What is Franciscan Theology? 

I was mocked in a bible studies session at my church for saying all dogs go to heaven. I feel better to know I'm not alone in this

I'm crying watching this. In prayer God told me so many of these things and I was mocked and derided by my family for these ideas (we're Catholic even), but I knew in my heart it was God. I did not know about Franciscan theology, but it seems like a perfect fit for our very personal and available God. Thank you.

Those theologians have opposing ideas, but they didnt make a religion out of it

I went to seminary, but I learn more by watching this man's videos. I am considering becoming a Catholic. I grew up in a conservative Christian environment. After being the military and meeting people from all walks of life, I am no longer conservative but a Christian, who loves Jesus Christ. I love how Catholics believe in science. How does one become a Catholic?

im an atheist but saint thomas and franciscans are really interesting and cool

I'm a big fan of Duns Scotus and Bonaventure, so thanks for making this! :D

I love St Francis . St. Claire pray for us🙏🏽

The more I hear you describe what a Franciscan is Br Casey, the more I think I might like to be one.

Where two Franciscans are gathered in His name, there is bound to be three or more opinions Just kidding while Thomas Aquinas is without a doubt my favorite Saint I have been discerning the OFM so much revently

As a secular Franciscan, thank you for this video.

I remember as a child being told my dog did not go to heaven in Sunday school when she died because animals don't have souls by my Sunday school teacher and my teacher at school. I am glad I did not listen to them

I like how calm and simple you put on things, Father. I know that if I were any kind of preacher, I’d embody the “shout the truth from the rooftops”, and I understand that might scare some possible converts off. Pray for me Father. God bless :)

This is the best basic explanation of franciscan spirituality I have ever heard.

As an Anglican, I'm struck by just how similar Anglican Theology is to Franciscan Theology. Obviously it's not a 1 to 1, but from emphasis on Incarnation, Theosis and and the "personal and experiential" there are a lot of similarities.

Hello Fr. Casey! Great video, I didn't know that about Franciscans. I have learned about the simple way of life by living the Gospel as St. Francis did (which is not as simple as it sounds, very challenging at times)but, I guess that is why we have different charisms in the church, we all can identify ourselves with one according to our personalities, not everyone can be a Jesuit and not all can be Franciscans. Happy St. Francis Feast day in advance! BTW, I did listen the entire podcast about Arrest and Development (didn't have a clue what you guys where talking about but, it sounded fun, now I'm curious to watch it). It reminded me of the long conversations with my best friend, we laughed so much and no one knows why we are laughing...

I never thought about it this way. I WANT this to be my starting point.

Wait, if God is Goodness itself, and the 10 Commandments are good, then they are an expression of God as Goodness itself. Therefore God as Goodness itself cannot change the 10 Commandments, but that doesn't mean He isn't free. He is always free, but as Goodness itself He will always choose what is good. Put similarly, a free dog will always act like a dog, and just because he can't act like a cat doesn't negate his freedom. Freedom isn't the ability to choose literally any choice. That is a common (false) definition of it. To use that definition of "freedom" for God would give us a false deity like Islam's Allah who technically speaking CAN choose to not save some people. Allah is merciful but NOT Mercy itself, hence he can technically speaking choose to not be merciful, but God as Mercy itself cannot choose anything but mercy. Rather, freedom is the ability to be who one truly is: God, a human being, a dog, a cat, etc. Hence we say that a slave is not free, just like a person who is steeped in sin is not free, though he is not in bondage, because they both cannot be who they were created to be. Just my two cents! 🙂

My Catholic spirituality is Franciscan. It's positive and gentle. One of my favorite films is The Flowers of Saint Francis.

This video is Fr Casey at his best. Maybe it’s true as he says- maybe it’s just because I’m a Franciscan myself. Bravo !

I AM PROUD TO BE A FRANCISCAN! -PHILIPPINES!

Could you do a video about the origin of the mass. Like how our liturgy developed

I have a deep respect for Saint Thomas Aquinas. Knowing that his ideas are counter to my beloved Franciscans - has thrown me for a loop. Then add my familial and emotional ties to the Carmelites and I am...confused. I am too old for seminary but which church I go to worship, and which foundational/intellectual ideas I adhere to are very important to me. If I had the money I'd say it is time for a retreat 🙏

Franciscan theology undoubtedly has Eastern Catholic inspiration in it

Well said dear brother It's not assiduous studies but along with lifes experience with what we study and reflect...

This was very informative. One of my brother knights is a member of the Third Order, and I've been quite drawn to Franciscan theology as a fascination. It seems to make more sense to me than some of Aquinas' writings. Still, my view is more of a "both and" kind of thing. They seem to be different paths to the same place at times.

Whilst Dominicans dwell on the idea of God through reasoning, Franciscans introduce God as someone who's personal and intimate.

So you could summarize : being faithful by doing😻 I love the love for God's entire creature. I am also a fan of St. Hildegard of Bingen.

In regards to Francis of Assisi His impact was sensational, people could not get enough of him. “ amen ran, and women too ran, clerics hurried, and religious hastened that they might see and hear the holy man of God who seemed to all to be a man of another world.” Francis was won the admiration of people because he lived a Christlike life in the same world that ordinary people occupied. He invested in people……. This Book gave me great insight on this👇 -water from a deep well

I remember when I was a teenager, our white budgie, Annabelle, had died during the night. When I said I hope to see her in Heaven, my devout mom insisted that animals don't have souls so they don't go to Heaven. I went to my room and wept. I've always felt that any creature capable of affection and joy has a soul. I just can't help this. Budgies are but one example of God's beautiful creation, with all of His infinite and tender love behind it.

As a Roman Catholic who has spent many years studying with and practicing with the Sufis (Islamic Mystics), I cannot help but see that both traditions share the same basic approach to spirituality. For the Sufis, the Light of God (Nur al-Muhammed) is the divine logos by which all things were created. And it is through the interior presence (Batin) of this Light of God that Man God's highest creation, can come to know God with the aim of achieving deification (Haqiqat). Since the Light of God is present in the created world, it behooved man to recognize this light in the creation and treat creation as the domicile of the Lord. This is especially true for other people regardless of race or religion, animals, and other creatures of God. I am reminded of a famous passage in the Holy Quran that says, "God is nearer to you than your jugular vein." God Bless.

Where can I go to read about the Franciscan spiritual life? I am so disheartened by the formalistic, legalistic, Thomistic bent of the Church. I want another way, but i know the Catholic Church is tge one true church.

Thank you so much for this video! I am a professed Secular Franciscan and have been downheartened lately as the fraternity that I am in is more liberal in belief and I am more conservative. I started to feel like maybe I do not fit in with the Franciscan beliefs. I love Francis for his simplicity, love of the Church, seeing Christ in others, and joy of the Gospel. I see a lot of what appears to be garden statue loving Franciscans. Francis had the heart of a knight and that is the Francis who I feel called to follow to lead me closer to Christ. Thank you for letting me know that there is no set school of Franciscsnism and that it is alright to be who I am in my Franciscsn calling.

In Eden it wasn’t time to eat from the fruit of everlasting life(Jesus) One day God would have given it to them!!if they hadn’t sinned.. if they sinned and ate from it they would have become immortal but in fallen nature and couldn’t be redeemed...

I am not a volunteerist, but I can absolutely agree with the rest of this. I do believe each of these paths holds a piece of understanding God's nature and this is simply because God is God and we are His creatures attempting to understand Him and we can only do so imperfectly and apparent contradictions, might just be our lack of ability to comprehend for one reason or another. Look at how the relationship with nature and the supernatural has changed, with increased scope we no longer believe illness is a curse directly or that wolves are evil just because they oppose our efforts to raise livestock. And more of late, the illusion of science being contraindicated by religion has largely fallen away on our side of the debate. And we continue to be open to growth while still holding to our Tradition, Scripture and the Magisterium and intellectual tradition of the Church. Be under no illusions, we have a long arduous fight for souls on our hands, but God is at work knitting things together in ways we can hardly even grasp. God bless you dear reader. And may we may love others and each other, as God loves us. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, now and Forever! Amen. Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God, pray for us. St.Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family, pray for us.

I know you were trying to surmise a complex history but I feel the need to point out that Scotus was absolutely NOT a voluntarist in the strict sense Ockham would later come to be known for. Scotus (as the Subtle Doctor) takes a much more refined view of God's will that maintains both God's free will AND His inability to change the moral law as such.

I love all the religious in Christ Such intellectual pious catholic orders! Praise be to Jesus from holy infant to Christ Adult! Glory be to God! 🙏

This just confirms my love of the way of Francis of assisi

One of my uncles was once a Franciscan. When we give him money and other stuff. He will secreatly go and give it to people who needs it. Such a gentle people and humble people who love God and it's creation.

There can be such a confusion among the un-Churched in worshipping the created rather than the Creator. That the natural world around us displays the power and beauty of our Lord seems quite appropriate and I am grateful for it. How though can I help those who have fallen into things like wicca and paganism in sharing this wonderment without enforcing the pagan or animistic beliefs.

Basically determinism vs free will...

Now you should do “what is Franciscan philosophy”

As a Secular Franciscan I found this most helpful. Who would have thought Casey Cole was more like Dan Horan than it appears on the surface.

Similar to how I view things 😊

As an Orthodox Christian I am SO happy to hear that the idea of Theosis is again creeping into the consciousness of the West!! Of all the things that keep us separate, the ability to grow closer to God through union with him directly (my definition of theosis) was in my opinion the major thing keeping us apart! If we cannot agree that salvation is union with God how could we move forward? I pray that your video here reaches many ears to hear this great news!

This is wonderful I knew there was a reason why I have been attracted to St Francis and Franciscan monasticism.

Father Casey, first of all congratulations on your ordination this year and thank you for making all of these incredible videos. The perspective you offer is always astounding and rational in a world of factions and polarization. There are so many different Franciscan orders, as you say in this video, each with distinct theologies. To which order do you belong, if any specifically? I’m sorry if my question seems silly, I don’t know how the different orders are organized. Thank you Father and May God bless you abundantly and St Therese pray for you in this day that she died!

Thomistic thought also seems to suggest a permitted evil for the sake of a "greater good". This can be misleading without a strong and clear caveat; namely only when a good might be greater than would have pertained in a contingent sinful situation. Without this caveat we expose ourselves to the error of assuming a "necessary evil". God lacks no virtue from all eternity and requires no evil to achieve His greatest of all possible goods. "And not rather, as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just" (Romans 3)

In some ways, what you've described, resembles John Wesley's Method, the Methodists, and the Friends (the Quakers) outlook

Can yo please elaborate what William of Ockham contributed to the Catholic Church ?

Voluntarists - is it possible for Francisans and Thomists to be both right? I think not since it is Intellect vs. Will. So, what does the Magisterium of the Church say about these differences and can only one order be correct but both still be withhin the theological framework of the Catholic Church? Confusing since they seem to contradict each other. But what do I know; dont have a PhD in my back pocket 😁

Father Casey, would you ever consider doing a video about the work of Father Richard Rohr, and Progressive Christianity, the universal Christ Etc ? That would be so helpful......how to be open to new perspectives without falling into herasy...thank you

Stay vibrant and shine on brother!! Enjoy the Feast of our brother Frankie here in a few days too, and celebrate your life a little. 💛🧡💙

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.

0:00-0:15 HA! Jokes on you, I’ve never heard of you people! I LIVED IN THE BACK WOODS OF SOUTHERN QUEBEC! Checkmate theists!(jk)

Am I crazy to see similarity between franciscan view of God and the force (from star wars?) like it being presence in everything. I not saying its a bad thing, actually, I think its pretty cool.

I introduce your videos to my nephew in Franciscan seminary Kerala India now all seminary is big fan of your videos 😂❤.

I recently discovered Duns Scotus. WOW! He explains our call better than anyone else. Thanks for this great summary of his ideas. AMEN!

Such a beautiful teaching. Thank You

Our youth group meets every Sunday after church and yesterday we had a talk from a Franciscan friar, what a coincidence that you'd release this video today!

Dear father, I m not much familiar in theology, but my understanding is both st.Francis and st.Thomos Aquinas did their best to bring people to Christ, only Christ is the source of their wisdom and revelation. Both of their ways is definitely lead us to Christ 🙏🙏🙏

I am surprised that you have nòt commented about the Amazonian Synod. Please read Fr Mark Goring's impassioned message about keeping our Church true to it's mission.

wow, this is very interesting and thought-provoking, indeed. Given the fact that over centuries Thomism has been the hegemonical school in Catholic Theology, does the Franciscan intellectual tradition adopt some elemens from that school?

I have a new friend, he is in hospice. He is a Franciscan. I don't understand it fully. I probably never will. But he is happy to see God soon. But, for me death from this life is scary, what if I am wrong! I promised him I will talk with him until he is gone from this world, we probably look at God differently in some aspects. I also promised him I will look up what Franciscan is. I'm gonna watch this video a few more times throughout the day and digest it. It is the least I can do for my dying friend.

If you are following a saint or praying to one, you are not walking with the Lord Jesus Christ! HE is the only door to the Father, He is the one you should pray to, in His name - Jesus. Read the old King James Bible and let God speak through His word. JUST believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and ALL your sins will be forgiven, you will be sealed for Heaven. THAT is the gospel we preach, now go out and preach it, time is short, no time for emotional or mystical experiences.

To me, this is probably the best video you have made. God is in all things and that is how we should approach the world ..... truth is found in the particular ..... in the heart of an individual's prayer ...... in what one can see and hear and touch .... faith is not just an intellectual exercise for its own sake, but something that is embodied and is meant to be acted upon. Dominus vobiscum ......

I feel like you have been watching me. 😂 I don't mind. To the. Moon. On God.

My father-in-law always says, "two Jews, three opinions"... sounds like we can say the same for Franciscans :)

The Dominicans were the inquisitors of the catoilic church horrific unquisitions that went on for over 300 years. Men and women were tortured and murdered by the thousands. Many were burned at the stake alive. Jesus commanded that we " Love our enemies."

I remember this argument from the dialogues of Plato. In Euthyphro, Socrates asks "are actions good because God says they are good (or right), or does God say actions are good because they are good? If God says an action is good, does that mean anything God commands is good? Suppose commands murder, torture, or a situation like Waco, Texas in 1993? If this view is accepted, then morality is mocked because to say God commands rightly is to say God commands as he commands. On the other hand, if God says something is good because it is good in and of itself, that means there is a standard outside of God to which God must conform. Therefore, we can conform to this standard outside of God without a supernatural deity. I don't necessarily believe any of this, but it is a dilemma.

It's so nice to know that all the identities we Christians have in our churches are within the Catholic church. So like why don't we all just like come on and be Catholic and just like be Catholic with these Franciscan identities right?

My entire relationship with God woke up and began to become truly whole when I read only an outline of Franciscan theology. No going back!

You speak to me. I want to join your order: Obedience, Poverty and Chastity

So two questions…god chooses what he makes good. So he picks winners and losers in a sense? I know some Christians believe Jesus is God in human form, but why would God in human form ask God why he forsaken himself on the cross?

I had no idea how much my understanding of Christianity was shaped by Franciscan theological outlooks. Thank you so much!

This is so complex. Is there ever a compromise?

This video tells me that one of the greatest theologians ever, Hans Urs von Balthasar, was very Franciscan indeed...

Hmm, I think the explanation of the Thomistic theology of the incarnation was a bit lacking... What if you seek out a Dominican friar to speak with in a video? Matt Fradd had an excellent and young (your age) Dominican on his show for over 2 hours delving deeeep into Catholic theology awhile back (you can find it on the Matt Fradd channel) I would love to hear the two of you (the particular Dominican friar I mentioned above) discuss the theology of the incarnation in depth. I know I gravitate towards a more Thomistic understanding, but I think a longer conversation would be good.

Theology is such a beautiful subject! I wish to study it in the future although there are not alot of colleges with a degree in theology but i pray that others will study it in the future!

Great video Father and well produced. Was it the broad theology of Franciscans that drew you to them? Or where there other elements?

I was baptized in a Franciscan Parish. Guess that means I'm a Franciscan! Now it makes sense why my Catholic spiritual life is the way it is!

So what your saying is if I become a catholic again (Franciscan) I can wear a sweet arse robe?

7:30 Study is only allowed if it does not extinguish spirit of prayer.

Curious how do Trappist Monks fit in this discussion if they fit at all?

Intellectualism makes far more sense than voluntarism

I am an evangelical Christian, but I've recently been fascinated with Franciscans. I am not considering becoming a Catholic because of my beliefs in solo scriptura, salvation by grace through faith alone, and my denial of the pope's authority, confessional, transubstantiation, and so on. What I've been pondering recently is living a very simple life. I want to gain wealth to help people around the world, as well as go on missions and provide for a family one day, but I have recently realized the futility in material items. I think one of the things that I like most about Franciscans is the tunic. Clothes, especially can represent a lavish and gluttonous lifestyle and I don't feel good wearing very expensive clothing. Living in simplicity has brought me closer to God in the past, so how can I include this in my Evangelical beliefs?

All dogs is okay, but do we have to have mosquitoes in heaven?

Thanks for a very informative summary of Franciscan theology -- and boy am I going to have to go off and do some reading!

I'm an atheist and I watch this video bc I'm a nerd :)

Got to love those Franciscans

St Bonaventure pray for us!

Great video, Frater Casey!! p & b

I love the Franciscans!!! Why do I love it so much?! Well...the place where I was born is all about Saint Francis of Assisi ( San Francisco de Asis ) Town San Francisco, Saint of the town San Francisco de Asis, school where I went to seventh grade is San Francisco de Asis. The church where I was baptize before my fifth birthdays is Saint Francis of Assisis. God bless you all. Thank you so for the video Fr. Casey. Peace, and love to all.

I might go Franciscan Idk I need to start discerning more

You had me at "our intellectual tradition"

Thank u padre. Now, I realize, im a franciscan hehehe

I guess you're better then Jesuits? Idk, if I had to pick an order I'd go Dominican

I learned a lot today ! Thank you Father !❤

Thanks be to God! ☺️🌺🕊️🙏🏽

Preach the good news to every creature.

Best video yet !