When a Pope begins their pontificate (period of time as Pope), they choose the name of a saint. This week, as he has done previously, Pope Francis explained why he chose the name of Saint Francis. In his address, he said that he recognised that Francis of Assisi was a popular, but also misunderstood, saint. The source of the saint’s devotion to peace, to poverty, to creation was Jesus Christ, and St Francis’ faith in Him. “From this source, [Francis] received an abundance of the Holy Spirit, who urged him to imitate Jesus and follow the Gospel to the letter.”

Pope Francis explained that Francis remains, even now, a mystery. To understand the Saint better, he stated that believers must follow in the footsteps of Jesus as Francis did. “In concrete terms, this means listening, walking, and proclaiming to the peripheries.” Saint Francis, the Pope explained, listened to Jesus speaking to Him, responded generously, and gradually came to understand what the Lord was asking of Him.

The Saint was also a “wayfarer,” who travelled throughout Italy and beyond, drawing close to the people and reducing the distance between the Church and the people. This, the Pope said, is “the style of a Christian community” that wants to draw near to all and not withdraw within itself. “This teaches us that those who follow St Francis must learn to be steadfast and walking: steadfast in contemplation, in prayer; and then moving forward, walking in witness, witnessing Christ.”

Finally, the Pope said that, in preaching to the peripheries, there is a need not only for justice, but for trust. “Only faith restores the breath of the Spirit to a closed and individualistic world,” he explained. But with this breath, he said, we will be able to face “the great current challenges, such as peace, care for the common home, and a new model of development.”

Louise Barry - Religious Studies Coordinator