Francis of Assisi

These alleged quotes from Francis' writings were abridged and edited by Stephen Rost, T. Nelson Publ., Nashville, TN (1989).

(Page 17)_ "We ought, indeed, to confess all our sins to a priest, that we may receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(page 18) "Let us have charity and humility and give alms, for almsgiving cleanses our souls from the filth of sin.

(page 21) "But all those who do not the works of penance, who will not receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ...all these are deceived by the devil.

(page 25) "Our Lord Jesus Christ, before making St. Peter the head of the church....

(page 33) "Where the brethren dwell there be only one mass celebrated each day.

(page 56) "Teach men...that they should become Christians by being baptized.

(page 140) "The Roman Church is the mother of all churches.

(page 161) "When I say `Hail Mary,' the heavens smile, the angels rejoice, the world exults, hell trembles, the devils fly."

From FRANCIS OF ASSISI, Scritti di San, "Let us adhere totally to the Catholic faith; let us attend the churches diligently and let us demonstrate respect for the priests, not so much for themselves, who may also be sinners, but for the holy office they exercise. These alone consecrate on the altar the Most Holy body and blood of the Lord, they receive it and administer it to others" (page 15). "We must then confess all our sins to the priest and receive from him the Body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, because whoever does not eat his body and drink his blood cannot enter the kingdom of God" (page 7). "Let us all practice love, humility, and let us be generous to help the pure, because the alms purify the soul from sin" (page 15 - see Tobit 12:8,9)

CATHOLIC JOURNALS

From OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, 5/19/91, page 6. "WHEN ST. FRANCIS MET THE SULTAN...St. Francis was considered a lunatic for even considering that the sultan might want to listen to him. Today he is considered a pioneer in Catholic-Muslim dialogue...Francis...now burned with a desire to convert the Muslims...This was at a time when even the clergy were calling the Muslims `sons of the devil,' `an abominable race,'and `vermin to be cleared from the Holy Land.' Few believed that Christians and Muslims could live in peace.

"After Francis' death...his ideas about relations with the Muslims were almost forgotten by his own order, and remained forgotten for more than 700 years. But in 1985,...the Second Vatican Council ...called for friendly dialogue with non-Christians...Brother Jean Gwenole Jeusset, the president of the (Franciscan) order's Commission on Islam, has called St. Francis' words `a prophetic commentary on Vatican II.'"