Reflections towards an integral ecology, in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi UNIVERSITY
A seminar with Fra Pietro Maranesi at the Department of Agriculture of the University of Reggio Calabria, Thursday 15 October at 4 pm
On Thursday, October 15, at 4:00 p.m., in Room A of the Department of Agriculture at the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Pietro Maranesi will hold a seminar on the topic "Francis, the Wolf, and the Sheep: Reflections Toward an Integral Ecology." The speaker is Professor of Theology and Franciscanism at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in Assisi and the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome. A Capuchin friar, Pietro Maranesi is today one of the leading scholars of Francis of Assisi and Franciscanism, to whom he has dedicated several critical editions of the sources and numerous essays.
On the occasion of the eighth centenary of the death of Francis of Assisi, a reflection on the idea of "integral ecology" is offered, starting with two different narratives that outline its meaning, both referring to animals: the wolf of Gubbio and the sheep threatened by other animals. "Exclusion and violence," Maranesi writes in one of his books, "do not make life more human." Therefore, the parable of Francis and the wolf allows us today "to dream of political paths of peace, laborious and uncertain, but necessary to give us the courage to become mediators for an inclusive and reconciled society," otherwise "the city walls inevitably transform into a fortress to be defended and cease to be a home to live in." The second narrative on which the seminar focuses concerns the story of a sheep in the flock at risk of succumbing to the violence of goats and who is protected by Francis. According to Maranesi, the story passed down to us contains the key elements of every ecological action: awareness of the problem, the resulting economic choices, the implementation of an operational network of shared responsibility for the protection of the most vulnerable and defenseless, and a long-term vision and commitment.
The two stories converge in defining the idea of what we now call "integral ecology," of which Francis can be considered a pioneer. According to this vision, responsibility for creation, the sustainable use of resources, and the protection of biodiversity must always be accompanied by the pursuit of social justice, equitable access to goods and opportunities, care for our common home, respect for diversity, a network of supportive relationships, and development processes that leave no one behind.
The seminar is sponsored by the Library of the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Slow Food (Reggio Calabria, Grecanica Area), the Italian Alpine Club (Aspromonte Section, Reggio Calabria), and the Touring Club Italiano (Reggio Calabria Territorial Club). The seminar will include institutional greetings from Professor Marco Poiana , Director of the Department of Agriculture, and Professor Giuseppe Zimbalatti , Rector of the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria.
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Technical note: The Department of Agriculture of the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria is located in Feo di Vito and has ample free parking. It can be reached by city bus no. 27. (Google Maps coordinates: 38.12110125932868, 15.668151099443866).