Pope Francis in Assisi for the Feast

Tomorrow on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis will be in Assisi for the day.  I’m rather excited about that prospect.  His day is filled with visits to the poor, the ill, and the marginalized.  I imagine that even the walls in Assisi will be speaking to our Pope about Francis of Assisi.

The Bishop of Assisi sent Pope Francis a letter shortly after he was elected reminding him that he lives where Francis undressed before his speechless father, in order to free himself entirely for God and for his brothers.  As the day got closer, the Bishop took the liberty to say to Pope Francis: “So Father, it would be great if among your many other commitments …, you came here [to the room in the Bishop’s residence where Francis undressed] at least to say the Our Father, as Francis did 800 years ago.” The Pope’s response was: “The Our Father? But I want to talk about how the Church should undress and somehow repeat that gesture Francis made and the values inherent in this gesture.” (Source: Vatican Insider, October 2, 2013)

My heart is filled with expectation.  I think our beloved Pope will absorb much of Francis’ spirit in this small little town.  St. Francis will be overjoyed at his namesake.  St. Francis revered Popes even in his day when they weren’t exactly the compassionate witness that our Pope is, so imagine his excitement at having Pope Francis in his home town.  Francis would invite him to follow the same voice that he received before the San Damiano Cross inviting him to “rebuild my Church.”  Indeed Pope Francis’ desire to have a Church for the poor, the marginalized, and those who have no voice will be exactly what Francis had in mind.  Indeed Pope Francis' own words indicate that he and Francis have a common heart: ”I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity,” he said. Like Francis of Assisi, our Pope realizes that the Church is not the buildings or the Roman curia or its hierarchical structure but it is the “people of God” alive and struggling each day.  We have a Pope who, like Francis, chooses to be “brother” to us all because he is a Pope in tune with the extravagant love of God!  May God bless him and bring him deep peace and joy so that he can be an instrument of peace in this troubled world.