The Franciscan call : legacy for today

Abstract

The Franciscan Call, initiated in the thirteenth century, has developed into a legacy of Franciscan Spirituality, revived by Pope Francis in the twenty-first century. This study aims to trace the passage of the Franciscan Call and its relevance to our times. This study intends to explore how the Call matured and developed through St Francis of Assisi (1181/1182-1226) amid the political and ecclesiastical upheaval of his times and how it materialised in the Franciscan Order, a Mendicant Order that developed into three separate branches: the Friars Minor, the Poor Clares and the Secular Franciscan Order. Another objective is to present the core of Franciscan Spirituality as Christocentric, striving towards perfection through the Franciscan values of love, peace, joy and humility with a foundation on prayer, penance and the Eucharist, welcoming all members of society as brothers and sisters.