Inauguration of  the special Jubilee year of

St. Francis of Assisi.

 

PASTORAL MESSAGE ON THE OPENING MASS OF THE SPECIAL JUBILEE YEAR OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI (JANUARY 10, 2026 – JANUARY 10, 2027) AT MARIA ASSUMPTA CATHEDRAL, OWERRI, FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, APRIL 26, 2026.

​I address you with a heart filled with pastoral solicitude and deep spiritual joy, at this significant moment in the life of our Archdiocese, as we stand in communion with the Universal Church in celebrating the Special Year of St. Francis of Assisi, marking the 800th anniversary of his death (1226–2026). This sacred Jubilee, inaugurated on 10 January 2026 by decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary in union with the Roman Pontiff, and to be observed until 10 January 2027, constitutes for the Church a privileged time of grace, a summons to conversion and an invitation to renewed fidelity to the Gospel. In filial obedience to the pastoral guidelines of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, we solemnly observe this Jubilee in our Archdiocese on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. The chosen theme—”Embracing Simplicity, Promoting Peace: St. Francis, a Model for Nigeria”—provides not only a framework for reflection but also a compelling call to action in the face of the spiritual and social realities of our time.

​In a particular way, this Jubilee offers an auspicious opportunity for the faithful to experience authentic spiritual renewal, inspired by the life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi. He stands as a luminous and prophetic model for our nation in this present historical moment, through his evangelical simplicity, his tireless proclamation of peace, his profound care for creation, and his exemplary sense of responsibility toward the human community. In our present Nigerian context, this call assumes even greater urgency as our nation continues to grapple with grave challenges: insecurity that threatens the sanctity of human life, economic hardship that burdens families, corruption that undermines the common good, and a growing sense of disillusionment, especially among our youth. These realities, as troubling as they are, must not lead us to despair; they instead call us to renewed responsibility, moral courage, and active engagement in the transformation of society, grounded in faith and sustained by hope.

​Evangelical Simplicity and the Dignity of the Poor

​The witness of Francis of Assisi illuminates the Church’s perennial teaching on the dignity of the human person and the preferential love for the poor. His embrace of evangelical poverty, far from constituting mere asceticism, expresses a profound conformity to Christ who “emptied himself” (Phil. 2:7) and “became poor” for our sake (2 Cor. 8:9). In a striking and deeply symbolic manner, St. Francis came to personify poverty as “Lady Poverty” (Domina Paupertas), a reality not to be feared or despised, but to be loved, embraced, and lived with joy. In this spiritual insight, he discovered the freedom of a heart wholly surrendered to God, liberated from the tyranny of material possessions and opened to authentic love of neighbour. Such evangelical poverty is not deprivation, but a privileged path of communion with Christ and solidarity with the poor. In the light of Sacred Scripture (cf. Lev. 25), the Jubilee tradition calls for the restoration of justice, the redress of inequalities, and the reaffirmation of the dignity of every person. Consequently, the faithful are exhorted to reject corruption, materialism, and unjust and primitive accumulation, and to embrace simplicity, solidarity, and responsible stewardship of material goods. Public authority must be guided by the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity, so that development serves the integral good of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Peace as the Fruit of Justice and Charity

​4. Peace, which Saint Francis of Assisi tirelessly proclaimed, finds its deepest source in Christ Himself, “our peace” (Eph. 2:14). It is not merely the absence of conflict, but the fruit of justice rightly ordered and charity authentically lived. In continuity with this evangelical vision, the recent apostolic teaching of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, during his apostolic journey to Africa (13–23 April 2026) reaffirms the Church’s mission as a sacrament of peace, calling for reconciliation, dialogue, and a “conversion to trust in God.” In our present social context, marked by division, insecurity, and moral disorientation, there is a renewed and urgent call to reconciliation, dialogue, mutual respect, and the rejection of all forms of violence, especially where religion is misused to justify it, which constitutes a grave distortion of the truth and a profanation of the sacred. In this regard, the Imo Charter of Equity offers a providential path toward political stability, mutual understanding, and a peaceful and credible democratic transition in our State.

​Care of Creation

​5. The Franciscan vision of creation invites us to contemplate the world as a gift entrusted to human stewardship. The degradation of the environment, the reckless exploitation of natural resources, and the neglect of ecological responsibility constitute serious moral concerns. I commend the laudable initiatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, especially the “Green Revolution Campaign,” and urge all the faithful to participate actively in efforts to preserve the integrity of creation. In faithful response to this call, I earnestly urge all the faithful to embrace and support the sustained and large-scale tree-planting and environmental sustainability programmes being promoted by the Archdiocese of Owerri, directed toward confronting deforestation, soil erosion, and the growing impact of climate change. These initiatives are not to be regarded as optional, but as a concrete expression of our shared responsibility as stewards of God’s creation, our common home.

​Civic Responsibility and Political Participation

​6. The dignity of the human person, created in the image of God, entails corresponding duties within the civic order. In this regard, responsible participation in public life constitutes a moral obligation. In this light, the witness of St. Francis of Assisi offers a subtle yet powerful lesson for civic life. Though he renounced worldly power, he did not withdraw from concern for the human community; rather, he engaged the world prophetically through truth, peace, and moral integrity. His historic encounter with the Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil exemplifies courage, dialogue, and respect in the public sphere—virtues urgently needed in our political culture today. As we approach forthcoming elections, I exhort all the faithful to exercise their civic duties with integrity and a well-formed conscience. Voter apathy, corruption, and manipulation are incompatible with the demands of the Gospel. The faithful are therefore called to participate actively in the electoral process; reject all forms of inducement and coercion; and choose leaders of proven integrity, competence, and commitment to the common good. Political participation, rightly understood, is an expression of charity in service of society and a concrete way of building a just and peaceful nation.

​Final Exhortation and Blessing

​7. I, therefore, urge you: Stand firm in faith. Let your Christian witness permeate every sphere of life—family, workplace, Church and civil society. In a particular way, I encourage our young people not to succumb to despair about our nation, but to rise with integrity, creativity, and a renewed sense of responsibility for building the future we are called to shape together. Entrusting the Archdiocese of Owerri to the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and invoking the powerful prayers of St. Francis of Assisi, I impart to you my Apostolic Blessing.

​

Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji,

Archbishop of Owerri.