NAME Francis of Assisi (Italian: Francesco d'Assisi; Latin: Franciscus Assisiensis) was baptized Giovanni by his mother. His surname, di Pietro di Bernardone, comes from his father, Pietro di Bernardone. When his father returned from France, he renamed his son Francesco ("Free man" or "Frenchman"), possibly in honor of his commercial success and enthusiasm for all things French. He was also known as Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone in full, and later became known as the Poverello ("Poor Little Man")
WHAT FAMOUS FOR Saint Francis of Assisi is famous for founding the Franciscan Order of friars, the Order of Saint Clare (Poor Clares), and the Third Order of Saint Francis. He is revered as one of the most popular and influential saints in Christian history, known for his love of nature, animals, and poverty, and for his radical commitment to living the Gospel message. He is the patron saint of animals, ecology, merchants, and Italy.
BIRTH Francis was born in 1181 or 1182 in Assisi, duchy of Spoleto, Italy. His father was away on a business trip to France when he was born.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Francis was the son of Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy and highly successful cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi. His mother was Pica di Bourlemont (also called "the lady Pica"), who may have come from France or Provence and was described as a beautiful Frenchwoman and noblewoman. The family was prosperous and well-established in the textile trade.
CHILDHOOD Francis grew up in a privileged and wealthy environment. He was spoiled and indulged by his parents, living the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man. Francis enjoyed fine food, wine, and rowdy celebrations, becoming well-known for his wit, charm, and handsome looks. He quickly became the ringleader of a group of young people in Assisi who would party long into the night.
Francis was a good student who enjoyed learning and singing as a boy. Everyone loved Francis from the beginning - he was constantly happy, charming, and a born leader.
EDUCATION Francis learned to read and write Latin at the school near the church of San Giorgio. He acquired knowledge of French language and literature and was especially fond of the Provençal culture. As part of his education, he was taught French culture, and his father taught him about the family business, wanting him to become a businessman. By age 14, he had left school and become known as a rebellious teenager.
CAREER RECORD Francis was expected to follow his father into the family textile business, selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace.
1205 After his conversion around 1205, Francis devoted himself to charitable work among lepers and began restoring ruined churches.
1208 He was inspired to live according to the Gospel of Matthew, depriving himself of material possessions.
1209 By 1209, he had gathered around 11 followers who became the first brothers of his order.
1210 The Franciscan order was officially recognized by Pope Innocent III.
1212 Founded a branch of his order for women, The Poor Clares
1220 Resigned as leader of Franciscian order. Succeeded by Brother Elias who was later sacked due to his involvement in worldly affairs.
1221 Founded the Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance,
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| Source Sconosciuto |
FASHION In his youth, Francis delighted in fine clothes and spent money lavishly on his appearance. Many hagiographers remark about his bright clothing during this period. After his conversion, Francis designed his own "voluntary poverty" costume: a tunic that was deliberately unattractive, uncomfortable, and cross-shaped. This distinguished him not only from the apostles but also from normal poor people.
He is commonly portrayed wearing a brown habit with a rope tied around his waist, featuring three knots symbolizing the three Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
In 1207, Francis renounced his father before the bishop of Assisi; he stripped himself naked and was covered with the bishop's own cloak.
He listed personal filthiness among the insignia of piety in line with the early teachings of the Christian Church.
CHARACTER Francis demonstrated remarkable character transformation throughout his life. In his youth, he was charming, rebellious, and a natural leader who was too easy to like for his own good. He displayed early signs of generosity, such as when he gave everything in his purse to a beggar.
After his conversion, Francis became dedicated to Christian charity, evangelical poverty, and personal charisma that drew thousands of followers. His devotion to the human Jesus reflected important developments in medieval spirituality. Francis was noted for finding joy and peace in prayer and God's creation despite suffering.
SPEAKING VOICE Francis had a clear, persuasive, and passionate speaking voice. He was a natural orator who could captivate audiences, conveying his profound spiritual insights with simplicity and fervor.
When Francis preached repentance, he always began his sermons with the words "May the Lord give you peace". He never delivered fire-and-brimstone messages but rather invited people to join in the joy he was experiencing.
Francis told his followers to "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words". (1)
SENSE OF HUMOUR Francis was one of those joyful and laughing saints who seems to have radiated joy throughout his life. It was perhaps his most alluring quality that has drawn people to him for centuries. His band of merry minstrels went about singing despite their deprivations. Accounts of early Franciscans tell how the brothers had to struggle not to burst into laughter every time they came upon one another. (1)
RELATIONSHIPS When friends noticed that he had changed his lifestyle and was less interested in the parties and feasts of his youth, they would ask if he was thinking of marrying. He would respond, "Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen," meaning his love for "Lady Poverty," not a human spouse. This phrase became famous as a symbol of his commitment to a life of poverty and service to God.
Francis had a close relationship with St. Clare of Assisi, who was inspired by his preaching to devote her life to faith. Upon hearing one of his sermons at age 17, she decided to become a nun and later founded her own order, the Poor Clares.
Francis maintained important relationships with his early followers, particularly Brother Leo, who was with him when he received the stigmata.
His relationship with his father became strained after his conversion, leading to his dramatic renunciation of his inheritance.
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| Saint Francis renounces his earthly father. |
MONEY AND FAME Francis was born into wealth and initially enjoyed the privileges that came with his father's successful cloth business. After his conversion, he completely rejected material wealth and embraced "Lady Poverty". He gave all his money to the church, which angered his father.
Francis made a constitution that brothers should take no more than three morsels of meat when dining with laymen to guard against greed.
Despite his fervent efforts to avoid fame, his radical lifestyle and powerful message inevitably brought him widespread renown, which he humbly endured, always deflecting credit to God.
FOOD AND DRINK In his youth, Francis indulged in fine food and wine. After his conversion, his eating practices were informed by scripture, particularly Jesus's instruction to "eat what is set before you" when welcomed as a guest. Francis was willing to eat foods from which he would otherwise abstain when dining with others.
Francis observed literally Jesus' command to "take no thought for the morrow." He would not allow the Franciscan Order's cook to soak vegetables overnight for cooking the next day.
When ill, he would sometimes eat specific foods like squali (a type of sea fish) and crabcakes. Contrary to modern assumptions,
Francis had a sweet tooth and occasionally enjoyed a fancy pastry or marzipan. On his deathbed asked a dear friend, Lady Jacob to bring him some almond cakes. (2)
MUSIC AND ARTS Francis was fascinated with troubadours and Provençal culture in his youth. He enjoyed learning and singing as a boy.
The converted Francis was famous for breaking into song, even during hardship. His joy was seen as a sign of divine inspiration.
Francis composed the famous "Canticle of the Sun" (also known as "Cantico di Frate Sole"), which is considered the first poem in vernacular Italian and the first work of literature written in Italian with a known author. The canticle was composed in late 1224 while he was recovering from illness at San Damiano. It expresses his brotherhood with creation in praising God. His fellow Friars would sing it as they walked around preaching.
LITERATURE Francis wrote several important works including his Rule for the Franciscan order and various letters and poems. His "Canticle of the Sun," inspired Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si". Francis also dictated his spiritual testament before his death.
Saint Francis of Assisi wrote what is often referred to as the "Blessing of Brother Leo" on Mount Alverna (La Verna) in 1224, during a profound period in Francis’s life — shortly after receiving the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, in a moment of mystical experience. While on Mount Alverna, Francis is said to have written this sacred blessing specifically for Brother Leo, one of his closest companions.
The Blessing reads:
“May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord show His face to you and have mercy on you.
May the Lord turn His countenance to you and give you peace.
May the Lord bless you, Brother Leo.”
This blessing is drawn from Numbers 6:24–26 (the Aaronic Blessing) but with a personalized final line, showing Francis’s deep affection for Brother Leo.
NATURE Francis had an immense love for nature and is known as the patron saint of the environment. There are many stories about Francis preaching to animals, including birds who allegedly sang back to him. Francis could reportedly tame wild animals with the sign of the cross.
Francis delighted in mountain views and brook waters. He ordered that every Franciscan monastery should set aside a plot for flowers in order that all who saw them might remember the eternal sweetness.
Francis saw God's presence in every created thing, from the sun and moon to the humblest worm. If he saw a lamb being led off to slaughter, he would try to rescue it by pleading or trading for it.
It is customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on Francis' feast day - October 4th
In acknowledgement of his love for the countryside and wild creatures, Pope John Paul II declared Francis the patron saint of ecology on November 29, 1979.
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| Legend of St. Francis, Sermon to the Birds, upper Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi |
PETS While Francis did not have "pets" in the modern sense, his profound connection to animals meant he had a special relationship with various creatures. Among the stories told are that when he was staying in the town of Greccio, a hare was caught in a trap and brought live to Francis by a brother. Seeing the hare, he was moved to pity and said, "Brother hare, come here. Why did you let yourself be fooled in this way?" As soon as the hare was released by the brother. he dashed over to Francis and, without being forced to do so, settled into his lap as the safest place available. When he had rested there a while, the holy father, stroking him with maternal affection, let him go so that he could return to the wild. Each time he was placed on the ground, the hare ran back to Francis' lap. Finally Francis asked that the brothers carry him to a nearby forest.
Another famous story involves a wolf that had been eating human beings. Francis intervened when the town wanted to kill the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again. The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat. (3)
HOBBIES AND SPORTS In his privileged youth, Francis learned the skills of archery, wrestling, and horsemanship. He was known for participating in celebrations and parties. After his conversion, his primary activities centered around prayer, manual labor, and ministering to the sick and poor.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Francis lived in an era before modern science and mathematics as distinct disciplines. His focus was entirely on spiritual and theological matters, not empirical observation or mathematical theory.
CONVERSION AND CALLING From fairly early on, it became clear that young Francis of Assisi wasn’t entirely convinced the world was going in the right direction. He didn’t shout about it. He just started behaving rather inconveniently. One day, while helping out with the family business — velvet and cloth, very respectable, lots of folding — a beggar came up and asked him for a bit of help. And Francis, with what I imagine was a slightly apologetic smile, gave him everything. Not just a few coins, but both his father’s money and his own. This did not, as you can imagine, go down tremendously well at home. His father, who had a perfectly reasonable expectation that his son wouldn’t hand over the entire profits of the day to a total stranger, responded with what is technically known in parenting circles as unbridled fury.
In 1205, Francis joined a military expedition to Apicia, possibly in the hope of becoming a hero, or at least acquiring a decent pair of boots. But God had other ideas. In a dream — a proper one, the sort with capital letters — God said, “Francis, I want you to fight my campaigns instead.” Which is exactly the kind of thing God says, and very inconvenient it is too. So Francis went back home and quietly gave up his armour, his adventures, and his fondness for being admired in mirrors, and started following this new divine itinerary.
Two years later, he had another dream (there were a few), in which Christ told him to repair His church. Now, Francis was nothing if not sincere, so he took this quite literally. In fact, he trotted straight off in the middle of winter, sold some of his father’s cloth (again, not a winner with Dad), and bought a cartload of stones to start rebuilding the crumbling little church of San Damiano. Naturally, his father demanded the money back — and probably a son with more commercial instincts while he was at it.
Instead, Francis marched himself into the town square, took off everything his father had given him (clothes included, which must have made for an interesting Tuesday morning in Assisi), and announced that he was renouncing both his family and his inheritance. This was not an act of drama, but of deep conviction. He’d decided to live as a penitent, which mostly involved repairing derelict chapels with his own hands and probably talking to the odd confused bird.
It wasn’t until some time later that it dawned on him — possibly with a gentle divine nudge — that when Christ said “repair my church,” He probably hadn’t meant just the one with the leaky roof down the road, but rather the whole big, creaky, troubled institution. And from that moment, Francis’s calling changed. He wasn’t just a fixer of stones anymore. He became a preacher. A reformer. A barefoot troubadour for grace.
And somehow, in spite of the cold, the ridicule, and his complete inability to behave in ways that made sense to anyone sensible, he ended up changing the world.
FRANCISCAN ORDER On February 24, 1209 — a date which, I imagine, wasn’t marked on anyone’s calendar at the time apart from possibly God’s — Francis of Assisi heard a sermon based on Matthew 10:9. It was one of those teachings that most of us listen to politely while quietly thinking about lunch. Not Francis. No, this particular verse said something about proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, not taking any money, not even a spare pair of sandals, and definitely no walking stick. And instead of nodding gently and returning to a nice bowl of minestrone, Francis decided to take it all literally and immediately. As you do.
Within days, he had given up everything (again), donned an outfit that could generously be described as “aggressively simple” — a grey sack-like habit with a hood, a scratchy tunic, and, quite possibly, the most uncomfortable underpants in Christendom — and started wandering the countryside barefoot, cheerfully shouting about repentance to anyone who hadn’t bolted their shutters.
Strangely enough, people started joining him. Not because he had a PowerPoint presentation or offered refreshments — but because he was happy. Annoyingly happy. Infectiously happy. “It is not fitting,” he said, “when one is in God's service to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.” Which would make many church meetings a bit of a challenge, to be honest.
He called his little gang the “Friars Minor” — which means “Lesser Brothers,” not, as one might assume, a minor league baseball team. These barefoot troubadours of the faith preached in the local language (which was very helpful if, like me, you failed Latin), healed the sick, sang songs, and generally acted as if joy was an essential part of the gospel. Radical stuff.
Eventually, Francis decided it might be sensible to let the Pope know what was going on. So he and eleven of his merry band walked — barefoot, naturally — all the way to Rome. Pope Innocent III was, at first, distinctly unconvinced. Possibly the smell of 12 unwashed men in burlap didn’t help. But then the Pope had a dream (as people often did in those days) in which he saw the great Church of Christ falling down, and a rather shabby little man — Francis — holding it up with his shoulder. So he approved their order. Possibly while holding his nose.
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| Pope Innocent III approving the statutes of the Order of the Franciscans, by Giotto By PHGCOM |
That’s why April 16, 1210 is considered the official founding date of the Franciscans — or, as some people affectionately called them, “God’s Jesters.” And not without reason. These men were ridiculously joyful. They begged, preached, sang, healed, and prayed with such hilarity that even when the world went dark, they seemed lit up from the inside.
Francis himself once famously said — while hoeing a vegetable patch, no less — that if he found out he was going to die at sunset, he’d just keep hoeing. Which is either very profound or a subtle way of avoiding difficult conversations. Either way, it was Francis all over.
In 1211, a 17-year-old heiress named Chiara Scifi heard Francis preach and was absolutely floored. Not literally, but spiritually. She began to sneak out and meet with him. Together, they formed the Poor Clares, an order of barefoot, joyful women who also gave up everything and didn’t seem to mind.
Sadly, as tends to happen, once people start organizing joyful things, they accidentally turn them into structured things with forms and timetables. Francis, now surrounded by administrative types with clipboards and strong opinions, began to feel a bit spiritually claustrophobic. So he disappeared to Mount Alverna for some solitude, prayer, and (one imagines) a bit of peace from committee meetings.
Despite all this, he never stopped finding creative ways to talk about God. Once, he enacted the Nativity with real animals in a real stable — thus inventing the Nativity play and, unintentionally, inspiring generations of terrified children in tea towels to say, “No room at the inn.”
And in 1219, in the Middle of the Fifth Crusade — which was not known for being very jolly — Francis decided to pop over to Egypt and have a chat with the Sultan. Accompanied by another bewildered friar, he walked straight into enemy territory to talk about peace. It didn’t go entirely to plan, but the Sultan was surprisingly touched. He even asked Francis to pray that God would show him the true path, which is not bad for a meeting between two supposed enemies.
This encounter so moved Francis that he rewrote the Franciscan rules to include the possibility of living peacefully alongside Muslims — which, in those days, was about as revolutionary as saying the devil might just be having a bad day.
And that’s the thing about Francis. He was baffling and brilliant, laughably impractical and luminously sincere. He loved God, he loved people, and he didn’t seem to mind walking around in freezing rain without shoes. Most of all, he reminded us — with laughter and leaky sandals — that joy was not a luxury in faith. It was the point.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Francis's theology was deeply rooted in the Gospels and a radical imitation of Christ. He emphasized humility, poverty, love for God and neighbor, and the centrality of the Incarnation and the Passion of Christ. While not a systematic theologian in the scholastic tradition, his profound spiritual insights profoundly influenced Christian thought and practice. He advocated for a direct, experiential understanding of faith rather than purely intellectual speculation.
POLITICS Francis sought on several occasions to take his message beyond Italy, including attempting to convert Sultan al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade in Egypt in 1219. He tried to put an end to the conflict of the crusades through peaceful means. He faced political challenges within his own order as it grew, eventually giving up authority when pressure came to make the movement conform to outside standards.
SCANDAL The primary "scandal" associated with Francis, from the perspective of his wealthy family and contemporary society, was his complete rejection of his inheritance and societal norms. His radical poverty and mendicant lifestyle were seen as scandalous by many who valued wealth and status.
MILITARY RECORD About age 19, Francis became a soldier and went into battle against the nearby town of Perugia. Francis was captured and taken prisoner, held in a dungeon for over a year until his father paid ransom money for his freedom. This experience, combined with a serious illness during imprisonment, would later contribute to his radical life change. He initially thought God had called him to fight in the Crusades but later received visions directing him to help the sick instead.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Francis was not particularly robust. He suffered from various ailments throughout his life, exacerbated by his ascetic practices and demanding lifestyle. He experienced severe eye problems, stomach issues, and eventually the stigmata, which caused him significant physical pain. Despite his physical frailty, he possessed immense spiritual strength.
In 1224, Francis of Assisi went on a 40-day retreat of fasting and prayer at Mount La Verna in the Apennines. During this period, he experienced an ecstatic vision of a seraph (a fiery six-winged angel) carrying a crucified man — widely interpreted as Christ himself.
After the vision, Francis received the stigmata — wounds that mirrored those of Christ’s crucifixion (hands, feet, and side). These were described as open, painful, and bleeding wounds, not just discolorations or scars. This is the first recorded instance in Christian history of someone receiving the stigmata.
Pope Gregory IX, a personal friend of Francis who canonized him in 1228, formally attested to the authenticity of the stigmata. Pope Alexander IV also affirmed it later in his pontificate.
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| Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, Jan van Eyck, c. 1430–1432, |
Francis suffered greatly from the wounds, especially those on his feet, which became so painful he couldn’t walk and needed bandages and a donkey to carry him. (2)
When he began to go blind, the bishop of Ostia ordered that his eyes be operated on, which meant cauterizing with hot irons. Francis claimed to feel nothing during this procedure.
HOMES Francis was born and raised in his father's wealthy home in Assisi. After his conversion, he initially hid in a cave near San Damiano for about a month. He then found shelter with the officiating priest at San Damiano. He spent time working as a scullion at a neighboring monastery and stayed with a friend in Gubbio.
Francis' favorite abode became the Porziuncola, the little chapel of St. Mary of the Angels in the plain below Assisi.
He spent his final days in a hut next to the Porziuncola.
TRAVEL Francis made several significant journeys during his life. Around 1211, he traveled to Spain, visiting Agoncillo near Logroño where he miraculously healed a boy and established the first Spanish convent of his order. He attempted to reach the Holy Land but was forced to return due to a shipwreck. In 1219, he successfully traveled to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade to attempt to convert Sultan al-Kamil. He also traveled with followers to Rome to seek papal approval for his order.
DEATH When Francis of Assisi realized his death was near, he welcomed it with joy. He sent a farewell letter to Clare of Assisi and embraced simple comforts in his final moments. He repeatedly recited the newest addition to his Canticle of the Sun: "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." Francis sang Psalm 141, and as his final hour approached, he asked his superior for permission to have his clothes removed and to die lying naked on the earth, in imitation of Christ.
Francis died on the evening of Saturday, October 3, 1226, at the age of 44-45, at the Church of St. Mary of the Angels in Porziuncola, Assisi.
Following Francis's death, the head of his order, concerned about the possibility of his body being stolen, took extraordinary measures to secure his remains. Francis's coffin was buried beneath the main altar in the Basilica of Saint Francis, protected by a slab of granite, gravel, ten welded iron bands, a 190-pound grill, and finally, a 200-pound rock. This elaborate precaution proved effective, as the coffin was not rediscovered until the last century.
He was declared a saint by Pope Gregory IX on July 16, 1228, just two years after his death. His feast day is celebrated on October 4. (4)
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Francis of Assisi has made numerous appearances in media over the past century, reflecting his enduring appeal as a figure of peace, humility, and environmentalism. Here’s a tour through his portrayals across film, TV, literature, music, and pop culture — with some notable, quirky, and sometimes unexpected appearances:
1. Film
1. Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972) Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, this visually lush biopic portrays a romanticised, flower-child version of Francis — barefoot, wide-eyed, and countercultural. The film is drenched in 1970s idealism and features a Donovan soundtrack. Francis is presented as an anti-materialist dreamer — very Zeffirelli.
2. Francesco (1989) This darker, grittier version stars Mickey Rourke as Francis (yes, that Mickey Rourke). It's less focused on birds and brotherhood and more on the suffering and spiritual anguish Francis endured. Critics were divided — some admired the intensity, others found it baffling.
3. The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) Directed by Roberto Rossellini, this neorealist film features real-life monks playing the roles of Francis and his followers. It’s tender, slow, and full of simple vignettes rather than plot — showing the joy and strangeness of early Franciscan life. Acclaimed by Martin Scorsese as a personal favourite.
2. TV & Animation Francis has popped up in animated form in various children’s religious series — often shown with animals perched on him like he's a medieval Snow White. He’s also a regular in Christian-themed episodes of docudramas and historical series like Catholicism or The Saints: Adventures in Faith.
3. Books & Literature
1. The Little Flowers of St. Francis A 14th-century collection of charming, miracle-filled stories about Francis and his friars. Still widely read today, it portrays Francis as joyful, sometimes eccentric, and deeply in tune with nature.
2. G.K. Chesterton’s St. Francis of Assisi (1923) A brilliant, sometimes cheeky biography by Chesterton, who sees Francis as a "troubadour of God" — whimsical, free-spirited, but theologically serious.
3. Francis appears in works by Nikos Kazantzakis (Saint Francis, 1962) and as an influence on characters in modern fiction who renounce wealth or speak to animals.
4. Music
1. Canticle of the Sun Francis's famous poem praising Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and Sister Death has inspired countless musical settings — from medieval chant to modern choral works by composers like William Walton.
2. Prayer of St. Francis (“Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”) Though not actually written by Francis (it’s 20th-century), this widely used hymn is often associated with him and appears in both church services and pop recordings (Sarah McLachlan, Sinéad O'Connor, Susan Boyle, among others).
3. Some niche Christian folk bands have recorded albums inspired by Francis’s life and message, especially during the 1960s-70s spiritual revival.
5. Art & Comics
1. Technically not “media,” but Giotto's 13th-century fresco cycle in the Basilica of Saint Francis is an early version of the “Francis Cinematic Universe” — sequential visual storytelling in full bloom.
2. Francis has appeared in Catholic graphic novels and even a Marvel-style saint biography for younger audiences — complete with dramatic lighting and a talking wolf.
6. Pop Culture & Influence
1. Patron Saint of Ecology He’s often cited by environmentalists and invoked by Pope Francis (who took his name deliberately). The saint’s image has appeared in modern climate documentaries and campaigns.
2. Animal Lover Trope Francis shows up as a symbol whenever people want to portray gentle kindness to animals. He even made it into The Simpsons (in In Marge We Trust, a Japanese soap opera episode shows a bizarre St. Francis stand-in).
3. Pope Francis His choice of name in 2013 brought renewed interest in the saint. The media made much of the connection between the pope’s humility and his namesake’s radical simplicity.
ACHIEVEMENTS Founded the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), one of the largest and most influential Catholic religious orders.
Co-founded the Order of Saint Clare (Poor Clares) with Saint Clare of Assisi.
Established the Third Order of Saint Francis for laypeople.
Composed the "Canticle of the Sun," a foundational work of Italian literature.
Received the stigmata, the first recorded instance in Christian history.
Promoted peace and dialogue, famously attempting to convert the Sultan during the Crusades.
Inspired a radical renewal of Christian life and spirituality through his embrace of poverty, humility, and love for creation.
Modelled a new way of being a disciple by preaching to the masses in their everyday language, not Latin and ministering to both peoples spiritual and physical needs.
His life and teachings profoundly influenced subsequent Christian thought, art, and social movements.
Canonized by Pope Gregory IX 21 months after his death.
Sources (1) Wau.org (2) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (3) Catholic.org (4) Christianitytoday.com
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