The Most Reverend Charles J. Caput, O.F.M. Cap., the Archbishop of Denver, has a very good reflection on Saint Francis of Assisi as "the model of authentic Church reform."His Excellency begins his reflection by relating that he received an e-mail complaining "that the Archdiocese of Denver was becoming a magnet for every flaky, right wing new group in the Church." The son of the Poverello immediately thought of his spiritual father.
Archbishop Chaput then recounts - briefly and well - the life of this holy man, noting that "instead of tearing her down because of the sins of her leaders, Francis chose to love the Church and serve her - and because of that love and by his simply living of the Gospel without compromise, he became the means God used for the conversion and renewal of a whole age of faith."
His Excellency reminds us that "when an individual or even a religious community redefines obedience to mean something other than a practical, willing obedience to the Gospel and to the pastor's of Christ's Church -- not matter how imperfect those pastors are -- what always results, without exception, is disobedience to Christ Himself. So if the new communities in the Church are 'right and flaky' because they seek to be obedient, then so was St. Francis, and we need a lot more of it."
The entire article is well worth reading.
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