Letter from the Ministers General of the Franciscan Family on the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of Creatures (1225 – 2025)
On September 1, 2025, the Ministers General of the Franciscan Family met in Assisi to sign a letter entitled “Song of Reconciliation.” The letter is to the entire Franciscan Family and invites us to share in the joy of the Canticle of Creatures –
The Canticle, composed gradually by Francis between 1225 and 1226, is not just a poetic text, but a testimony to a comprehensive vision of God the Creator, creation, universal fraternity and integral ecology, themes that Pope Francis has taken up forcefully in his encyclical Laudato si’.
At a time when the wounds of the earth and the cry of the poor are being powerfully heard, Francis’ voice invites us to rediscover the beauty of being pilgrims and strangers in this world, custodians and not masters of creation, brothers and sisters of every living thing. His song urges us to become artisans of peace and forgiveness, to live vulnerability not as a limitation but as openness to the other, to integrate death into the great mystery of life.
The full letter is available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish (Spain), and Spanish (Latin America) – Find links to all the translations on the Order website ofmconv.net.
