EUROPE/RUSSIA - Saint Francis of Assisi is a popular figure in Russia

Monday, 14 March 2005

Moscow (Fides Service) - The presence of Franciscan Friars in Russia after the fall of the Soviet regime, has created interest for the Secular Franciscan Order OFS whose members are lay men and women striving to live the values and the spirit of Saint Francis in daily life, at work, at school, in the family. Small groups of secular Franciscans exist all over the world .
A Franciscan publishers in Russia, directed until recently by the late Gregory Ciorok OFM Conv, who died recently, has already published a number of books on St Francis. At the moment it has undertaken the translation of a book by Fr. Zudaire “With Francis to follow Christ”, and plans to publish the “Rule and Constitutions of the OFS” in order to diffuse knowledge about lay Franciscan spirituality.
In this context, Italian lay Franciscan communities have paid for the translation into Russian of official documents of the Order as well a book on lay formation. The figure of St Francis is increasingly popular in Russia, where people first heard of him after the fall of Communism, many say they can identify with the spirituality of the Poor Man of Assisi. Lay Franciscans in Russia tell Fides they are certain Francis will bring fruits of peace, reconciliation and wellbeing to their country.
In 2001 the Order of Friars Minor opened a General Custody in Russia (an autonomous administrative unit) comprising “San Francesco” community in Moscow, “Sant’Antonio da Padova” in St Petersburg, and “Santa Maria degli Angeli” at Kaluga. In Russia Franciscan Friars are involved in social care, visiting sick people in hospital and inmates in prisons. The community Sant’Antonio da Padova in St Petersburg, has a centre for religious formation for seminarians coming from various countries, former ‘Soviet territories’. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/3/2005 righe 27 parole 286)


Share: