From the 11th to 14th April 2024, the city of Florence hosted 1000 young people from all over Italy involved in the "Francesco Live" event, organized in a particular way by the youth ministry of the Friars Minor of Tuscany (Province of St. Francis of the Stigmata), in collaboration with the Tuscan Committee for the 800th anniversary of the stigmata of Saint Francis, the Franciscan Youth of Italy, the Opera di Santa Croce, the community of the Conventual Friars Minor, the Municipality of Florence.
Four days of looking to the future in the name of Saint Francis of Assisi, in the year of the eighth centenary of the stigmata that the entire Franciscan family is celebrating: not just an event of the past to be celebrated, but a precious opportunity to question ourselves today on the theme of wounds that can become new life.
“We are really happy with the response that has arrived from all over Italy for this event,” commented Br. Alessandro Martelli, head of the youth pastoral service of the Tuscan Friars Minor. “When we started organizing Francesco Live we felt the headiness of a great dream, which was trying to walk on fragile legs. The days were designed to encourage dialogue and the development of ideas as much as possible; all the initiatives brought young people into contact with university professors, economists, entertainment personalities and young entrepreneurs to discover the vision of Francis of Assisi on the challenges of our time: integral ecology, the economy of the future, the need for peace ”.
The event was inaugurated on Thursday the 11th April in the Salone dei Cinquecento of Palazzo Vecchio with the evening entitled “To dare: a verb for the future”. Amongst the guests, Roberto Vecchioni, Italian singer-songwriter, writer and poet, in dialogue with Davide Scavolini (young singer-songwriter and counselor) and two students from Rondine Cittadella della Pace.
On Friday the 12th April in the Basilica of the Holy Cross, a plenary meeting on integral ecology was held, where young people were able to delve deeper into the topic thanks to the presence of professor Stefano Mancuso, professor at the University of Florence, founder of plant neurobiology, member of the Georgofili Academy and scientific director of the Pianeta Terra Festival; by Prof. Chiara Giaccardi, professor of sociology at the Catholic University of Milan who deals with communication processes and cultural transformations; of the young activist Giorgio Brizio, 22 years old, who has been dealing with the climate crisis and migration for four years, carrying out political battles and raising awareness.
Pope Francis wrote a telegram to young people where he made a specific request: "Do not be overwhelmed by the difficulties and challenges of life... with a greater commitment to building a society founded on respect for human dignity and the defense of creation, to service of the most fragile and vulnerable"
In the afternoon, many workshops held in different places in the city involved young people in many themes: music, meditation, politics, forgiveness, wounded beauty, interreligious dialogue, fraternity, communication, corporeality.
The evening ended with “Frà”, Giovanni Scifoni's theatrical show on the life of the Poor Man of Assisi which is enjoying great success with the public and critics throughout Italy.
Giovanni Scifoni also opened the day of April 13th by participating in the plenary on the Economy of the Future, curated by Andrea Piccaluga, professor of Innovation Management at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa.
After the afternoon workshops and the Eucharistic celebration in the Church of All Saints, the day ended with a big party attended by, amongst others, Don Alberto Ravagnani, "Priest, YouTuber and much more", as he defines himself.
Francesco Live ended on Sunday the 14th April: the young people delivered the final document containing their vision of the future to Eugenio Giani (President of the Tuscany Region), Dario Nardella (Mayor of Florence) and all the Mayors of Tuscany.
Following this, in the Basilica of the Holy Cross, Msgr. Paolo Giulietti presided over the Eucharistic celebration. “In these days – said Msgr. Giulietti in his homily - you have wondered what Francis is saying to us, but I will ask you another question that came to me from some teenagers: Jesus gives His life for us, why? Wasn't there another way? And what do we, who came two thousand years later, have to do with it? Can't there be another way? it is a question that often returns even in the Scriptures" thus closed four days of smiles, reflections, hopes and challenges that young people shared in the light of the testimony of Saint Francis.
For more information: https://francescolive.it/
