St. Francis and Africa

St. Francis in Africa

Today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. This morning I got up a little early and headed into town before dawn to be able to join the local community for Mass at the parish church. Because it was St. Francis Day they invited me to be the main celebrant. It was a quiet simple Mass celebrated adjacent to the ruins of the parish church, one I think St. Francis would have liked. Particularly on this day of our Holy Father Francis my heart is full of the many connections between St. Francis and Southern Sudan. I would like to share just a few of them with you.

“Francis rebuild My Church which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” These are the words that Jesus spoke from the crucifix to St. Francis as he was praying in the chapel of San Damiano just outside of Assisi, and that was the observation that struck me most forcefully during my visit here in June. Of the twelve or fifteen parishes and Eucharistic centers of the diocese, only three or four have usable church structures. The rest were all damaged or destroyed during the civil war, and now need to be rebuilt. The few that survived seem to have done so miraculously despite repeated bombings. More than that, though, there is the Body of Christ, the members of the Church, who after enduring so much are so much in need of restoration and revival.

“Brother Francis.” This is how St. Francis used to refer to himself in relation to others. The people of Africa and Sudan have such incredible beauty and potential, but continue to suffer under the crushing weight of a long history of exploitation and contempt, as well as disregard from much of the rest of the world. One of the special gifts of St. Francis was his ability to be a brother to whomever he met, and so affirm the dignity, value and worth of every human being – especially those who have been devalued. And through his brotherhood he communicated to them that they were children of the same Father in heaven. There is such an immense space, need and opportunity for expressing that kind of brotherhood here in Africa and Sudan. Isn’t this exactly the ingredient that’s missing from every other theory and program of “globalization?”

“May the Lord give you His peace!” This was the way St. Francis used to greet people, and encouraged his friars to do the same. Sudan is just emerging from twenty years of civil war (that was preceded by a previous civil war in the 60s and 70s), and so peace is fragile here. Despite incredible international attention and pressure, Khartoum’s program of genocide in Darfur has still not completely ceased. In the absence of an active common enemy in the North tribal rivalries in the south have begun to resurface. There is an overwhelming need for genuine reconciliation and a just and lasting peace. “To those injured by every type of evil, teach, O Francis, the joy of being able to forgive. To all those crucified by suffering, hunger and war, reopen the doors of hope;” these are words from a prayer of Pope John Paul II to St. Francis that our community uses in the novena leading up to today’s feast. How truly they apply here.

“Let those who wish go among the Saracens.” St. Francis always had very special concern for Moslems, and encouraged his friars to go among them respectfully as missionaries. While Southern Sudan is composed mostly of Christians and adherents of traditional African religions, there is still a significant presence of Moslems here. The mosque is located on main street and calls out to prayer five times a day, especially during Ramadan. I purchased some supplies from a friendly Moslem merchant yesterday. But even more than that, Sudan has found itself exactly at the crossroads of the clash of faith, culture and civilization between western Christianity and Islam – especially radical Islam - that has been one of the defining characteristics on the world stage for the past ten years. The threat of Islamization and the imposing of sharia law is a major concern for African countries, especially those whose territory spans the division between the Arab north and the black African south – like Sudan. The way in which this protracted crisis is resolved will have enormous ramifications for the future. Do not the sons and daughters of the Poor Man of Assisi who once visited and befriended a Moslem Sultan during the Crusades have a unique role to play in this process, perhaps especially here where the conflict has caused so much bloodshed and suffering?

The Canticle of the Creatures. This is the most well known prayer of St. Francis, in which he praises God for Brother Sun, Sisters Moon and Stars, Brothers Wind and Fire, Mother Earth and other members of the family of Creation. Southern Sudan is a lush, tropical country, with practically no infrastructure and industry. There are places here that have been virtually untouched by “modern civilization.” Creation shines forth here with a particularly intense splendor, unsullied by so many contemporary developments that have tended to blear its beauty. Sister Stars sparkle here unhazed by light pollution, and even hug the horizon. Mother Earth is decked out in unusually lavish vegetation, and adorned by exotic creatures like monkeys, colorful birds, giraffes and hippopotami (yes, that’s the proper plural of hippopotamus.) My experience here has been an almost a continual “provocation” on the part of the “family” of Creation to turn to God in wonder and praise, and feel oneself enveloped by His presence and Fatherly care.