The vision of St. Francis

Catholic New Times, Oct 5, 2003 by Cristina Vanin

All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made, And first my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day ... All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars ... All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air ... All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water ... All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire ... All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother ... (Canticle of Brother Sun, St. Francis Of Assisi)

In my course, The Sacred Earth: Religion and Ecology, we take a look at the well-known 1966 lecture by the historian of technology, Lynn White Jr., called "The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis." While he acknowledges the complexity of Christianity, White argues that, in the case of Western Christianity, it was religion itself rather than science that ted to an estrangement between humans and nature. White states that Christianity destroyed the animism that was present in medieval Europe. Such animism understood every tree or animal to have a guardian spirit that needed to placated before one could kill, cut or destroy. The consequences of removing the constraints inherent in animism have been that our "effective monopoly on spirit in this world was confirmed, and the old inhibitions to the exploitation of nature crumbled." Christianity in the Latin West established a dualism between humans and nature and it "insisted that it is God's will that man [sic] exploit nature for his proper ends."

For White, it is precisely such attitudes about human relations to the non-human world that have to be changed if we are going to deal adequately with ecological problems; applying more science and technology will not do it. We have to change the idea that we humans are not part of the natural process. We have to overcome the notion that we are superior to nature and are willing to use it in any way that we see it.

White suggests that we turn to St. Francis of Assisi who had an alternative view of nature and of our human relation to the non-human world: "[Francis] tried to substitute the idea of the equality of all creatures, including man, for the idea of man's limitless rule of creation." As is evident in the Canticle of Brother Sun, with Francis "the ant is no longer simply a homily for the lazy, flames a sign of the thrust of the soul toward union with God; now they are Brother Ant and Sister Fire, praising the Creator in their own. ways as Brother Man does in his." Everything that is speaks and proclaims the glow of God. Francis can help us, as White says, to "rethink and refeel our nature and destiny." In fact, at the end of his article, White states: "I propose Francis as a patron saint for ecologists."

It is appropriate to think about Francis at this time of year because his feast day is October 4. Around this day, many churches will be participating in a ritual known as the Blessing of the Animals. On two occasions, I have been privileged to be present at the Feast of St. Francis that is celebrated at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. More than 4,000 people attend this annual celebration, many with their pets. After communion, there is a procession of animals--birds, snakes, horses, fish, insects, chicken, elephant, camel--to the front altar; there they are blessed by the bishop. What is most striking is the solemnity with which the animals are brought forward and the respect regarded to the animals by the community. Those celebrations embody Francis' vision of creation as a mirror of God's presence and his appreciation for the generous outpouring of God's love in creation. They also generate a deep sense of kinship with all of God's creatures.

Francis continues to inspire many people with the way in which he expanded the Christian call to love God and neighbour to include all of creation. And, in 1979, Pope John Paul II did indeed proclaim Francis to be the patron saint of ecology.

Cristina Vanin teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at St. Jerome's University, Waterloo, Ont.