Rome, January 14, 2025 – The General Office for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) of the Order of Friars Minor hosted a significant event on Monday, January 13, marking the beginning of the celebrations for the Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures and the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato si’. With over 500 attendees, including JPIC animators from various entities of the Order and the general public, the gathering featured a profound reflection by Fr. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the Order, on the message of universal fraternity at the heart of Franciscan charism.
The event marked the start of the 2025 Centenary celebrations, with Fr. Massimo underscoring the call to embrace the Canticle of the Creatures as a hymn of fraternity, contemplation, and reconciliation with creation. He highlighted how St. Francis’s spirituality remains relevant today, particularly amid global crises and environmental challenges.
Fr. Massimo emphasized that the Canticle of the Creatures is not merely a literary work but also an invitation to recognize the interconnectedness of all creation and to live in harmony with it. He also noted how St. Francis of Assisi, in a moment of physical suffering, transformed his pain into a universal prayer that embraces all creatures—a message that resonates powerfully in today’s context of ecological crises, poverty, and mass migrations.
“The Canticle invites us to acknowledge the beauty of creation and to become instruments of peace and justice. In this centenary, we are called to rediscover this prophetic vision and to embody it concretely in our daily actions,” said Fr. Massimo.
The event also launched a series of activities scheduled throughout 2025 as part of the Centenary celebrations. These gatherings aim to deepen the theology of creation and the message of universal fraternity. As Fr. Massimo noted, “We are called to act with greater commitment to the protection of creation and the promotion of a culture of peace.” This event served as a reminder of the importance of fraternity and integral ecology in addressing present-day challenges. The Minister General urged all attendees to redouble their efforts to live and convey the spirit of the Canticle of the Creatures—a song of praise that transforms pain into hope and contemplation into action.
