"Che nulla è grande dinanzi a Dio, ma tutto è ugualmente degno..."


Italian Franciscan editor Padre Enzo Fortunato, OFM, tells Inside The Vatican magazine's Lucy Gordon that this quote -- We are all equal before God -- is "one of the secrets of the Franciscan lifestyle..."

In the January 2011 issue.


Two random sample questions from this interview, "In The Steps of St. Francis."


QUESTION ONE:

"How many Franciscans are there worldwide?"

Father Enzo's answer:

"I'm a Franciscan of the Order of Friars Minor -- OFM -- founded by St. Francis himself in 1209.

"We count around 5,000 friars worldwide, with 1,000 in Italy and about 100 in the U.S.

"In Assisi, we are 50 at the Sacro Covento, coming from Italy, the US, Spain, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Malta, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, the Philippines, and India..."

QUESTION TWO:

"Is there anything you'd like to add?"

Father Enzo's answer:

"Yes, to rediscover one of the secrets of the Franciscan lifestyle: Che nulla è grande dinanzi a Dio, ma tutto è ugualmente degno, which means, in synthesis, We are all equal before God ..."

Way to go, Padre! :)