“Without fraternity, we cannot survive.”
On November 2nd, Jeff and I left for Assisi to attend a 9-day retreat on St. Bonaventure’s “Journey into God.” At the conclusion of this retreat, we departed Assisi for Rome with many of the 30 pilgrims on our shared journey. Most of our group went to the airport for their return trips to the US, Canada, England, Germany, and the Philippines.
To celebrate the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, though, Jeff and I stayed an additional 5 days in Rome. Our hotel was one block from the Franciscan parish of St. Gregory VII—a special place to visit daily. Thanks to our very early arrival in Rome, we were able to attend the weekly papal audience in St. Peter’s Square on November 12. So many pilgrim groups were there to visit the sacred places of the Church in the hope-filled spirit of Jubilee 2025.
During his catechesis at the papal audience, Pope Leo XIV spoke earnestly about fraternity, an essential word in our Franciscan vocabulary. He told the faithful, “Without fraternity, we cannot survive.” What would the world be like if more people took seriously the call to live as brothers and sisters to one another? In the beautiful hymn “Where Charity and Love Prevail,” there are hope-filled descriptions of what this world would be like. Is it possible that “strife among us be unknown and all contention cease?”
The Vatican News Service posted a summary of the papal audience:
Pope at General Audience: Without fraternity, we cannot survive – Vatican News
With the celebration of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s feast day on November 13th, the Church gave us the time to practice solidarity with the poor of the world, because this feast day set the stage for the celebration of the IX World Day of the Poor on November 16th. This was an important observance on the Jubilee 2025 calendar as almost a year of celebrations are drawing to their closure at Christmas.
An international Catholic group called “Fratello” hosted many activities during the weekend:
Friday-November 14th – Prayer Vigil of Mercy (Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Saturday – November 15th – Pilgrimages between 9 AM and 3 PM to the four Holy Doors of Rome (St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, and St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Sunday – November 16th – Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with Pope Leo XIV for the World Day of the Poor
While sitting in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, Jeff and I had the privilege of observing the reverent procession of dozens of pilgrim groups from all over the world as they entered the Basilica. Some groups were wearing the Jubilee 2025 logo on hats, bandanas, or T-shirts. Many groups were singing or praying as they waited in the long line to move through Vatican security. It was impossible for anyone to be in the square without passing the poor of Rome who were begging for alms and a kind gesture.
In his homily on Sunday, Pope Leo cited his Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te of the Holy Father Leo XIV on Love for the Poor (4 October 2025) as a reminder of how God’s love inspires us to love one another, most especially the poor in our midst. The Holy Father spoke about both material poverty, which marginalizes so many people into a daily survival struggle, and spiritual poverty, that leads to loneliness in society. Christians are called to reach out to one another in the way that Christ taught us in the Gospel accounts.
On November 17th, Secular Franciscans have been called to participate in a Franciscan Day of Solidarity as we celebrate the feast day of our patroness, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. In her short, but very faithful life, she embraced the holy Gospel with purity of heart and made the corporal and spiritual works of mercy visible in her daily life through personal example. In the poor, St. Elizabeth always saw the face of Christ. Now, it is ours to do the same for others.
In our fraternal living, let us work together to see where Christ is calling us to serve the poor in our midst—from the inside of our fraternities and our families to our local communities. This weekend’s celebration reminds us of the transformative power of the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and love.
Photos by Teresa Redder, OFS from the Vatican
May the peace of Christ and the intercession of the Blessed Mother guide us to do what is ours to do!
Peace and all good,
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Rome, Italy (November 16, 2025)
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