Franciscan Charism in Higher Education, The

St. Francis and The Song of Brotherhood

Excerpts from St. Francis and The Song of Brotherhood Eric Doyle, O.F.M.* The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, published on 10 December 1948, proclaims the great truth that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.1 According to the New Testament, composed long before the Universal Declaration: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" [Gal. 2: 28]. Thus by virtue of the Christian calling, and in the name of the humanity we belong to, we profess the freedom, equality and brotherhood of all peoples. If we believe this, then we must define ourselves in the first place as Earth-people or * Permission has been requested from The Seabury Press to reprint this excerpt from Eric Doyle, O.F.M., St. Francis and the Song of Brotherhood (New York: Seabury Press, 1981) part of Chapter 13: Thanksgiving, Humility and Service (183-186) and the entire Conclusion (187-189). 1 United Nations Office of Public Information, 2. 2 Spirit and Life, Volume 2 terrestrians, before any other definition. If we do this we are faced at once with awkward questions about the distribution of world resources, and with obligations vis-a-vis the rest of humanity, which weigh heavily upon us in the west, who receive so much for our work, and a very great deal when we do nothing. Yet we all know the sad truth that there are many people on this earth who pay only lip-service to these beliefs, and there are many others who act and behave as if they were not true at all. This, of course, is often the result of inborn prejudice, of ignorance and of social conditioning, but malice also has its ugly part to play. We cannot ignore without guilt that we in the western world have so much and enjoy such prosperity while our fellow terrestrians in other parts of the world are living on the breadline, and in squalor and destitution. There are many of us who would protest that we are not indifferent to all this. But we feel so helpless. What can we do? We have collections for Oxfam and Cafod, we organize jumble sales and send the proceeds to the Third World; we fast and send what we have saved to those less fortunate than ourselves. But we do not control the national budget; we do not have the last word about the distribution of resources; we are not privy to decisions being made a t high scientific, political and economic levels; we cannot stop the absurd and satanic arms race. While we recognize all this we must not allow ourselves to be lured into thinking that the situation is hopeless. The human race has reached a critical point in its history. There is a growing awareness of the unity of mankind. It is not as extensive as it ought to be, but its quality is of inestimable consequence. We need think only of what Mother Teresa of Calcutta has achieved, not only what she has done in India, but how she has inspired others to make sacrifices and to work for the suffering in India. And there are many, many more people like Mother Teresa all over the globe who are silently working for the same ends, and who, in so many different ways, through the power of the Holy Spirit are slowly changing the face of the earth. We have to go on doing our utmost to change attitudes. And this is why education is crucial. Education shares knowledge and love; it is a dialogue which draws out and shares riches. Excerpts from: The Song of Brotherhood 3 Knowledge is never an end in itself; it is always subordinate to higher and nobler being. We know more in order to be more, not in order to have more. Education is meant to bring a person to a greater awareness of personal dignity and uniqueness through a mutual sharing of insights and riches which every one possesses. Education is meant to lead to liberation and peace, so that it is possible to love self and all others in the love that is a true letting-be...