Franciscus PP. - The Holy Father's choice of his name and Poverty in the Church

16 MARCH 2013. In the Holy Father's own words, why he chose the name Francis, following in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi:

Some people didn't know why the Bishop of Rome wanted to call himself "Francis." Some though of Francis Xavier, Francis de Sales, even Francis of Assisi. I will tell you the story. At the election I had the archbishop emeritus of Sao Paulo next to me. He is also prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes [O.F.M.]: a dear, dear friend. When things were getting a little "dangerous," he comforted me. And then, when the votes reached the two-thirds, there was the usual applause because the Pope had been elected. He hugged me and said: "Do not forget the poor." And that word stuck here [tapping his forehead as shown above]; the poor, the poor. Then, immediately in relation to the poor I thought of Francis of Assisi. Then I thought of war, while the voting continued, until all the votes [were counted]. And so the name came to my heart:: Francis of Assisi. For me he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who love and safeguards Creation. In this moment when our relationship with Creation is not so good—right?—He is the man who gives us this spirit of peace, the poor man … Oh, how I wish for a Church that is poor and for the poor!

Friendship of Francis and Dominic

I love this story--our holy Father Dominic and our Seraphic Father Francis as mutual companions in the pilgrim journey of the Church in the world.

Tradition has it that St. Dominic and St. Francis of Assisi met each other in Rome in 1215 while observing the deliberations of the Fourth Lateran Council. Because the Council Fathers were creating legislation governing new religious orders, the two founders were particularly interested in the outcome. According to one legend, Dominic and Francis met and fell immediately into mutual esteem for each other’s grace and charism. As a sign of their friendship in the Lord, they exchanged belts. Francis took Dominic’s leather belt, characteristic of a preaching canon, while Dominic took Francis’s rope cincture, the symbol of his poverty.

Imagine what they must have had the opportunity to discuss. The story of the meeting and friendship of Dominic and Francis has a poetic beauty to me. They exchanged rope cinture for leather belt. They esteemed one another. They were at once united, and at the same time following different paths in the religious life.

How glorious it is that the Church can provide the diversity of charisms that we have in all the different religious communities, and still also knit us together in a unified and universal faith. And examination of the eastern rites, too, reveals this mystery.