rancis was born in Assisi in 1182. His father was Pietro di Bernardone, a rich cloth-merchant, and his mother was the loving "monna Pica", who must have infused so much of her gentleness into her son’s heart.
In 1205 the mystical vision of Spoleto, almost a grace that, putting an end to all the obstacles, enters his house shattering its glasses, decides of his life, of his human journey and of his eternal destiny for ever. In 1206, in front of the bishop of Assisi he undresses completely, resigns all his rights on the family goods, leaving his grieved and disappointed father also with the broken dreams of a worldly greatness, by then become impossible for him.
After leaving "home" and the world, causing such a great stir, he feels with a new and unknown intensity the deep meaning of that prayer that rises to his lips spontaneously: "Our Father who art in Heaven".
He has lost his blood family, but very soon he is surrounded by such a great number of disciples that, in a period of a decade, his children will reach the boundaries of the civilized world of the time, taking the message of his word and ideals of peace and love everywhere. The first group, which in 1208 is made of a few people, on his death (1226) is an army able to support the decaying Church and to offer it the contribution of a providential revitalization.
In 1212 the noble young lady Chiara d’Assisi, fascinated by Francis’s ideals, follows his austere life of poverty and penance. With her Francis founds the female branch, which becomes the II Franciscan Order, at first named the Poor Dames of St Damiano, then Clares, as they are called today.
The urgency of Francis’s inner fire for a general return to God makes him think of those who have remained in the world, and give them a few rules and a way of life more responsive to God’s call and to the requirements of the Gospel. Thus the III Franciscan Order is founded in 1221. At first it is known as the order of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, but today it is also referred to as the Franciscan Tertiaries.
Against the most reasonable expectations, the first children of Francis grew enourmously and made up such a large family that its members were taking root in the farthest regions of Europe and in the Holy Land. It was no longer possible for them to have a temporary direction and rules of life without a "constitutional charter" authenticated by the Vicar of Christ. In 1223, at Fontecolombo, Francis writes for them the final Rule, approved of by Pope Onorio III by a solemn bull on Novembre 29th, 1223.
The papal verdict seems to have arrived just in time to seal a short life, but as bright as a meteor, that the world perceived as the clearest reflection of Christ on earth. Only the last touch of grace is missing in that masterpiece: Christ Himself will see to it and on Septembre 17th,1224, on the rugged mount Verna, the wounds of Christ the Crucified appear on his poor flesh already tortured by penance. As the divine poet says, it was the "final seal", after which Francis’s sanctity didn’t need any other confirmation nor authentication.
Overcome by illnesses and pains, worn out by his inner ardour, in the evening of Octobre 3rd 1226 Francis was gently passing away by his beloved Porziuncola. On the following day, well protected by a great number of the town soldiers, who had been watching over his slow dying for a long time, on the way to San Damiano, in order to receive the last tribute of sorella Chiara’s tears, the precious body of the Saint reached the town. It was temporarily laid to rest in the small church of St George, just under the lee of the strong bulwark of the town walls, waiting for a more sumptuous tomb to be made ready for him.
Following a very fast praxis, his friend cardinal Ugolino, at the time Pope Gregorio IX, on July 16th, 1228, is in town, to state solemnly the Sanctity of the Poverello di Assisi and then to put the first stone on his glorious tomb, So the Cole dell’Inferno - as it is precisely called in the ancient parchment - saw its sides assaulted by a building yard of humble people and then of famous artists: it was such a lively, various and numerous yard that mystical Umbria had never seen before nor would afterwards. In 1230 the Lower Basilica - the sacrarium - received the holy body, which out of justified prudence was hidden deep inside the rock, below the powerful structure of the high altar. In a very short time on that tomb there was the most valuable artistic anthology the highly educated and fiery Middle Ages could offer to the one who had appeared as the most perfect imitator of Christ.
Gino Zanotti, OFMConv, S. Francesco e i Francescani,
Assisi,
Casa Editrice Francescana, pp. 5-10
