Mattarella in Assisi: Francis' poverty was a break with the idolatry of money

"His poverty, so sought and desired, was a concrete break with the idolatry of money; his humility had nothing naive about it, it was born from a demanding thirst for truth; his obedience was not submissiveness, but a tiring, thoughtful search for the superior reasons for the unity of the Christian people and the Church. Remembering, today, the teaching of Francis to the contemporary world means highlighting some decidedly current foundations of his preaching: the dignity of every person, respect for Creation, peace".

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, said this, speaking in Assisi at the ceremony on the occasion of the National Day of Saint Francis, on the eighth centenary of his death.