Canticle of the Creatures
18th June 2017

18th June marks the second anniversary of the papal encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, when he chose the name Francis on being elected Pope, explained the reason for his choice:

"That is how the name came into my heart: Francis of Assisi. For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation; these days we do not have a very good relationship with creation, do we?”

A name isn't the only thing that Pope Francis took from the patron saint of the environment.  The title of the encyclical ("praise be to you") is taken from Saint Francis of Assisi's glorious poem, "Canticle of the Creatures", composed during the spring of 1225.

The Canticle is beautifully read and illustrated in this video by Paolo Maggioni Conte.

The picture shows the St Francis of Assisi window in St Mary's Church, Woburn, England.