“Go Francesco, repair my… Europe” is the subject of the European Franciscan meeting, promoted by the Union of the Minor Friars of Europe, which is taking place in Assisi from 7 to 12 August. One thousand young people from all over the Old Continent will ponder over the contribution which the Franciscan charisma has made to the construction of yesterday’s and today’s Europe, as shown by the programme (www.assisi2007.org). “Francis of Assisi is a light, still capable of illuminating the paths of our peoples, and of giving hope to the hearts of today’s men and women. For this reason – said the organizers, – we invited the European young from 18 to 30 years of age to meet and to discover the Franciscan roots of our continent”. The young will spend nights in structures such as gyms or welfare hotels. The days of the meeting will focus on the reflection on four subjects: “Origins”, “Conversion”, “Holiness”, and “Saint Clara”. The participants will listen to catecheses, and will have moments of dialogue and prayer in all the Franciscan holy places of the town (Basilica of St. Francis, St. Mary of Angels, Saint Clara, and St. Damian). Among the speakers, there will be Marco Bartoli, teacher at LUMSA University, who’s going to speak about Franciscanism as yeast for Europe.
