On Saturday, the 11th January, 2025 in Assisi, the Franciscan Family began the VIII Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures, the third stage of the Franciscan Centenary that traces the last years of St. Francis' life.
The event developed in two distinct moments that saw the church of San Damiano and then the Sanctuary of the Spoliation, inside the Bishopric, as protagonists.
At San Damiano, after the reading of the passage from the Franciscan Sources that narrates the writing of the Canticle and some biblical passages that praise Creation, some representatives of the Franciscan Family intervened leaving their own reflections.
For Br. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, the Canticle is certainly a poem, but above all a prayer: "With a prayerful soul one must read this text to really understand it. We want to associate ourselves with Francis' prayer with our faith, which is expressed in prayer and thanksgiving," said Br. Massimo, recalling how all creatures are a sign of God only "if we know how to look at them with the right eyes, enlightened by faith and fixed on Jesus Christ, who is the sun of justice that rises from above."
Br. Carlos Alberto Trovarelli, Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, emphasized that "St Francis is able to establish a new relationship with creation, calling creatures by name and attributing to them the ability to praise God, who thought and generated them": a relationship with Creation today called into question by climate change, Commented.
Tibor Kauser, Minister General of the Secular Franciscan Order, recalled how sister water is always present in the Bible, from Genesis ("the spirit of God hovered over the waters"), to the Cross: water gives life, water purifies, water sanctifies, Kauser said.
The second moment took place at the Sanctuary of the Spoliation, in the Bishopric of Assisi. After alternating some readings of the sources with songs, Sr. Frances Marie Duncan, President of the International Franciscan Conference of Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular (IFC-TOR), spoke about the inequalities that characterize today's world; Br. Amando Trujillo Cano, Minister General of the Third Order Regular (TOR), who focused on forgiveness and peace; Br. Roberto Genuin, Minister General of the Capuchin Friars Minor, who reflected on the power of faith.
After the intervention of Msgr. Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of the Bishopric of Assisi - Nocera Umbra - Gualdo Tadino and Foligno, the representatives of the Franciscan Family went to the Basilica of St. Francis for an act of veneration and praise at the tomb of the Seraphic Father.
Download the celebration booklet: Italiano - Inglese - Spagnolo - Francese - Tedesco
