as ‘a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love and faithfulness’ (Exodus 34:6), has never ceased to show, in various ways throughout
history, his divine nature. In the ‘fullness of time’ (Galatians 4:4), when everything had been
arranged according to his plan of salvation, he sent his only Son into the world, born of the
Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way. Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father
(cf. John 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the
mercy of God.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus (April, 2015), par. 1.
Christ reveals the truth of how God views us and acts in the world.
“We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity,
and peace. Our salvation depends on it. Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the
Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us.
Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into
the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God
and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 2.
And, yet, Pope Francis also points out how we must contemplate this dimension of our faith and of
God’s action in order that we too can reflect God’s mercy as the Son has for us:
“At times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a
more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 3.
Beginning His Ministry as Bishop of Rome with “Mercy”
Just as St. Paul makes clear to his audience in the Letter to the Romans, that there is “nothing that
can separate us from the Love of God,” Pope Francis makes clear that his whole vision of ministry
as universal shepherd is centered on reminding us of this truth.
In his homily for the liturgy in which Pope Francis was officially installed as the Bishop of
Rome, he reminds us of the unfailing nature of God’s love and mercy.
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“What a beautiful truth of faith this is for our lives: the mercy of God! God’s love for us
is so great, so deep; it is an unfailing love, one that takes us by the hand and supports us,
lifts us up, and leads us on.”
– Pope Francis, Homily, Papal Mass for the Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of
Rome Basilica of Saint John Lateran (April 7, 2013), par. 1.
Anticipating that some people will nevertheless feel unworthy of God’s mercy, forgiveness,
and love, Pope Francis says:
“Maybe someone among us here is thinking, ‘My sin is so great, I am so far from God as
the younger son in the parable; my unbelief is like that of Thomas. I don’t have the
courage to go back, to believe that God can welcome me and that he is waiting for me, of
all people.’ But God is indeed waiting for you; he asks of you only the courage to go to
him … We hear many offers from the world around us; but let us take up God’s offer
instead: his is a caress of love. For God, we are not numbers, we are important; we are
the most important thing to him. Even if we are sinners, we are what is closest to his
heart.”
– Pope Francis, Homily, Papal Mass for the Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of
Rome (April 7, 2013).
Patience, Mercy, Forgiveness––Pope Francis emphasizes––“This is God’s way of doing
things: he is not impatient like us, who often want everything all at once, even in our
dealings with other people. God is patient with us because he loves us, and those who
love are able to understand, to hope, and to inspire confidence. They do not give up, they
do not burn bridges, they are able to forgive. Let us remember this in our lives as
Christians: God always waits for us, even when we have left him behind!”
– Pope Francis, Homily, Papal Mass for the Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of
Rome (April 7, 2013).
Mercy: Free Gift from God
One cannot earn salvation—yet so often we act as if we believe the love, approval, and forgiveness
of God must be earned through right actions.
God’s mercy is a free gift, given to all!
To this point, Pope Francis explains in The Joy of the Gospel that,
“The salvation which God offers us is the work of his mercy. No human efforts, however
good they may be, can enable us to merit so great a gift. God, by his sheer grace, draws us to
[God’s self] and makes us one with him.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 112.
God’s free gift of Mercy is always already extended to us and present to us, but we are the
ones who so often doubt its reality.
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Changed By Mercy
Like Francis of Assisi, who was changed by his experience of showing mercy, Pope Francis calls
us to change, and in turn, return to God. Pope Francis writes:
“In the parables devoted to mercy, Jesus reveals the nature of God as that of a Father who
never gives up until he has forgiven the wrong and overcome rejection with compassion and
mercy. We know these parables well, three in particular: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the
father with two sons (cf. Luke 15:1-32). In these parables, God is always presented as full of
joy, especially when he pardons. In them we find the core of the Gospel and of our faith,
because mercy is presented as a force that overcomes everything, filling the heart with love
and bringing consolation through pardon.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 9.
In his homily at the liturgy for the
possession of the seat of Peter, he
highlights this point, saying that God’s
patience has to call forth in us the courage
to return to Him, despite the baggage of
our lives.
Likewise, he elaborates that this change is
not just to take place at the individual
level in our lives, but in the Church as a
community as well:
“The call of Jesus pushes each of us
never to stop at the surface of things, especially when we are dealing with a person. We
are called to look beyond, to focus on the heart to see how much generosity everyone is
capable. No one can be excluded from the mercy of God; everyone knows the way to
access it and the Church is the house that welcomes all and refuses no one. Its doors
remain wide open, so that those who are touched by grace can find the certainty of
forgiveness. The greater the sin, so much the greater must be the love that the Church
expresses.”
– Pope Francis, Homily, Celebration of Penance Communal Reconciliation Service with
Individual Confession and Absolution, Vatican Basilica (March 13, 2015).
“An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved
us first, and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others,
seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast. Such a
community has an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the
power of the Father’s infinite mercy.”
– Pope Francis, Homily, Celebration of Penance Communal Reconciliation Service with
Individual Confession and Absolution, Vatican Basilica (March 13, 2015).
Jesus Healing the Leper by Jean-Marie Melchior
Doze, 1864
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Review Questions
1. Pope Francis always points to Jesus Christ as the source and model of gospel living. How do you
look to Jesus in making decisions about your own life? What do you find challenging about this?
2. Pope Francis signaled the tenor of his pastoral ministry by preaching about mercy. How do you
signal to the world what is important about your faith? What theme do you proclaim with your
words and deeds?
3. We are told in the gospels and in the teachings of Pope Francis that God never withholds mercy
from us, and yet we frequently believe that we are unworthy or incapable of receiving it. What
gets in the way of my reception of God’s mercy?
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Lecture 13. Mercy is the Greatest Virtue
Overview
his presentation continues the exploration of the theme of mercy in Pope Francis’ teachings. Pope
Francis holds that mercy is the greatest of all Christian virtues and highlights what showing true
mercy looks like in the modern world. Drawing on gospel passages to illustrate this theme, Pope
Francis explains that mercy is not simply an individual act, but rather that there is a communal dimension
to showing mercy that should be reflected in the proclamations and practices of the Church.
Mercy as the Greatest Virtue
Pope Francis sees mercy as the greatest of the external virtues. In The Joy of the Gospel, he cites
the Dominican friar, Thomas Aquinas on this point:
“Thomas thus explains that, as far as external works are concerned, mercy is the greatest of
all the virtues: ‘In itself mercy is the greatest of the virtues, since all the others revolve
around it and, more than this, it makes up for their deficiencies.’”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 37.
Drawing once again on Thomas Aquinas, Pope Francis, in the Papal Bull announcing the Jubilee
year of Mercy (2015–2016), says:
“‘It is proper to God to exercise mercy, and he manifests his omnipotence particularly in this
way.’ Saint Thomas Aquinas’ words show that God’s mercy, rather than a sign of weakness,
is the mark of his omnipotence. For this reason the liturgy, in one of its most ancient collects,
has us pray: ‘O God, who reveal your power above all in your mercy and forgiveness …’
Throughout the history of humanity, God will always be the One who is present, close,
provident, holy, and merciful.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 6.
As we are changed by the experience of God’s mercy, we develop as a habit the virtue of Mercy
toward others. This is the greatest virtue.
Showing Mercy: What It Looks Like
This virtue of mercy is what we are called to exercise in the world, like Francis of Assisi to the
lepers of his day. We are called to do likewise. Pope Francis writes:
“The way we treat others has a transcendent dimension: ‘The measure you give will be the
measure you get.’ It corresponds to the mercy which God has shown us: ‘Be merciful, just as
your Father is merciful.’”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 179.
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“We incarnate the duty of hearing the cry of the poor when we are deeply moved by the
suffering of others. Let us listen to what God’s word teaches us about mercy, and allow that
word to resound in the life of the Church.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 193.
Reflecting on the revelation of the Father’s mercy in the gospels of Jesus, Pope Francis points to
one parable in particular. He writes:
“From another parable, we cull an important teaching for our Christian lives. In reply to
Peter’s question about how many times it is necessary to forgive, Jesus says: ‘I do not say
seven times, but seventy times seven times’ (Matthew 18:22). He then goes on to tell the
parable of the ‘ruthless servant,’ who, called by his master to return a huge amount, begs him
on his knees for mercy. His master cancels his debt. But he then meets a fellow servant who
owes him a few cents and who in turn begs on his knees for mercy, but the first servant
refuses his request and throws him into jail. When the master hears of the matter, he becomes
infuriated and, summoning the first servant back to him, says, ‘Should not you have had
mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ (Matthew 18:33). Jesus concludes,
‘So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother
from your heart’ (Matthew 18:35).”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 9.
“This parable contains a profound teaching for all of us. Jesus affirms that mercy is not only
an action of the Father, it becomes a criterion for ascertaining who his true children are. In
short, we are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us. Pardoning
offences becomes the clearest expression of merciful love, and for us Christians it is an
imperative from which we cannot excuse ourselves. At times how hard it seems to forgive!
And yet pardon is the instrument placed into our fragile hands to attain serenity of heart. To
let go of anger, wrath, violence, and revenge are necessary conditions to living joyfully. Let
us therefore heed the Apostle’s exhortation: ‘Do not let the sun go down on your anger’
(Ephesians 4:26). Above all, let us listen to the words of Jesus who made mercy an ideal of
life and a criterion for the credibility of our faith: ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy’ (Matthew 5:7): the beatitude to which we should particularly aspire in this
Holy Year.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 9.
Mercy and the Cry of the Poor
One of the greatest hindrances is that so many are indifferent to hearing the cry of the poor.
“The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and
anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures,
and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests
and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no
longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 2.
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This is the danger of our day. People no longer want to hear the cry of the poor, and the
wealthy of the world can isolate themselves from others with greater and greater ease.
The Communal Dimension of Showing Mercy
Showing mercy is not just an individual act, but a communal one too.
Again concerning mercy, Pope Francis writes:
“As we can see in Sacred Scripture, mercy is a key word that indicates God’s action towards
us. [God] does not limit himself merely to affirming his love, but makes it visible and
tangible. Love, after all, can never be just an abstraction. By its very nature, it indicates
something concrete: intentions, attitudes, and behaviours that are shown in daily living. The
mercy of God is his loving concern for each one of us. He feels responsible; that is, he
desires our wellbeing and he wants to see us happy, full of joy, and peaceful. This is the path
which the merciful love of Christians must also travel. As the Father loves, so do his
children. Just as he is merciful, so we are called to be merciful to each other.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 9.
The Church, which is the Body of Christ, must show mercy to all.
Pope Francis makes this very clear in The Joy of the Gospel, where he writes:
“The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed,
loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.”
– Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 114.
And again, that:
“Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life. All of her pastoral activity should be
caught up in the tenderness she makes present to believers; nothing in her preaching and in
her witness to the world can be lacking in mercy. The Church’s very credibility is seen in
how she shows merciful and compassionate love. The Church ‘has an endless desire to show
mercy.’ Perhaps we have long since forgotten how to show and live the way of mercy. The
temptation, on the one hand, to focus exclusively on justice made us forget that this is only
the first, albeit necessary and indispensable step. But the Church needs to go beyond and
strive for a higher and more important goal. On the other hand, sad to say, we must admit
that the practice of mercy is waning in the wider culture. In some cases the word seems to
have dropped out of use. However, without a witness to mercy, life becomes fruitless and
sterile, as if sequestered in a barren desert. The time has come for the Church to take up the
joyful call to mercy once more. It is time to return to the basics and to bear the weaknesses
and struggles of our brothers and sisters. Mercy is the force that reawakens us to new life and
instills in us the courage to look to the future with hope.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 10.
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There has been a lot of discussion in the media and among Christians themselves about the Church’s
loss of credibility and moral authority in the world.
Pope Francis highlights the need for the Church to be merciful as one of the causes for this,
and challenges the whole Church to again live out the gospel call to show the mercy of God.
He writes:
“The Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the
Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person. The
Spouse of Christ must pattern her behaviour after the Son of God who went out to
everyone without exception. In the present day, as the Church is charged with the task of
the new evangelization, the theme of mercy needs to be proposed again and again with
new enthusiasm and renewed pastoral action. It is absolutely essential for the Church and
for the credibility of her message that she herself live and testify to mercy. Her language
and her gestures must transmit mercy, so as to touch the hearts of all people and inspire
them once more to find the road that leads to the Father.
The Church’s first truth is the love of Christ. The Church makes herself a servant of this
love and mediates it to all people: a love that forgives and expresses itself in the gift of
oneself. Consequently, wherever the Church is present, the mercy of the Father must be
evident. In our parishes, communities, associations and movements, in a word, wherever
there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy.”
– Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 12.
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
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Review Questions
1. The logic or wisdom of the world often depicts mercy as a sign of weakness, yet Pope Francis
holds it up as the greatest of Christian virtues. What tensions do you recognize in your own
experience of society and culture regarding mercy? Do you believe that mercy is a virtue celebrated
and honored in our culture? How will you respond differently?
2. Pope Francis talks about the danger of indifference and argues that apathy is far more insidious
than many realize. What practices can you engage in order to avoid becoming apathetic or
indifferent to the sufferings or painful experiences of others?
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Lecture 14. Introducing Christian Approaches to
Creation
Overview
his presentation provides a general overview to the major approaches to understanding creation
that have been present over the course of Christian history. These approaches are generally
referred to as the dominion model, the stewardship model, and the kinship (or community) of
creation model. In order to situate Francis of Assisi’s significant contributions to the Christian spirituality
of creation, this lecture provides a foundational introduction to the concept of the theology of creation and
argues that neither the dominion nor the stewardship models best reflect the scriptural and theological
tradition.
Christian Approaches to the Theology of Creation
In order to understand more fully how astoundingly original Francis of Assisi’s approach to creation
truly is, as well as to situate Pope Francis’ teachings on creation in two later presentations, it is
helpful to begin with an overview of the different Christian approaches to the theology of creation
over the last two millennia.
There are, most theologians generally agree, three “overarching” categories under which particular
iterations fall:
Dominion Model of Creation
Stewardship Model of Creation
Kinship (or Community) of Creation Model
Dominion Model of Creation
Interprets the meaning of rādâ (“have dominion”) in Genesis 1:26 and kābaš (“subdue”) in Genesis
1:28 in terms of human sovereignty over non-human creation.
God has made the whole cosmos for human use wherein the exhortation to “have dominion” means
for human beings to “dominate” the non-human creation.
Historians, scientists, theologians, and philosophers have pointed out the problems with this:
Among the problems has been Christianity’s seeming complicity in the environmental
degradation and abuse of creation we have seen unfold.
The problem with this interpretation of the so-called Priestly (“P”) account of creation in
Genesis 1 is that it is a non-biblical interpretation.
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First-century Jewish (e.g., Philo) and early Christian philosophers and theologians were
asking, “What does Genesis mean?” and answering the question with extra-biblical sources
(e.g., Aristotle).
This understanding of the human person and its relationship to non-human creation
emphasized rationality and distinction from non-human creation.
Additionally, these approaches to theology of creation often overlook Genesis 2, or the
Yahwist account (“J” source).
The Stewardship Model of Creation
Scholars began to see the serious problems with the “Dominion Model” and returned to biblical
exegesis and theological history to take another look.
The result is what is called the “stewardship model.” That proper understanding of Genesis 1 and
Genesis 2 is to read humanity’s position in creation as a “steward,” “gardener,” or “caretaker” of
non-human creation. This is how we fulfill our being created Imago Dei.
The planet (and the whole cosmos) was not created for human use alone, but entrusted to
human beings for care and cultivation.
God owns the planet (e.g., Psalm 24); we live here within it as an oikos (“household”).
We have a divinely mandated duty or vocation to care for this oikos of God.
We are intermediaries both ha-adamah and Imago Dei, serving to represent non-human
creation to God.
The Kinship (or Community) of Creation Model
There was always a small, “minority tradition” that embraced a third option—the “kinship model”
or “community of creation” approach.
This is where Francis of Assisi comes into the discussion.
Scholars identified continuing problems with the stewardship model:
The stewardship model, while an improvement to the previous approach, continues to bear
the disjointed sense of connectivity to creation that places humanity over and against the rest
of creation.
The intrinsic relationship humanity has with non-human creation by virtue of being part of
creation is downplayed.
Our “distinctiveness” is overly emphasized.
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As Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J., said so well: “If separation is not the ideal but connection is; if
dualism is not the ideal but the relational embrace of diversity is; if hierarchy is not the ideal but
mutuality is; then the kinship model more closely approximates reality.”
– Elizabeth A. Johnson, Women, Earth, and Creator Spirit (Paulist Press, 1993), Chapter 4:
“Discerning Kinship with Earth,” p. 30.
Our interconnectedness is not simply poetic or sentimental, instead it is a statement of the
most profound truth affirmed as it were by both science and religion.
We are quite literally “space dust” (science) and ha-adamah (scripture/religion).
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Review Questions
1. Considering the dominion, stewardship, and kinship (or community) of creation models, which
paradigm best describes your own understanding of God’s creation and humanity’s relationship to
the rest of creation?
2. How has this understanding of creation and the discussion about the various models informed your
own understanding of creation and of humanity?
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Lecture 15. St. Francis and the Kinship of Creation
Overview
his presentation discusses Francis of Assisi as a “nature mystic” who, despite being relatively
uneducated and unversed in scripture from a professional perspective, nevertheless deeply
intuited his own relationship to the rest of the created order. What results from this rich
spirituality is a robust notion of kinship that reflects an intrinsic relational dimension shared by all that
God has brought into existence. This lecture explains the richness of Francis’ largely misunderstood
Canticle of the Creatures and acknowledges some of the ways later Franciscans would expand Francis’
intuitive creational mysticism in terms of theological reflection and spirituality.
Francis of Assisi and Creation
Francis of Assisi understood the relational nature of our kinship with creation intuitively.
He was not a scientist (modern natural science is still nearly 500 years in the making).
He was not a professional theologian.
Francis of Assisi was what might be called a “nature mystic.”
St. Bonaventure describes him as one who was so immersed in Sacred Scripture that God’s
story of divine revelation became his story.
He began to see the world with a renewed sense of reality and vision, and this new
perspective helped him to see the world as it really is, rather than how we often convince
ourselves it must be.
The Franciscan theologian Ilia Delio explains what a nature mystic is, and subsequently how that
term applied to Francis:
“A nature mystic is one whose mystical experiences involve an appreciation of creation as
God’s handiwork; nature manifests the divine. Francis’ nature mysticism included a
consciousness of God with the appropriate religious attitudes of awe and gratitude ... he took
spontaneous joy in the material world, singing its praises like a troubadour poet. With a
disarming sense of immediacy, he felt himself part of the family of creation.”
– Ilia Delio, A Franciscan View of Creation: Learning to Live in a Sacramental World,
Franciscan Heritage Series, vol. 2 (St. Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute Publications,
2003), p. 7.
Recollecting the previous discussion of Pope Francis’ teachings on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, one
can say that Francis, precisely as a “nature mystic,” had the “fear of the Lord” expressed directly
as “awe and wonder” through his encounter with God’s creation around him.
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The thought of Francis of Assisi as articulated in his own writings, and in the writings of the early
Franciscans about Francis, distinctly reveals a “kinship model” of creation.
Although Francis was not himself a professional theologian, he nevertheless offers a robust
theology of creation, especially in his famous (but largely misunderstood) Canticle of the
Creatures.
Francis and The Canticle of the Creatures
Francis’ vision, best expressed in The Canticle of the Creatures, was not a “romantic” view of the
world.
It was, and remains, a deeply profound reflection of reality. It expresses mystical insight––
seeing the cosmos with “God’s eyes”––about humans and non-human creation.
The Canticle establishes that all of Creation gives praise to God by each part of that
creation being what God created it to be.
His approach was prophetically non-anthropocentric.
Francis’ way of living in the world was one of intimate relationship in which Francis lived
with the world and not above or against it as others so commonly do.
Those Who Followed Francis
The “Franciscan approach to creation” does not end with Francis of Assisi, but is developed further
by his followers––especially theologians and philosophers.
St. Bonaventure, a generation after the death of St. Francis, established a notion of creation
as both Vestigium and Speculum––Vestige and Mirror.
Viewing creation as reflecting and reacting to us destroys the unique value of each
creature. Rather, we and all creatures uniquely reflect God.
Blessed John Duns Scotus wrote that God lovingly wills each particular aspect of creation
into existence (haecceitas).
Following Francis
The Franciscan tradition has something to offer the Christian Church, which is the Body of Christ,
and the global human community.
To speak about the earth and all of its inhabitants––humans and non-humans alike––as one
speaks of family is to make a concerted effort to refashion the popular image of the
relationship between humanity and the rest of creation.
In such an image, no longer are environmental tragedies simply the consequence of human
dominance over creation, but instead they become cases of ecological, domestic abuse.
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In such an image, no longer can we step back and watch the destruction of the earth from
afar.
Instead we must recognize that all life is interconnected and the death of a species or the
destruction of a forest is also somehow a transgression that implicates all of us—and
from which we all suffer.
In such an image, no longer is the earth simply our rental property to be treated as if we were
its stewards, but instead we must come to see creation for what it really is: the dwelling place
of the Divine in and through and among us.
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Reflection Questions
1. Bonaventure made a significant contribution to the Franciscan spirituality of creation in asserting
that all creatures are vestiges of the Creator and reflect the Trinity in this world. What are some of
the ways you can open yourself up to seeing God in creation more readily?
2. Over the centuries, Francis’ famous The Canticle of the Creatures has been romanticized and,
unintentionally, dismissed as mere poetry. Nevertheless, the theology of kinship that undergirds
this text challenges us today to see the world and our place within it differently. How do you
understand your place in the community of creation?
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Lecture 16. The Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the
Poor
Overview
his presentation provides an introduction and overview to Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato
Si, which offers one of the most substantive reflections of his spirituality of creation. In addition
to situating the text within the context of earlier Church teaching, this lecture explains Pope
Francis’ twofold framework for understanding this papal teaching; namely, our responsibility to heed both
the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
The Legacy of Vatican II
Pope Francis begins Laudato Si by tracing the history of modern papal teaching on social justice
and creation.
He points to St. Pope John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris (1963) as the model for the whole world.
Shortly after Pacem in Terris was published, the Trappist monk and author Thomas
Merton wrote an article commenting on the text, stating:
“The whole climate of the encyclical [Pacem in Terris], in its love of man and of the
world, and in its radiant hopefulness, is Franciscan.”
– Thomas Merton, “The Christian in World Crisis,” in Seeds of Destruction, (New York:
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1964), p. 181.
Now, in Laudato Si, one witnesses the publication of another powerful encyclical––one perhaps
even more “Franciscan,” and authored by a Pope named Francis.
Overview of Laudato Si
A brief overview of the contents of Laudato Si is helpful in understanding its contents.
Chapter 1: “What is Happening to Our Common Home”: This section draws on the latest
science and explicitly talks about the current status of the environment.
Chapter 2: “Gospel of Creation”: Focuses on proper scriptural interpretation/exegesis;
revisiting theological tradition.
Chapter 3: “The Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis”: An indictment of anthropocentrism,
indifference, and technology.
Chapter 4: “Integral Ecology”: Presents a unifying vision; “intergenerational justice.”
Chapter 5: “Lines of Approach and Action”: Pragmatic call for political engagement.
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Chapter 6: “Ecological Education and Spirituality.”
Laudato Si is impossible to fully discuss in a short presentation, so the remainder of this lecture will
focus on the “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”
The Cry of the Earth
The state of the environment is a central theme in Laudato Si, Pope Francis says in the introduction:
“Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we
share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us...This sister now
cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and
abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 1–2.
Pope Francis adopts this familial language—sister, mother, brother—in describing
creation directly from Francis of Assisi.
He recognizes some sense of agency in creation, which cries out to us because of the
abuse we have inflicted.
The uncomfortable truth is that in adopting a stance that sees the familial ties to all of
creation, the implication is that we are not simply “misusing resources,” but rather
committing domestic abuse.
Pope Francis critiques the dominion model of creation from the outset. We are not lords of the earth,
because we have forgotten that we are ha-adamah, or the dust of the earth. He says:
“We have come to see ourselves as her [the earth’s] lords and masters, entitled to plunder
her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the
symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This
is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and
maltreated of our poor...We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf.
Genesis 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive
life and refreshment from her waters.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 2.
Cry of the Poor
Pope Francis explicitly ties the “cry of the earth” to the “cry of the poor.”
We see this, for example, when he says that:
“Climate change is a global problem with grave Implications: environmental, social,
economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal
challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing
countries in coming decades. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by
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phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on
natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 25.
It is the poor that suffer disproportionately the effects of the environmental crises.
Pope Francis notes they are more likely to depend on animals and plant life that will
migrate or disappear with shifts in the climate or because of pollution.
Pope Francis reminds us that the poor have no financial resources to respond to these
changes the way the rich (i.e., we) can.
Pope Francis also observes that there is no legal recourse for “environmental refugees”
who have to flee lands because of climate change, pollution, or extinction.
He also says, “Today, however, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always
becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the
environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 49.
Interestingly, Leonardo Boff, the Brazilian theologian and former Franciscan friar,
published Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor in 1997, highlighting exactly this connection
that Pope Francis explains in Laudato Si.
The last chapter of this book is about St. Francis of Assisi, and one of the subheadings is
titled: “St. Francis, Not A Romantic”!
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Reflection Questions
1. Are there ways that Pope Francis’ identification of the perils facing the earth and facing the abject
poor in our world challenges your present worldview? What do you find yourself resisting in this
teaching?
2. Oftentimes discussion of the environment and environmental stewardship centers on, or is limited
by, what is termed financial or political prudence. What role, if any, should these ideas play in this
discussion? How does the teaching of Pope Francis inform such concerns?
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Lecture 17. Key Themes of Laudato Si
Overview
his presentation offers a substantive look at several key themes in Pope Francis’ spirituality of
creation as articulated in the encyclical letter Laudato Si. Given the richness and length of the
full document, this presentation is in no way exhaustive, but is intended to be representative. The
themes examined here include water; the relationship among the economy, politics, and ecology; what
Pope Francis calls the “technocratic paradigm”; and the correct biblical interpretation regarding creation.
This lecture concludes with an assessment of Pope Francis’ approach to creation as well as the highlighting
of some of the ways he remains indebted to his namesake, Francis of Assisi.
Water
Pope Francis is very clear about the absolute right human beings have to clean, safe, drinking water.
“Access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to
human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 30.
This brings to mind the history of oppressive water economy in global south.
Relationship of the Economy, Politics, and Ecology
Pope Francis is very critical of individuals and institutions that seek to maintain the unsustainable
status quo through climate-change denial, and in terms of preventing legislative and productive
change. He explains that:
“…economic powers continue to justify the current global system where priority tends to be
given to speculation and the pursuit of financial gain, which fail to take the context into
account, let alone the effects on human dignity and the natural environment. Here we see
how environmental deterioration and human and ethical degradation are closely linked. Many
people will deny doing anything wrong because distractions constantly dull our
consciousness of just how limited and finite our world really is. As a result, ‘whatever is
fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which
become the only rule.’”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 56.
Much to the chagrin of so-called “free-market capitalists,” Pope Francis dismisses the
myth that either markets or consumerism will solve these problems when left to
themselves.
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Correct Biblical Interpretation
While Pope Francis falls short in some ways of completely asserting a “kinship” or “community of
creation” model in Laudato Si, he is absolute in his rejection of the “dominion model” of creation.
Now, in official Church teaching, we have a clear indication that such a reading of scripture
is not in line with authentic Christian belief. Pope Francis writes:
“We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us
to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis
account which grants man ‘dominion’ over the earth (cf. Genesis 1:28), has encouraged
the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting humanity as domineering and destructive
by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 67.
Pope Francis’ Stewardship Model
In the end, Pope Francis’ approach to creation and humanity’s place within it is deeply reflective
of the stewardship model of creation.
At various points we have a clear indication by means of the language he selects to discuss
creation, such as when he writes:
“This responsibility for God’s earth means that human beings, endowed with intelligence,
must respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures
of this world...”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 68.
Again, he affirms the stewardship approach’s emphasis on the human distinction from the
rest of creation on account of our exclusive ability to bear the Imago Dei:
“Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us overlook
the fact that each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. The entire material
universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 84.
In so many ways, one can see how Pope Francis appears to be coming close to what St. Francis
emphasized in terms of kinship––but then qualifies it with more of an implicit anthropocentrism.
Nevertheless, there are certainly some explicit Franciscan influences and resonances present
in Laudato Si.
Pope Francis writes: “When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved
to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them. This sentiment
finds magnificent expression in the hymn of Saint Francis of Assisi.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 87.
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Here Pope Francis is invoking both Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures as well
as St. Bonaventure’s emphasis on all creation as Vestigium and Speculum in the assertion
that “we can see God reflected in all that exists.”
Additionally, there are other Franciscan themes present, including:
a) Leaving behind naïve romanticism
b) Occasional language affirming the intrinsic value of all creation
c) The connection between poverty and creation
St. Francis of Assisi Preaching to the Fish by Luc-Olivier Merson, ca. 1900
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Reflection Questions
1. Water has increasingly become a commodity that is sold and is controlled by the wealthy and
powerful. For many in rich nations, clean drinking water is simply taken for granted. How has
Pope Francis’ affirmation that safe drinkable water is a “basic and universal human right”
encouraged you to think about this issue on a global level?
2. Technology and the natural sciences are often hailed as the answer to many of our contemporary
problems. Pope Francis offers a caution against blind assumption that technology and those who
control it can provide the solutions to the problems that we experience today. Do you agree with
his assessment? Why or why not?
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Lecture 18. Conclusion: Walking in the Footprints of
Francis
Overview
his final presentation is intended to be primarily recapitulative and offers a summary review of
the previous lectures. Here we will consider, in a synthetic way, the four major themes explored
in this course (prayer, evangelical poverty, mercy, and creation) and the ways Francis of Assisi
and Pope Francis have received, developed, and passed on their spiritual wisdom concerning these matters.
Overview of Conclusion
As we reach the conclusion of this course, it is worth remembering that there are many additional
topics that could also have been included.
The topics of prayer, evangelical poverty, mercy, and creation function as a sufficient
introduction to the thought of both St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis, but other themes
could of course be followed as well.
It is worth exploring their writings, teachings, and examples more deeply on your own.
By way of conclusion, it may be worthwhile to take a look now at the “big picture,” taking our
bearing of where we have been thus far.
Prayer
For both Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis, prayer is at the heart of Christian life. It is a matter
not simply of “reporting” to God or “asking” something of God alone, but about developing our
relationship with God.
God always already extends to us an invitation, is present to us even when we do not see it. Yet, we
are quick to abandon God or to ignore God or to live as if God does not exist or matter (except in
time of crisis).
Francis’ two pillars of prayer:
We are always already communicating with God.
We have a need for solitude with God.
Pope Francis reminds us of the Holy Spirit’s seven gifts:
Wisdom
Understanding
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Counsel
Fortitude
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord
Our goal then is to take these insights and these gifts and incorporate them into our lives.
Evangelical Poverty
It is important to remember the different types of poverty:
Material/abject poverty
Spiritual poverty
Evangelical Poverty
Poverty as an end, vs. Poverty as a means to an end.
Both St. Francis and Pope Francis maintain that gospel poverty is a means to something else:
Solidarity
Protest
Francis of Assisi experienced the importance of poverty in material and non-material ways in his
own time because of cultural, civil, and ecclesiastical discrimination, as well as the structural evil
that separated and subjugated people.
Pope Francis sees how poverty is something that needs to be discussed today, but is often
overlooked. Alternately, well-intentioned people frequently give in to the temptation to dull their
consciences and “harden their hearts” to the suffering of others.
We are complicit in the systems of injustice that call us to protest, that is actively work to abolish
the structures that perpetuate material or abject poverty in our world.
Mercy
Mercy is a central theme in the gospel message as revealed by Christ.
St. Francis recognized God’s mercy in his showing mercy to others, particularly those he most
despised and by whom he was most disgusted. Who are these “lepers” in our own day?
People of different opinions, political or social?
People who whose activities or decisions seem contrary to the priorities or principles that one
affirms?
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Pope Francis calls for both individual and communal exercise of mercy after the example of Jesus
Christ modeled in the gospels.
John 1:18, Jesus simultaneously reveals the fullness of God and the fullness of humanity in
his words and deeds. Mercy is always front and center.
Jesus Walks on Water by Julius Sergius von Klever, 19th c.
Creation
Creation is a key theme in St. Francis’ life and writing.
He came to discover importance of his relationship with, and interdependence within the
community of creation over time.
Pope Francis carries on the tradition of papal teaching on the importance of care for creation in his
encyclical Laudato Si.
He is also very direct about the implications it has for how we care for one another in the “human
ecology” or “social ecology.”
.
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Reflection Questions
1. What have you found particularly challenging about this course? What have you found affirming
or encouraging about this course?
2. In what ways do the examples of Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis challenge you to live a
different life?
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Bibliography
Boff, Leonardo. Francis of Assisi and Francis of Rome. Orbis Books, 2014.
Dalarun, Jacques. Francis of Assisi and Power. Franciscan Institute Publications, 2007.
Delio, Ilia. A Franciscan View of Creation: Learning to Live in a Sacramental World. Franciscan
Heritage Series, vol. 2. St. Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute Publications, 2003.
Pope Francis. Evangelii Gaudium. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013.
––––––. Laudato Si. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015.
––––––. Misericordiae Vultus. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015.
Horan, Daniel P., O.F.M. Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis. St. Anthony Messenger
Press, 2012.
––––––. Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith: Exploring Franciscan Spirituality and Theology in
the Modern World. Tau Publishing, 2012.
––––––. The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New Look at the Spiritual Inspiration of His Life,
Thought, and Writing. Ave Maria Press, 2014. ––––––. The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering. Franciscan Media, 2013.
––––––. Postmodernity and Univocity: A Critical Account of Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus.
Fortress Press, 2014.
––––––. Spirit and Life: A Franciscan Guide for Spiritual Reflection. Koinonia Press, 2013.
St. Pope John XXIII. Pacem in Terris. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1963.
Johnson, Elizabeth A. Women, Earth, and Creator Spirit. Paulist Press, 1993.
Thompson, Augustine, O.P. Francis of Assisi: A New Biography. Cornell University Press, 2012.
Vauchez, André. Francis of Assisi: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Saint. Trans. Michael Cusato.
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