At 4.30 p.m. today, Benedict XVI travelled to Assisi's cathedral of San Rufino where he met with priests, deacons, religious, superiors and students of the pontifical seminary of Umbria.
In his talk to them, the Holy Father insisted that "it is not enough" for the millions of faithful who come to Assisi to admire St. Francis, rather they must "be attracted by Francis' charism, they must be helped to accept the essential nucleus of Christian life and to tend towards its 'highest measure,' which is sanctity."
"Ever more often, Christians in our time find themselves facing the tendency to accept a diminished Christ, admired in His extraordinary humanity but rejected in the profound mystery of His divinity. Francis himself suffers a kind of mutilation when he is called upon as a witness to certain values - certainly important and appreciated by modern culture - but forgetting that his profound choice, what we could call the heart of his life, was his commitment to Christ."
"The name of Francis, together with that of Clare, call out for this city to distinguish itself for its particular missionary energy," said the Holy Father. And as a consequence, "it is necessary for this Church to live an intense experience of communion."
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