Dear Sisters and Brothers, dear friends,

Happy Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi!

This painting by Brother Laurentius Englisch OFM shows the beauty of creation as expressed in the canticle. This painting by Brother Laurentius Englisch OFM shows the beauty of creation as expressed in the canticle.

Looking into our actual world we can get an impression that humanity is in process of destroying all this beauty; not respecting the inherent dignity given by God our Creator, which we as humans share with all creatures.

As Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclicals: care for creation and for those who are excluded and discriminated against, goes hand in hand.

Encouraged by Saint Francis’ life and his fraternal relation with all creatures, we are called to follow his path to bring the good news to all world.

Therefore, we Franciscans engage at the United Nations to ensure the protection of everyone’s dignity and our common home.

Together with many other ‘people of good will’ we worked hard so that the United Nations recognized the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. We thank you for all your continued support of our common mission.

On behalf of our International Board of Directors and all our team members, I wish you a blessed and happy Feast of Saint Francis

Fraternally,

Markus Heinze OFM
Executive Director