Abstract / DOI
Approaching Francis of Assisi. God, Creation, and Interdependence. In 1979 Pope John Paul II. declared Francis of Assisi (†1226), the famous founder of the Franciscan Order, the patron saint for those who care for ecological questions and realities. In doing so, the Catholic Church has officially accentuated one aspect of the incomparably rich and various medieval sources regarding the poor man of Assisi. It’s the aim of this article to trace Francis’ attitude towards nature – i.e. God’s creation – and to contextualize it both in terms of what research brought to light regarding the «historical Francis», and of how his heritage is approached today.