Saint Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares, and her obedience to the Pope and the Catholic Church

In the context of the scandal caused by a group of Poor Clares who They have ignored the authority of the Pope In order to join an excommunicated “bishop,” we share what Saint Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares, did to demonstrate her obedience to the Holy Father and the provisions of the Catholic Church, until death.

A miracle for obeying the Pope

According to the Franciscan Directory of Saints, on one occasion the Pope went to visit Santa Clara. She knelt down and asked him to bless the bread that was on the table. The Pope told her: “Most faithful Sister Clara, I want you to be the one to bless this bread and to make on it that sign of the cross of Christ, to whom you have given yourself entirely.”

The humble saint asked him to forgive her, implying that she was not worthy to do so with the Vicar of Christ before her. Then, the Holy Father insisted, under her vow of obedience.

The saint obeyed and a mark of a cross miraculously appeared on the loaves. The Pontiff left happy, giving his blessing to the saint.

Obedience to the rules of the Church

Corazones.org, a website about the lives of the saints, describes that Saint Francis put Saint Clare (1193-1253) at the head of the Poor Clares. She not only became an example for her sisters, but she began to prepare the future of the community through the Rules.

The Rules, in general terms, are the set of norms of how religious orders live their spirituality. Examples of this are the rule of Saint Benedict, Saint Augustine, the Jesuits and Saint Francis of Assisi.

These needed the Pope’s approval for universal recognition, but Saint Clare of Assisi did not have it easy.

According to him Franciscan Directory of Saintsin 1215 the IV Lateran Council prohibited the formation of new communities that did not have some ancient religious rule as a guide.

For this reason, Saint Clare and her sisters had to accept out of obedience the Benedictine rule (Saint Benedict), which did not express the poor lifestyle that they sought.

Saint Clare did not remain calm and over time obtained from Pope Innocent III a special grace called “Privilege of poverty,” which allowed them to “live without privileges, without income or possessions, following in the footsteps of the poor Christ,” the Directory states. .

In these circumstances, Cardinal Ugolino de Segni appeared, who placed the Poor Clares under Constitutions that he developed and that governed alongside the Benedictine rule so that they could better live their charisma. But it wasn’t enough.

After the death of Saint Francis of Assisi (1226) Cardinal Ugolino de Segni became the Papa Gregorio IX and canonized the saint in Assisi (1228). The Pontiff visited the community of Santa Clara and insisted that it accept property to secure his monastery. The saint did not accept and rather she obtained confirmation of the “Privilege of poverty” from the Pope.

Later, Pope Innocent IV granted that the Benedictine rule be replaced by that of Saint Francis in the formula for the religious profession of the Poor Clares.

Furthermore, certain regulations related to Cardinal Hugolino’s Constitutions became legal norms for them. But this also did not meet expectations.

Later, in the name of the Pontiff, Cardinal Rainaldo de Conti di Segni, then protector of the Franciscan family, approved the Rule made by Saint Clare herself only for the monastery of San Damiano, but the rule still needed to be for all communities. Poor Clares

Your testament of obedience

Days before she died, Saint Clare received a visit from Pope Innocent IV and asked for papal approval of her rule for her entire order. The Pope, through a bull, approved it on August 9, 1253. The saint received the document and kissed him lovingly.

In this way, the first woman to write a rule for religious, left for heaven on August 11 of that year. He had the Rule, which cost him so much sacrifice, in his hands.

He first chapter of the Rule About the saint he says something significant and that remained as a testament for all his nuns: “Clara, unworthy servant of Christ and seed of the very blessed Father Francis, promises obedience and reverence to the Lord Pope Innocent and his canonically elected successors and to the Roman Church.” .