The Spirit of Assisi

On Saturday July 8 during a visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Porziuncola, Christine discovered this large engraving located on the outer wall of the church. It was exciting to recognize that the plaque commemorated the historic World Day of Pray for Peace that took place on October 27, 1986 in Assisi. Convened at the initiative of Pope Saint John Paul II, the event brought together delegations who represented at least thirteen different world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. For Pope John Paull II, the purpose of the event was to demonstrate the importance of prayer as another effective way to work for peace beyond political and diplomatic negotiations. This initiative built on Pope Paul VI’s decision on December 8, 1967 to declare January 1 World Day of Peace. Here, it is helpful to remember that in 1967 Paul VI also established a Vatican Secretariat to deal with interreligious relations. Twenty-five years after the first meeting in Assisi, Pope Benedict XVI convened on October 27, 2011 a Day of Reflection, Dialogue and Prayer for Peace and Justice in the World once again at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. In the spirit of this tradition, Pope Francis chose the tomb of Saint Francis at Assisi as the location to sign his encyclical Fratelli Tutti on October 3, 2020.

The symbolic events that have been taking place at Assisi since 1986 highlight the change in the Church’s approach to other religions introduced at Vatican II. During our visit to the Dicastery for Inter-religious Dialogue on July 6, 2023, Monsignor Indunil Kankanamalage reminded us that prior to the Council the mission of the Church was understood to be conversion and founding churches. This changed at the Council, however, as the Church’s doctrine on the Holy Spirit evolved. Monsignor Kankanamalage explained that the goal today is the promotion of unity among humanity. This is accomplished by four forms of dialogue 1) the dialogue of life, 2) the dialogue of action, 3) the dialogue of spirituality, and 4) the dialogue of theologians.

This weekend I also learned that Porziuncola, which means “small portion of land” was one of several churches that Saint Francis re-built, in addition to the church at San Damiano where he first received his vision. In our time, in consonance with the way of Saint Francis, the mission of building and re-building the Church continues under the leadership of Pope Francis in humility, simplicity, magnanimity, prayerfulness and respect for the diversity of God’s Holy Spirit.

Carla Thomas

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