In 2013, the words “Don’t forget the poor” were whispered to Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in the Sistine Chapel. These words so deeply penetrated his heart that when asked what name he would take as Pope, he chose “Francis”, after St Francis of Assisi, becoming the first Pope to be named “Francis” or “Franciscus” in Latin, the name that is inscribed on his tomb.
As Franciscans, we could not have been happier for a Pope to take the name of our founder and father. Pope Francis truly lived out his name in the spirit of Francis – humble and simple to the end with the stark simplicity of his choice of coffin, funeral rite and place of burial within the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The global grief at his passing demonstrated clearly that his 12-year papacy had left a deep legacy that had impacted many lives.
Servant-leaders like Pope Francis are authentic in their words and works, and with this inner dynamic unity, they invite, encourage and exhort us to embody what Christ desires of us.
On 8 May, we welcomed Pope Leo XIV chosen by the Holy Spirit to lead the Church into the next frontier, but we do not forget the dream and vision of Pope Francis. Indeed, we are called to honour the legacy of Pope Francis, whilst embracing the vision of our new Pope Leo XIV, building hope upon hope, faith upon faith, to bring about peace with fraternal dialogue to impact the lives of the suffering.
This is a crucial year for Franciscan Friars in Malaysia and Singapore for we have our Custody Elective Chapter in September, during which we will elect our new leadership team.
Although we are voting friars to the various roles, the crux of it all is about listening to the Holy Spirit, to what God desires of us friars and our Custody at this season of our life and history, and which friar candidate’s vision can best fulfil the fruits of our collective discernment.
During my nearly six years as Custos, I have strongly advocated returning to our core identity as friars and minor: a more intimate prayer life and a closer relationship among us friars, so that we can truly be “contemplative fraternities in mission”, as the Order calls us to be.
I see this as a call to embrace a more intentional Fraternal Life Project (FLP) accompanied by a Personal Life Project of prayer, poverty and penance. Our Franciscan Life must flow from being grounded in God and then growing into more authentic Franciscans. Then and only then will our mission to the poor, especially the “new poor”, be firmly rooted in the Gospel life and freedom.
In this issue, Friar Cosmas Francis, our Custody’s Animator for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC), shares what friars are doing to serve the poor and needy in Asia. At their meeting in April, our Asian Network for JPIC made a commitment to respond promptly and adequately to the urgent need for relief funds for the earthquake in Myanmar.
Our Custody has a special reserve fund called “St Anthony’s Touch – Poor & Mission Fund” for such purposes, and St Antony’s Touch is one of the options in the donation tear-out of this newsletter. I see this as a concrete way of continuing the vision of our late Holy Father Pope Francis to not forget the poor. By the way, it was a Franciscan Friar, Cardinal Claudio Hummes OFM from Brazil, who whispered these memorable words to Pope Francis.
Now, let us entrust our new Holy Father, the successor of St Peter, to our Lord and our Lady as he guides the Church towards greater discipleship and life-giving mission. Allow me to end with the first words of our new Pope to the world, quoting the first words of the Risen Christ “Peace be with you all!”. May this peace deeply penetrate our hearts and our lives.
“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape.” – St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Creatures
The Franciscan Friars of Malaysia and Singapore join the universal Church in mourning the passing of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis.
In his life and ministry, he reflected the simplicity, compassion, and deep joy of St Francis of Assisi. He was a shepherd who walked with the poor, a voice for the voiceless, and a bridge-builder in a broken world. His words, actions, and humble spirit rekindled hope and reminded us all of God’s boundless mercy.
We give thanks for his life, his witness, and his fearless love for the Gospel.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
The Stations of the Cross, or the Way of the Cross, is a familiar Lenten practice for many Catholics, with the stations prominently displayed in churches worldwide. At the Church of St Mary of the Angels in Bukit Batok, the stations are uniquely situated outdoors, marked on pillars around the piazza. However, what many parishioners may not realize is the deep connection between the Stations of the Cross and Franciscan spirituality.
Stephen Copeland explored this Franciscan link in an article published in St Anthony Messenger. He noted that the Franciscans “have long had a different approach to the cross, one that comes into focus during the Lenten season. Their perspective and influence are most evident in the weekly liturgical practice of the Stations of the Cross, which the Franciscans played a vital historical role in establishing.” Although the liturgy of the Stations—where participants pray and meditate upon 14 scenes of Jesus’ journey to Calvary—might not immediately seem aligned with the optimism inherent in Franciscanism, Copeland argues that its history can enrich contemporary Lenten practices and personal approaches to the cross.
Within the Franciscan tradition, the Stations of the Cross emerged as a Lenten devotion shortly after St. Francis returned from the Holy Land in 1221. Pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back relics from Palestine, but they also carried a desire to recreate scenes from the sacred sites to share their experiences with those unable to make the journey. In 1342, the pope entrusted the Franciscans with the care of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—where Jesus was crucified—and the Via Crucis (the Way of the Cross) in Jerusalem. From this point, the Franciscans began actively promoting the devotion of the Stations of the Cross.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Franciscans constructed outdoor shrines across Europe to replicate their counterparts in the Holy Land. In 1686, Pope Innocent XI granted the Franciscans the exclusive right to erect stations within their churches. This privilege was extended in 1731 by Pope Clement XII, who allowed all churches to have the stations, provided they were installed by a Franciscan father with the local bishop’s consent. An Italian friar, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, became a fervent advocate for this devotion. Between 1731 and 1751, he erected the Stations at 572 locations across Italy, including the Colosseum in Rome, earning him the title “preacher of the Way of the Cross.” It was during this period that the number of stations was standardized at 14.
By 1862, the right to erect the Stations was extended to bishops throughout the Church, solidifying the Stations of the Cross as a permanent and universal part of Lenten prayers commemorating Christ’s passion, death, and burial. Friar Jim Sabak OFM, a historian and professor, reflected on St. Leonard’s motivations, stating, “St Leonard was ministering and writing in the aftermath of the Reformation and the breakdown of Christianity. For him, to try to reunify Christianity was to remember this man, Jesus, who died … In praying the Stations, St Leonard was saying to focus on the one who holds us together, even in death … it was to be prayed so that you knew the anchor and root of our faith.”
