Pope exhorts Franciscans to work with simplicity, brotherly spirit

May 27, 2015

VATICAN CITY: In a message to members of the Franciscan order who were meeting in a general chapter, Pope Francis emphasized two defining characteristics of the order: minority and fraternity.

“Minority,” the Pope explained, means recognizing oneself as “small, needy, and sinners before God.” Minority, he said, “calls us to be and to feel small before God, entrusting ourselves entirely to his infinite mercy.” The Pope went on to tell Franciscans that their charism calls for means “going beyond structures – that are of course useful if used wisely – and beyond our habits and certainties, to bear witness to real closeness to the poor, needy and marginalized, with an authentic attitude.”

Fraternity, the Pontiff continued, means imitating the early Christians, who surprised their neighbors by their love for one another.

The Pope challenged all Franciscans to be “bringers of mercy, reconciliation, and peace.” He urged them to think of the entire world as the sphere of work—the world as their “cloister.” --CatholicCulture