Every October 4, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi is celebrated, one of the most well-known and beloved saints of the Church, whose name was taken by Pope Francis in his honor. Here are 12 facts about his life.
1. The oldest portraits of Saint Francis are found in Italy
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The first (left) is located in the Benedictine monastery of Subiaco. The portrait was painted during a visit to the monastery and presents Saint Francis without a halo or stigmata.
The second fresco (right) is in the lower Basilica of Assisi and was painted by Cimabue. The complete fresco represents the Virgin and Child enthroned, four angels and Saint Francis.
2. He was called Francis after the people of France
His father, Pedro Bernardone, was a merchant who worked in France. As he was in that country when his son was born, people nicknamed him “Francesco” (the Frenchman), even though he received the name Juan at baptism.
3. He was a prisoner of war for a year
When he was about 19 years old, before his conversion, he joined the army and fought in a war that was fought between the cities of Perugia and Assisi. He was held prisoner for a year, but was eventually released unharmed.
4. His life was inspired by Matthew 10:9
In Matthew 10:9, Jesus tells his disciples: “Do not carry gold, silver or coins in your belt” when you travel to preach the Gospel. The saint felt inspired to do the same and began traveling to preach repentance in poverty.
5. Within a year he gained 11 followers
By the year 1210 there were 12 of them in total, that is, the same number as the apostles. At that time, Saint Francis wrote a brief and informal rule with evangelical advice to achieve perfection, mainly. Then, they traveled to Rome to present the writing for the Pope’s approval. The trip was on foot, singing and praying, full of happiness and living off the alms that people gave them.
6. Pope Innocent III decided to support the Franciscans after a supernatural dream
Pope Innocent III was adverse to supporting Saint Francis and his new group of followers. Then, he had a dream in which he saw the saint supporting with his body the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, which was about to collapse.
The Holy Father interpreted the dream as an indication that Saint Francis and his group could serve as support to the Church and thus gave them official recognition as a religious order.
7. He attended the IV Lateran Council, where he met Saint Dominic de Guzmán
The IV Lateran Council was the 12th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church in which transubstantiation and papal primacy, among other things, were ratified. Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans, was also present.
8. He visited a Muslim sultan, preached the Gospel to him and challenged him
During the Fifth Crusade, Saint Francis and a companion traveled to a Muslim territory to visit the sultan of Egypt and Syria, Al-Kamil. The saint preached before the sultan and to demonstrate his great faith in the Christian religion, he challenged those present to a “trial by fire” which consisted of him and a Muslim walking along a burning path, with the idea that the follower of true religion had to be protected by God.
San Francisco offered to go first, but Al-Kamil rejected the challenge. However, the sultan was so impressed by his faith that he gave the saint permission to preach in his land.
9. He stopped the miracles of a deceased Franciscan
In 1220, Saint Francis withdrew from the government of the Order and appointed Pedro Cattani as his Vicar. However, Pedro died only five months later. Visitors to his tomb reported many miracles, bringing large crowds to the site. The crowds were causing problems in the area so the saint prayed to Cattani for the miracles to stop and they stopped.
10. He received stigmata while fasting for 40 days
Stigmata are a condition in which the wounds of Christ appear supernaturally on a person’s body. A Franciscan who accompanied him said: “Suddenly he saw a vision of a seraphim, a six-winged angel on a cross. This angel gave him the gift of the five wounds of Christ.”
This happened in 1224 during a 40-day fast on Mount Alvernia, when preparing for the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, on September 29.
11. The first stone of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi was laid the day after his canonization
The saint died on October 3, 1226. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on July 16, 1228, and the next day, the Holy Father personally laid the first stone of the new basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.
12. His tomb was lost for centuries until it was rediscovered in 1818
His body was moved to his basilica in 1230, but was soon hidden by the Franciscans to protect it from Saracen invaders. The location of his body was forgotten and was not rediscovered until 1818, almost six centuries later.
It has been updated for republication.
Central Editorial
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