Throughout Laudato si’ Pope Francis homages his namesake St. Francis of Assisi in diverse ways. Pope Francis begins his Encyclical in the words of St. Francis’ famous Canticle of Brother Son. Pope Francis then explains how our Sister, Mother Earth spoken of in the canticle is in trouble. Pope Francis homages St. Francis as the patron of ecology a saint loved by Christians and non-Christians alike. By speaking of St. Francis Pope Francis invites all people to his encyclical especially those non-Christians who love St. Francis but who may not otherwise read a Papal document. Pope Francis references the fact that that St. Francis always asked a Friary have one portion of their garden untouched so that wild plants may grow at will. Pope Francis
