When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Square as pope, few expected that the Jesuit would choose the name Francis for his pontificate, in honor of the saint of Assisi.
Along with this gesture, Pope Francis has also shown the values of the patron saint, such as closeness to the poor with the care of the common home.
St. Francis of Assisi was born in 1182. The son of a merchant, he renounced his inheritance to follow the austerity of Christ. He lived in strict poverty, with a simple life. The Pope has tried to apply this lifestyle to himself as well as to the universal Church.
The Pope has actually been to Assisi several times. For example, in 2016, Pope Francis was in the basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. There, he prayed at the place where the Franciscan movement began.
St. Francis is known for having made the first nativity scene in history. It was in 1223 on his return from a trip to the Holy Land. The village, Greccio, reminded him of the place where Jesus was born. Francis visited this village in 2019.
The nativity scene, which St. Francis made for the first time in this small space, in imitation of the narrow grotto of Bethlehem, speaks for itself. There is no need to multiply words here, because the scene that is placed before our eyes expresses the wisdom we need to grasp the essential.
Pope Francis not only tries to model a life of poverty like his namesake, but he also spends time with the poor often. Just last weekend, the Holy Father made an unplanned stop to have breakfast with them while in Belgium.
The Pontiff also established the World Day of the Poor in 2017, which he often commemorates with a lunch alongside hundreds of poor people in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.