Dear reader,
Peace be with you. If you know of St. Francis of Assisi, perhaps you think of him as the ultimate model of humble obedience, but his radical devotion to the Gospel sometimes required him to defy the
authorities of the Church. From crossing active battlefields to embrace a “Muslim enemy” to breaking segregation laws to touch the “unclean,” Francis prioritized the mercy of Christ over the rigid mandates of his time.
This provocative exploration of “ecclesiastical disobedience” challenges us to consider what happens when our religious institutions and our conscience come into direct conflict. By examining these hidden moments of defiance, the article reveals a saint who was far more courageous and counter-cultural than the statues in our gardens suggest.
Read on to discover with author Dan Horan how Francis’s 800-year-old legacy provides a startling blueprint for following Christ in a complicated modern world.
https://www.ncronline.org/opin