In the heart of Umbria, among the ancient stones of Assisi, one of the most revolutionary figures in Christian spirituality was born: Saint Francis. He is not only a mystic, pilgrim, poet, or religious founder, but a man who embodies universal values with radical commitment - values that resonate powerfully today and speak to everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike: peace, fraternity, solidarity, care for the vulnerable, and stewardship of creation. For this reason, the patron saint is once again taking center stage in the Italian calendar. Peace as a Way of Life Francis lived in an era marked by wars, crusades, and conflicts between cities. Yet he chose the path of peace and dialogue: «The Lord revealed to me that we should say this greeting: “May the Lord give you peace”» (Earlier Rule, chapter III). His meeting with the sultan of Egypt is an emblematic episode: an unarmed pilgrim who crossed enemy lines to speak of God and peace. Another significant event is reported by Thomas of Celano in the Second Life (FF 395). Brother Francis, together with Brother Sylvester, «arrived one day in Arezzo, while the whole city was shaken by civil war and threatened with imminent ruin […]. The servant of God saw rejoicing demons above it, inciting the citizens to destroy one another». And here came the real turning point: through faith in God and the power of prayer, the demons were driven out. «Shortly afterward, the city regained peace, and the citizens respected one another’s civil rights with great tranquility». Later, addressing the people of Arezzo, Francis said to them: «You have been delivered through the prayers of a poor man». Fraternity Beyond Every Boundary The term “brother” occurs constantly in his writings. Brother sun, sister moon, brother wolf. Francis sees every creature as an unmistakable reflection of God’s omnipotence and goodness: «Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures» (Canticle of the Creatures). He exalts the beauty of creation as bearing “signification” of God himself. This vision leads him to overcome social, religious, and even biological barriers. For him, the importance of fraternity is first and foremost understood by listening to the cry of the poor, the wretched, the needy, refugees, and the victims of wars, persecutions, and injustices… Solidarity and care for the outcasts Pope Francis writes in his third encyclical: “Saint Francis, who felt himself a brother to the sun, the sea and the wind, knew that he was even more closely united to those who were of his own flesh. Everywhere he sowed peace and walked alongside the poor, the abandoned, the sick, the rejected, the outcasts” (Fratelli tutti, 2). Francis abandoned wealth and prestige to live among the marginalized. His conversion began precisely with his embrace of a leper, a gesture symbolizing his break with the bourgeois world and the beginning of a life of service. “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 them mercy” (Testament). Care for creation: an ante litteram environmentalist In the Canticle of the Creatures, Francis celebrates creation with words of gratitude and wonder. This is not simply poetry, but theology: nature is a mirror of God, and every element has dignity and value. This approach makes him today the patron saint of environmentalists and a source of inspiration for environmental movements. In the encyclical Laudato si’, Pope Francis writes: “Saint Francis is the supreme example of care for what is weak and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically.” A message for today In a world marked by divisions, conflicts, inequalities, and environmental crises, the message of Saint Francis of Assisi resonates with surprisingly modern force. His life, marked by simplicity, poverty, universal fraternity, and care for creation, offers an alternative vision of life: more sober, fairer, and more compassionate.Francis invites us to rediscover the value of relationships: with others, with nature, and with God. In an age dominated by individualism and consumption, his way of life challenges and questions us. As Pope Francis writes in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti: «Saint Francis did not wage a dialectical war by imposing doctrines, but communicated God’s love».His witness has become so powerful that it has also been recognized at the civil level. October 4, the day of his death, was recently proposed as a national holiday. At present, it is “only” a liturgical solemnity, not a civil holiday; however, with the Senate’s approval, following that of the Chamber of Deputies, the national holiday of Saint Francis of Assisi will be introduced in 2026, the year that will mark the 800th anniversary of the Saint’s death. However, since it falls on a Sunday, it will begin in 2027. This gesture underscores how Franciscan values are a shared heritage of everyone, believers and non-believers alike: they do not belong to the past, but to the future. Saint Francis is not a perfect man, but a true one. Free from possessions, prejudices, and fears because Christ is at the center of his life. His legacy is not only religious, but profoundly human. Telling his story today means offering an alternative vision of life: lighter, fairer, more fraternal. On this day when we celebrate Saint Francis, let us take a moment to reflect: what concrete actions can I take to live out peace, fraternity, and respect for creation?
