In his address today, the Pope said that for a follower of St. Francis of Assisi, “it would make no sense to be content with a mediocre life, lived according to a minimalist ethic and a superficial religion.”
“You must reflect profoundly on the true foundations of universal charity and create everywhere a spirit of hospitality and fraternity,” the Holy Father exhorted the Franciscan tertiaries.
The Secular Franciscan Order, like the first order (of Franciscan men) and the second (of Poor Clare nuns), was founded by St. Francis in the 13th century.
“Be firmly committed against all forms of abuse, discrimination, marginalization, and against all attitudes of indifference toward others,” the Pope said. The order’s general chapter ends Saturday.
