800 YEARS OF SAINT FRANCIS’ TRANSIT: KEEPING THE FIRE OF CHRIST ALIVE

“I have done what was mine; may Christ teach you what is yours!” (2C 214).

Dear brothers and sisters of the Order,

May the Lord give you peace!

As the visit of Sister Death drew near, Francis asked—according to his first biographer—”he had himself placed naked on the naked ground” (2C 214) so that he might face, free from all attachment to the “world” and with great humility, the final battle against the enemy:
Placed on the ground and stripped of his sackcloth garment, he lifted up his face to heaven as usual, and, totally intent upon that glory, he covered the wound in his right side with his left hand so that no one would see it. Then he said to his brothers: “I have done what was mine; may Christ teach you what is yours!” (2C 214).
Thus, Francis faced bodily death with the greatest possible freedom, faithful to evangelical poverty, knowing he possessed a far greater treasure. Faced with the suffering of those who felt they were losing their father in the love of God (cf. 2C 215), the poor man of Assisi went to meet Christ, singing to him and raising his hands to heaven. Desiring to imitate Christ to the very end, “he loved to the very end the brothers and sons he had loved from the beginning” (2C 216). He did so by encouraging and consoling them as he departed, exhorting them to evangelical fidelity, and placing his right hand on each of the brothers present, saying to them: “Good-bye, my sons, live in the fear of the Lord, and remain in it always! A great trial and tribulation are at hand! Happy are they who will persevere in the things they have begun! I am hurrying to God, to whose grace I commend all of you” (2C 216). His final blessing extended to all the brothers of that time and to “those who were to come after them unto the end of all ages” (2C 216). This includes us, too!
Remembering those final moments, words, and gestures of Francis, virtually all Franciscan fraternities worldwide, in many cases gathered as Franciscan Family, have prepared to commemorate in a special way the 800th anniversary of the Seraphic Father’s “transitus” from this world to the heavenly glory he so longed for. This year, the program of commemorative activities in Assisi will be even more extensive than usual; I will remember you all there with affection.
A life centered on Christ
Francis’s last words and gestures, beyond the hagiographic language Celano employed, show that the life of the Poverello found meaning and fulfillment in Christ: in knowing, loving, and serving him. From him he received mercy and an inner call to use it toward the suffering and excluded; the mission to rebuild the Church; admiration for and the ability to live evangelical humility and poverty; the ability to entrust himself to God as a provident and merciful Father; the ability to recognize all creatures as sons and daughters of the same Father and, therefore, as brothers and sisters imbued with their own beauty and spiritual significance; a great faith in the Church, priests, and the Eucharist; the practice of itinerancy and the preaching of penance and peace; the marks of the Passion in his frail body, conforming himself even more to him; and the contemplation of his poor and admirable Incarnation. From him he received assurance of his salvation and the continuity of his religious family, which today venerates him and seeks to live the Gospel according to his example in the current conditions of our world.
Having fulfilled his mission with unparalleled fidelity, Francis invites us to turn our attention back to Christ himself, so that he may reveal our own mission and so that his words and gestures may stir the depths of our hearts, awaken our imagination, and inspire our fundamental and daily choices, guiding our relationship with our neighbor, the Church, society, and our sister Mother Earth. May the Spirit impel us to make Christ the beacon of our existence, the origin and goal of our mission, each of us in the unique circumstances we face and with the gifts of nature and grace that each of us has received and shares in our fraternities, in the Church, and in the world.
Celebrate a gift of such immense value and live it out today!
This year marks the culmination of the commemorative journey we, as the Franciscan Family, have called the great Franciscan Centenary, which commemorates the most noteworthy events of the saint’s final stage of life. It is not the end but a new starting point. It is not for boasting but to rekindle the fire of the charism that the Spirit now entrusts to us for the common good. As Brother Francis warned his brothers, we must not remember the saints for misguided reasons: “Therefore, it is a great shame for us, the servants of God, that the saints have accomplished great things and we want only to receive glory and honor by recounting them” (Adm VI, 3).
In this regard, I have had the pleasure of witnessing or learning about numerous initiatives undertaken by the brothers of various entities within the Order, as well as by the monasteries of our contemplative sisters, throughout this Holy Year of Saint Francis, proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV. The Holy Father has reminded us that the fundamental purpose of this jubilee is to renew our commitment to living holiness in the example of the Saint of Assisi. The gift of the plenary indulgence must be lived in the spirit of faith and conversion of life. I congratulate all the brothers and sisters who have worked with creativity and generosity to prepare materials and events to reflect on the extraordinary evangelical legacy of the Seraphic Father and to explore ways to bring it into our own lives. All of this must be accompanied by the nourishment of the Word of God, sacramental grace, and our constant prayer so that it may bear fruit of new life and not remain merely beautiful words.
Opportunities and challenges for our religious Order
What implications might this 8th Centenary of Saint Francis’s death have for our Order? Without attempting an exhaustive analysis of our religious family’s state, I propose some specific points that may stimulate our reflection and action in response to the historical event we are celebrating this year.
Above all, Francis’s desire that Christ show us the mission or task we are to undertake refers not only to a series of actions to perform but, above all, to a way of being and living, a charismatic identity from which our choices stem. In our case, it is the Franciscan penitential charism, as described in our Rule and Constitutions and in continuity with our rich and complex history.
The demographic changes experienced by some of the Order’s entities, some of them drastic, should not lead us to focus solely or primarily on the survival of those entities, but rather to consider how all the Order’s entities are preserving, nurturing, and living out the charism that the Spirit has entrusted to us and that the Church has officially confirmed through the Rule of Life and the Constitutions it has approved. This is not a matter of perpetuating structures and practices that have ceased to be valid instruments for living out our identity and mission, but of safeguarding the latter and seeking the most appropriate ways to bring them to life in the current conditions of the world and the Church. Undoubtedly, other structures and practices remain valid, though they may require evaluation and renewal in light of the above.
In this context, we must determine the most appropriate path for those entities of the Order whose number of friars has declined significantly in recent years, and that face serious challenges to their independent functioning—challenges that, in some cases, may worsen. On the one hand, the steps outlined in number 185 of the General Statutes call for a constructive and realistic dialogue with the General Government of the Order. This could serve as a criterion not only for the Provinces but also, mutatis mutandis, for certain Vice-Provinces.
Likewise, in light of our identity and charismatic mission, we must implement the recommendation of the 2025 General Chapter: “It is recommended that the Minister General and his Council encourage the various Provinces, Vice-Provinces, and Delegations of the Order to share friars to help one another in ministry.” This collaboration should not focus on temporarily “plugging gaps,” but rather on identifying priority areas that require human and material resources to ensure the most authentic living of our way of life and that have the potential to renew our entities and even make them grow, always with the grace of the Lord.
The drafting and publication of the Ratio formationis ordinis also have the potential to strengthen and guide the formation of the friars of the Order at all stages, from vocational promotion to ongoing formation, including the various stages of initial formation. At the last meeting of the General Council, we completed the final review and approved the text of this instrument of formation after receiving additional comments and amendments. In the coming months, we will complete the translations of the final text so that, by the beginning of next year, we can publish and send them to the entire Order.
The demands of today’s world
How does the saint, who, eight centuries after his encounter with death, continues to provoke profound questions and inspire evangelical life choices, speak to the world today? Pope Francis, the first Jesuit elected to the Chair of Saint Peter, highlighted two contributions of the saint who inspired his papal name in two separate encyclicals: in Laudato si’ (May 24, 2015), he exhorted everyone to care for Mother Earth as our common home, and in Fratelli tutti (October 3, 2020, signed at the tomb of Saint Francis), he emphasized universal brotherhood as the foundation for building a world of peace and justice, free from violence, fratricidal wars, and exclusion. Notably, the Church’s highest authority turned to the saint of Assisi to illuminate these two crucial issues for all humanity.
For his part, Pope Leo XIV also highlighted the relevance of the saint of Assisi’s evangelical witness in the Decree announcing the Jubilee Year of Saint Francis:
Our time is not very different from that in which Francis lived, and precisely in the light of this his teaching is perhaps even more valid and understandable today. When Christian charity languishes, ignorance spreads like immorality, and those who exalt concord among peoples do so more out of selfishness than out of a sincere Christian spirit; when the virtual takes over the real, disagreements and social violence are part of everyday life and peace becomes more insecure and distant every day, this Year of St. Francis spurs all of all, each according to our possibilities, to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of Christ, not to frustrate the purposes of the Holy Year that has just ended: may the hope that has seen us as pilgrims now be transformed into zeal and fervour of active charity […] may every faithful Christian, following the example of the Saint of Assisi, become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace.
The legacy of Francis is undoubtedly a great treasure of evangelical life and, as such, entails both a great responsibility and an extraordinary opportunity to share it with the men and women who walk beside us, thirsting for God, peace, and fraternity. It is not a static collection of ideas or words, but a flame kindled by the Spirit of the Lord to overcome the darkness of lies and hatred, to soften hearts frozen by fear and individualism that isolate and dehumanize, and to renew faith in Christ, the light of the world and the savior of humanity.
Let us not be discouraged by such a great task; the Lord accompanies and assists us with his Spirit. Let us not give up in the face of our failures and limitations; let us allow ourselves to be led by the Lord’s hand along the paths of purification and renewal, at his pace, not our own. Let us set aside pretexts and excuses. Let us ask the Lord, again and again, to reveal the mission he entrusts to us and to grant us the wisdom and strength to fulfill it together with the brothers and sisters he has given us.
1500 years of the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian
Regarding historical legacies and present-day responsibility, this year the patronal feast of the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian, held on September 26, marked the start of the commemoration of the Basilica’s 1500th anniversary (526-530/2026-2030). Since 1512, it has been the official seat of the Order’s General Curia. The Basilica appears to have been the first Christian temple in the Roman Forum and one of the earliest examples of adapting public buildings into Christian churches in the area. Thanks to the collaboration of all the friars of the convent, both from the Curia and the students, the program of activities was a remarkable success, including:
– Two lectures: one on the construction and development of the Basilica, by Architect Pier Luigi Tucci, and another on the Basilica’s relationship with our Order, by Father Lino Temperini, TOR. We extend our heartfelt thanks to both.
– The solemn celebration of the Eucharist presided over by His Eminence Baldassare Cardinal Reina, Vicar of the Holy Father for the Diocese of Rome.
– Refreshments at the end of the liturgical celebration in the Basilica’s cloister, recently restored by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
With all spiritual wisdom and understanding
In conclusion, let us be encouraged and enlightened by the words of the Apostle to the Gentiles to the Christians of Colossae, and let us advance resolutely along the paths of the Lord until the day of our “transitus” from this world to the presence of the living God:
…we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light (Col 1:9-12).

A HAPPY AND BLESSED FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS, DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

Most Rev. Amando Trujillo Cano, TOR
Minister General