The time of the general chapter drew near, of that chapter which became
so celebrated by the number of religious which attended it, and by
many other marvellous circumstances. Before its assembling, the holy
Patriarch proposed to go to Perugia, to confer with the cardinal
protector, who was living there, on the affairs of the Order. Wading
states, on good authority, that St. Dominic was there at the same time,
and that they had several deliberations together with the cardinal,
who had a like esteem for both.
One day when they were in serious conversation on the affairs of the
Church, the cardinal asked them whether they should consider it
advisable for some of their members to be raised to ecclesiastical
dignities; "for," said he, "I am persuaded that they would have no
less zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, than those
bishops of the early ages of the Church, who, although in great poverty,
animated by ardent charity, fed their flocks with salutary instructions
and the example of a good life."
After a contest of humility between the two patriarchs, as to who
should speak first, Dominic, urged by Francis to take the lead, said
to him:--"You excel me in humility, and I will excel you in obedience."
He then gave the cardinal this answer:--"My lord, my brethren may well
consider themselves as holding a very elevated rank. What is there
more honorable than teaching others from the Evangelical pulpit? What
should well-thinking minds desire more than to be employed in defence
of the faith, and to combat the enemies of the Church? For this reason
I strenuously desire that my brethren may remain as they are, and I
will keep them so as long as I can." Francis made the following
reply:--"My lord, my brethren have received the appellation of Minors,
in order that they might never have the presumption to become great.
If it be your intention that they shall bear fruit in the Church, leave
them in their vocation, and never permit them to be raised to
prelatures."
The cardinal was greatly edified by their answers, and highly commended
the humility of their opinions, but he did not therefore change his
views. He thought, on the contrary, that such ministers would be most
useful in the Church, considering the corruption of the times.
The Church has since followed the opinion of this eminent dignitary,
having made many bishops and cardinals from the two orders, and several
have been even elevated to the sovereign pontificate.
But the Friars Preachers and the Friars Minor, who have preserved the
spirit of their vocation, have never had any other feelings than those
of their holy patriarchs on the subject of ecclesiastical dignities.
They have refused them as long as they could, and those who have
accepted them, have been compelled to do so by superior authority,
which they could not be dispensed from obeying.
Brother Leo, the companion and confessor of St. Francis, who was at
Perugia, and who assisted at all the conferences, says, that they spoke
much on the propagation of the faith and the salvation of souls; that,
having made reciprocal inquiries into the peculiarities of their
respective orders, Dominic proposed to Francis to unite them, and make
but one order, in order that the difference of the Institute should
not divide those whom the intimate friendship of their fathers had
closely united. To this proposition Francis replied:--"My dear brother,
it has been God's will that our orders should be different, the one
more austere than the other, in order to their being by this variety
better adapted to human infirmity, and to give an opportunity to such
as could not bear a life of very great austerity to embrace one which
was somewhat milder." Leo adds, that they took steps for maintaining
permanent agreement between the two orders; and, after having mutually
praised their congregations, they recommended to their companions who
were present, reciprocal respect and friendship for each other; that
Dominic requested Francis to give him his girdle, which was a cord
with large knots; and, having obtained it after many entreaties, he
wore it during the remainder of his life under his habit, as a bond
and perpetual symbol of the charity which so intimately united them.
Francis having discussed with the cardinal protector all the affairs
of his Order, left Perugia to return to St. Mary of the Angels. As he
discoursed on the road with his companion Leo, on the virtue of humility
and entire abnegation of self, he said in a moment of fervor:
"My dear brother, I do not believe myself to be a Friar Minor, and,
in truth, I am not one, unless I can bear humbly and with entire
tranquillity of mind, all that could happen to me under circumstances
which I can figure to myself. I suppose, then, that my brethren came
to seek me, with great respect and confidence, to assist at the general
chapter which is about to be holden, and solicit me to preach at it.
If, after having exhorted them in such terms as God shall have inspired
me, they were to rise up against me, and manifest openly that they
hold me in aversion, saying:--'We will no longer have you to govern
us; we are ashamed of having such a man as you at our head, who has
neither learning nor eloquence, who is simple and ignorant, with very
little prudence and experience; therefore, in future, do not have the
arrogance to call yourself our superior.' If they were to put other
affronts upon me, and to drive me ignominiously from the assembly, I
should not consider myself to be a true religious, unless I were to
receive all this as patiently and with equal serenity of countenance
as I should receive those who would load me with praise and honor."
To this he added: "Assuredly, places of honor are very dangerous to
salvation, not only from the vainglory which is to be feared, but
likewise from the government, which is very difficult; whereas, in
opprobrium, there is nothing but merit to be acquired. If I am removed
from the headship, I shall be exempt from being accountable to God for
a great number of souls. Prelature is a station of danger, and praise
brings one to the very edge of the precipice. In an humble, lowly
station, there is much to be gained. Why, then, do we look to and
prefer what is dangerous to what has so much more spiritual advantage,
since it is for this that time is given to us?" These are sentiments
which should be well considered by persons in every station of life,
whether they aspire to honors, or fear the losing of them. The profound
humility of St. Francis does not admit of a doubt of his having gone
through the trial which he here supposes; and even in putting it thus
hypothetically, he strengthened in his mind the virtue requisite for
supporting it in reality. These sorts of suppositions, which might be
stumbling-blocks to the weak, are very useful to those who aspire to
perfect humility.
The Friars Minor assembled for the general chapter of their Order at
the Convent of St. Mary of the Angels, or Portiuncula, near Assisi,
at the Feast of Pentecost, and their number exceeded five thousand.
This circumstance is truly amazing, particularly when it is recollected
that some remained in their respective convents; that the Order had
only existed ten years since its institution; and that the novices had
always been admitted by the Founder himself, except since the chapter
of the year 1216, when he had given the provincial ministers power to
receive them. It is nevertheless certain, that more than five thousand
Friars Minor assisted at this celebrated chapter: the fact is attested
by four of St. Francis' companions, who were present at it; by St.
Bonaventure, who lived with them and by many others.
What can be said on this subject, except that it pleased God to recall
in some measure, by the rapid establishment of this Order, the wonderful
spread of the Gospel by the preaching of the Apostles? St. Augustine
says that the Apostles were as dark clouds from whence lightning and
thunder emanated; that, by their poverty and their simplicity, they
shone in the eyes of the universe; that, by the powerful virtue and
splendor of their admirable actions, they overthrew everything which
was opposed to the empire of Jesus Christ, and, in a short time,
christianized the world. May we not also say, that Francis and his
companions, men poor and simple, were a representation of the Apostles;
that Jesus Christ rendered them powerful and eminent in words and
works, to bring back sinners to His empire, and that by them, in an
inconceivably short period of time, an immense number of Apostolic men
was collected and formed who embraced the same Institute, in order to
exercise the same ministry? What assists us in comprehending that in
ten years it had been possible to build a sufficient number of houses,
to contain so many thousand men is, that they were poor and without
any income.
The religious of this chapter were lodged in huts made of matting,
erected all round the Portiuncula convent, from which this chapter has
been called the Chapter of Mats. They were there separated from the
world, but perfectly united among themselves, all lovers of watching
and fasting after the example of their Father; zealous in prayer and
in the recital of Psalms, in spiritual reading, and in readiness to
execute all works of mercy, and having no other hope than that of the
happiness of a future life.
Cardinal Ugolino, as Protector of the Order, came to preside over the
chapter, and all the religious went in procession before him. He opened
the assembly on Whitsunday the 26th of May: he officiated pontifically,
and preached; and he deemed it his right to inspect the ranks of this
holy army of the Lord, in which he found everything in good order.
These soldiers of Jesus Christ were not seen wandering about; but all
were collected in groups, a hundred in one spot, sixty in another,
more or less, and conversing on holy subjects, on their own salvation,
or on that of their neighbours, and on the means of reforming the
morals of a corrupt world. The cardinal, delighted with so interesting
and unusual a scene, said to those who followed him, as Jacob had when
he met the angels on his way: "Truly, this is the Camp of God." We
might also apply to it what Balaam could not prevent himself from
saying, when he saw the Israelites encamped: "How beautiful are thy
tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!"
Francis, as a general in his camp, went through all the tents; he
encouraged his troops to fight valiantly the battles of the Lord,
assuring them of receiving assistance from on high, animating some,
and fulfilling in every place the duties of a vigilant chief.
He assembled all his brethren, and addressed them in an excellent
discourse, of which the following embraces the subject: "We have
promised great things; and we have been promised greater. Let us keep
the first, and let us sigh after the others: Pleasure is of short
duration; the penalty is eternal. Sufferings are light; glory is
infinite. Many are called; but few are chosen. Each one will receive
according to his deserts."
On this beautiful text he exhorted them, in the most forcible and
moving terms, to the practice of virtue and to the duties of a religious
life; urging them, above all things, to implicit obedience to our Holy
Mother the Church, to a contempt of the world, to purity of mind and
body, to a love of holy poverty and humility, to charity, to concord
and mildness, to continued watchfulness, and to an ardent zeal for the
salvation of souls. He recommended to them to pray for all the faithful,
and particularly for the exaltation of the Holy Roman Church, and for
the benefactors of the Order. After which he positively forbade them
to have any anxiety whatever for anything concerning the body, and he
quoted to them these words of the psalmist: "Cast thy care upon the
Lord and He shall sustain thee." He had conformed strictly to the rule
he laid down, for he had made no provision for the chapter.
St. Dominic, who, out of friendship for St. Francis, had come with six
of his companions to this assembly and who heard this discourse, was
fearful lest what he said and did was perhaps an exaggeration, and
that it might seem to be tempting the Lord, if some steps were not
taken for procuring food for so great a multitude. But he was of a
very different way of thinking shortly after when he saw arrive from
Assisi, Perugia, Spello, Foligno, Spoleto, and many more distant towns,
ecclesiastics, laics, nobles, burgesses, and persons of every state
of life who brought with them not only what was necessary for the
subsistence of such vast numbers, but pressed forward to serve the
religious themselves with an emulation of humility and charity.
So marked an interposition of Providence in behalf of these Evangelical
poor struck the Patriarch of the Friars Preachers with astonishment;
and it is believed that it suggested to him the intention which he
carried into execution the year after, when he assembled the first
general chapter of his order at Bologna, in which it was resolved that
the Friars Preachers should adopt the system of entire poverty, and
consider it as the fundamental rule of their order, renouncing forever
all property in land, or revenue arising therefrom, even what they had
at Toulouse, which the Pope had confirmed to them by his first bull.
In dying, he recommended to them this Evangelical poverty as the
foundation of their institute; and lest this foundation should be
undermined by the prudence of the flesh, he forbade in the strongest
terms, on pain of the curse of the Almighty, and of his also, the
introduction into the order of any temporal possessions.
May Evangelical poverty that made so strong an impression on the mind
of St. Dominic teach the faithful never to be mistrustful of the care
of Divine Providence!
However, we are not to look for, or expect miraculous assistance; this
is not in the ordinary course of God's dispensations; but after doing
all that depends on ourselves, provided there be no irregularity on
our part, and that our desires are within the bounds of moderation,
without any impatience as to the event, we may assure ourselves that,
according to the words of the wise man: "No one hath hoped in the Lord
and hath been confounded."
Several prelates, and other persons of quality, who had been invited
by Cardinal Ugolino to the Chapter, as to a grand and admirable sight,
had the curiosity to examine everything minutely. They saw the religious
in their miserable huts, coarsely dressed, taking but a very small
portion of nourishment, sleeping on mats spread on the earth with a
log of wood for a pillow. They noticed at the same time that they were
quite calm, that joy and concord were universal amongst them, and that
they were entirely submissive to their saintly founder. Admiring all
these things, they said to each other: "This shows that the way to
heaven is narrow, and that it is very difficult for the rich to enter
into the Kingdom of God. We flatter ourselves that we shall eke out
our salvation in the enjoyment of all the comforts of life, having our
ease in all things, while these people, to save their souls, deprive
themselves of everything, mortify their bodies, and are notwithstanding
not without great apprehension. We should like to die as they will,
but we do not choose to live as they live." Similar reflections
converted a great number of persons, and more than five hundred took
the habit of the Friars Minor during the chapter.
The holy Patriarch found that many of his religious submitted themselves
to extraordinary mortifications, which either shortened their days or
rendered them useless to the Order by the illnesses which were the
consequence. He therefor publicly forbade them, by the virtue of holy
obedience, to make use of such means, and ordered all who had coats
of mail, iron girdles, or other instruments of mortification, to leave
them off and deliver them up to him. This was done, and some most
extraordinary modes of inflicting self-punishment were discovered. The
number of coats of mail and iron girdles which were delivered up were
more than five hundred; they were put into a heap, and the Patriarch
thought proper to show them to the cardinal and his company, for their
edification. They were astonished on witnessing so great a love of
such penitential austerities, in men of such pure and holy lives. In
their presence he again forbade his dear brethren indiscreet
mortifications, which are injurious to the body; representing to them
that they either hasten death, or throw the body into such a state of
languor and weakness, as makes it unfit for spiritual exercises, or
an impediment to the practice of good works. Oh, fortunate and happy
times, when it was necessary to check such failings!
God made known to Francis, in a revelation he had during the sitting
of the chapter, that the Prince of Darkness, alarmed at the fervor of
the new Order, had collected thousands of demons, to concert together
on the means of bringing it to ruin; and that one of them, more astute
than the rest, had put forth an opinion which it had been decided
should be acted upon. It was, not to attack the Friars Minor openly,
but to have recourse to artifice; to induce them to receive into their
society nobles, learned men, and youths. Nobles, in order by their
means to introduce effeminacy in which they had been brought up; learned
men, who, proud of their learning, should have a contempt for humility;
and youths, who, being weak and delicate, would greatly relax in the
regular discipline.
Religion teaches us that there are demons, and that they are subordinate
one to the other; that God, when it pleases Him, permits them to tempt
mankind, and even torment them corporally; and St. Paul speaks of "the
Prince of the powers of this air." We know what Satan did to holy Job;
and what our Lord said to St. Peter: "Satan hath desired to have you,
that he might sift you as wheat;" and what He stated elsewhere: "When
an unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he taketh with him seven spirits
more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there." Thus we
need have no difficulty in believing that the prince of darkness had
collected such a number of demons against St. Francis and his Institute.
St. Gregory says, that they attack with greater violence those in whom
they find a greater disposition to holiness, and that the principal
demons are employed in the attacks on the bravest soldiers of Jesus
Christ. What must be the wrath of these malignant spirits against the
apostolical men, whose lives are wholly employed in effecting the
salvation of souls!
Francis had already been made aware by the words of a young female who
was possessed, as St. Bonaventure relates, that the devils, irritated
by the injury he did them, had assembled against him, and then he
merely said, as Paul did: "I am the stronger." But he was alarmed when
he learnt from God Himself the increase of their rage. He retired for
two days to an oratory to pray for grace to be able to escape from
their snares, and that he might be protected by good angels. His prayer
gave him fresh courage; he returned to the chapter, and addressed his
brethren with energy on the watchfulness with which it was incumbent
on them to work out their salvation, without placing too much reliance
on the holiness of their state of life, from which they must be
apprehensive lest they should fall off by the machinations of their
enemy. "You know," he said, "the examples we have; Satan fell from
Heaven, and drew with him a number of the angels; he caused Adam and
Eve to be driven from Paradise; he prayed to be allowed to sift the
Apostles as wheat is sifted; and he did so with such effect, that one
of them betrayed his Master, another denied Him, and all fled when He
was captured."
The Saint then explained to them what God had made known to him of the
designs of the devil; and in order that the enemy's malignity might
fall on himself, he warned them to pay more attention in the reception
of advices to the sentiments of the mind than to the advantages of
birth; to be very careful that the learned whom they should admit,
should be devoid of pride, and were fit to edify others by their
humility, and to be careful that such as joined them in the flower of
youth, should be informed of all that they would have to practice in
future.
For the holy man did not think it requisite, in consequence of Satan's
malice, to prohibit noblemen from joining his Order, since their example
has great influence, and the elevated sentiments which are found in
that class, render them more fit to do great things for the service
of God. He did not wish to drive away the learned, since learning is
necessary for the exercise of the functions of religion, and since
those men who join the knowledge of sound doctrine to an Evangelical
life, are most instructive teachers in the Church, for the dissipation
of error and the establishment of virtue. He also desired that they
should receive such young men as should present themselves in the
tenderest age, "because it is good for man to bear the yoke from his
youth:" to leave the world, before having any knowledge of it, except
through the lights of the Church, and to offer themselves as pure
victims, rather than to bring to Him the remains of a heart stained
by the passions; and, moreover, our Saviour said to His disciples, who
turned away the children who came to Him: "Suffer them, and forbid
them not to come to me." We know that there are in the world censorious
people who condemn the custom of permitting young persons to enter
into a religious state; it would be easy to show, if it were not for
fear of rendering this work too voluminous, that their arguments are
based on a superficial foundation, and are contrary to the maxims of
Christianity; we therefore content ourselves with saying that at the
Council of Trent, which was guided by the Spirit of truth in its
discipline, as well as in its dogmas and morality, permission was given
to persons of either sex, to make profession as a religious at the
full age of sixteen; that rule is authorized by the ordinances of all
Christian princes, and it therefore seems very extraordinary that any
individuals should be rash enough to oppose their private opinions to
so respectable an authority.
Francis, who was desirous of encouraging the fervor of his disciples,
apprised them of what they had to fear, and anticipated the smallest
inclinations to pride in them, by salutary humiliations. The cardinal
protector having one day preached before all the religious of the
chapter, and having concluded his sermon by bestowing on them
considerable praise, the holy Patriarch asked his permission to address
the audience. He foretold to them, and represented in lively colors,
all that was to happen to the Order; the temptations to which they
were to be exposed; the tribulations they were to suffer; the changes
that would be brought in, and their decline. He reproached them with
their laxity, and with their want of fervor in cooperating with the
peculiar graces they had received from God; he spoke so energetically,
that, in censuring their foolish obsequiousness, if such a fault they
had, he covered them with confusion. The cardinal was somewhat
mortified, and said:--"Pray, why, brother, did you gainsay me, setting
the imperfections of your brethren in opposition to the praises I had
given them?" "My lord and my father," answered Francis, "I did so, in
order to preserve the substance of your praise. I was apprehensive
that such praise being given by a person of your exalted rank, might
inspire vanity into the minds of those in whom humility has not as yet
thrown out deep roots." This affords great matter for reflection for
those virtuous persons who voluntarily receive praise, at least when
it is artfully administered; and for indiscreet flatterers, who expose
virtue to a dangerous trial.
What occurred on the following day, showed that the holy man had
received from God the perfect means of appreciating men's minds. Brother
Elias, who was the provincial for Tuscany; Brother John of Strachia,
who was provincial for Bologna, and several others came to the cardinal
protector and entreated him to tell Francis, as from himself, that he
ought to listen to the advice of his brethren, among whom there were
many learned men, fully capable of governing; particularly as he himself
was a simple and unread man, whose ill health did not permit him to
bring their affairs into good order. They added, that respect ought
to be paid to the ancient rules of St. Basil, of St. Augustine, and
of St. Benedict, and that Minors should not differ so widely by a new
rule and excessive severity, as if they wished to be better than their
fathers.
The cardinal took his time, and then proposed all these things to
Francis, as maxims which he deemed good for the government of the
Order. The Saint being immediately made aware by the Spirit of God,
that these things were suggested by others, rose up from the place in
which he had been seated with the cardinal, took him respectfully by
the hand, and led him to the brethren who were assembled in chapter,
and said:
"My brethren, my brethren, God has called me by the way of simplicity
and humility, in order that I might follow the folly of the cross: it
is for His glory and my confusion, and for the security of your
consciences I am about to tell you what He said to me:--'Francis,' He
said, 'I desire that you may be in the world a new little idiot, who
shall preach by thy actions and by thy discourses the folly of the
cross. Do thou and thine follow me only, and not any other manner of
life.' Speak not to me therefore of any other rule, he added, for I
shall not follow, nor prescribe any other than that which God has in
His mercy given me; those who swerve from it, I fear, will feel the
Divine vengeance, and will be covered with confusion, when at length
they shall be obliged once more to enter into this path, which God has
shown me."
Then addressing himself to the cardinal, he said:--"My lord, these
wise people, whom your lordship praises so much, would wish by their
worldly prudence to deceive both God and you; but they deceive
themselves, endeavoring to destroy what God has ordained for their
salvation, through me, his unworthy servant. I attribute nothing to
myself of what I do, or of what I say; I rely not on my own lights in
the government of the Order; I arrange everything by long prayers with
our Divine Father, who governs it sovereignly, and who has made His
will known to us by so many manifest signs, in order to bring to
perfection the work He has commenced by so miserable a man as I am,
for the salvation of souls, and the edification of our holy mother the
Church. Those who prefer the wisdom of the world to the will of the
Lord, expose themselves manifestly to be lost." Having spoken thus,
Francis retired.
The cardinal, who admired the energy of his words, and the light which
disclosed to him at once the most secret thoughts, said to the superiors
who were abashed:--"My dear brethren, you have seen how the Holy Ghost
has himself spoken by the mouth of this apostolical man; his words
came forth as a two-edged sword, which has penetrated to the bottom
of the heart. Take care that you do not grieve the Spirit of God; be
not ungrateful for the favors He has done you. He is truly in this
poor man, and manifests to you, through him, the marvels of His power;
in listening to him, it is Jesus Christ that you hear; in despising
him, it is Jesus Christ whom you despise. Humble yourselves, therefore,
and obey him, if it is your desire to please God, and not lose the
fruit of your vocation; for I know by experience, that everything which
either the devils or men are about to attempt against his Order, is
revealed to him. Whatsoever may be said to him with good or bad
intention, it is difficult to find him off his guard; neither my advice,
nor that of any other person, will turn him from his purpose." The
provincials who had given rise to this scene were moved, and submitted
themselves to the will of the Patriarch.
Among the religious who had congregated at the chapter, there were
many who came to seek a remedy for the ill-treatment they had received
in many places out of Italy, which had its rise in two causes; the
first was, that they had no authenticated letters to show that their
Institute had been approved by the Church; the second was, that the
pastors would not allow them to preach. They begged therefore that the
Pope might be solicited to give them written testimonials to certify
that they had his approbation of their Institution; and, moreover,
that they should obtain from the Holy Father a privilege, in virtue
of which they might preach wherever they thought proper, even without
leave from the bishops.
The holy founder could not hear this second article without indignation.
"What my brethren" said he, "are you still devoid of understanding;
and do you not know the will of God? It is His pleasure that we should
gain the good will of our superiors by our respect for them, and by
humility; and then by word and good example, those who are under them.
When the bishops see that you live holily, and that you do not encroach
on their authority, they themselves will apply to you to work for the
salvation of the souls which are committed to their care; they
themselves will collect their flocks to listen to you, and to imitate
you. Let it be our sole privilege to have no privilege calculated to
swell our pride; to give ourselves a confidence which shall be to the
prejudice of others, and be the cause of contentions. Let us ask nothing
of the Holy See but what is calculated to aid us in serving God, in
extending the faith, and in gaining souls under the good pleasure of
the prelates, without causing any disturbance among the people."
Some represented that they had found many of the heads of the parochial
clergy so harsh, that they had been unable to mollify them, either by
entreaties, or by labor, by submissiveness or good example, so as to
obtain leave to preach to their parishioners, or to receive from them
any corporal assistance; to this Francis replied:
"My brethren, we are sent to the aid of priests, to make good that in
which they may be deficient. Each one will receive his reward, not
according to the degree of his authority, but in proportion to his
labors. Know, then, that what is most agreeable to God is, to work for
the salvation of souls, and that we shall best succeed in this by
living in concord with the priests than by living separately from them;
if they throw obstacles in the way, God, to whom all vengeance belongs,
will give them in His good time what is their due. Be therefore
submissive to ecclesiastical superiors, in order to avert, as much as
may be in your power, any jealousies. If you are children of peace,
you will soon ingratiate yourselves with the clergy and the people,
and this will be more acceptable to God than if you gained over the
people, and thereby gave scandal to the clergy. Hide the faults of the
priests, make good what they are deficient in, and be only in
consequence the more humble."
The Religious of St. Francis must not be surprised if they, even in
these days, meet with opposition in the exercise of their holy
ministries. It is an occurrence which the similarity of men may at all
times bring about; and which St. Paul experienced more than any other
in the course of his ministry. But let them be careful to put in
practice the advice of their Father, in order that they may be able
to say in truth with the apostle:--"We have injured no man" And,
finally, the advice which he gave them must induce us to notice his
moderation and his discretion, in an age when the Church had reason
to renew the laments of one of the Prophets against the pastors of
Israel.
He judged it proper, by the advice of the cardinal protector, to procure
Apostolic letters to make known the approbation his Institute had
received; and he obtained them from the Pope, who was then at Viterbo.
These were the first which were given to the Order of Friars Minor:
their contents are as follows:
Honorius, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the Archbishops,
Bishops, Abbots, Deacons, Archdeacons, and other Superior
Ecclesiastics--
"As our dear son, brother Francis and his companions, have renounced
the vanities of the world, and embraced a state of life which the Roman
Church has justly approved; and, following the example of the Apostles,
are about to go into different parts to announce the word of God; we
beg and exhort you in our Lord, and we command you by these Apostolical
letters, to receive as Catholic and faithful, the brothers of this
Order, the bearers of these letters who may apply to you, to be
favorable to them, and to treat them with kindness, for the honor of
God, and out of consideration for us. Given this 3d of the Ides of
June, the third year of our pontificate."
Many cardinals and other illustrious persons added their letters of
recommendation to those of the Pope, particularly Cardinal Ugolino,
the protector of the Order, who testified by a document addressed to
all prelates, which certified the intimate knowledge he had of the
virtues of the Founder and of his religious, and the great fruit that
was to be expected from them for the propagation of the faith, and the
benefit of the whole Church. They made a great number of authenticated
copies of these letters, to give them to those friars whom Francis had
resolved to send in all directions, even into the most distant lands.
Three things were decreed at this general chapter. The first was, that
on every Saturday a solemn mass should be celebrated in honor of the
immaculate Blessed Virgin Mary. This glorious title of Immaculate,
which the general councils of the seventh and eighth centuries, and
the ancient fathers of the Church, have given to Mary, has been used
by the Council of Trent, which has declared in its decree on the subject
of original sin, "that it is not its intention to include therein the
blessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God." The use which the
Friars Minor made of it in 1219, shows clearly that they adopted, as
did their sainted Patriarch, the common opinion of the Greek Church,
which was already spread in various parts of the Latin Church, in honor
of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin, because they thought it wholly
pure and exempt from the stain of original sin. Their successors have
always, with admirable zeal, maintained this opinion, which God in so
far blessed, that they have now the advantage and consolation of seeing
the institution of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the whole
Church, and of knowing that what was at one time only a pious opinion
is now a dogma.
It is proper to notice here, that at the head of the Friars Minor, who
supported the proposition of the Immaculate Conception, was the
celebrated John Duns Scotus, so respected in the Church for his
penetrating genius, for the solidity of his doctrine, and for his
singular piety. He silenced his opponents, and his success was so
manifested that all considered him to have had the special aid of the
Blessed Virgin, and his reasonings were so convincing that the
University of Paris admitted them, and declared in favor of the doctrine
of the Immaculate Conception, which it has maintained ever since. In
the fifteenth century, the faculty of Theology passed a solemn decree
on this point, in which it declared that in consonance with the opinions
of its predecessors, and in order to oppose the enemies of the Blessed
Virgin, it bound itself by oath to maintain the proposition that the
Mother of God was preserved from original sin, framing a law, not to
receive any doctor who should not take this oath; which practice was
continued till the dogma was declared in 1854, when it was no longer
necessary.
This is the pious triumph of all the Sons of St. Francis who, in
gratitude for so singular a privilege, honor the Blessed Virgin as the
Patroness and Protectress of their Order, under the title of her
Immaculate Conception, and by celebrating the festival thereof with
every possible solemnity.
The second statute directed, that express mention should be made of
the names of St. Peter and St. Paul, in the prayer, "Protege nos Domine,
etc.," and in another which begins with these words--"Exaudi nos Deus,"
etc., in memory of what had been revealed to St. Francis, that these
apostles interceded powerfully with God for his Institute. This is
practised by the whole Church since Innocent IV revised and reformed
the Roman Breviary, through Aymon, an Englishman, who was the fifth
general of the Order of Friars Minor.
In the third statute it was said that poverty should be apparent in
everything, in the convents which they should build; that the churches
should be small and low, and that the walls of the rest of the buildings
should be of wood or mud. Some difficulties were started to this; many
represented that in their provinces wood was dearer than stone, and
that walls of masonry, if they were not too high, would better denote
poverty, because they would be solid and not compel frequent repair.
The holy Founder would not argue this matter with them; for it is
remarked that not to give rise to any dispute, and not to give scandal
to the weak, he often condescended to the opinions of others in similar
matters. Nevertheless he recommended to them all, not to receive either
churches or houses which were not in conformity to holy poverty which
was their rule.
It was not possible always to follow out his intentions. The prelates
and princes who were greatly attached to his Order had beautiful
convents built, which his religious could not avoid receiving; and St.
Bonaventure even says that a numerous community which has different
exercises to perform, requires large houses, although care should be
taken that holy poverty should be apparent throughout, and that
superfluity should not preponderate over what is reasonably necessary.
The chapter being ended, Francis, following the example of the Apostles,
divided the world among his brethren, in order to bring it all in
subjection to the Empire of Jesus Christ.
The first mission to Germany had not been successful. Those who had
been sent thither by the preceding chapter, not knowing the language,
and answering badly the questions put to them, were suspected from
their poor and unusual habit to belong to those heretics who were
prosecuted in Italy, in consequence of which they were cruelly
ill-treated and driven away. The recital which they gave on their
return made Germany so unpopular among the brethren that they said
that none ought to go there but such as aspired to martyrdom, and that
many prayed to Heaven to be preserved from the ferocity of the Germans.
Francis did not think proper to send any more there till such time as
he should have received some novices from thence who might go there
with others; but he sent some into Hungary.
As soon as the several missions had been fixed upon, the missionaries
prepared to set out. Before we give an account of St. Francis' voyage
to the Levant, we think it desirable to give an abridgment of what his
children did in various parts of the world, because the principal glory
is due to him, and these proceedings naturally belong to the history
of his life.
Benedict of Arezzo embarked with his companions for Greece, where their
preaching, backed by the holiness of their lives, and confirmed by
miracles, produced abundance of fruit for the salvation of souls, and
procured so many houses for the Order that in a very short time it was
formed into an entire province, and was called Romania.
Giles and Electe, who anxiously aspired to martyrdom, and who were
only lay-brothers, had appeared to St. Francis to be more fit to be
sent to the Saracens than even those of the clergy, and they hastened
to go into Africa with several others. What chiefly animated the zeal
of brother Giles, as the author of his life remarks, was his having
heard that the Saracens treated with great cruelty those Christians
who spoke ill of the law of Mahomet. When he reached Tunis with a party
of missionaries, he generously preached the faith in public, and this
continued for some time. A person who was looked up to among the
Saracens for his great wisdom, having come forth from his retreat,
told the people that they ought to put to the sword all those infidels
who spoke against the law of their prophet. Giles and his companions
were delighted at the prospect of an early martyrdom; but the Christians
with whom they had their domicile, fearing lest they might be included
in the massacre, took away these preachers and compelled them to go
on board a vessel in the harbor, and did not permit them again to land.
As they did not cease addressing the Mahometans who crowded to the
sea-shore, with a view to induce them to embrace the faith of Jesus
Christ,--their desire to sacrifice their lives for His glory being so
ardent,--the Christian residents hastened to have them removed to
Europe. Thus seeing that even their fellow-believers were opposed to
their views, they returned to Italy.
Electe was more fortunate; during some years he performed the functions
of an apostle in another town in Africa, where he received the crown
of martyrdom. A body of Saracens rushed upon him while he was preaching,
upon which he fell on his knees, grasped the Rule with both hands,
asked pardon for his faults from God and from his companions, and then
presented his neck to the infidels who took away his life. This did
not happen till after the death of St. Francis. He had entered the
Order when very young, and had lived in it with great austerity, always
wearing a coat of mail on his bare body, so that he prepared himself
for the martyrdom of blood by the martyrdom of penance, as was
recommended to the Christians in time of persecution.
Those who went into Spain with John Parent proceeded with so much speed
that ten of them arrived at Saragossa by the Feast of the Assumption;
a very short time after their departure, Bernard de Quintavalle, who
was sent into this kingdom after the chapter of 1216 had established
two convents, the one at Toledo, the other at Carrion de los Condes,
a town in the Kingdom of Leon. Some of his companions had been admitted
at Lerida, and at Balaguer, in Catalonia, under very extraordinary
circumstances, which are omitted not to be too prolix. Zachary and
Gautier, who had been sent into Portugal, had had much to suffer in
the beginning; but Queen Urraqua, the wife of Alphonso II, who then
reigned, was a most pious princess. She, having caused their Institute
to be examined by very learned men, and having had full assurance of
the holiness of their lives, now obtained leave from the king for their
being received into his states, and permission for their building
convents. A house was given them, with a chapel attached to it, of St.
Anthony, near Coimbra, where the court then was, and subsequently one
on a larger scale at Lisbon. Princess Sancia, the daughter of Sancho
I, and sister of Alphonso II, highly praised by historians for her
piety and chastity, protected Zachary, and gave him a third house,
called of St. Catharine, at some distance from the Town of Alenquer,
which was her own; but in consequence of the distance and the
insalubrity of the air, she some years after converted her own palace
into a convent, which she gave to the Friars Minor. Gautier, one of
Bernard's companions, who had made many great conversions by his virtues
and his miracles, near Guimaraens, had built a convent not very far
from that town.
While at the convent of St. Catharine, a very queer thing occurred,
which we have not thought right to omit here on account of the
instruction it contains. One of the ladies, in waiting on the princess
whose name was Maria Garcia, often came to have some pious conversation
with one of the holy religious, who was very averse to receiving her,
because he feared the company of females. One day when he was at prayer,
she came to the church, and expressed a wish to see him, but he refused
to go to her. The historian says that in order to obtain what she
wished for, she did what women generally do under such circumstances,
she became more importunate, and cried bitterly, and protested that
it would give her great pain if she might not speak to the holy man.
He therefore came, to get rid of her importunities; but he brought
some straw in one hand, and some fire in the other; he set the straw
on fire in her presence, and then said to her: "Although, madam, all
your conversations are pious, I refuse to hold them with you in private,
because what you see has happened to the straw, is what religious
persons have to fear may occur to them if they have private and familiar
intercourse with women; and at least they lose the fruits of their
holy communications with God in prayer." The lady blushed, retired,
and troubled him no more. St. Jerome, who so strongly recommended to
ecclesiastics and religious to avoid conversations with the female sex
would certainly have approved of this action.
John Parent arrived at Saragossa in the month of August, 1219, with
nine of his brethren who were followed by many others soon after; he
addressed himself to the Bishop and to the magistrates who assembled
to hear him. He explained to them who Francis of Assisi was, his
vocation, his mission, his mode of life, his Institute, the approbation
given to his Rule by Pope Innocent III and Honorius III, and the
testimonials given to him by several cardinals. He remarked to them
that the new Order had been exceedingly multiplied in a very few years,
and that they had seen more than five thousand religious at the general
chapter which had been lately assembled in the neighborhood of Assisi,
which was considered to be miraculous; that their Father had sent a
great number of his children into all parts of the world to combat
vice and encourage virtue, which circumstance should be considered as
a bountiful effect of Divine Providence towards His Church, in such
calamitous times. He concluded by saying: "If our Institute is agreeable
to you, we earnestly entreat you to give us some small place in which
we may recite the Divine Office, and fulfil the other ministries which
our Founder has recommended to us. Have no anxiety as to our
subsistence, for we solicit no part of your goods; we content ourselves
with very little; we are poorly clad; work and questing furnish us
with all that we require."
All the assembly admired the spirit of humility which prevailed through
this discourse, and the reading of the Papal Bull, with the testimonials
of the cardinals, were proofs that nothing had been set forth but what
was true. They conceived such a liking to the Order, that they took
immediate measures for giving to John Parent and his companions a
dwelling of which they took possession on the 28th of August.
The Order of St. Francis, as well as that of St. Dominic, began from
that time to spread through all Spain. On all sides preachers of the
two orders were found, and new convents were erected, as Luke, Bishop
of Tuy, a contemporary author, mentions in his chronicle when he speaks
of the marvels of the reign of St. Ferdinand, King of Castile and Leon.
It would clearly appear that both the one and the other were in the
City of Leon about that time, since the same author, in his excellent
work against the Albigenses, says that they exerted themselves with
great zeal and energy against the heretics, who, to seduce the faithful,
published pretended miracles which they asserted to have been performed
by the bones of one Arnold a man of their sect who had been dead sixteen
years, and they also accused the good religious who exposed their
impostures of heresy. Such is the mode adopted by certain sectarians;
they endeavored to establish their false doctrine by fictitious
miracles; while they insolently refused credence to those which the
Catholic Church admitted as certain; and all have sufficient audacity
to treat as heretics the orthodox who prove them to be heretics
themselves.
The mission to France was equally successful with that of Spain.
Pacifico and his companions who began it in 1216, were exposed to
hunger, cold, and all other kinds of inconveniences, which men are
exposed to suffer when out of their own country, unknown, and destitute
of everything, and moreover living an unusual and extraordinary sort
of life. They went to that office of the night which is called matins
in those churches in which it is said at midnight, as is still the
custom at Notre Dame, in Paris. If there was no service in the places
where they were, they then prayed by themselves at that hour, and they
passed the whole night at the foot of the altar; after which, if no
one offered them a meal, they went questing from door to door. The
remainder of the day was spent in the hospitals, making the beds of
the lepers and other sick, dressing their wounds, and rendering them
such other services of humility and charity as they had learned from
the example and instruction of their Father Francis. So saintly a life
attracted the attention of all, gained their esteem, caused many to
embrace the Institution, and procured for them many establishments,
notably the one at Paris.
Angelo of Pisa, one of the missioners sent by St. Francis, was the
first warden of the Parisian convent. This convent soon became a
college, where young men, from all parts of the world came to study,
and, subsequently, to take out degrees in the university. Several great
men have, in the last five hundred years, rendered this college
illustrious.
Pacifico, whom St. Francis had appointed provincial of the French
missions, sent some of the religious into different parts of the
kingdom, where they were well received. He went with some companions
into Hainault, and other provinces of the Low Countries, where, by the
liberality and under the protection of the Countess of Flanders, Joanna
of Constantinople, he caused many houses to be built.
Thomas de Chantpre, a Canon Regular of St. Austin, and subsequently
a religious of the Order of St. Dominic, states, as an eye-witness,
a very marvellous thing which deserves to be recorded in the life of
St. Francis, since it occurred during his lifetime, relative to his
Order. At Thorouth, a town in Flanders, a child of five years of age,
whose name was Achaz, of a good family, having seen, in 1219, the habit
of the Friars Minor, begged his parents to give him a similar one. His
entreaties and tears induced them to gratify him. He was therefore
habited as a Friar Minor, with a coarse cord and bare feet, not choosing
to have any money, not even to touch it, and he practised as much as
was in his power the exercises of the religious. Among his companions
he was seen to act as preacher, cautioning them against evil, exciting
them to virtue by the fear of the pains of Hell, and by the hopes of
the glories of Heaven; teaching them to say the Lord's Prayer, and the
Angelic Salutation, and to honor God by genuflections. He reproved
such as did anything wrong in his presence, even his own father, if
he heard him swear, or saw him in a state of inebriety. "My Father,"
he would say, with tears in his eyes, "does not our cure tell us that
those who do such things will not possess the Kingdom of God?" Being
one day at church with his mother, who was dressed in a handsome gown
of a flame color, he pointed out to her a crucifix, as a censure on
her vanity, and warned her to be careful that the color she wore did
not cause her to fall into the flames of Hell, which warning had so
great an effect that his mother never after wore anything but the
plainest dress. Such a precocious mind, with so much matured wisdom
and piety, was universally admired, and every one took pleasure in
seeing and listening to this amiable child.
God took him from this world before he had attained his seventh year.
In his last illness, he confessed, and solicited most earnestly to be
allowed to receive the Body of Christ. The cure not venturing to comply
with his request, on account of his tended age, although his reason
was so mature and his holiness so manifest, he raised his hands to
Heaven, and said, in tender accents:--"My Lord Jesus Christ, Thou
knowest that all that I wish for in this world is to receive Thee. I
begged for Thee, and have done what I could; I hope with entire
confidence that Thou will not deprive me of the happiness of possessing
Thee." He then consoled and exhorted his parents and others who
surrounded him, after which he gave up his pure soul to God, praising
Him, and ejaculating prayers to Him.
The ocular witness adds two circumstances which are very remarkable;
the first is, that the religious habit which this holy child wore
disappeared, and could never afterwards be found. The second, that the
Friars Minor who, as well as himself, went to pray at his grave, could
not go through the _De profundis_ which they had commenced,
notwithstanding all the efforts that they made to do so; by which they
understood, that so pure a soul stood in no need of prayer; and, no
doubt, they only endeavored to offer up some under the impression that
a mind so early in other respects matured, might have been capable of
contracting some stain.
Francis, having despatched his disciples to the several missions
allotted to them, as has been said, prepared to go himself to the
Levant, with a zeal equal to that with which he had inspired his
brethren, when Cardinal Ugolino, the protector of the Order, entered
into discussion with him on the subject of the government of the
establishment of St. Damian's, in which Clare presided, and of the
other monasteries of females which had been commenced on that model.
Cardinal Ugolino, by the advice and authority of the Pope leaving to
Francis the guidance of the Monastery of St. Damian of Assisi, took
upon himself the direction of all the others who had adopted that rule,
and nominated as visitor-general under his orders, a prudent religious
of the order of Citeaux, called Ambrose. He gave them the rule of St.
Benedict, with constitutions which Wading gives at length. We do not
transcribe them here, because, in the year 1224, St. Francis gave them
another rule, which will be spoken of later, and which is the only one
which ought to be called the rule of St. Clare or of the Second Order.
The holy Patriarch being now about to set out in order to preach the
Gospel to the Mahometans of the Levant, resolved to send to those who
were in the west, some of his brethren. He chose six for Morocco:
Vidal, a very prudent and pious religious, whom he nominated superior;
Berard de Carbio, from the vicinity of Narni, who was well versed in
the Arabian language; Peter, of St. Geminien, and Otho, who were in
priests' orders; and Ajut, and Accurse, who were lay-brethren.--Having
sent for them he spoke as follows:--
"My dear children, it is God who has commanded me to send you amongst
the Saracens, to make known His faith, and refute the law of Mahomet.
I shall go in a different direction to work for the conversion of the
same infidels, and thus I shall send preachers over the whole earth.
Prepare yourselves, therefore, to fulfil the will of the Lord. To
render yourselves worthy of it, take great care to preserve peace and
concord among yourselves, as the ever-subsisting ties of charity. Avoid
envy which was the first cause of the loss of mankind. Be patient in
tribulations, and humble in success; which is the means of coming off
victorious in all encounters. Imitate our Lord Jesus Christ in his
poverty, chastity, and obedience; He was born poor, He lived poor, and
it was in the bosom of poverty that He died. To manifest how highly
He loved chastity, He chose to be born of a virgin, He took virgins
for His first soldiers, He kept, and counselled virginity, and He died
in presence of two virgins. As to obedience, He never ceased from
practising it from His birth to His death on the cross. Place your
hopes in the Lord, He will guide and assist you. Take our rule with
you, and a breviary, in order that you may be punctual in saying the
Divine Office, and be always submissive to Brother Vidal, your superior.
My children, although I am greatly pleased to see the good-will with
which you embrace this undertaking, yet our separation is painful to
my heart from the sincere affection I bear you; but the commands of
our Lord are to be preferred to my own feelings; I entreat you to have
the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ always present to your mind; it
will strengthen you and powerfully animate you to suffer for His glory."
These apostolic men, encouraged by this address of their Father, replied
that they were ready to go into any country and expose themselves to
the severest labors for the interests of the faith; that he need not
hold out an example for them, by going himself among the infidels, as
if his word was not sufficient; that they did not think his orders too
strict, and that they expected assistance from above for carrying them
into execution; but that they required his prayers and blessing in
order to gather some fruit in unknown lands, among barbarous people,
enemies of the Christian name. "He," rejoined the Saint, with great
animation, "who sends you, it is He who will take care of you; you are
under His protection, under the protection of God; you belong no more
to me from this moment; I tear you from my bosom to send you as His
laborers." They threw themselves on their knees, kissed his hands and
prayed for his last blessing which he gave them weeping, in the
following terms:--"May the blessing of God the Father be upon you, as
it descended on the apostles; may it strengthen you, guide you, and
console you in your sufferings. Fear not; the Lord is with you, as an
invincible warrior; go, in the name of God who sends you."
We shall speak of their voyage when we come to relate the martyrdom
they suffered in Morocco, on the 16th of January, 1220.
At length, Francis, anxious for the crown of martyrdom in which he had
been twice disappointed, confided the government of his Order during
his absence to Brother Elias, the Provincial of Tuscany, and set out
on his voyage to Syria with twelve companions, the principal of whom
were Peter of Catania, Barbaro Sabbatino, Leonard of Assisi, and
Illuminus of Rieti.
In the Marches of Ancona through which they passed, in order to embark
at the last-named place, a young man came to solicit to be received
into the society of Friars Minor, and the Saint said to him: "If you
have the intention of joining the Poor of Jesus Christ, go and bestow
upon the poor all that thou hast." The postulant went away and gave
all he had to his parents whom he loved very much, without giving any
to the poor. He then returned and said how he had disposed of his
property. Francis censured his conduct in the strongest terms,
considering him as a man who would be totally useless, and nowise fit
for evangelical perfection. "Tender brother," he said to him (for so
he called all those whom he considered of no real value), "Tender
brother, go thy ways, you have neither left your country nor your
kindred; you have given what you had to your parents, and disappointed
the poor; you do not deserve to be received into the company of those
who make profession of holy poverty. You commenced by the flesh, which
is an unstable foundation for a spiritual edifice." This carnal and
animal man returned to his parents, resumed his property, and rather
than give it to the poor, he gave up the good purpose he had
entertained.
The love of his relations did as much disservice to this young man as
the love of riches did to him whom our Saviour desired to sell all he
had and give unto the poor. Perhaps also he had an intention of finding
a resource in what he gave to his relations, which is contrary to the
entire renouncing of everything which Jesus Christ requires. For which
reason, when St. Bonaventure relates this circumstance, he says, that
St. Francis only admitted those into his Order who gave up all they
had, and did not in any manner keep anything back.
The man of God received many novices on his way. Many of his brethren
in the vicinity accompanied him as far as Ancona, to witness his
departure, as sorrowful, as had been the faithful of Miletus and
Ephesus, who accompanied St. Paul embarking for Jerusalem, although
he had not told them, as the Apostle did, that they would see him no
more. The arrival of this holy band was so agreeable to the magistrates
at Ancona, that they immediately allotted a spot for the erection of
a convent, and had it commenced at their own expense. It was so large
that when Francis returned from Palestine he caused it to be reduced
out of love for holy poverty, and then he gave the model of a church
which is still extant.
The captain of a vessel who was about to take succor to the Christian
forces before Damietta, was so good as to receive him, one of twelve,
on board his ship. All the religious who were there were desirous of
going to sea with him, and each one vied for the preference, not only
that they might accompany the Patriarch, but that they might obtain
the crown of martyrdom, which they ardently wished for; but not to
mortify any of them, and to show no preferences, he prudently and with
the mildness of a common father, addressed them as follows:--
"My very dear children, there is not one of you, from whom I should
wish to be separated; I wish you would all accompany me on the voyage
I am about to make; but it would have been unreasonable of me to ask
the captain of the vessel to take you all. On which account, and that
none should have reason to complain, nor to be jealous of the others,
I will not make the selection; it must be Made by God." And thereupon
calling a child who happened to be on board, he said: "The Lord has
often made His will known by the mouth of children, and I have no doubt
He will do the same now; let us ask this child, and let us credit what
he shall say; God will speak through him." Then asking the child,
whether it was God's will that all the religious who were with him
should put to sea and make the voyage with him? the child replied with
a firm voice: "No, it is not God's will." He then again asked which
of them among those who were there present he should take? The child,
inspired by the Almighty, selected eleven, pointing them out with his
finger, and going up to them as he named them.
The religious, full of astonishment, were all satisfied: those who
were destined to remain behind as well as those who were selected to
accompany him. They fell on their knees, received the blessing of their
common Father, and separated after having given to each other the kiss
of peace.
Francis embarked with his eleven companions; they weighed anchor, and
shortly after they reached the Island of Cyprus, where they remained
a couple of days. In this interval, one of the religious committed a
fault which was soon atoned for. In a gust of passion he made use of
some harsh expression to one of his brethren before the others, and
before another person who might have been scandalized at the event.
Reflecting on what he had done, and being immediately sorry for it,
he took up some dung, and, returning to the spot, he put it into his
mouth, and began chewing it, saying: "It is but just that he who has
offended his brother by his speech, should have his mouth filled with
filth." This act of penance was fully satisfactory to him who had been
offended, and made such impression on a gentleman who had witnessed
the scene, that he offered himself and all he possessed to the service
of the Order.
From Cyprus, Francis proceeded to Acre, from whence he sent his
companions, two and two, into such parts of Syria in which missionaries
were most wanted. He himself preached for some days in the vicinity
of the town, where he did some good, and then embarked again with
Illuminatus to join the army of the Crusaders who were besieging
Damietta. We shall now speak of the Crusade, and of this siege.
At the council of Lateran, which was held in 1215, Pope Innocent III
represented so energetically the miserable state to which the Christians
in the Holy Land were reduced under the domination of the Saracens,
that in order to deliver them from so cruel a slavery, the council
ordered the assembly of a similar crusade to that which had been ordered
two centuries before, for the same object. The bishops proclaimed it
everywhere with great ardor, and the Pope, to give it greater weight,
went himself into Tuscany to preach it after having published it at
Rome. This great Pope, dying on the 16th of July, 1216, Honorius III,
who succeeded him, imitated his zeal, and wrote to the princes and
prelates of all Europe, and sent legates everywhere, to urge the
execution of what had been decreed in the Council of Lateran. The
success was as prompt as it was fortunate, so that at the time fixed,
that is, on the 1st of June, 1217, an infinity of crusaders, principally
from the North of Europe, were in readiness to set out for Palestine,
by land and by sea.
After some expeditions, the crusaders thought that, instead of
operations in Palestine, to which they had hitherto confined themselves,
it would be advisable to carry the war into Egypt, because it was
thence that the sultans sent large armies into the Holy Land against
the Christians; and this had been the opinion of Pope Innocent at the
Lateran Council. It was therefore decided to lay siege to Damietta,
the strongest town in Egypt, and from its situation the key of that
kingdom. The first of those who sailed arrived before the place on the
30th of May; they disembarked, and intrenched themselves without meeting
with any resistance, and when the remainder of the army arrived, the
attack commenced.
The siege lasted nearly eighteen months, with enormous losses, yet
some astonishing acts of bravery were witnessed. Coradin, (or Moaddam)
the Sultan of Damascus, came with an army much more numerous than that
of the Crusaders, and besieged them in their intrenchments; and Meledin,
(or Melic Camel) his brother, Sultan of Egypt or of Babylon, having
brought an equally numerous army, they drew up their troops in order
of battle, on the last day of July, 1219, in the early morning, and
appeared before the Crusaders' lines, which they attacked on several
points. The battle was obstinately contested; it lasted till night,
and the Saracens seemed to have the victory, but it was torn from them,
chiefly by the indomitable bravery of the French, supported by the
Grand Master of the Temple, and the Teutonic knights, who drove the
infidels far from their lines with great slaughter. Dissensions then
arose between the cavalry and infantry of the Crusaders. They accused
each other of cowardice, a reproach very grating to military men; the
consequence was, that a turbulent rivalry ensued, in order to prove
which had the greatest courage, and they compelled John de Brienne,
King of Jerusalem, who commanded the army, to lead them to the enemy
and offer him battle.
It was at this moment that Francis arrived at the camp, having no other
arms than those of faith. He said to his companion, with deep sighs:--
"The Lord has revealed to me, that if they come to blows, the Christians
will be worsted. If I tell them this, I shall be considered an idiot;--
and if I do not tell it, my conscience will reproach me; what do you
think of it?" His companion, whose name was Illuminatus, and who indeed
was filled with light, replied:--"My brother, do not let the opinions
of men guide you; it is not the first time that you have been looked
upon as one bereaved of sense. Clear your conscience, and fear God
more than the world." Francis immediately went and warned the Christians
not to fight, and foretold them that if they did, they would be beaten.
Minds were, however, too much excited to listen to sound reason; the
words of the Saint were taken for ravings. On the 29th of August, when
the heat was overpowering, the whole of the Christian army left their
lines and offered battle. The enemy at first retired, in order to draw
the Crusaders to an extensive plain, where there was no water, and
when he saw that thirst and fatigue had caused their ranks to be broken,
he turned suddenly and fell upon the cavalry of the right wing which
he took by surprise; it was broken and dispersed; its rout caused the
infantry which was supported by it, to flee, and the whole army would
have been cut to pieces had not the king, followed by the knights of
the three orders of French, Flemish and English, and other troops,
placed themselves in front and stopped the Saracens who were pursuing
the fugitives and effecting an awful retreat. The Christians lost on
this occasion near six thousand men, besides prisoners, among whom
were many of considerable note. This loss was the accomplishment of
what Francis had foretold; and it showed, adds St. Bonaventure, "that
his valuable advice ought not to have been disregarded, since, according
to the words of the Holy Scriptures, 'the soul of a holy man discovereth
sometimes true things, more than seven watchmen that sit on a high
place to watch.'"
The faults of the Crusaders, and the ill-successes which often attended
their measures, have given room to minds disposed to censure, to condemn
all wars undertaken against infidels, or heretics. Nevertheless, the
Crusades, during two centuries, were suggested by the Sovereign
Pontiffs, and by the councils of the Church, proclaimed by most holy
personages, and authorized by their miracles; led by Christian princes
of all Europe, by many of our kings, by a Saint Louis, by men full of
religious zeal, such as Godfrey of Bouillon, and Simon, Count of
Montfort. Is there not the greatest rashness in including such men as
these in one sweeping condemnation? If all the Crusaders had not equally
pure intentions; if debauchery insinuated itself into their armies,
if prudence did not always regulate their proceedings; if sometimes
even success did not crown their best-concerted measures, are these
sufficient grounds for blaming the enterprise, or, are we only to judge
of measures by the event?
Saint Bernard preached the crusade which was decided on in the year
1144, of which Louis VII, King of France, had first formed the plan,
and of which Pope Eugenius III, and the bishops of France approved.
The preaching of the holy abbot was publicly supported by a prodigious
number of miracles, which even his humility could not dissemble. Two
powerful armies, the one commanded by the Emperor Conrad III, the other
by the King of France, with the princes and nobility of the states,
were calculated to inspire the infidels with terror. Nevertheless,
from various causes, nothing could have been more unfortunate than the
issue of this war; and, as the loss of these two armies was felt through
the whole of France and through the whole of Germany, where St. Bernard
had preached, and promised glorious success, public indignation fell
upon him, and he was treated as a false prophet. What he wrote to Pope
Eugenius in his justification, must be considered as an answer to all
those who, even in these days, condemn the Crusades, the result of
which was disastrous. He says, that Moses, in God's name, had solemnly
promised the people of Israel to lead them into a very fertile land,
and that God had even confirmed that promise by splendid miracles;
that, nevertheless, all those who went out of Egypt perished in the
desert without entering into the land of promise, in punishment of the
sins of the people during the journey; that it cannot be said that
this punishment was a contradiction of the promise, because the promises
which God, in His goodness, makes to man, never prejudice the rights
of His justice; and this reasoning the Saint applies to the crimes
committed in the armies of the Crusades.
This digression may, perhaps, appear long, but we could not dispense
with it for the honor of the religious and of the preceding ages; and,
besides, it is connected with the life of St. Francis, who certainly
approved of the Crusades, although, by a supernatural inspiration, he
blamed a particular enterprise of the Crusaders which had the
unfortunate issue which he had foretold.
The ardor of his charity which urged him to labor for the conversion
of the Saracens, and to expose himself to martyrdom, induced him to
take the resolution to present himself to the Sultan of Egypt. "We
saw," says James de Vitry, "Brother Francis, the founder of the Order
of the Friars Minor, a simple and unlearned man, though very amiable
and beloved by God and man, who was respected universally. He came to
the Christian army, which was lying before Damietta, and an excess of
fervor had such an effect upon him, that, protected solely by the
shield of faith, he had the daring to go to the sultan's camp to preach
to him and to his subjects the faith of Jesus Christ."
The two armies were in sight of each other, and there was great danger
in going from one to the other, particularly as the sultan had promised
a handsome reward in gold to any one who should bring him a Christian's
head. But this would not deter such a soldier of Jesus Christ as was
Francis, who, far from fearing death, eagerly sought it. He betook
himself to prayer, from which he arose full of strength and confidence,
saying with the prophet: "Since Thou art with me, O Lord, I will fear
no evil, though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death;"
and he set out for the infidel camp.
Two sheep which he met on setting out, gave him much joy. He said to
his companion: "My brother, have confidence in the Lord, the word of
the Gospel is being fulfilled in us, which says: 'Behold I send you
forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.'" In fact, only a very little
farther on, some Saracens rushed upon them, as wolves upon sheep,
insulted and beat them, and bound them. Francis said: "I am a Christian,
lead me to your master;" and God permitted that he should be so led
to comply with the desire of His servant. The Sultan Meledin asked him
who sent them, and for what purpose they came? Francis answered with
courageous firmness: "We are not sent by men, but it is the Most High
who sends us, in order that I may teach you and your people the way
of salvation, by pointing out to you the truths of the Gospel." He
immediately preached to him, with great fervor, the dogma of one God
in three Persons, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind.