The canonisation has been a great celebration for the family of Br. Charles. It has encouraged us to live his charism of universal brotherhood with renewed conviction and fervour. It is a one-off opportunity to grow the Fraternity.
Sometimes, however, I have wondered: ‘What would, what does Br. Charles himself make of it all? How does being elevated to the ranks of the saints
sit with his desire to take the lowest place? For sure it is part of the paradoxical nature of the Gospel that he who humbles himself will be exalted. Like all the others, Charles had no say in his own canonisation, but is there a danger we could exalt ourselves in our jubilation? Thanks be to God there has been no sign of triumphalism in the celebrations, only joy and thanksgiving, In our humble gratitude we have a key to overcoming clericalism, the scourge of the priesthood and the whole Church. May Br. Charles, in the words of Pope Francis, enable us to share his dream of being a universal brother by identifying ourselves with the least and most abandoned people.
Steve.
Read the complete doc (PDF): Be Brothers Britain and Ireland June 2022