St Francis (4th October)

St Francis was born in Assisi in ca. 1181.  He was probably christened in the earlier church of San Rufino, at the font that now stands in the right aisle of its successor.  The Chiesa Nuova stands on the presumed site of the house in which he grew up.

After a carefree and perhaps misspent youth, St Francis underwent a process of conversion that began in 1202, when he was a prisoner of war at Perugia after the Battle of Collestrada.  He set out for southern Italy to fight for Pope Innocent III in 1204, but only reached Foligno.  A vision there persuaded him to return to Assisi and to begin the search for his vocation.

Fresco (ca. 1290) of St Francis renouncing his inheritance Upper church, San Francesco Photo courtesy of Paolo Rossi

In ca. 1205, St Francis had a vision before a Crucifix at San Damiano  that started to shape his vocation.  This unleashed a series of events that culminated in his renunciation of his inheritance in a trial held before Bishop Guido I, probably outside Palazzo Vescovile (see Walk I). 

St Francis then lived for a period of about two years as a hermit under the protection of Bishop Guido I.  During this period, he repaired a number of churches, including San Damiano and the Portiuncula.

St Francis heard a sermon at the Portiuncula in 1208 on the text from the Gospel of St Matthew in which Christ sent the disciples out as evangelists: "they may not keep gold nor silver or moneyin their belts, nor have a wallet for their journey, nor may they have two tunics, nor shoes, nor staff" (Matt. 10:9).  He immediately recognised his vocation, and received confirmation soon after in San Nicolò, when he opened the Bible three times at random and alighted on similar texts.

The Franciscan Order

Fresco (ca. 1290) of the dream of Pope Innocent III Upper church, San Francesco Photo courtesy of Paolo Rossi

In 1209, St Francis and his small band of followers travelled to Rome, where they secured oral approval from Pope Innocent III for their way of life.  It is said that the Pope agreed after a dream in which he saw St Francis supporting the Church (or more specifically, the church of San Giovanni Laterano, Rome),

The Pope also agreed that the brothers (who were almost all laymen at this point) might embrace poverty and  preach penance.  They returned to Assisi, first staying in a poor hut at Rivo Torto.  When they were somewhat unceremoniously evicted, St Francis arranged for their move to the Portiuncula.

Fresco (ca. 1290) of the St Francis before the Sultan Upper church, San Francesco Photo courtesy of Paolo Rossi

The movement expanded rapidly and in 1217 began its first (not particularly successful) phase of concerted international expansion.  The renewed missions to France and Spain in 1219 and Germany in 1221 were much more successful. 

However, Francis' own mission of 1219-20 to the Saracens at Damietta during the Fifth Crusade produced little result; Sultan al-Kamil received him courteously but was not inclined to convert to Christianity.  He apparently refused St Francis' offer to submit to trial by fire.

On his return to Italy, St Francis found a growing climate of disorder and discontent within the Order.  It was becoming clear that the Franciscans' itinerant lifestyle, sustained by manual labour and by begging, would have to be modified as the friars began to establish convents in the urban centres across Europe. 

St Francis seems to have resigned from administrative control of the Order in 1221, after having secured the services of Cardinal Ugolino (the future Pope Gregory IX) as Cardinal Protector.  He was thus free to devote himself to the controversial matter of formalising the Franciscan Rule in the light of the changed circumstances.  Pope Honorius III finally approved the so-called Regula Bullata (the formal rule enshrined in a Papal Bull) in 1223, probably through the good offices of Cardinal Ugolino.  

Stigmatisation of St Francis

From the early days of his conversion, St Francis had been devoted to Christ Crucified.  In 1224, while in retreat on Mount La Verna in Tuscany, he became reconciled to the idea that he would have to emulate the suffering of Christ inorder to secure his own salvation and that of the people who followed his prescribed way of life. 

Fresco (ca. 1290) of the stigmatisation of St Francis Upper church, San Francesco Photo courtesy of Paolo Rossi

Shortly afterwards, he had a vision of a seraph and, as he pondered on its meaning, he became aware that he bore the stigmata of Christ.  For the remaining two years of his life, he contrived to keep this miracle a secret from all but his closest companions. 

The stigmata caused St Francis great pain, and his generally declining health and rapidly deteriorating eyesight added to his suffering. He probably became somewhat reclusive, although he was still able occasionally to continue his evangelical work (no longer able to walk and therefore resorting to the use of a donkey).

Death of St Francis

Fresco (ca. 1290) of the death of St Francis Upper church, San Francesco Photo courtesy of Paolo Rossi

St Francis was in Siena in 1226 having treatment for his eye condition when it became clear that he would soon die.  He was already regarded as a saint and the authorities of Assisi feared that the Perugians might steal his relics.  They therefore sent an armed guard to accompany him back to Assisi.  The soldiers kept guard while he lay ill in the Palazzo Vescovile (see Walk I) and then accompanied him to the Portiuncula, which was where he wanted to die. 

When the end came, the authorities insisted that St Francis should be buried closer to the city, in the parish church of San Giorgio, which he had attended as a child.   (The church of Santa Chiara was later built on the site).  Local people flocked to the tomb and miracles were witnessed there.

Brother Elias, whom Francis had appointed as his Vicar in 1221, now became acting Minister General.  He sent an encyclical letter announcing St Francis' death to the friars along with a description of the unprecedented miracle of his stigmatisation.  The stigmata soon became the defining characteristic of the new cult.

Canonisation of St Francis

Brother Elias remained in administrative control of the Order until the General Chapter of May 1227, when (perhaps surprisingly) the friars did not choose to re-elect him.  However, it seems that it was Elias who formally petitioned Pope Gregory IX for St Francis' canonisation.

Pope Gregory IX was in fact embroiled in a political dispute with the Emperor Frederick II at this time.  Imperial sympathisers had forced him from Rome, and he arrived in Assisi on 26th May, 1228.  He stayed for about two weeks, doubtlessly initiating the canonisation proceedings; although the sanctity of St Francis was already widely accepted, the accounts of the miracles that had occurred at his tomb needed verification.  The Pope then took up residence in Perugia, returning to Assisi in order to officiate at the service of canonisation at San Giorgio on 16th July 1228.  He then laid the foundation stone of San Francesco, the church that would soon house the precious relics.

Fresco (ca. 1290) of the stigmatised St Francis appearing to Pope Gregory IX Upper church, San Francesco Photo courtesy of Paolo Rossi

It is interesting to note that the stigmatisation seems to have played no part in the case made for St Francis' canonisation and indeed it seems that the Pope was not immediately convinced.  He changed his mind after St Francis appeared to him in a dream and showed him the stigmata.  This must have occurred before 1230-4, when the Pope and a number of cardinals lauded the stigmatisation in additions that they made to the Franciscan liturgy.

Read more:

A good, recent biography in English is:
A. House, "Francis of Assisi", London (2000)

Much older, but particularly good for the historical context is:
O. Englebert (trans. E. Cooper), "St Francis of Assisi: a Biography", Chicago (1965)

Translations into English of all the early sources have been published as:
R. Armstrong, J. Wayne Hellman and W. Short, "Francis of Assisi: Early Documents", (three volumes plus an index), St Bonaventure (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)