Argentine writer and philanthropist Alejandro Roemmers has become the first person to receive the “San Francesco Award” from the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome for promoting human values such as compassion and solidarity. This is the first time that the prize is not awarded to a work, but to a person for his or her way of life.
Alejandro Roemmers has supported various projects aimed at human development in South America and Africa, and he is also a prominent patron of artists and the president of the Argentine Poetry Foundation. In addition, he is promoting an initiative for universal hugs for fraternity to foster global peace and love.
On April 28th, Roemmers was presented with the San Francisco de Asís Award by the Antonianum University’s College of Professors, with the agreement of the Rector, Fray Agustín Hernández Vidales, in the Magna Aula of the university in Rome. The award recognizes and promotes the human values of compassion and solidarity, which are in line with the teachings of Pope Francis and San Francisco de Asís. The award has been given by the Franciscan Order for several decades, but this is the first time it has been bestowed upon a layperson.
Alejandro Roemmers has been selected to receive the award for promoting spiritual values that are characteristic of his personality and in line with Franciscan teachings. The Rector commented on Roemmers’ notable Franciscan vocation, stating that he is someone who is close to his fellow human beings, according to the teachings of Jesus and San Francisco de Asís.
Receiving the San Francisco de Asís Award is a significant achievement, and Alejandro Roemmers expressed his gratitude for the honor, saying that it is a recognition and an endorsement of all his actions aimed at promoting a message of individual peace and universal coexistence, love and compassion for all living beings, and the preservation of humanity’s spiritual values in an increasingly technological world.
Roemmers’ promotion of the universal hug initiative for fraternity is aimed at fostering global peace and love. The first event was held on April 30th, 2023, in the Porziuncola of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, Perugia. The idea is to generate hugs in different cities around the world, with the participation of young people of all ethnicities, to foster peace and love among the planet’s inhabitants. The initiative is inspired by the constant proclamation of San Francisco de Asís that “we are all brothers.” Roemmers hopes to energize the crusade towards the recovery of love and peace, beginning with an inner change in each one of us. The next hugs will take place in the United States, Japan, Mexico, and Argentina, with the aim of healing with love in places where there has been pain.
On Alejandro Roemmers:
He supports various human development projects that provide access to housing, health, and education for hundreds of families in South America and Africa. He is one of the largest donors to Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, and other NGOs worldwide.
Roemmers is also a patron of the arts and is the President of the Argentine Poetry Foundation. With an extensive career as a writer, he presented his spiritually themed book “The Return of the Young Prince” in 2008, which has been translated into more than 40 languages, making him one of the most successful Argentine authors with 3.5 million copies sold. His books of poetry have been distinguished throughout Latin America and Spain, and in 2009, he was recognized as a cultural interest work by the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation.
Roemmers was also recognized as a “prominent figure in the Culture of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires” in 2010 and received the honorific mention “Senator Domingo Faustino Sarmiento” from the Honorable Senate of the Nation as a writer, playwright, composer, and philanthropist.
He is a member of the Academy of Performing Arts of Spain and a Honorary Professor at the UNAM (Mexico), Universidad de Los Andes (Chile), and Universidad Nacional de La Matanza (Argentina). His theatrical work “Franciscus, una razón para vivir” paid tribute to Saint Francis of Assisi and was awarded the ACE Prize (Association of Entertainment Journalists) in 2016 and the Santa Clara de Asis Award in 2017. Roemmers’ latest novel, “Morir lo necesario,” was presented in 2022 and received praise from Nobel Prize winner in Literature Mario Vargas Llosa.
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