Angelo da Clareno (1247/1248 – 15 June 1337), also known as Angelo Clareno , was the founder and leader of one of the groups of Fraticelli in the early 14th century.
138-473: The Fraticelli (Italian for "Little Brethren") or Spiritual Franciscans opposed changes to the rule of Saint Francis of Assisi , especially with regard to poverty , and regarded the wealth of the Church as scandalous, and that of individual churchmen as invalidating their status. The Fraticelli were declared heretical in 1296 by Boniface VIII . The name Fraticelli is used for various sects, which appeared in
276-559: A French mother, Pica di Bourlemont, about whom little is known except that she was a noblewoman originally from Provence . Indulged by his parents, Francis lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man. As a youth, Francis became a devotee of troubadours and was fascinated with all things Transalpine . He was handsome, witty, gallant, and delighted in fine clothes. He spent money lavishly. Although many hagiographers remark about his bright clothing, rich friends, and love of pleasures, his displays of disillusionment toward
414-518: A ceasefire that lasted four weeks. Probably during this interlude Francis and his companion crossed the Muslims' lines and were brought before the Sultan, remaining in his camp for a few days. Reports give no information about what transpired during the encounter beyond noting that the Sultan received Francis graciously and that Francis preached to the Muslims. He returned unharmed. No known Arab sources mention
552-410: A charge of heresy that had been brought against him. He was finally acquitted after a tedious and searching examination. Early in 1317 John XXII , pursuant to a decree of Boniface VIII, declared Angelo excommunicated and placed him in custody. He defended himself ably in his "Epistola Excusatoria", but John XXII refused to approve the "Clareni" as a religious congregation and compelled Angelo to adopt
690-704: A critical point, Clement V cited representatives of both parties to appear before the Curia with a view to adjusting their disputes. The result of this conference was the Constitution "Exivi de Paradiso", enacted at the final session of the Council of Vienne (6 May 1312). This Constitution contained an explanation of the Rule of St. Francis along stricter lines than those of the Bull "Exiit qui seminat" of Nicholas III (14 August 1279), and justified
828-576: A few small huts or cells. This became the first monastery of the Second Franciscan Order, now known as Poor Clares . For those who could not leave their affairs, Francis later formed the Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance , a fraternity composed of either laity or clergy whose members neither withdrew from the world nor took religious vows . Instead, they observed the principles of Franciscan life in their daily lives. Before long,
966-525: A long time, the sect prospered exceedingly in the Duchy of Spoleto on account of the continual political turmoil. In a process instituted against a particular Umbrian group of Fraticelli in 1360, it is noted that Fra Francesco Niccolò of Perugia was their founder. They pretended to observe the Rule of St. Augustine , but were fanatical on the question of poverty and regarded all prelates as guilty of simony . They imitated
1104-495: A military expedition against Perugia and was taken as a prisoner at Collestrada. He spent a year as a captive, during which an illness caused him to re-evaluate his life. However, upon his return to Assisi in 1203, Francis returned to his carefree life. In 1205, Francis left for Apulia to enlist in the army of Walter III, Count of Brienne . A strange vision made him return to Assisi and lose interest in worldly life. According to hagiographic accounts, thereafter he began to avoid
1242-456: A rule required constant begging for alms, and over time this produced tensions, both with potential benefactors faced with repeated appeals from mendicant friars, and with established monastic orders accustomed to aid from the same pool of benefactors. Over time, as the order grew, it faced the demands of caring for sick or elderly friars, and providing for its members sent to university for theological training. The order divided into two branches,
1380-690: A similar fault. On 14 November 1394, Boniface IX empowered the Minorites of Terra di Lavoro to take possession of the monasteries deserted by the Fraticelli. Martin V conceded the same rights to the Franciscans of the Roman Province (14 November 1418) and, on 7 April 1426, transferred to them as a special grant the monastery of Palestrina, which had been a stronghold of the Fraticelli. In the same year, Martin V nominated St. John Capistran (27 May) and St. James of
1518-564: A sort of generalship over the Fraticelli. They received protection and hospitality from rich and influential families in Apulia, around Rome, and in the March. One of their protectors was the knight Andreuccio de Palumbario, who sheltered them in his castle near Rieti, for which he was sharply called to account by Urban VI (4 May 1388). On the same day, the Benedictine Abbot of Farfa was reprimanded for
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#17330849713561656-529: A tower, situated close to the Ebro River within the city of Logroño as a gift to Saint Francis, where he established the first Spanish convent of his Order there. Although the convent met its demise in the 19th century, the remnants of its walls remain. In the late spring of 1212, he set out for Jerusalem, but was shipwrecked by a storm on the Dalmatian coast, forcing him to return to Italy. On 8 May 1213, he
1794-568: A vindication of their rights, first with Boniface VIII (d. 11 October 1303), and then with Benedict XI , who also died prematurely (7 July 1304). On his journey to Clement V (1305–1314) at Lyon, Liberatus died (1307), and Angelo da Clareno succeeded to the leadership of the community. Angelo remained in Central Italy until 1311, when he went to Avignon , where he was protected by his patrons Cardinals Giacomo Colonna and Napoleone Orsini Frangipani . There, he successfully defended himself against
1932-432: A vision of a seraph, a six-winged angel on a cross. This angel gave him the gift of the five wounds of Christ." Suffering from these stigmata and from trachoma , Francis received care in several cities ( Siena , Cortona , Nocera ) to no avail. He began to go blind and the bishop of Ostia ordered that his eyes be operated on which meant cauterizing the eyes with hot irons. Francis claims to have felt nothing at all when this
2070-566: A welcoming and friendly environment even to those who succeed us." The same Pope wrote on the occasion of the World Day of Peace, 1 January 1990, that Francis "invited all of creation – animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon – to give honour and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which
2208-472: A year Francis had eleven followers. The brothers lived a simple life in the deserted leper colony of Rivo Torto near Assisi. They spent much of their time wandering through the mountainous districts of Umbria , making a deep impression upon their hearers by their earnest exhortations. In 1209 he composed a simple rule for his followers ("friars"), the Regula primitiva or "Primitive Rule", which came from verses in
2346-710: Is also considered the patron against dying alone ; against fire; patron of the Franciscan Order and Catholic Action ; of families, peace, and needleworkers. and a number of religious congregations. He is the patron of many churches and other locations around the world, including: Italy; San Pawl il-Baħar , Malta; Freising , Germany; Lancaster, England ; Kottapuram, India ; Buhi, Camarines Sur , Philippines; General Trias , Philippines; San Francisco; Santa Fe, New Mexico ; Colorado ; Salina, Kansas ; Metuchen, New Jersey ; and Quibdó , Colombia. Angelo da Clareno Originally known as Pietro da Fossombrone , he
2484-493: Is closely connected with the Appeal of Bonagrazia, and with writings of Ubertino of Casale and of Peter John Olivi . It is certain that it originated among the Franciscans who, under the protection of the king, aimed it at John XXII and his teaching, although Louis IV later denied all responsibility in the matter. The result was that Louis IV was excommunicated. The general chapter of the order, assembled at Lyon on 20 May 1325 under
2622-595: Is heretical to assert that Christ and His Apostles possessed no property either in particular or in common. In 1321 the Dominican Inquisitor at Narbonne , John of Belna, declared heretical the teaching of an imprisoned Beghard of that region, who asserted that Christ and the Apostles owned nothing either individually or in common. The Franciscan lector, Bérenger Talon , defended the Beghard. Berenger refused to retract and
2760-541: Is important in understanding Francis' character, his affinity for the Eucharist and his respect for the priests who carried out the sacrament. He preached: "Your God is of your flesh, He lives in your nearest neighbour, in every man." He and his followers celebrated and even venerated poverty, which was so central to his character that in his last written work, the Testament, he said that absolute personal and corporate poverty
2898-519: Is inseparable from peace among all peoples." In 2015, Pope Francis published his encyclical letter Laudato Si' about the ecological crisis and "care for our common home, which takes its name from the Canticle of the Sun , which Francis of Assisi composed. It presents Francis as "the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically". This inspired
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#17330849713563036-565: The Zelanti , or Spirituals, and the Relaxati , known later as the Conventuals . The Zelanti strictly observed the poverty enjoined by the testament of Saint Francis, and lived isolated and simple lives. The Relaxati or 'Conventuals' lived in convents in the towns, tending the attached churches with the necessary liturgical furnishings and devoting themselves also to study and preaching, which required
3174-572: The Bishop of Ancona to enforce his rulings strictly in Maiolati, to put all suspects to the rack, destroy their village, separate the children from heretical parents, and disperse the elder population. A circular letter, which the Fraticelli addressed to all Christendom , proved ineffectual and their doom was sealed. John of Capistrano and James of the Marches burned thirty-six of their establishments or dispersed
3312-790: The Mameluke Sultan in 1333 with regard to certain Holy Places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem , and (so far as concerns the Catholic Church) jurisdictional privileges from Pope Clement VI in 1342. The growing order of friars was divided into provinces ; groups were sent to France, Germany, Hungary, and Spain and to the East. Upon receiving a report of the martyrdom of five brothers in Morocco , Francis returned to Italy via Venice . Cardinal Ugolino di Conti
3450-599: The March of Ancona had been condemned (c. 1278) to imprisonment for life, but were liberated by the general of the order, Raimondo Gaufredi (1289–1295) and sent to Armenia , where the king, Hethum II , welcomed them. The local clergy, however, were less enthusiastic, and following popular agitations against them they were exiled from Armenia towards the end of 1293. They returned to Italy, where in 1294 Celestine V , noted for his asceticism but whose pontificate lasted scarcely six months, willingly permitted them to live as hermits in
3588-520: The Waldensians decades earlier. Though a number of the pope's counsellors considered the mode of life proposed by Francis to be unsafe and impractical, following a dream in which he saw Francis holding up the Lateran Basilica , he decided to endorse Francis's order. This occurred, according to tradition, on 16 April 1210, and constituted the official founding of the Franciscan Order . The group, then
3726-566: The " Dialogus contra Fraticellos ", which he first published in 1452, making some additions to it later on. According to this the main establishments of the Fraticelli were situated in the valley of Jesi, at Maiolati, Poggio Cupo, Massaccia, and Mergo. They had also constituted bishops in other districts where there were a sufficient number of adherents. They made frequent journeys for propaganda purposes, especially in Tuscany. Some dressed partly as Minorites, some as hermits, often disguising themselves for
3864-406: The "First Rule" or "Rule Without a Papal Bull " ( Regula prima , Regula non bullata ), which again asserted devotion to poverty and the apostolic life. However, it also introduced a greater institutional structure, though this was never officially endorsed by the pope. Brother Peter was succeeded by Brother Elias as Vicar of Francis. Two years later, Francis modified the "First Rule", creating
4002-746: The "Lesser Brothers" ( Order of Friars Minor also known as the Franciscan Order or the Seraphic Order ), were centred in the Porziuncola and preached first in Umbria, before expanding throughout Italy. Francis was later ordained a deacon, but not a priest. From then on, the new order grew quickly. Hearing Francis preaching in the church of San Rufino in Assisi in 1211, the young noblewoman Clare of Assisi sought to live like them. Her cousin Rufino also sought to join. On
4140-691: The "Second Rule" or "Rule With a Bull", which was approved by Pope Honorius III on 29 November 1223. As the order's official rule, it called on the friars "to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience without anything of our own and in chastity". In addition, it set regulations for discipline, preaching, and entering the order. Once the rule was endorsed by the pope, Francis withdrew increasingly from external affairs. During 1221 and 1222, he crossed Italy, first as far south as Catania in Sicily and afterwards as far north as Bologna . While he
4278-476: The "Spirituals" generally of the thirteenth century, cannot be overrated. By the Bull of Pope Sixtus IV , titled Dominus Noster Jesus Christus , the "Clareni" were ordered to unite to the main body of the Franciscans and placed under the obedience of the Minister General. But the number of Angelo's followers was small; and his so-called reform brought upon himself in particular, and the "Clareni" in general,
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4416-507: The "zealots" who were exiled from Armenia towards the end of 1293. The Conventual guardian at Acre summoned Angelo and Peter of Macerata to Cyprus in order that Angelo might clear his name preaching before the king and court. However, the guardian of Nicosia detained them as excommunicates. With their work in Armenia hampered they decided to return to Italy. However, the vicar of the Provincial of
4554-702: The Archbishop of Genoa and two other bishops to force them to return to obedience under penalty of excommunication. As nearly all disregarded this mandate, the prior of San Fidele at Siena , who had been commissioned to execute it, declared them excommunicated and placed their monasteries under interdict (14 May 1314). As it soon became impossible for them to remain in Tuscany, they all fled to Sicily, where they were joined by numerous Zelanti from Northern Italy and Southern France. King Frederick of Sicily , brother of King James II of Aragon , admitted them after they had submitted their statutes to his inspection. Fra Enrico da Ceva
4692-536: The Bible. The rule was "to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps." He then led eleven followers to Rome to seek permission from Pope Innocent III to found a new religious order. Upon entry to Rome, the brothers encountered Bishop Guido of Assisi, who had in his company Giovanni di San Paolo , the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina . The Cardinal, who was the confessor of Pope Innocent III,
4830-567: The Bishops of Porto and Alba to take steps against all Fraticelli "in the Roman province, the March of Ancona, the Duchy of Spoleto and other localities" (7 June 1427). On 27 January of the same year, Martin V permitted the Observants of Ancona to occupy the monastery of the Fraticelli at Castro l'Ermita as a first step in the campaign against the Fraticelli of that neighbourhood. On 1 June 1428, he commanded
4968-459: The Christian doctrine that the world was created good and beautiful by God but suffers a need for redemption because of human sin. As someone who saw God reflected in nature, "St. Francis was a great lover of God's creation ..." In the Canticle of the Sun he gives God thanks for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth, all of which he sees as rendering praise to God. Many of
5106-544: The Clareni emigrated to Greece, where some of them attacked the legality of the papal action. The Conventuals persuaded Boniface that the Clareni still held for Celestine and did not recognize Boniface as pope. He then persuaded the Patriarch of Constantinople to take measures against them, and they moved to Thessaly . Seeking to defend themselves against the calumny, they returned to Italy, where their leader, Fra Liberatus, attempted
5244-682: The Count of Donoratico . John XXII deposed Michael as general of the order and appointed the Minorite Cardinal Bertrand de Turre vicar-general of the order to preside at the chapter to be held in Paris (2 June 1329). Obedient to John XXII, he induced the majority of the order to submit to the Apostolic See. Michael of Cesena and all his adherents, the Michaelites, were repudiated by the order. At
5382-513: The East, and continuing under Elias, Crescentius, and Bonaventure. This work is characterized by heroic endurance; but is tinged with bias and bitterness. Another work of Angelo's that deserves mention is the Declaratio regulae Minorum . Angelo Clareno ranks among the best medieval translators from Greek. His knowledge of Greek impressed his confrères so much that they believed it to have been miraculously infused. He translated from Greek into Latin
5520-469: The Franciscan Order and therewith returned them. John echoed Gerard of Abbeville , declaring that the ownership of a thing cannot be separated from its actual use or consumption. The Franciscans objected to this attack on their longstanding beliefs and customs and the poverty that was their hallmark. In the name of the order Bonagrazia of Bergamo , a capable lawyer and up to that time a bitter enemy of
5658-504: The Fraticelli derive their name from Michael of Cesena (died 1342), their chief representative and natural leader. It must be premised that this name was in vogue during the fifteenth century and that the party it designated exerted great influence in doctrinal matters on the other groups as early as 1329. The controversy began at Narbonne in 1321 between the Dominicans and Franciscans. The main question at issue seems to have been whether it
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5796-479: The Fraticelli had been expelled; but Gregory XI complained on 12 September 1372 that the "ashes and bones of Fraticelli were venerated as relics of saints in Sicily, and churches were even erected in their honour". The Fraticelli enjoyed complete liberty in Perugia. They lived where it best suited them, principally in the country-houses of the rich. They became so bold as to publicly insult the Minorites (Conventuals) in
5934-450: The Fraticelli, and when they had been clearly exposed as heretics, the people drove them from the city. These Fraticelli, and probably all the others of that period, were designated Fraticelli della opinione , perhaps on account of their opinion that the Roman papacy had ceased to exist with John XXII (1323) or Celestin V, and that they alone constituted the true Church. About this time, Fra Vitale di Francia and Fra Pietro da Firenze exercised
6072-496: The Kingdom of God is at hand. Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty. Having obtained a coarse woollen tunic, the dress then worn by the poorest Umbrian peasants, he tied it around himself with a knotted rope and went about exhorting the people of the countryside to penance, brotherly love, and peace. Francis's preaching to ordinary people was unusual as he had no license to do so. His example attracted others. Within
6210-488: The March of Ancona would likely expose them to continued persecution, Gaufredi sent them to Armenia Minor (Cilicia), where the king had made a request to the Pope for the services of some friars to instruct the people. Angelo was sent, along with Tommaso da Tolentino , Marco da Montelupone, and Pietro da Macerata . Despite their success, or perhaps because of it, the friars in the province of Syria became jealous and agitated against
6348-512: The Marche region let them know they were not welcome, so Guafredi and others, among them, Conrad of Offida , advised them to appeal to the new pope, Celestine V . Celestine absolved them of their vows of obedience to their Franciscan superiors, and constituted them as a separate group of Poor Hermits who could live at the monasteries of the Celestines . He appointed Peter of Macerata as superior under
6486-551: The Marches (11 October) as inquisitors general to take action against the Fraticelli. These promoters of order among the Franciscans fulfilled the duties of their office strictly and energetically and succeeded in striking at the very vitals of the sect. In 1415, the city of Florence had formally banished the "Fraticelli of the poor life, the followers of Michelino of Cesena of infamous memory", and in Lucca five Fraticelli, on trial, had solemnly abjured their error (1411). Martin V also ordered
6624-695: The Muslim world had far-reaching consequences, long past his own death, since after the fall of the Crusader Kingdom , it would be the Franciscans, of all Catholics, who would be allowed to stay on in the Holy Land and be recognized as " Custodians of the Holy Land " on behalf of the Catholic Church . At Greccio near Assisi, around 1220, Francis celebrated Christmas by setting up the first known presepio or crèche ( Nativity scene ). His nativity imagery reflected
6762-580: The Roman Church all their holdings in land and houses, as had already been enacted by Innocent IV (14 November 1245). Because of the important bearing of the controversy on the rule of the Friars Minor, a general chapter of the order was convoked at Perugia, in June of the year 1322, and the minister general, together with the other members of the chapter, caused two letters or communications to be published in which
6900-570: The Roman Church as carnal and corrupt, and themselves as spiritual; (2) they denied to the Roman priesthood all power and jurisdiction; (3) they forbade taking an oath; (4) they taught that priests in the state of sin could not confer the sacraments; and (5) they asserted that they alone were the true observers of the Gospel. Banished from Sicily, where, however, some remained till at least 1328, they established themselves securely in Naples. This third group of
7038-571: The Sicilian Fraticelli in their doctrines and methods of instruction. A letter is still extant which the Fraticelli of the Campagna (1353–1355) wrote to the magistrates of Narni when they heard that one of their number (Fra Stefano) had been cruelly imprisoned by the Inquisition of that city twelve or fifteen years before. In this letter, they petitioned the magistrates to liberate him according to
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#17330849713567176-611: The Spirituals in various matters. This proceeding, however, only provoked the Relaxati superiors to take energetic measures against the Zelanti. Towards the end of 1312 a number of Tuscan Spirituals left their monasteries and took forcible possession of the monasteries of Carmignano (near Florence), Arezzo , and Asciano , putting the Relaxati to flight. About fifty, fearing punishment, fled to Sicily. Clement V, hearing of these events, commanded
7314-597: The Third Order – now titled the Secular Franciscan Order – grew beyond Italy. Determined to bring the Gospel to all peoples and let God convert them, Francis sought on several occasions to take his message out of Italy. In approximately 1211, a captain of the Medrano family held the lordship of the castle and town of Agoncillo , situated near the city of Logroño , in the region of La Rioja , Spain. Medrano's son
7452-421: The Zelanti, presented a daring protest against this Bull to the Consistory (14 January 1323). Although the pope thereupon revised the text of the Bull and reissued it under the original date, he incarcerated Bonagrazia and in the Bull Cum inter nonnullos (12 November 1323) declared heretical the assertion that Christ and the Apostles possessed no property either separately or collectively. The controversy between
7590-457: The accumulation and use of books. In support of the friars' commitment to "holy poverty", Pope Gregory IX adopted a legal construct whereby gifts given to the Franciscans were vested in the Holy See, which granted the friars the mere use of it. In this way, they need not be perennially destitute. Pope Innocent IV gave the Franciscans permission to appoint "procurators" to buy, sell and administer goods given to them. Pope Nicholas III confirmed
7728-402: The apostolic letter "Licet Commissa". Pope Pius also mentioned the two saints in the laudative discourse he pronounced on 5 May 1949, in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva . Francis is the patron of animals and ecology. As such, he is the patron saint of the Laudato Si' Movement , a network that promotes the Franciscan ecological paradigm as outlined in the encyclical Laudato Si'. He
7866-485: The arrangement in 1279, in the bull Exiit qui seminat . The "Zelanti" or "Spirituals" felt that this abrogated the spirit of the founder, and believed a restricted use of property was more in keeping with the rule. The differences were not fully adjusted nor was unity ever completely restored between the Spirituals and the main body of the order, the Community. The first Fraticelli group was begun by Brother Angelo da Clareno (or da Cingoli). Angelo and several brethren from
8004-434: The arrest of another vicar, Fra Thedino, who represented Michael in the March of Ancona. Prominent among the followers of Michael were the more or less numerous Minorites in the monasteries of Todi and Amelia (against whom proceedings were instituted in 1329–30), of Cortona (1329), and of Pisa (1330), where, however, they appeared openly as late as 1354, and at Albigano , and Savonna (1329–1332). Papal decrees reveal
8142-400: The birds." The birds surrounded him, intrigued by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. He is often portrayed with a bird, typically in his hand. Another legend from the Fioretti tells that in the city of Gubbio , where Francis lived for some time, was a wolf "terrifying and ferocious, who devoured men as well as animals" . Francis went up into the hills and when he found
8280-437: The birth of the Laudato Si' Movement , a global network of nearly 1000 organizations promoting the Laudato Si' message and the Franciscan approach to ecology. It is a popular practice on his feast day, 4 October, for people to bring their pets and other animals to church for a blessing. Francis' feast day is observed on 4 October. A secondary feast in honour of the stigmata received by Francis, celebrated on 17 September,
8418-415: The bounds of orthodoxy or schismatics who, after breaking their communion with the papal authorities, retracted. Chronologically the second main group of Fraticelli were the Spirituals who fled from Tuscany to Sicily, and were surnamed at first the Rebellious Brothers and Apostates, but later the "Fraticelli de paupere vita". When, in 1309, the differences between the Relaxati and the Spirituals had reached
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#17330849713568556-461: The bull Sancta Romana Ecclesia abolished all the dissident Franciscan groups. Angelo was then forced to join the congregation of Celestines, but the procurator of the Celestines refused to allow him to stay at the Celestine monasteries: he was instead welcomed by the Benedictine abbot Bartolomeo at the Sacro Speco di Subiaco. From there he sends circular letters to his friars who live in hermitages or scattered in convents. In 1334, John XXII ordered
8694-539: The category, because admission to the Order of Saint Francis was expressly denied to their founder, Gerard Segarelli . The Apostolics had no connection to the Franciscans, in fact desiring to exterminate them. Umberto Eco 's novel The Name of the Rose is set against the persecution of Fraticelli. Etymologically, Fraticelli is a diminutive derived from the Italian frate (plural frati ), itself derived from Latin Frater 'brother', in Italian often shortened to Fra when referring to members of religious orders. Frati
8832-406: The chapter solemnly published its decrees to all Christendom. Indignant at the action of the chapter at Perugia, Pope John XXII published the Bull Ad conditorem canonum (8 December 1322), in which he renounces the dominion of all the goods of the Friars Minor hitherto assumed by the Roman pontiffs. He declared that the Roman Church renounced all its claims to the movable and immovable properties of
8970-446: The city consuls by his father. The latter, not content with having recovered the scattered gold from San Damiano, sought also to force his son to forego his inheritance by way of restitution. In the midst of legal proceedings before the Bishop of Assisi , Francis renounced his father and his patrimony . Some accounts report that he stripped himself naked in token of this renunciation, and the bishop covered him with his own cloak. For
9108-416: The civil courts at Florence (c. 1355), where he was then preaching, were adherents of Clareno. In April 1389, Fra Michele Berti, from Calci near Pisa , a member of the Ancona branch of Fraticelli, after preaching the Lenten course to his associates in Florence, was arrested as he was about to leave the city, and was condemned by the Franciscan Archbishop of Florence, Bartolomeo Oleari, to be burned at
9246-420: The coins on the floor. In order to avoid his father's wrath, Francis hid in a cave near San Damiano for about a month. When he returned to town, hungry and dirty, he was dragged home by his father, beaten, bound, and locked in a small storeroom. Freed by his mother during Bernardone's absence, Francis returned at once to San Damiano, where he found shelter with the officiating priest, but he was soon cited before
9384-406: The congregation dissolved by the pope, appointing provincials, ministers and custodians, and establishing new friaries . John XXII and his immediate successors issued numerous decrees against the Fraticelli in the March of Ancona , where the bishops and minor feudal barons defended them stubbornly and successfully in spite of papal threats. As he grew increasingly infirm Angelo was less able to visit
9522-428: The controversy regarding poverty broke out (1321–1328), all the Fraticelli showed a stronger opposition to the papacy. With the election of Benedict XII , the Fraticelli hoped for reconciliation with the Avignon-based church. From the Consistory on 23 December 1334, Benedict XII scorned the Fraticelli, criticising their conduct, heretical tendencies, lax discipline, and outright contempt for the official Church. Angelo
9660-402: The course of two years, he embraced the life of a penitent , during which he restored several ruined chapels in the countryside around Assisi, among them San Pietro in Spina (in the area of San Petrignano in the valley about a kilometre from Rivotorto , today on private property and once again in ruin); and the Porziuncola , the little chapel of St. Mary of the Angels in the plain just below
9798-402: The earlier decrees. Several followers of Clareno were in the territory of Naples in 1362. Louis of Durazzo (a nephew of Robert, King of Naples ) maintained a number of Fraticelli in a hospital adjoining his castle, Monte Sant' Angelo , and attended their services. These Fraticelli were divided into three sects: those acknowledging Tommaso da Bojano, former Bishop of Aquino ; the followers of
9936-428: The example of the cities of "Todi, Perugia, Assisi, and Pisa". It subsequently becomes difficult to differentiate these groups with precision. In Naples and Calabria, where King Robert and Queen Sanzia exhibited special veneration for St. Francis and his humble followers, the chaplaincies were held by Franciscans. There resided Fra Philip of Majorca , a brother of the queen. Like his father, James II of Majorca , Philip
10074-465: The famous tribune of the people, Cola di Rienzi (1349). Fanatical as they were on the subject of poverty, they were, in accordance with ancient custom, sheltered by the Celestine monks in the nearby abbey of Santo Spirito . The origin of the Clareni, approved as true Franciscans by Sixtus IV in 1474, is unknown; nor is it clear whether they were "moderate" followers of Angelo who managed to remain within
10212-1091: The feast of the Stigmata remains in the General Calendar. Francis is honoured with a Lesser Festival in the Church of England , the Anglican Church of Canada , the Episcopal Church USA , the Old Catholic Churches , the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , and other churches and religious communities on 4 October . On 13 March 2013, upon his election as Pope, Archbishop and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Francis of Assisi, becoming Pope Francis . At his first audience on 16 March 2013, Pope Francis told journalists that he had chosen
10350-491: The forsaken country chapel of San Damiano , just outside Assisi, in which the Icon of Christ Crucified said to him, "Francis, Francis, go and repair My church which, as you can see, is falling into ruins." He took this to mean the ruined church in which he was presently praying, and so he sold some cloth from his father's store to assist the priest there. When the priest refused to accept the ill-gotten gains, an indignant Francis threw
10488-562: The fourth of October, which became World Animal Day . He was noted for his devotion to the Eucharist . Along with Catherine of Siena , he was designated patron saint of Italy. He is also the namesake of the city of San Francisco . September 17 is the feast of Francis' stigmatization. Francis ( Italian : Francesco d'Assisi ; Latin : Franciscus Assisiensis ) was baptized Giovanni by his mother. His surname, di Pietro di Bernardone, comes from his father, Pietro di Bernardone. The latter
10626-449: The friars scattered around Rome, Ancona, Naples, and Unbria, and communicated with them by letter. The lack of his personal presence contributed to a decline in discipline. His adherents considered their rule as representing the Gospel , and as the Pope, they reasoned, cannot dispense from the Gospel, so he cannot dispense from, or even explain, the rule in any other than a literal sense. After
10764-538: The guardian of the convent of Ara Coeli in Rome to take possession of the person of Angelo. But Abbot Bartholomew refused to hand him over. Angelo was able to move from Subiaco, heading towards the Kingdom of Naples, where the presence of Philip of Majorca and Provencal and Catalan Spirituals at the court of Queen Sancia guaranteed continuous assistance. Angelo was highly esteemed by the Augustinian Hermits, with whom he
10902-654: The habit of a Celestine hermit. Angelo remained at the papal court in Avignon until the death of his friend Cardinal Colonna in 1318, and then returned to Italy. The procurator of the Celestines refused to allow him to stay at the Celestine monasteries: he was instead welcomed by the Benedictine abbot Bartolomeo at the Sacro Speco di Subiaco. In 1334, John XXII ordered the guardian of the convent of Ara Coeli in Rome to take possession of
11040-409: The hands of King Robert and of Charles, Duke of Calabria . The pope had to repeat this admonition several times (1327, 1330, 1331) to proceed against the Fraticelli. After this, some joined the Michaelites. The statement that some professed Mohammedanism may be based on fact, considering their situation and the local circumstances. On 8 July 1331, the pope admonished King Robert to withhold no longer
11178-439: The king's protection in the castle of Lettere near Castellamare , but who later (1235) humbly submitted to their lawful superiors. In 1336, "short-robed" Fraticelli still occupied the monastery of Santa Chiara at Naples, founded by Queen Sanzia, and were established in other parts of the kingdom; their expulsion was demanded on 24 June 1336 by Benedict XII (1334–1342). In 1344, Clement VI (1342–1352) found it necessary to reiterate
11316-492: The latter half of 1220. Drawing on a 1267 sermon by Bonaventure , later sources report that the Sultan secretly converted or accepted a death-bed baptism as a result of meeting Francis. Whatever transpired as a result of Francis’ and al-Kamil’s meeting the Franciscans have maintained a presence in the Holy Land almost uninterruptedly since 1217 and remain there today (see Custody of the Holy Land ). They received concessions from
11454-537: The meantime, Louis the Bavarian had entered Rome with a German army, and had himself solemnly crowned Emperor of Rome by Sciarra Colonna (17 January 1328); on 12 May he nominated and had consecrated as antipope Pietro Rainalducci of Corvara, a Franciscan, under the name of Nicholas V . The three fugitives from Avignon accompanied Louis to Bavaria, where they remained till their deaths. After Louis IV had returned to Bavaria, Nicholas V, deprived of all support, took refuge with
11592-483: The members and also a number were burned at the stake at Florence and Fabriano, at the latter place in the presence of the pope. A form of Fraticelli was also represented by Philip of Berbegni, a fanatical and eccentric Observant of Spain (1433), who attempted to establish a strict society de la Capuciola, but met vigorous opposition from John Capistran , who issued a dissertation against him. James of March, commissioned by Nicholas V to proceed against them (1449), wrote
11730-439: The menace of the predator. On 29 November 1979, Pope John Paul II declared Francis the patron saint of ecology . On 28 March 1982, John Paul II said that Francis' love and care for creation was a challenge for contemporary Catholics and a reminder "not to behave like dissident predators where nature is concerned, but to assume responsibility for it, taking all care so that everything stays healthy and integrated, so as to offer
11868-614: The mind of the chapter regarding the controversy is set forth at considerable length. Anticipating, on the advice of the Franciscan Cardinals Vitalis and Bertrand, the definitive decision of the pope, the chapter solemnly declared in favor of the "absolute poverty" of Christ (4 June 1322). This pronunciamento was signed by the general, Michael of Cesena, the provincial ministers of Southern Germany, England ( William of Nottingham , not Occam), Aquitania, Northern France, and others, as well as by several renowned scholars. On 11 June
12006-524: The monastery of San Francesco al Prato. It appears that these Fraticelli had elected their own popes, bishops and generals, and that they were split into various factions. The Conventuals, as their one means of defence, called in Fra Paoluccio of Trinci, the founder of the Observants, and ceded to him the small monastery on Monte Ripido near the city (1374). Fra Paoluccio was successful in his disputations with
12144-452: The name in honor of Francis of Assisi, and had done so because he was especially concerned for the well-being of the poor. The pontiff recounted that Cardinal Cláudio Hummes had told him, "Don't forget the poor", right after the election; that made Bergoglio think of Francis. It is the first time a pope has taken the name. On 18 June 1939, Pope Pius XII named Francis a joint patron saint of Italy along with Catherine of Siena with
12282-454: The name of Brother Liberato. Celestine also named Cardinal Napoleone Orsini protector. Celestine was 79 when he became pope, and having little experience, proved relatively ineffectual, and resigned within six months. His immediate successors were less favorably disposed towards the new order. Upon the death of Liberato in 1307, Angelo became superior. In 1311, he came to Avignon to answer a charge of heresy that had been brought against him. He
12420-448: The next couple of months, Francis wandered as a beggar in the hills behind Assisi. He spent some time at a neighbouring monastery working as a scullion . He then went to Gubbio , where a friend gave him, as an alms, the cloak, girdle, and staff of a pilgrim. Returning to Assisi, he traversed the city, begging stones for the restoration of St. Damiano. These he carried to the old chapel, set in place himself, and so at length rebuilt it. Over
12558-498: The night of Palm Sunday , 28 March 1212, Clare clandestinely left her family's palace. Francis received her at the Porziuncola and thereby established the Order of Poor Clares. He gave Clare a religious habit , a garment similar to his own, before lodging her, her younger sister Caterina, and other young women in a nearby monastery of Benedictine nuns until he could provide a suitable monastery. Later he transferred them to San Damiano, to
12696-589: The observance of "holy poverty", and the king had even composed a treatise favouring the views of the Chapter of Perugia (1322). The papal condemnations of the Fraticelli, therefore, had produced but slight results in the Kingdom of Naples. On 1 August 1322, John XXII issued a general decree against the "Fraticelli de paupere vita", and after sending King Robert (4 February 1325) the Bulls specially directed against Fra Enrico da Ceva, on 10 May 1325, demanded their imprisonment at
12834-451: The papal decrees against Michael of Cesena nor prevent their publication in his kingdom. Philip of Majorca, however, preached openly against the pope. It was due to the influence of the royal family that Fra Andrea of Galiano, a court chaplain at Naples, was acquitted in the process instituted against him at Avignon in 1338, as he still continued his intercourse with Michael of Cesena and with the fifty Michaelites who resided for some time under
12972-493: The person of Angelo, but Abbot Bartholomew refused to hand him over. It appears from the papal Bulls that the followers of Angelo established themselves in Central Italy, i.e., in the province of Rome , Umbria , and the March of Ancona, and also in Southern Italy ( Campagna , Basilicata , and Naples ). From Subiaco Angelo sent circular letters to his friars who live in hermitages or scattered in convents. He assumed charge of
13110-481: The pope and the order soon took on a political character, the Minorites having been appointed counselors to Louis IV the Bavarian , King of Germany, who also was engaged in a conflict with the pope. The Sachsenhausen Appeal of the King Louis of 22 May 1324 was full of invectives against the "heretic who falsely designates himself Pope John XXII" for doing away with the poverty of Christ. This famous "Spiritualist excursus"
13248-585: The pope laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Francis was buried on 25 May 1230, under the Lower Basilica, but his tomb was soon hidden on orders of Brother Elias, in order to protect it from Saracen invaders. His burial place remained unknown until it was rediscovered in 1818. Pasquale Belli then constructed a crypt for the remains in the Lower Basilica. It was refashioned between 1927 and 1930 into its present form by Ugo Tarchi. In 1978,
13386-504: The presence of Michaelites in England (1329), Germany (1322), Carcassonne , Portugal (1330), Spain (1329), Sicily and Lombardy (1329, 1334), Sardinia, Armenia, and other places. The records of a process (1334) conducted in irregular form against the Fraticelli of the Franciscan monastery at Tauris, who had been reported by Dominicans, show that they inveighed openly against John XXII and upheld
13524-555: The presidency of Michael of Cesena, forbade any disrespectful reference to the pope. On 8 June 1327, Michael received instructions to present himself at Avignon, a command which he obeyed in December 1327. The pope having sharply reproved him in public (9 April 1328) for the chapter's action at Perugia, he drew up a secret protest and, fearing punishment, fled, despite the orders of the pope, to Aigues-Mortes and thence to Pisa , together with Bonagrazia of Bergamo and William of Occam . In
13662-601: The pretended minister general , Bernard of Sicily; and those who claimed Angelo da Clareno as their founder and acknowledged only his successor as their general. All three sects agreed in holding that the true papacy had ceased since the alleged heresy of John XXII, but the party of the minister general held it lawful to accept, in case of necessity, the ministrations of priests who adhered to the papacy. Between 1363–1370, it at last became possible for Franciscans to take possession of several monasteries in Calabria and Sicily from which
13800-601: The religious order of the Franciscans . Inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty, he became a beggar and itinerant preacher . One of the most venerated figures in Christianity, Francis was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on 16 July 1228. He is commonly portrayed wearing a brown habit with a rope tied around his waist, featuring three knots symbolizing the three Franciscan vows of poverty , chastity , and obedience . In 1219, he went to Egypt in an attempt to convert
13938-526: The remains of Francis were examined and confirmed by a commission of scholars appointed by Pope Paul VI , and put into a glass urn in the ancient stone tomb. In 1935, Dr. Edward Frederick Hartung concluded that Francis contracted trachoma while in Egypt and died of quartan malaria . This data was published in the Annals of Medical History . Francis set out to replicate Christ and literally carry out his work. This
14076-455: The sake of protection. Their doctrine was a résumé of their former sectarian errors: the whole Roman Church had deserted the true Faith since the time of John XXII (1323); they alone constituted the true Church and retained the sacraments and the priesthood. Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( c. 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi , was an Italian mystic , poet, and Catholic friar who founded
14214-408: The same time, by command of John XXII, papal proceedings were instituted against them everywhere. The Michaelites denied John's right to the papacy and denounced both him and his successors as heretics. The proceedings against Michael were published in various localities. On 5 September 1328, John XXII commanded the imprisonment of Fra Azzolino, who was acting as Michael's vicar, and on 18 August 1331,
14352-402: The scene in traditional paintings. He used real animals to create a living scene so that the worshipers could contemplate the birth of the child Jesus in a direct way, making use of the senses, especially sight. Both Thomas of Celano and Bonaventure , biographers of Francis, tell how he used only a straw-filled manger (feeding trough) set between a real ox and donkey . According to Thomas, it
14490-424: The sports and feasts of his former companions. A friend asked him whether he was thinking of marrying, to which he answered: "Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen", meaning his "Lady Poverty". On a pilgrimage to Rome, he joined the poor in begging at St. Peter's Basilica . He spent some time in lonely places, asking God for divine illumination . He said he had a mystical vision of Jesus Christ in
14628-531: The stake. Berti died chanting the Te Deum , while his followers, unmolested by the authorities, exhorted him to remain steadfast (30 April 1389). To the end he maintained that John XXII had become a heretic by his four decretals , that he and his successors had forfeited the papacy, and that no priest supporting them could absolve validly. The "Poor Hermits" of Monte della Majella, near Sulmona were adherents of Angelo da Clareno, and at one time afforded protection to
14766-467: The stories that surround the life of Francis say that he had a great love for animals and the environment. The Fioretti ("Little Flowers") is a collection of legends and folklore that sprang up after his death. One account describes how one day, while Francis was travelling with some companions, they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to "wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters
14904-420: The strict observance of the Rule of St. Francis . Celestine absolved them of their vows of obedience to their Franciscan superiors, and constituted them as a separate group of Poor Hermits who could live at the monasteries of the Celestines . He also named Cardinal Napoleone Orsini as cardinal-protector. After the abdication of Celestine V, his successor, Boniface VIII , revoked all Celestine's concessions, and
15042-612: The sultan al-Kamil and put an end to the conflict of the Fifth Crusade . In 1223, he arranged for the first live nativity scene as part of the annual Christmas celebration in Greccio . According to Christian tradition, in 1224 Francis received the stigmata during the apparition of a Seraphic angel in a religious ecstasy . Francis is associated with patronage of animals and the environment . It became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of
15180-412: The suspicious disfavour of the Friars Minor who were not prepared to accept the extreme interpretation of the rule of St Francis which Angelo had adopted. The Provincial Minister had Angelo and a few other "zealot" leaders arrested in Rome as heretics and schismatics. They were imprisoned for nine years when in 1289, a new Provincial, Raymond Gaufredi ordered them released. Fearing that to leave them in
15318-583: The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, principally in Italy , that separated from the Franciscan Order on account of the disputes concerning poverty. It is necessary to differentiate the various groups of Fraticelli, although the one term may be applied to all. The main groups were the Fraticelli de Paupere Vita and the Fraticelli de Opinione (also called Michaelites ). The Apostolics (also known as Pseudo-Apostles or Apostolic Brethren) are excluded from
15456-607: The town. This later became his favorite abode . By degrees he took to nursing lepers , in the leper colonies near Assisi. One morning in February 1208, Francis was taking part in a Mass in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, near which he had by then built himself a hut. The Gospel of the day was the "Commissioning of the Twelve" from the Book of Matthew. The disciples were to go and proclaim that
15594-428: The views of Michael of Cesena, although in their apocalyptic manner they declared that the order of the Friars Minor was divided in three parts, and that only those would be saved who would journey to the East, i.e. themselves. It is uncertain whether these were identical with the Fraticelli in Armenia, Persia, and other oriental localities, where all bishops were commanded by Clement VI to prosecute them (29 May 1344). For
15732-479: The visit. Such an incident is alluded to in a scene in the late 13th-century fresco cycle, attributed to Giotto, in the upper basilica at Assisi. According to some late sources, the Sultan gave Francis permission to visit the sacred places in the Holy Land and even to preach there. All that can safely be asserted is that Francis and his companion left the Crusader camp for Acre , from where they embarked for Italy in
15870-519: The walled city of Damietta . He was accompanied by Friar Illuminatus of Arce and hoped to convert the Sultan of Egypt or be martyred in the attempt. The Sultan, al-Kamil , a nephew of Saladin , had succeeded his father as Sultan of Egypt in 1218 and was encamped upstream of Damietta. A bloody and futile attack on the city was launched by the Christians on 29 August 1219, following which both sides agreed to
16008-412: The wolf, he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt no one. Then Francis led the wolf into the town, and surrounded by startled citizens made a pact between them and the wolf. Because the wolf had "done evil out of hunger", the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly. In return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner Gubbio was freed from
16146-527: The world back to Christ. The Italian people designated as Fraticelli all the members of religious orders (particularly mendicants ), and especially hermits , whether these observed monastic precepts or regulated their own lives. Early Franciscans were itinerant preachers, who, following their founder Francis of Assisi , took to heart Christ's injunction in Luke 9:3: "Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt." Living by such
16284-506: The world that surrounded him came fairly early in his life, as is shown in the "story of the beggar". In this account, he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace on behalf of his father when a beggar came to him and asked for alms . At the conclusion of his business deal, Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the beggar. When he found him, Francis gave the man everything he had in his purse. His friends mocked him for his charity; his father scolded him in rage. Around 1202, he joined
16422-548: Was a designation of the members of the mendicant orders founded during the thirteenth century, principally the Franciscans. The Latin Fraterculus does not occur in the old records which concern the Fraticelli. Etymologically the name Friars Minor ( Fratres Minores ) is equivalent to the diminutive Fraticellus . The ideal of the founder of the Friars Minor, Saint Francis of Assisi , was that his disciples, by evangelical poverty , complete self-denial , and humility , should lead
16560-405: Was able to move from Subiaco, heading towards the Kingdom of Naples, where the presence of Philip of Majorca and Provençal and Catalan Spirituals at the court of Queen Sancia guaranteed continuous assistance. Angelo died 15 July 1337, and the congregation, deprived of its leader, loosely organized to begin with, and hard pressed by the Inquisition, seems to have split into a number of groups. Angelo
16698-463: Was beautiful in its simplicity, with the manger acting as the altar for the Christmas Mass. Some modern commentators and animal rights advocates have mistakenly portrayed Francis as a vegetarian. However, historical records indicate that he did consume meat, and his earliest biographers make no mention of him adhering to a meatless diet. Francis's favourite dish was shrimp pie. Francis preached
16836-548: Was born about 1248, and entered the Franciscan order around 1270. Believing that the rule of St Francis was not being observed and interpreted according to the mind and spirit of the Seraphic Father, he retired to a hermitage with a few companions and formed a new branch of the order known as the "Clareni". The influence of the prophetical writings of Joachim of Floris, a Calabrian abbot, on Angelo and his followers, and in fact on
16974-461: Was done. In the end, he was brought back to a hut next to the Porziuncola. Here he spent his last days dictating his spiritual testament. He died on the evening of Saturday, 3 October 1226, singing Psalm 141, "Voce mea ad Dominum" . On 16 July 1228, he was declared a saint by Pope Gregory IX (the former cardinal Ugolino di Conti, a friend of Francis and Cardinal Protector of the Order). The next day,
17112-475: Was finally acquitted after a tedious and searching examination. Angelo left Avignon, at the end of 1312, to go to Majorca, where he stayed almost two months, with the Prince Philip, son of James I of Majorca. He returned to Avignon in the spring of 1313, but faced with the hostility of the Franciscans of Tuscany, took refuge in Sicily, under the protection of Federico III of Aragon. In 1317, Pope John XXII , in
17250-400: Was given the use of the mountain of La Verna (Alverna) as a gift from Count Orlando di Chiusi, who described it as "eminently suitable for whoever wishes to do penance in a place remote from mankind". The mountain would become one of his favourite retreats for prayer. During the Fifth Crusade in 1219 Francis went to Egypt where a Crusader army had been encamped for over a year besieging
17388-526: Was highly esteemed by the Augustinian Hermits, with whom he was on friendly terms, especially with Gentile da Foligno and Simone da Cassia, an ascetic writer of great repute. He corresponded with both, and, after the death of Angelo, Simone bitterly lamented the loss of a friend and spiritual adviser. It is likely that the Fraticelli whom Simone afterwards successfully defended against the Dominicans in
17526-424: Was immediately sympathetic to Francis and agreed to represent Francis to the pope. After several days, the pope agreed to admit the group informally, adding that when God increased the group in grace and number, they could return for an official audience. The group was tonsured . This was important in part because it recognized Church authority and prevented his following from accusations of heresy, as had happened to
17664-562: Was in France on business when Francis was born in Assisi , a small town in Italy. Upon his return, Pietro took to calling his son Francesco ("Free man" or "Frenchman"), possibly in honour of his commercial success and enthusiasm for all things French. Francis of Assisi was born c. 1181 , one of the children of an Italian father, Pietro di Bernardone dei Moriconi, a prosperous silk merchant, and
17802-646: Was inserted in the General Roman Calendar in 1585 (later than the Tridentine calendar ) and suppressed in 1604, but was restored in 1615. In the New Roman Missal of 1969, it was removed again from the General Calendar, as something of a duplication of the main feast on 4 October, and left to the calendars of certain localities and of the Franciscan Order. Wherever the Tridentine Missal is used, however,
17940-474: Was now their leader. John XXII (15 March 1317) admonished King Frederick to take severe measures against them. In a letter of the same date addressed by the cardinals at Avignon to the entire hierarchy of Sicily, special stress was laid on the fact that the fugitives had elected a superior general, provincials, and guardians. On 23 January 1318, Pope John XXII excommunicated them in the Bull "Gloriosam ecclesiam", specifying five errors, to wit: (1) they designated
18078-438: Was on friendly terms, especially with Gentile da Foligno, socius of the prior general of the order, and Simone da Cassia, an ascetic writer of great repute. He corresponded with both, and, after the death of Angelo, Simone bitterly lamented the loss of a friend and spiritual adviser. It is likely that the Fraticelli whom Simone afterwards successfully defended against the Dominicans in the civil courts at Florence (c. 1355), where he
18216-591: Was praying on the mountain of Verna, during a forty-day fast in preparation for Michaelmas (29 September), Francis is said to have had a vision on or about 13 September 1224, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross , as a result of which he received the stigmata . Brother Leo, who had been with Francis at the time, left a clear and simple account of the event, the first definite account of the phenomenon of stigmata. "Suddenly he saw
18354-577: Was suffering from a mysterious and untreatable ailment. In 1211, Saint Francis of Assisi roamed those very paths of Agoncillo. In a saintly manner, he visited Medrano's Agoncillo castle , placed his mystical hands upon the ailing Medrano boy, and miraculously healed him, securing the Medrano lineage in Agoncillo. As a result, the Medrano family are distinguished by their devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi. The Medrano family generously donated some land, including
18492-468: Was sympathetic towards the Spiritual Franciscans. He was also a great admirer of Angelo da Clareno. In 1328 Philip had petitioned John XXII for permission for himself and other Franciscans to observe literally the Rule of St. Francis, independently of the superiors of the order; the pope had refused. In a letter dated 10 August 1333, the pope was obliged to settle some doubts of the queen relating to
18630-592: Was the essential lifestyle for the members of his order. He believed that nature itself was the mirror of God. He called all creatures his "brothers" and "sisters", and even preached to the birds and supposedly persuaded a wolf in Gubbio to stop attacking some locals if they agreed to feed the wolf. His deep sense of brotherhood under God embraced others, and he declared that "he considered himself no friend of Christ if he did not cherish those for whom Christ died". Francis's visit to Egypt and attempted rapprochement with
18768-426: Was then nominated by the pope as the protector of the order. Another reason for Francis' return to Italy was that the Franciscan Order had grown at an unprecedented rate compared to previous religious orders, but its organizational sophistication had not kept up with this growth and had little more to govern it than Francis' example and simple rule. To address this problem, Francis prepared a new and more detailed Rule,
18906-515: Was then preaching, were adherents of Clareno. In 1337 he retired to the little hermitage of Santa Maria d'Aspro, near Marsicovetere in Basilicata, where he died. Angelo Clareno is the author, at least in great part, of the Chronica septem tribulationum Ordinis Minorum , which records the persecutions suffered by the "Spirituals", beginning with the innovations made during St. Francis' sojourn in
19044-415: Was threatened with punishment by the inquisitor. The matter soon developed into a general controversy between the Dominicans and Franciscans. On this particular issue the Relaxati and Zelanti agreed citing the Bull of Nicholas III, Exiit qui seminat , which had defined the poverty of the Franciscans, both individually and collectively, as equivalent to that of the Apostles, and had therefore transferred to
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