Church History · 1209

Francis of Assisi

Francis was the spoiled son of a rich cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy, until he met Jesus and gave it all away. In 1209 Pope Innocent III approved his little band of brothers, who became the Franciscans, and their simple life of poverty, preaching and care for the poor changed the medieval church.

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 19:21 Matthew 10:9 Luke 9:58 Matthew 25:40

Francis of Assisi was a rich young Italian who gave up everything to follow Jesus in poverty. In 1209 Pope Innocent III approved the simple rule of life Francis wrote for his small group of followers. That group became the Franciscans, one of the largest religious orders in the world. Francis cared for lepers and the poor, preached peace, loved God's creation, and helped renew a church that had grown rich and comfortable. Eight hundred years later, Christians of every kind still love him.

Who Was Francis of Assisi?

Francis was born in 1181 or 1182 in Assisi, a hill town in central Italy. His father, Pietro di Bernardone, was a wealthy cloth merchant. Young Francis was the life of the party. He wore the best clothes, spent money freely, and dreamed of becoming a knight.

When Assisi went to war with the nearby city of Perugia, Francis rode off to fight. He was captured and spent about a year as a prisoner. He came home sick and changed. The parties no longer satisfied him.

How Did Francis Give Everything Up?

Several moments turned his life around. One day he met a man with leprosy on the road. Francis had always been disgusted by lepers, but this time he got off his horse and kissed the man's hand. He later wrote that what had seemed bitter to him was turned into sweetness.

Not long after, while praying in the run down chapel of San Damiano, Francis believed he heard Christ speak from the crucifix, telling him to rebuild His church, which was falling into ruin. Francis took it literally at first and started fixing the building. To pay for it, he sold some of his father's cloth.

His father was furious and took him before the bishop to demand his money back. In one of the most famous scenes in church history, Francis gave back the money, then took off his fine clothes and handed them to his father too. He said that from then on he would call only God his Father. The bishop covered him with his own cloak.

Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me." Matthew 19:21

How Did the Franciscans Begin?

Francis began living as a poor wandering preacher. Other young men, some of them wealthy, wanted to join him. Early biographies say they opened the Gospels for guidance and found the words of Jesus sending out His disciples with nothing.

Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts. Matthew 10:9

In 1209 Francis and his first eleven companions walked to Rome. Pope Innocent III gave verbal approval to their simple way of life. They called themselves the Friars Minor, the lesser brothers, because they wanted to be the least, not the greatest. In 1212 a young noblewoman named Clare joined the movement and founded an order for women, now called the Poor Clares. A third order later formed for ordinary people living in the world.

What Did Francis Do for the Poor?

Francis and his brothers worked with their hands, begged for food when they had to, cared for lepers, and preached in the open air in plain words people could understand. They owned nothing as a group. Francis believed that Jesus, who had no place to lay His head, should be followed literally.

Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." Luke 9:58

His movement spread fast. By the time Francis died, there were thousands of friars across Europe.

What Else Is Francis Known For?

Peace with Islam. In 1219, during the Fifth Crusade, Francis crossed the battle lines in Egypt to preach to Sultan al Kamil. The sultan did not convert, but he received Francis kindly and let him go.
The nativity scene. In 1223 at the village of Greccio, Francis set up a manger with a live ox and donkey so people could picture the birth of Jesus. Many trace the Christmas nativity scene to that night.
Love for creation. He called the sun his brother and the moon his sister, and his Canticle of the Creatures is one of the first great poems in Italian. Stories say he even preached to the birds.
The stigmata. In 1224, while praying on Mount La Verna, Francis is said to have received wounds like those of Christ. Catholics regard this as a miracle. Others are unsure what happened. Either way, the account shows how deeply he longed to share in Christ's sufferings.

Francis died on October 3, 1226, and was declared a saint just two years later, in 1228.

Did Francis Say "Preach the Gospel at All Times"?

Probably not. The famous line about preaching the gospel at all times and using words if necessary is not found in his writings or in the early stories about him. The same is true of the Prayer of Saint Francis, which begins, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace." It is a beautiful prayer, but it first appeared in the early 1900s. Francis did preach with words, a lot of them, and his life backed them up.

Why It Matters for You Today

Most of us won't hand our clothes back to our parents in the town square. But Francis asks a fair question. What do you hold on to that keeps you from following Jesus freely? He found that giving things away made him richer, not poorer.

And the King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.' Matthew 25:40

The rich kid from Assisi found his treasure in serving the people nobody wanted to touch. That is still the way of Jesus.

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Questions People Ask

Who was Saint Francis of Assisi?

Francis was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy, born in 1181 or 1182. He gave up his wealth to follow Jesus in poverty, cared for lepers and the poor, and founded the Franciscan order. He died in 1226 and was made a saint in 1228.

When were the Franciscans founded?

The Franciscans date their founding to 1209, when Pope Innocent III gave verbal approval to the simple rule of life Francis wrote for his first companions. Their formal rule was approved in 1223.

Did Saint Francis say preach the gospel always, use words if necessary?

There is no record of him saying it. The line does not appear in his writings or in the early accounts of his life. It captures part of his example, but Francis also preached often and in plain words.

Did Saint Francis start the nativity scene?

In 1223 at Greccio, Italy, Francis set up a manger with live animals for a Christmas Mass so people could picture the birth of Jesus. Many historians trace the popular tradition of nativity scenes to that event.

Sources

← The Lateran Councils and Priestly Celibacy Thomas Aquinas and the Summa Theologica →

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