Assisi-bound!

Pope Francis is headed to his namesake’s hometown. When? Why, the patron’s feast day of course- October 4, 2013.  

Announcing earlier this month that he would like to make a pilgrimage to Sicily in September, now the Holy Father would like to make a pilgrimage to Assisi.  (My guess is he’ll do both on the same pilgrimage as a way to save a couple bucks.)  One doesn’t have to reach very far to conclude that he’ll probably offer himself and his papacy to the poor saint from Assisi’s intercession.  

On a related note, since being elected I’ve wanted to know the story behind the Pope’s choice of the name Francis.  It comes to us in his own words in an article published by Zenit.  The articles concerning his pilgrimage and his name happen to be the same.  

Daily News/Photo

After his election, Pope Francis explained in his first audience with journalists in Rome, why he chose the name of the “Poor One of Assisi.” Upon confirmation that he had received the majority of votes to the papacy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paolo and friend of the Holy Father, told the newly elected Pope: “Don’t forget the poor.”

“And those words came to me: the poor, the poor,” Pope Francis told journalists on March 16th. “Then, right away, thinking of the poor, I thought of Francis of Assisi.  Then I thought of all the wars, as the votes were still being counted, till the end.  Francis is also the man of peace.  That is how the name came into my heart: Francis of Assisi.”

St. Francis & the birds...ugh

I never got the thing with St. Francis and the birds.  I mean, I know he preached to the birds but that was only once, maybe twice, according to solid, academic, biographical resources on the saint’s life.  Why are the birds such continuous companions to St. Francis art work? Even Friars themselves joke of their beloved founder’s statues as the “typical garden-type bird baths”.  I mean the man raised people from the dead, drove out demons, cured the sick and boldly preached the Gospel!  Enough with the birds already.

Anyway, now that I’m off my soapbox I want to talk about birds.  No, really.  To wake up in Assisi is to wake up to the most beautiful sights and sounds this side of the great divorce.  Death, I mean.  Only heaven and its hosts of angels could sound more beautiful than the swooping, soaring, sitting, singing birds that populate the Assisi skies at the break of day.

On a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi a few years ago, I had no idea I would wake up to such a glorious array of birds singing so beautifully.  Opening the real, wooden shutters I was struck by the patchwork of green and brown fields in the valley below.  Never could I have been prepared for the amount of birds that seemed to being joyfully playing in the air above St. Francis’ hometown.

G.K. Chesterton once wrote about St. Francis as only Chesterton could.  His book became famous.  In chapter 2 of the same he masterfully commented on Francis’ greeting of the dawn after a long night in prayer. This is what he wrote.

While it was yet twilight a figure appeared silently and suddenly on a little hill above the city, dark against the fading darkness. For it was the end of a long and stern night, a night of vigil, not unvisited by stars. He stood with his hands lifted, as in so many statues and pictures, and about him was a burst of birds singing; and behind him was the break of day.

Assisi and its birds still greet waking pilgrims as they greeted the still-awake saint who prayed through the night, often.  Making a pilgrimage to Assisi is worth every cent.  Seeing the birds is worth a few more.