On Earth Day, a Look at St. Francis of Assisi as Patron of the Environment

On Earth Day, a look at St. Francis of Assisi as patron of the environment

(OSV News) — St. Francis of Assisi was declared a saint nearly 800 years ago, just two years after his death. Not until much more recently — about 50 years ago — was the beloved 13th-century Italian friar called the patron of ecology. “John Paul II makes that proclamation in 1979,” explained Joshua C. Benson, associate professor of historical and systematic theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington. “Part of what’s happening t…

Why is St. Francis of Assisi patron of the environment? - The Record Newspaper

A statue of St. Francis of Assisi is pictured outside an animal hospital in Prince Fredrick, Md., July 22, 2021. His feast day is celebrated Oct. 4. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller) By Katie Yoder , OSV News (OSV News) — St. Francis of Assisi was declared a saint nearly 800 years ago, just two years after his death. Not until much more recently — about 50 years ago — was the beloved 13th-century Italian friar called the patron of ecology. “John Paul …