Justice for the poor, courageous peacemaking, and respectful care for the
environment. These have been the hallmarks of the Franciscan movement
since its beginning 800 years ago. Saint Francis of Assisi freely chose to live a
radically simple lifestyle among and with the poor, called himself a brother
to all creatures and to the earth itself, and crossed religious and cultural
frontiers to dialogue with a Muslim leader in an attempt to prevent another
bloody war. St. Francis rejected the societal economic shift of his time that
valued financial success over human dignity. Today these values continue to
inspire and guide Franciscans. They also inspire millions of people in the US and
beyond people of faith and other people of goodwill. They demand action in
promoting a consistent ethic of life that embodies a common good built on the
foundation of full respect for all stages and types of life and without a
false ranking of these stages of life. The current direction of the United
States is diametrically opposed to these values. Impoverished people are dismissed
from our public discourse. People of color continue to experience a system of
racial oppression. Refugees seeking haven in this country are refused a fair
hearing, are separated from their children, and are confined in jails or
cages before being sent away. Modest steps to heal our suffering planet are
dismissed or undercut by short-sighted public policies. The warnings of science
regarding air land and water and the very survival of humans as part of the
earth community are ignored. And constant belligerent rhetoric including threats
of nuclear devastation issue forth from current US American politicians.
Equally ominous is the gradual but purposeful dismantling of US political
values. Freedom of speech and an independent media are vilified. Judicial
processes are ridiculed, and respectful public discourse is a lost art. Some
public leaders would rather provoke outrage than provide accurate
information. It is more common to dehumanize, demonize, and marginalize the
most vulnerable of our world rather than to address difficult and complex issues.
A seemingly successful economy for some is perched on the vast and growing
disparity of wealth in the US and wider world and a total disregard for
ecological sustainability. We are witnessing an untenable situation where
all political sides find it impossible to dialogue with civility, reach workable
compromise, and move a public agenda forward to address the challenges of our
day. For the common good to be realized, change is needed across the political
spectrum. As Franciscan friars living and working in the United States at this
moment in history, we feel obliged to reject and to speak out loudly and
clearly against all such policies and practices that so flagrantly violate our
Franciscan values and the basic principles of Catholic social teaching.
We feel compelled to live out our Franciscan charism of repentance in
response to the profoundly unjust and destructive public policies our country
is adopting. This will require soul-searching and the contemplative
discomfort that leads to transformative action. We who love the United States of
America must act against an all-encompassing threat to the very soul
of our beloved country. We will increase our work for justice in the public arena,
including in the electoral process, clearly setting ourselves at the side of
those who are excluded, namely immigrants, women, people of color, the earth
community, and impoverished people and supporting their
full engagement in the public discourse. We pledge anew to live the gospel
boldly so as to ensure the public and private respect of the dignity of every
person and for the integrity of creation. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi,
where there is hatred, we will attempt to sow love; where there is darkness, light;
where there is injury, healing; where there's despair, hope; where there is
injustice, reform; and where there's sadness, joy.
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