Poverty

1. Poverty: Power, Minority and Service to the Marginalized Poverty

2. Poverty Poverty - most associated with the Franciscan movement Understanding the Franciscan tradition’s response to a medieval socio-economic context and implications for today’s choices.

3. Poverty Rocca Maggiore: The “Lord” lived in a castle above the city (greatest protection) while “little ones” occupied the city below. The world of Francis and Clare: A walled-in medieval city of maioresand minores. (Rocca Maggiore towers over Assisi) The “little ones” worked in the fields during the day but were permitted back in the city at night.

4. Poverty Cathedral of San Ruffino adjacent to Clare’s home World of Francis and Clare: A medieval commune consisted of “uptown’ers,” especially the nobility and persons of influence, while the merchants and tradesmen lived geographically below as the “downtown’ers.” Francis’s home down in the center of Assisi

5. Poverty Clare’s home near the Cathedral of San Ruffino in the upper part of the city of Assisi indicates she was from the noble class Francis’s family on the other hand lived off the central Piazza Commune in the middle of Assisi within the merchant shop areas

6. Poverty World of Francis and Clare: a walled-in medieval city created divisions in a world of “insiders” and “outsiders” with more than a half-dozen city gates.

7. Poverty Outsiders: “lepers” (persons with Hansen’s disease), thieves or literally those “outcasts” who were forced outside the walls of protection.

8. Poverty St. Clare’s Conversion • Nobility • Refuses arranged marriages • Inspired by and inspires St. Francis • Formed the Poor Ladies of San Damiano, later known as the “Poor Clares” • Wrote her own Rule of Life • “The Lord reveals what is best to the least among us.”

9. Poverty Francis: Son of a Merchant • “Middle” class • Wasn’t poor; had means, skills, connections (like Jesus) • Merchant mentality: “give me so I can do” • Maturation events • Response/rebellion to socio-economics 9

10. Poverty Francis: Son of a Merchant • Wore the fashions (note that his father was clothier) • Suited when sent to war • Learned father’s business, to make use of money • Called a prudens negotiator, i.e., slick businessman • Ever a disappointment to his father 10

11. Poverty St. Francis as a youth had a very unfruitful experience of war, both in the civil fighting of Italy and within his inner self as his youthful dreams of glory faded. The Conversion of Francis 11

12. Poverty Francis’s Conversion • Lavish robes stripped • Turns away from father’s lifestyle • Returns his clothes • Half-naked • Dress as poor beggar • Gives up his family “name” • Leaves the security of the city 12

13. Poverty Francis’s Stripping: teenage rebellion, simple act of piety or social statement? • Feels own vulnerability • Disowns current economic situation • Acceptance of church’s blessing on project • Embraces new life contrary to social values • Disrobes and returns all to his father • Stands naked in square • Covered with bishop’s mantle • Puts on the garment of a penitent 13

14. Poverty Francis: steps out of the norm to embrace poverty • Moves from • either/or to both/and • Possessiveness to not appropriating • Powerful to freedom • Independence to fraternitas • Stability to itinerancy 14

15. Poverty Statutes of the Commune of Assisi • “The son who does not give obedience to his father and to his mother, at their request is to be banished from the city and from the district, and no one may give him anything to eat or drink or help him in any way.” • Francis escaped this by appealing to ecclesial authorities. Statue of Francis’s parents: Pietro and Dona Pica 15

16. Poverty Assisi: Medieval Socio-economics • Two-class- society: “haves” and “have nots” • Rich and poor • Powerful and powerless • Beginnings of a middle class finding power in guilds: relationships • Rise of “money” • Transition between “gift” and “profit” economy 16

17. Poverty “Gift” or “Profit” Economy • Gift economy • Goods and services no calculated value • cortesia • Workers’ gifts are valued • Class merely determined by birth • Economics is simply a means of exchange • Structures serve • Profit Economy • Everything has an assigned value • Haggling • Workers used to make profit • Status can be earned • Economics divides and dehumanizes • Structures control 17

18. Poverty Spirituality as “Gift” or “Profit” • Gift Spirituality • Goods and services come liberally from God • Things are for use or shared not to accumulate • All (sisters/brothers) “adopted” into Kin-dom • Commune • Voluntary poverty role in journey into God • Profit Spirituality • Warring to possess • Banks and storage begin • Salvation has to be “earned” • Dualities of good/evil defined by possessions as loved more by God • Powerful control 18

19. Poverty Choosing Life of Poverty “Rising at daybreak, then, together with another man named Peter, who also wanted to become a brother, they went to the church of Saint Nicolónext to the piazza of the city of Assisi. They entered for prayer, but, because they were simple, they did not know how to find the passage in the Gospel about renunciation. They prayed devoutly that the Lord would show them his will on opening the book.” (The Legend of the Three Companions, VIII,28) “Francis, a worshiper of the Trinity, opened the book of the Gospelsthree times asking God to confirm Bernard’s plan with a threefold testimony.” (Bonaventure, The Major Legend of Saint Francis, III, 3) (above) Former entrance area: San Nicolo (below) Possibly the actual Book of Gospels 19

20. Poverty Evangelical Life Reading 1: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven.” (Mt 19:21) Reading 2: “Take nothing for the journey.” (Lk 18:22) Reading 3: “If anyone wishes to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mt 16:24) 20

21. Poverty Obedience: To Follow in the Footprints of Jesus • “Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped. Jesus emptied himself and took on human form.” (Phil 2:6) • Poverty freely chosen • Live sine proprio • Attitude of non-proprio 21

22. Poverty Preach the Good News by Actions • All is gift • Right to food and security • Poverty is not choosing destitution or deprivation but freedom • Not impoverish self but enrich the other • Alms are the right of the poor • Antidote for poverty is relationships “Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” (Mt 25) 22

23. Poverty Challenges Today • Preferential option for the poor (Catholic social teachings) • A voice for the voiceless • Attentive to the marginalized, without place in society • Acknowledge poverty/poor exist and is unacceptable • Following Jesus, opt for the poor: “as” poor • See the earth and future generations as a new “poor” 23

24. Poverty • In what ways are you aware of living our Franciscan poverty? In what ways do these realities challenge us to see and believe in a God of abundance? • Poverty of Time • Poverty of Personnel • Poverty of Resources • Poverty of Voice/Power • “Franciscan antidote to poverty is not wealth but relationships.” • In what new ways could we manifest a more Franciscan manner of relating as sisters and brothers? • How might this draw us into greater collaboration with the Franciscan family, particularly AFCU? with the diocese and universal church? with all creation (ref: Canticle of the Creatures)? 24