Bishop highlights Franciscan spirituality for troubled modern world

BALLARPUR, Maharashtra (Indian Catholic News) — Catholics worldwide are being called to rediscover the Gospel’s simplicity, renew their commitment to mercy and embrace reconciliation with God during the ongoing Franciscan Jubilee Year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.

In a pastoral letter, Syro Malabar Bishop Ephrem Nariculam of Chanda said the special Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV offers believers an opportunity to deepen their faith by embracing the spirituality of the 13th-century saint, whose witness remains relevant amid today’s conflicts, environmental crises and social fragmentation.

“The faithful throughout the world are invited to rediscover the simplicity of the Gospel, to renew their commitment to mercy, and to embrace reconciliation with God,” the bishop wrote.

Pope Leo XIV proclaimed the Franciscan Jubilee Year from Jan. 10, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027, to commemorate the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death.

Peace through Gospel simplicity

Calling St. Francis “a ‘man of peace’ in a world marked by conflict,” Bishop Nariculam said the saint’s message points not to political or technological solutions but to “the true source of peace: harmony with God, humanity, and creation.”

Reflecting on the Franciscan prayer beginning, “Lord, make me a channel of your peace,” the bishop said it remains “one of harmony, reconciliation, dialogue and a real invitation to encounter Christ and his love.”

Quoting Pope Leo’s letter announcing the Jubilee, he added: “Peace is not a formula of courtesy, but the certain proclamation of Christ’s victory over death.”

The bishop described Franciscan spirituality as rooted in “radical humility, deep love for Jesus’ humanity and poverty,” together with joyful service, peace and solidarity with the poor and marginalized.

Care for creation and the poor

Bishop Nariculam also highlighted St. Francis’ enduring influence on the Catholic Church’s environmental teaching, describing him as the spiritual inspiration behind Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’.

He said St. Francis regarded creation as one universal family, explaining that the saint “considered nature not a resource to be used, but a family to be loved.”

According to Bishop Nariculam, the Franciscan vision links care for the environment with concern for human dignity, echoing Pope Francis’ insistence that environmental degradation and social injustice cannot be separated.

He wrote that the saint’s legacy challenges modern society to move beyond the “technocratic paradigm” and recover a world where “the Sun is a brother, the Earth is a mother, and every stranger is a sacred encounter.”

Read the pastoral letters.