He was a Catholic friar, poet and hymn writer born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernadone in Assisi, Italy, to a family where his father, Pietro de Bernadone dei Moriconi, was a silk merchant and his mother, Pica de Bourlement, was from French nobility. When he was born his mother baptized him Giovanni while his father was away on business, but his father called him Francesco.
Although he had led a life with a wealthy family he became disillusioned with the world from a relatively young age. One account is the “story of the beggar” which talks about a beggar asking for alms from him when he was selling wares for his father and he gave the beggar all he had which made his father very angry.
When he was around 20 years old he took part in a military expedition again Perugia about 1202. He was taken prisoner and was captive for about a year before returning to Assist in 1203. Two years later he enlisted in Walter III, Count of Brienne’s army but at some point he had a vision that made him return home and shun feasts and sports that he had previously enjoyed.
He begged at St. Peters Basilica after going on a pilgrimage to Rome and it is said he announced he’d seen a vision of Jesus Christ that said to him “Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins” while at a ruined chapel in San Damiano. He sold some cloth to assist the priest but the priest refused the money and the coins were thrown down by Francis. He remained in San Damiano until his father dragged him back to Assisi who bound and beat him and locked him in a small room. His mother freed him and he returned to Sam Damiano and sheltered with the priest. His father went after him again and sought him to forego his inheritance but he renounced his patrimony and his father in front of the Bishop of Assisi. He became a beggar behind Assisi in the hills and found work as a scullion in a monastery before going to Gubbio where he was given a cloak, girdle and staff of a pilgrim. He begged for stones in order to be able to rebuild the church at San Damiano. This was the first of several churches he restored around Assisi including St. Mary of the Angels, and went on to nurse lepers in lazar houses.
In 1208, at St. Mary of the Angels he took Mass and devoted himself to poverty. While dressed in a tunic made of coarse wool and using a knotted rope as a belt he travelled the countryside where he preached to the people. He gained eleven followers within the year and they wandered through Umbria exhorting to the people.
The following year he used Bible verses to compose Regula Primitive “Primitive Rule” for his friars. It was “to follow the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps”. He took eleven off his his followers to Rome to ask Pope Innocent III permission to start a new religious order. When he arrived he met the Bishop of Assisi who was with the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina. The Cardinal represented Frances after showing him sympathy and the pope spoke to them informally and said that he would get an official audience once he had increased the number of followers. Francis and his small group were tonsured, however, which prevented them from accusations of heresy. In 1210 the Franciscan Order was officially founded and first preached in Umbria but in time went all over Italy.
Francis was ordained as a deacon, not a priest, and the Franciscan Order grew rapidly. He met Clare of Assisi after she had listened to his preachings and also wanted to live like the friars. This led to the establishment of the Order of Poor Clares after he had lodged her and her sister in monastery of Benedictine nuns before moving them to small huts in San Damiano which is now called Poor Clares and was the Second Franciscan Order’s first monastery. The Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance, now known as the Secular Franciscan Order, was set up for people who couldn’t leave home.
In 1212 he left Italy on a journey to Jerusalem but had to return after his ship was wrecked in a storm. The following year Count Orlando di Chiusi gifted him La Verna which was a mountain he would often retreat to for prayer. Later in 1213 he set off on a journey to Morocco but he was forced to stop the trip in Spain after becoming ill.
It was 6 years later that he went to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade, accompanied by his follower Friar Illuminatus of Arce. His hope was to convert the Sultan of Egypt and after an attack on the Christians by the Muslims in 2019, which proved futile, a 4 week ceasefire was called. At some point Francis and his friar met with the Sultan and remained with him for several days. He returned to the Christian side unharmed and although it is not known what the outcome was he and his friar returned to Italy in 1220 and since that time Franciscans have been present in the Holy Land ever since.
The order was gaining many followers, so much so that it had to be split into ecclesiastical provinces. The order had brothers sent to Spain, Germany, Hungary and France and following the news of five being martyred in Morocco and Francis returning to Italy, Cardinal Ugolino di Conti was nominated by the pope to be the protector of the order. After this Francis wrote Regula Prima “First Rule” which brought in a larger institutional structure as well as asserting devotion to the apostolic life and poverty. In 1220 Francis passed Brother Peter Catani of Porziuncola the order’s governance but Peter died just five months later so Brother Elias took on the role and was known as Vicar of Francis. Also in 1220 he set up the first known nativity scene, using real animals and a straw filled manger, to celebrate Christmas at Graccio near Assisi. From 1221 to 1222 Francis travelled through Italy.
Two years after “First Rule” was written it was modified by Francis to create the “Second Rule” where there were regulations set for entering the order, preaching and discipline and the friars were called “to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience without anything of our own and in chastity”, which was approved by Pope Honorius III on 29th November 1223. Francis dealt much less with external affairs following the approval.
In September 1224 Francis is said to have seen a vision which resulted in him suffering stigmata. Brother Leo was with him at the time and gave a clear account of the event. He travelled to several cities to receive care but returned to Porziuncola to dictate his spiritual testament.
On 3rd October 1226 he was singing Psalm 141 “Voce mea ad Dominum” when he died. In July 1228 he was declared a saint by his friend Ugolino di Conti who had become Pope Gregory IX. The foundation stone of the Basilica of St. Francis was laid in Assisi by the pop the next day. He was buried under the Lower Basilica on 25th May 1230 but after orders by Brother Elias the tomb was hidden and not found again until 1818 when a crypt was constructed for the ashes. It was refashioned from 1927 to 1930 and in 1978 after examination of the remains were confirmed by Pope Paul VI’s scholars and put into the ancient stone tomb in a glass urn. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina chose the name Francis in his honour when he became Pope in 2013.
Francis was known for his love of nature and the environment and there have been many stories about this. Pope John Paul II declared Francis the patron saint of ecology in November 1979. On his feast day on 4th October it is common for people to bring their animals and pets to church for a blessing. The Fioretti is a collection of folklore and legends about his love of nature that came after his death.
In popular culture today there have been many films and documentaries based on his life. There are also countless books written about him.
Considered by some to be the first Italian poet, often writing in his native Umbrian, He has written his Regular non Bullata” “The Earlier Rule” in 1221, Regular Bullata “The Later Rule” in 1223, Testament in 1226, Admonitions and Canticum Fratris Solis or Laudes Creaturarum translated as Canticle of the Sun where he gives thanks and praises for for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Water, Fire and Earth. This canticle has since been translated and set to music by many composers, including Franz Liszt, Gabriel Pierne, Mario Castelnuove-Tedesco, Paul Hindemith, Leo Sowerby, Francis Poulenc, William Walton and Oliver Messiaen and it was used for the hymn “O Creatures of Our God and King” by William Henry Draper. This hymn is still popular and often sung today and has been recorded numerous times by many artists.
Christopher Parkening recordings
EMI Angel CDC-7 47525 2 (CD: Simple Gifts)
Guitar – Christopher Parkening
Arranger – Rick Foster
Sources:
- https://www.biography.com/religious-figure/saint-francis-of-assisi
- https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Francis-of-Assisi
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi
- https://franciscan-archive.org/index2.html
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/st-francis-of-assisi-mn0002193706/credits
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/717190-St-Francis-Of-Assisi?type=Credits&filter_anv=0