Eight Centuries Less. Francis of Assisi
In 1226, Francis of Assisi died. The wealthy merchant’s son who cast his expensive clothes at his father’s feet chose a life without possessions, devoted to serving the poorest. Eight hundred years after his death, his ideas and values continue to inspire people.
Saint Francis laid the foundations for the Franciscan tradition’s approach to and embodiment of peace, poverty and care for the earth.
On 26 November, 10 and 17 December, UCSIA invites historians and professionals from the social sector to explore these ideas and ideals of peace, poverty and ecology, placing them in context and assessing their relevance in the light of today’s challenges.
The lecture series is linked to the exhibition Eight Centuries Less at the Ruusbroec Library of the University of Antwerp.
Visibly Invisible. Begging in Our Society
Lecture by Pascal Debruyne
Begging: we see it every day in our cities, but do we really understand it? In their book Zichtbaar onzichtbaar (Visibly Invisible), Pascal Debruyne, Mieke Schrooten and Harm Deleu invite us to look beyond the clichés and discover the complex reality of people who beg.
Through incisive analyses, compelling stories and a range of perspectives – from social workers to policymakers, from families to the police – Visibly Invisible sheds light on the mechanisms that make begging such a persistent and controversial phenomenon.
In this lecture, author Pascal Debruyne (Odisee University of Applied Sciences) shares insights from the book into the worlds of care, human relationships, resilience and exclusion that lie behind begging. Who are the people on the street corners of our cities? What choices – or lack of choices – shape their lives?
Pascal Debruyne is a lecturer and researcher at the Centre for Social Work Research and the Family Studies Knowledge Centre of Odisee University of Applied Sciences.
Programme
- 19:00 CET | Doors open
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19:30 CET | Welcome and introduction
by Erik De Bom, Director of UCSIA -
19:40 CET | Lecture ‘Visibly Invisible. Begging in Our Society’
by Pascal Debruyne (Odisee University of Applied Sciences) - 20:15 CET | Questions from the audience
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20:30 CET | End of the event and optional visit to the exhibition Eight centuries less
at the library of the Ruusbroec Institute, Grote Kauwenberg 34, 2000 Antwerp
Francis’s Ideal of Poverty
Earlier that day, we welcome Professor Neslihan Şenocak (Columbia University) for a webinar exploring the ideal of poverty from early Christian asceticism through Francis to the Franciscan Order.
The webinar starts at 16:00 CET and lasts approximately one hour. It will be held in English. Registration is free.
Eight Centuries Less
How do Francis’s ideas on peace, poverty and ecology live on today? Discover the other lectures in the series:
- On Peace on 26 November 2026 – a joint lecture (in Dutch) with Barbara Mertens (TAU) and Bénédicte Kusendila (Pax Christi Flanders)
- The Franciscan Virtue of Poverty on 10 December 2026 – a webinar (in English) with Neslihan Şenocak (Columbia University)
- On Caring for the Earth on 17 December 2026 – a joint lecture (in Dutch) with Marianne Ritsema van Eck (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and Karel Ceule (Broederlijk Delen)
This series ties in with the exhibition Eight centuries less. From Francis’s youth in Assisi to the Jesuit concept of magis: explore the surprising traces of Francis of Assisi in the collection of the Ruusbroec Institute Library. Discover manuscripts, devotional prints and, for the first time, Sister Rumolda’s habit.
You can visit the exhibition free of charge until 29 January 2027 at the Ruusbroec Institute Library, Grote Kauwenberg 34, 2000 Antwerp.
