Say it ain't so!

Some good souls in the liberation theology crowd would have us believe that St Francis is probably the best example available of a "progressive saint".  This is a misconception that comes from ideas that misconceive priorities and is simply untrue. Father Francis' priorities were clear: sainthood and individual perfection. The community or collective was a tool for serving God and earning eternal life. It was the action of God's grace and our free will that effects our salvation - not a collective salvation. He, and all Franciscans recognize they would not change the world at some time in the future, or end all distinction between rich and poor. They were committed to a virtuous charity that knew not class distinctions but simply a love for all the unlovable. Father Francis knew that love is a salvation issue not a class struggle or political issue, it is a salvation issue right now. Franciscans think big they think eternal life. The idea of a future world perfected by us is a great myth that never comes in the present and in a sense is a form of slavery. It opens the door to new myth creation and all forms of victimhood while removing God's essential role in the first priority - each individual's salvation. JMJ. Mick, SFO