In a divided world, St. Francis points the way forward

In declaring 2026 the year of St. Francis, Pope Leo has once again called attention to the depth and breadth of the world’s interest in St. Francis. In this, the 800th anniversary year of his death, Francis has emerged as a saint who is as relevant today as he was in his lifetime.

We live in a time of division and upheaval in the world, with wars cropping up in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and with hateful rhetoric and divisive decisions that are separating people. The good among us are longing and praying for peace daily: peace in the world and peace of heart. We long for models and look to saints for guidance about how we are to live our lives. Again and again, we turn to Francis of Assisi as the Christian example of a peacemaker who found peace of heart and preached peace and good by embracing Jesus and His Gospel of Peace and Love. “May the Lord give you peace,” and “Peace and Good” were the two mantras that Francis uttered his whole life long.

Ours is also a time of turmoil in nature. Our climate is warming yearly, and the excessive human consumption and use of fossil fuels are damaging our planet. There is the feeling that we are pushing the envelope of what our climate can take of human neglect and abuse.

And again, it is Francis of Assisi who emerges as a model of what it means to embrace all of creation as our brothers and sisters through whom and with whom we make our way to God. For St. Francis, it is because of the Incarnation of God among us that all creatures are redeemed, all creatures are seen as good. Francis embraced all creatures and called them Brothers and Sisters; and towards the end of his life he sang one of the great poems of the Middle Ages and of all time, his “Canticle of the Creatures.”

“Laudato si, mi Signore,” St. Francis sings, “Praised be You, my Lord,” through Brother Sun and Moon and the Stars; through Mother Earth, our Sister; through Brother Wind and Air, Brother Fire and Sister Water. In so taking the four elements of Medieval Cosmology: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, and embracing them and praising God through, with, and in them, St. Francis was embracing all creatures of the earth and praising and thanking God for them. 

What a program for a renewal of the earth! What a program for peace of heart and peace among people and all creatures. And in his pursuit of that program for a peace-filled world, Pope Francis turned to St. Francis’s “Canticle” for the title and framework of his encyclical “Laudato Si,” in which Pope Francis stated that the most pressing need of the environment today is to address the human and social roots of the ecological crisis. For example, the encyclical calls for an immediate transition away from fossil fuels because climate change disproportionately affects the poor. Also, the wealthy consume and pollute excessively while the poor suffer the gravest consequences of environmental degradation, often being denied basic human rights like clean water.

The deepest crisis identified by “Laudato Si” is the placing of technology and economic profit above all else. Therefore, the most critical need of the world today is a profound and spiritual change that would lead to a more integrated vision of human beings, of their life, and their relationship with nature.

What a universal patron saint for these profound changes in our times is St. Francis! It has been suggested that the month of October, the month of his passing, be dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, who is already a universal icon of peace and love among us. Perhaps Franciscans could ask that favor of Pope Leo, could suggest that we need to be reminded every year of the gift we have in St. Francis for renewing relationships in our time: the relationship we have with ourselves, with others, and with the very planet we live upon. All people need to hear every year St. Francis’s Admonition to his brothers who would be peacemakers:

“The peace which you proclaim with words must dwell even more abundantly in your hearts. Do not provoke others to anger or give scandal. Rather, let your gentleness draw them to peace, goodness and concord. This is our vocation: to heal wounds, to bind what is broken, to bring home those who are lost.” (Legend of the Three Companions, 58) 

This reflection was originally published on FranciscanMonth.org and is republished here with permission. Franciscan Month is a collaborative project among members of the Franciscan Family that offers reflections, events, prayers and other devotional content throughout the month of October. The Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe helped curate this year's resources.