Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher who founded the Franciscan Order. He was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone in Assisi, Italy to a wealthy cloth merchant. As a young man, Francis lived a lavish and carefree life. However, he underwent a profound spiritual conversion and renounced his wealth to embrace a life of poverty. Francis dedicated himself to following the teachings of Jesus Christ and serving the poor and outcasts of society. He was known for his love of nature and animals and is credited with creating the first Nativity scene. Some key facts about St. Francis of Assisi:
- He was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy to Pietro and Pica Bernardone. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant.
- As a young man, Francis led a worldly and carefree life. He dreamed of becoming a knight and warrior.
- In 1202, he went off to fight in a war against the nearby town of Perugia but was captured and held prisoner for a year.
- This experience was a turning point. When he returned home, Francis became withdrawn and began searching for spiritual meaning.
- One day while praying in the dilapidated church of San Damiano, Francis heard Christ speak to him from a crucifix, telling him to “repair my church.”
- Francis took this literally at first and began rebuilding San Damiano and other ruined churches in the area.
- Over time, Francis came to see his calling was to spiritually renew the Catholic Church through a life of radical poverty, prayer, and service to the poor.
- In 1209, Francis composed a simple rule for his followers who wished to embrace this lifestyle. This was the beginning of the Franciscan Order.
- In 1212, Clare of Assisi, a young noblewoman of the town, left her wealthy family to join Francis’ order and embrace his way of life.
- In 1217, Francis brought a group of friars to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade. In a bold move, they crossed battle lines to meet with the Sultan in an attempt to broker peace.
- In 1223, Francis received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, while praying on a mountain, making him the first known person to bear these marks.
- Francis’ final years were filled with suffering as he went blind and battled illness. He died at the age of 45 in 1226.
- He was canonized as a saint just two years later in 1228 by Pope Gregory IX.
Here is a more detailed overview of the life of this revered Christian figure:
Francis’ Youth & Conversion
Francis was born in 1181 in the town of Assisi in the Umbrian region of Italy. His father, Pietro di Bernardone, was a prosperous silk merchant, and his mother was a noblewoman named Pica. As a child, Francis enjoyed a very privileged upbringing. He was tutored, learned French, and was given opportunities for education and leisure. As a young man, Francis dreamed of becoming a knight and warrior. At age 14, he joined Assisi’s army to fight in their war against nearby Perugia. After a year in prison when that campaign failed, Francis returned home a changed man. He became withdrawn and began searching for meaning outside the material world. After a period of spiritual questioning, Francis embraced a life of radical poverty and service to God. The definitive moment came when he was praying before a crucifix in the dilapidated church of San Damiano outside Assisi. As Francis knelt in front of the cross, he heard Christ speak to him saying “Go and repair my house, which you see is in ruins.” At first, Francis took this literally, believing he was to physically rebuild the crumbling San Damiano church. He sold fabric from his father’s shop to pay for repairs to San Damiano and also to restore two other churches nearby – St. Peter’s and St. Mary of the Angels. His father, furious at his son’s generous gifts and time spent in prayer, disinherited Francis and dragged him before the local bishop. The bishop told Francis to return his father’s money and renounce his family ties. Francis complied, stripping off his expensive clothes in the city square to symbolize his dramatic break from his material past. The bishop covered the nearly naked Francis with his cloak in a gesture of protection.
From this point on, Francis devoted himself completely to serving those in need and living in solidarity with the poor. As Jesus had taught his disciples in Luke 9:3 ESV, Francis took nothing with him on his spiritual journey – no walking stick, no money, only the clothes he wore. He embraced voluntary poverty, begging for his daily needs and giving any gifts away to others. His humility, compassion and piety soon attracted followers who wanted to join this way of life. In 1209, after hearing Francis read Christ’s instructions to his disciples from Matthew 10:7-10 ESV to go out and preach freely, caring nothing for material needs but trusting in God’s providence, Francis composed a simple rule based on these precepts for those who wished to join him. This was the founding of the Order of Friars Minor, known today as the Franciscans. The rule was approved by Pope Innocent III, marking the official founding of the Franciscan order. At the heart of Francis’ rule were the ideals of poverty, simplicity and prayer. By freeing themselves from worldly goods and distractions, Francis and his “friars minor” (meaning lesser brothers) could focus on serving God through service to others.
Ministry & Works
Throughout his ministry, Francis traveled extensively around Italy and Europe preaching repentance, conversion, and peace. He had a unique gift for relating to both rich and poor, peasants and kings, believers and non-believers. With his gentle charm, humility, and joy, Francis drew people to the Gospel message. Early followers included not only the poor but also wealthy men and women seeking deeper spiritual meaning – most notably, the heiress Clare of Assisi who left her noble family at age 18 to embrace Francis’ way of life. Francis and Clare founded a parallel Franciscan order for women called the Poor Clares. In 1212 when the Saracens were attacking Christian lands, Francis traveled to Spain to try to broker peace, with limited success. Nevertheless, it showed his commitment to making peace. In 1217, Francis brought a group of Franciscan brothers to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade. In a bold move, they crossed battle lines to meet with Malik al-Kamil, the Sultan of Egypt. They had received permission to stay there and preach the Gospel for several days in the Muslim camp. Their visit is described by scholar Sophronius Clasen as “one of the most remarkable episodes in Francis’ life.” Francis did not convert the Sultan, but the peaceful encounter left an impression on the Muslim leader. The Franciscans left gracefully, despite urges from the Christian military leaders to stay and denounce Islam. This brave missionary adventure in the heart of Muslim territory was characteristic of Francis’ desire to share Christ’s message of peace with all people.
Throughout his ministry in Europe, Francis practiced what he preached – caring for lepers, begging for bread, praying in woods and caves, preaching words of repentance and brotherly love to both friends and foes. His joyful piety and love of nature inspired many. One of his most famous written works is his “Canticle of the Sun” – a poem praising God’s creation. This poem reflects his childlike wonder at all aspects of nature, beginning with “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon”, seeing everything in God’s world as a reflection of the divine. Francis had a legendary love and rapport with animals. Legends abound about how Francis could tame wild wolves, quiet noisy birds who were interrupting his sermons, and command farm animals to obey commands. He referred to all creatures, even those of the field, as his brothers and sisters under God. In 1223, Francis became the first known person to experience stigmata – the wounds of Christ bleeding on his own body. This occurred while praying on Monte La Verna after seeing a vision of Jesus on the cross. For the next two years until his death, Francis bore the stigmata as part of his union with Christ.
Francis’ health declined sharply after receiving the stigmata. He eventually went completely blind due to a worsening eye disease. Even in his infirmity and suffering, he continued to praise God and pen inspiring words. His “Canticle to Brother Fire” written during this time shows his resolve to accept both good and bad as God’s will with gratitude. Just before his death, Francis requested his brothers carry him back to the Portiuncula chapel, the small church where he founded the Franciscan order. He wished to pass into heaven from that humble spot. On October 3, 1226, at age 45, Francis died at this beloved chapel surrounded by his brothers. In 1228, Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis as an official saint of the Catholic Church for his personal holiness, devotion to Christian ideals and inspire legacy.
Core Teachings & Legacy
At the heart of Francis’ teachings was a simple but radical message – follow the teachings of Jesus Christ in full. Like Christ, Francis believed faith meant abiding with the lowly and forsaking wealth. Taking literally Christ’s instructions in Matthew 10:8-10 to not acquire gold or supplies but give freely, Francis and his followers embraced voluntary poverty. By freeing themselves from worldly possessions, they were free to focus on serving God. Humility and compassion for the vulnerable – lepers, criminals, the poor – were pillars of Francis’ way of life. He served those often rejected by society and reminded others to see them as brothers. While asceticism was part of his spirituality, it was not harsh or somber. Francis radiated gentleness and joy in serving God and finding beauty and divinity revealed in all creation.
Francis was never ordained as a priest and did not emphasize formal theology or preaching. His ministry was lived out through simple acts of love, forgiveness, and kindness to both neighbors and strangers on the streets. In contrast to the bloody Crusades going on, Francis promoted peace and reconciliation between enemies. He tried to convert souls through his loving character more than words. Near the end of his life, he penned the “Canticle of Brother Sun”, which expresses his vision of creation as one family under God. This sense of unity extended beyond humans to animals, plants and all nature which he affectionately addressed as brothers and sisters, reflections of God’s beauty. Although ascetic in his own life, Francis was friendly and loved a good meal with friends – the mark of a man infused with godly joy.
Apart from his personal teachings, Francis left an enormous legacy through the Franciscan religious order he founded which continues today. There are over 1 million Franciscans worldwide including 140,000 secular Franciscans who live out Francis’ ideals in daily life. As the first Catholic preacher to earn stigmata, Francis became hugely influential in the Catholic tradition. He helped renew the Church through his simplicity and purity of faith. Many were drawn to Christian faith by his inspiring life of joy and service. His creation of the first live Nativity scene or crèche in 1223 helped popularize this practice now so common in Christian homes and churches. Pope John Paul II proclaimed Francis the patron saint of ecology in 1980, inspired by Francis’ love of nature as God’s creation. Outside Catholicism, Francis remains hugely popular across Christianity and beyond as a symbolic figure of peace, environmentalism and one who lived Christ’s way of poverty and love in sincerity. His life is a testament to the transforming power of faith put into loving action.