The Letter: Following in the Footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi

I attended mass with the Franciscans in St. Maurice, Switzerland, celebrating St. Francis of Assisi this month, October 4, 2023. I was invited to a traditional raclette meal following the mass. It was a time to come together and celebrate the importance of St. Francis of Assisi’s example especially in these difficult times.
 
I went on a pilgrimage with my husband to Assisi a few years ago, attending mass and visiting the basilica, museum, and walking the extraordinary ground and village streets. That sacred place bears witness to a vision of love for all the creation. Today, integral ecology calls for an ecological conversion.
 
Laudato Si’ was written in 2015, Care For Our Common Home is one of the most important documents of our time: https://www.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf

In October 2023, another Papal Encyclical was published on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th. Laudate Deum, To All The People Of Good Will On The Climate Crisis: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html

The Letter is a film that shares Pope Francis’ vision in a dialogue between theology and science as well as through the stories of those who were invited to participate as social poets representing the different global regions, including scientists, environmental activists, indigenous peoples, the poor, and the children. Here is a link to the film: https://www.theletterfilm.org/watch/

The Pope’s film is accompanied with resources that invite us to find a better way, coming together to solve this. Here is the link: https://www.theletterfilm.org/a-better-future/

We have the power to change the broken system and advocate for “Integral Human Devleopment”. In my recent article, Mediatorship, I propose a Transformagram Pedagogy for conflict resolution. Transformational approaches are needed to engender an ecological conversion. Here is the abstract: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/crq.21414

How can conflict wisdom help us learn to change?
 
Here are pictures of our pilgrimage in 2021: