Weeks went by, the Easter feasts went by.
Anthony recovered sufficient strength to be able to face the trip. But the thoughts that sprouted in him earlier, were rooting more and more in him. He had no will to go to Coimbra neither to Portugal. He wanted to remain all his life an unknown Friar minor. He wanted to go where his superiors sent him.
In the meantime in the small house of Messina the news that for Pentecost there would have been in Assisi the General Chapter. arrived the news that for Pentecost there would have been in Assisi the general chapter.
Friar Pafnunzio and other Friars would have gone. Anthony decided to go with them. He was very interested to visit the place from which started the movement of the Friars minor, and to see with his own eyes the man that he followed. He also believed that, at the Chapter he finally would be able to understand his future.
Friar Pafnunzio was not very happy for Anthony to follow them since the religious was so predisposed to illness. However, seeing that he had asked clearly that any Friar, according to his possibilities, should participate to the Chapter, could not refuse Anthony`s participation. Because of this, he limited himself in anticipating by one day their departure so that they would have more time for the trip. April sun didn`t burn as yet in a troublesome way, especially when they left the isle. The days were lukewarm, but the nights were cold.
They proceeded along the sea shore. The harsh landscape, similar to the Sicilian one with naked rocks, small stony fields, rows of sturdy olives and locks of fig trees of India, was transforming itself as they were moving towards North. Now the slants of the mountains were covered by a dense thick wood and reminded the shores of the Tago. Beyond the gulf of Salerno they entered in a region of cultivated fields.
They started to meet on their way other Friars minor also directed to Assisi. So that the group became bigger and they started singing religious hymns.
The road was passing through Rome, so they entered in the city to pray in Saint Mary Maggiore, and in the basilica of Saint John whose walls, as they firmly believed, had been saved from their founder. In the city the group of the Friars minor augmented up to one hundred religious. After they left Rome, they subdivided themselves again in smaller groups, not to cause any problems to the villages and to the settlings that would have given them shelter.
When the Friars met there were vivacious conversations. Anthony was learning from them many things. The Friars were over excited by the permanence of Francis in the Holy Land and in Egypt, as well as to his interviews with the Sultan of Egypt. The great crusade, rather than facing the battle for Jerusalem, had gone to Egypt and had conquered Damietta. But instead of carrying out the exchange of Damietta with Jerusalem, the captain of the expedition, the cardinal Pelagio, had asked to the Sultan both Palestine and all Egypt.
The Muslims had once again busied themselves in a relentless struggle, that ended with the defeat of the crusade troops. They had run around in the slime, which was brought, by the floods of the Nile. In order to save the men, it had been necessary to renounce to all conquests.
What happened to Francis who set off for the crusade? On this, they were different voices. Some affirmed that he had fallen in the hands of the Saracens, others thought that he had died, others that he had drowned in a ship on which he was coming back. But there were some Friars that affirmed the Francis had come back in Italy, before still the defeat of the crusades. A well informed Friar, that walked in the same group of Anthony, said that Francis during his staying in the Holy Land had been recalled in his country by the news that the Friars Ministers Gregory of Naples and Matthew of Narni, who were left in charge to govern the order during his absence, weren’t able to govern the order successfully because of some arbitrary actions of various Provincial Ministers. So that Frar Philip, being designed to be the guardian of the Poor Dames of sister Chiara, once he knew of the aggression at the convent of Saint Damiano, had gone to Rome and had obtained from the Pope a decree of excommunication for those who would assail once again the convent. Other Frars, gathering together in the Provincial Chapter, had made new rules regarding the fasting, more rigid than the preceding ones. And finally Friar John della Cappella, gathering a group of supporters, tried to separate himself from the Friars and to found an Order completely different. According to the Friar that was talking, Francis was very angry against all the innovations introduced during his absence.
The groups of Friars, who came from the South, crossed in the meantime Umbria. Once again the smallest groups came together with the bigger groups, so many were the Friars that walked along the road. But although they had become so numerous, the population of the villages that they crossed greeted them amicably, and did not refuse them hospitality. The region that they crossed seemed to be sincerely a devout region.
The Friars minor walked garrulously as a flock of sparrows. Between the travelers there were also the supporters of John of the Cappella. Those vexed themselves to praise the changes proposed by John. Anthony didn’t intervene in the conversations and he limited only to listen attentively.
He persuaded himself that the incomprehension was caused above all from the low mental level of the Friars. They were people fundamentally rough, pervaded of enthusiasm and the love of Christ, but easily surrendered to the influence of more cultured and more skilled individuals, between which there were also the ambitious that aspired to guide the others as well as those people that rebelled to the rich clergy.
The fact that in the course of only a few years the order has reached such a big number of religious could not keep them away from changes. The Friars minor in their ingenuity were talking in such a way that people would think they were heretics. Anthony came to know that just because of this they were sent away from Germany.
While the Friars were going to Assisi, numerous wagons overloaded with food were going as well. The local parishes, the villages, the palaces sent food in abundance, so that the Friars gathered in a congress would have enough food to nourish themselves. Four years earlier they had come to the Chapter even five thousand Friars, and now it was expected that they would have been even more. In that occasion had attended to the Chapter Ostia`s Bishop, Cardinal Ugolino. There was even Dominick, the founder of the order of the preachers.
Finally from the high hills, that from every side surrounded the city, Anthony saw Assisi. Above the roofs of the houses, one could see the walls of a castle. The imperial Governor has its center in the castle, according to what the Friars, who knew Assisi, were saying. But twenty years earlier the inhabitants had taken by force the castle and since that time they had not allowed any German knight to impose his will on them. It was said that Francis took part of the assault when he still had chivalrous aspirations.
Along the road that conduced to the city door, called New, in a small forest could be glimpsed some constructions. Here, at Saint Damiano, resided sister Chiara. But they continued along the road that surrounded the city from South and which led to Perugia. And still, at a little distance from the road, over a hill in the middle of a forest rose, perceived from far, an agglomerate of cottages, of hurdles and of huts made of clay similar to the villages of African people. The Friars that knew the place burst in joyful exclamation. That burst of happiness was welcomed by the Friars who had arrived earlier and that now were coming towards them with shout of joy.
The crowd of the new arrivals flowed in the huts and hurdles happily singing. The small houses of the Friars, similar to the small shops of the feasts, formed a semicircle. In the middle, surrounded by little constructions a little more solid, but also rough, rose a small Chapel. In front of it stretched an ample open space that formed a kind of basin. Anthony stopped looking around himself.
"Then, this is it," he thought "the appearance of the place in which the movement of the Friars minor had initiated." But he didn’t have the time to observe, since to their small group, drew near the quarter masters, that as a sign of recognition were holding a hank of straw on their arm to indicate them the place in which they had to take their lodging and have their meals. The new arrivals interrogated the others:
"Is Friar Francis here? Has he arrived? "
"He is. He is." Assured the others.
"He is here. He has come back."
"God be praised, God be praised" answered happily the new arrivals.
"But is it true" they were investigating with curiosity "that Friar Peter, designated as General Minister by Friar Francis, is dead?"
"It is true. God has called Friar Peter just before the feast of the Resurrection."
"Then who is now the General Minister of the order?"
"Friar Elijah. He has been together with Friar Francis in the Holy Land and together with him, he has come back.
"And how is the health of Friar Francis?"
"Not so good. He also has an illness to his eyes. He sees very little."
"May God protect him!"
"Yes. Yes. Everyone pray incessantly for this. Go Friars to those small houses on the side…"
While he was taking a rest, Anthony reflected:
"Here I am at the Porziuncola, I am going to see friar Francis. I will persuade myself who is the man whose teaching has taken me away from my cell of the convent and has made me face many extraordinary adventures.
According to what the Friars said, Francis has been able to reach the Sultan of the Saracens in person, and nothing happened to him. The Sultan El-Kamil received him, listened and dismissed him with the words:
"Pray God to reveal to me which religion he likes more."
He had not been even able to reach the door of the palace of the Sultan… Nevertheless even Francis had not been able to convert any Muslim…
After two days the arrival of Anthony at the Porziuncola the Chapter began. The number of the Friars even in this occasion had reached a thousand. All of them
got out in the open space and sat on the ground.
The cardinal Ugolino had not come. At his place there was the Cardinal Capocci, Archbishop of Viterbo. He sat on the armchair placed there for him under a canopy that protected him from the sun.
The Chapter began with the mass celebrated on the altar prepared in front of the Chapel. As it was about to begin and the Archbishop was wearing his liturgical hangings close to the altar, appeared, greeted by a buzz of the voices, Francis.
Anthony observed him greedily. He was a delicate little fellow, with dark face, ploughed by wrinkles. His blue eyes were surrounded by a blood halo. The small head on his thin neck oscillated like a flower too heavy on the slender stem. When he allowed the hood to go down, from the head it could be seen that he was partially bald. The trimmed beard allowed the discovery of the big half-opened lips. He breathed with effort and he walked with uncertain footstep. They were saying that he was forty, he had however the appearance of a more elderly person.
But when was the time of reading the epistle and the gospel, the archbishop invited Francis to read. The pale and sad face of Francis unexpectedly cleared up and became bright. The hoarse and low voice as it was speaking acquired strength and colour. Francis read with a lot of emotion. While he was reading the words of Christ, the intonation of his voice reminded of a chant.
Once the reading was concluded, at a new invitation of the archbishop, Francis began the homily. Anthony listened and from moment to moment grew his amazement. The other was speaking simply, as if he were speaking to children. His words were deprived of doctrine and of erudition, yet they had the force of convincing and of dragging.
"My sons" he was saying. "we must always remember what God has done for us. And he will do much more, much but much more. Let’s not ask for anything, however, because he will not forget about any of us, as he doesn’t forget not the sparrow on the wig, not the small flower that grows amidst the grass. Let’s just be incessantly loyal to what we have promised Him...
…Let’s thank him incessantly, both for the sun that shines over us, or for the rain that quenches the thirst of the trees, shrubs and the grass. Let’s thank him for the bread that we eat and for the water, our sister, that quenches the thirst. All that we have, we receive it from Him. Every good, we have received it from Him. And to Him it belongs. We have to enrich it with our work and then give it back…
…We do not have fear of anything. How was saddened my heart when I have heard that, while I was absent from here, certain Friars asked the Church to inflict terrible pains to those that assail the house of our Sisters! Not us, neither our dear and pious Sisters desire a similar protection. Sister Chiara asked me to ask you in her name that no protection will be given to them. It is enough that God will awake over our safety. Even if we found ourselves, not on firm land, but on a stormy sea as Saint Peter, when our Lord called Him to Him, we will not drawn if we have faith in Jesus. We are not allowed to become prey not to sadness, nor to fear, nor to sloth. Let’s perform the work that every day brings to us. Let’s be patient. Let’s be happy of what God gives to us. Let’s not invent fasts, but as the Gospel dictates let’s eat what people give us. Let’s not search for palaces. Let’s live in house that at any moment we can leave without regret. Let’s not bind our heart with gold, nor with money, nor any other thing…
…Let’s respect the Holy Poverty because only the man who has nothing can carry out freely the orders of our Lord. Of this I pray you and I beg you: do not ever renounce to poverty that should be our contersign, of us, the least of the Friars minor.
…If people will contradict you, you will be saved by your humbleness, your patience and your poverty, because who could ever take anything if you do not have anything!
But do not refuse to anybody love. Whatever will be done to you, love, since this way loved our Lord. 'What worth would they have those who are loved by others?' teaches our Lord. Love those who love you and those who persecute you. Love them and do something good for them. Do not get angry towards those that will offend you. Be happy if they offend you, since our Lord was insulted with words. Go amongst simple people, poor, weak and insulted. Stay with the weakest, never place yourselves above others..."
He stopped and looked at everyone, on the thousands faces of the Friars that he had dragged and guided and that now, with their eyes fixed on him, listened in profound silence his words. After a brief pause, as if he remembered of something, he added:
"If in your group wants to enter and educated man, he should renounce his doctrine and should accept humbleness. Since science makes men vainglorious and too sure of themselves, and it doesn`t allow to serve the others. If any educated man wants to become a Friar minor, he must say to himself: 'I have learned many things, yet I have not learned about who is God. Help me Friars, so that I could re-examine from the beginning my life, I could concentrate and undertake an activity not towards to my own glory, but solely to God.' Then he will be like a lion freed from the cage, ready for everything. If he is asked to speak, he will be speaking from the deep of his soul, with a strength that he never had, with an impetus in the heart that he never knew..."
The Chapter continued for eight days. The second day Francis spoke again. He declared that because of illness and of weakness that afflicted him he was delegating to the dear Friar Elijah Bombarone. When he pronounced these words, from the crowd of the Friars, came out friar Elijah, a baldheaded corpulent religious with a small flat nose. On the face of the new Minister General one could see intelligence, decision and energy. Upright, in the inner part of the circle, Friar Elijah accepted the function of guide, while Francis sat at his feet.
They started to consider varied problems of the Order. Friar Elijah read loudly the bull of the Pope, on the basis of which from that moment every candidate of the order of the Friars minor had to overcome a year of proof. Those who had been accepted in the Order, couldn’t leave it unless they were approved licence. The bull threatened severe sanctions for those who wore the habit of the Order even though they were not part of the Friars minor.
At a certain point Anthony saw Francis pull the habit of Friar Elijah and then Friar Elijah bent over him telling him something in low voice. Then Friar Elijah stood up again and said:
"Friar Francis has asked me to announce to everyone: There is a country called Germany. Some year ago a group of Friars minor went there to announce the word of God, but it has badly welcomed. They were treated as if they were announcers of heretical doctrine and they have been beaten and thrown out. Now however many pilgrims come to us from that country, and one can see that they are good Christians. Because of this, Friar Francis believes it is necessary to forget the old wrongs and go once again in Germany. Those who want to go voluntarily, stand up and gather under that tree..."
There were around three hundred voluntaries that gathered under the tree. They declared expressly to want to go to Germany, even if they had to suffer martyrdom. From that small group, twenty five were chosen, and amongst them there were twelve priests, while as a guide was declared Friar Cesario da Spira, a German that had been together with Francis in the Holy Land.
Then spoke a Prelate, at the place of cardinal Capocci, and said that in the far North there was a country called Poland. It was an authentic Christian country. In this country went the Pontifical legacies while the Polish Bishops were present at the last Council. The Archbishop of Poland, who resided in the capital, founded by the great Saint Adalberto, called in polish Wojciech, employed his efforts to spread the news that in Poland they need various religious to help diffuse the faith and knowledge of the Law of God.
He invited also the Friars minor and in particular the Sisters minor since many Polish girls desired to serve God in a convent.
Eventually the sessions of the Chapter were coming to an end. The Friars that had not received the licence of leaving for the missions were subdivided between provinces and the Provincial Ministers started to gather their Friars to indicate the houses in which they were assigned. Under the guide, the groups united and prepared themselves to leave.
There was however lots of food, so Friar Elijah asked the Friars to remain at the Porziuncola until they had eaten every thing.
Anthony found himself alone. Friar Pafnunzio saluted him and he went away. Besides him, Anthony didn`t know anybody. He fell on his knees and started to pray with fervour. He implored the Madonna not to abandon him and to indicate him the path to follow. Since his tender years he was very devout to Mary, Mother of Christ. He dedicated hours and hours of meditation when he lived in the monastery of Saint Cross.
He particularly loved to reflect on the question of the Assumption. He was sure that May dies in the human way, since She like Her Son took the nature of human being, and as such She could not escape the common fate of men. Could it be possibly true that Jesus would have allowed His Mother Blessed body to remain in the tomb and would crumble like the others in ashes? He, that had risen, desired certainly to have in Heaven His Mother with sould and body. Especially since Her body formed His body. When they raged over Him, when they whipped Him, when they crucified Him, She would have felt each would, each lash.
The passion of Christ redeemed humanity, but She was a radical part of His sacrifice. And because of this Her body could not suffer destruction. The Son came to take it and along it He took her soul. This is what some doctors of the Church believed. But there were others who didn`t believe.
Anthony desired that every one believed to the Assumption of the body of Mary. He searched for arguments to convince people. Mary`s body Assumption in Heaven was for him the sign and the announcement in advance that our bodies contaminated by sin, but redeemed by the Passion of Christ, one day would be resurrected and assumpt in Heaven. This would have been also the sign that the human body preserves its great worth and one day would recover its lost dignity, that dignity what was lost because itr was used as an instrument of pleasure…
By the end of the Chapter, Anthony understood that Francis didn`t want educated people amongst his Friars minor. Because of this he decided to renounce to all his knowledge and bury it forever.
"So be it, Madonna" he was praying
"All my life I want to remain any Friars minor humble and quiet..."
He went out. The open space in front of the Chapel was more and more deserted. He saw an elderly Friar wandering around. Anthony noticed him during the Chapter sessions and remembered that his name was Friar Graziano and had been nominated Minister of the province of Romagna. Pushed by a sudden determination he approached him. He said with his head humbly bowed:
"I know that you Friar are the Minister of Romagna. My name is Anthony and I come from Portugal. A year ago I became a Friar minor at Coimbra. Then I left towards Marocco to convert the Saracens, but Jesus evidently didn’t want my service, because he has sent me illness. Not being able to convert the Moors, I decided to go back to Coimbra, but a storm pushed the ship out of rout till Italy, the ship on which I was..."
Friar Graziano was listening swaying good-naturedely his head.
"And what do you want to do now Friar?" he asked
"I think that it is a long way to go back to Coimbra. And, even though it has been one year that I am with the Friars, I have tasted still so very little the life of the Friars minor. After what I have tried, I would like to reflect from the beginning everything... I could perhaps be useful in the province that has been entrust to you, Friar?"
"Uhm" Friar Graziano was looking smiling at Anthony. "Uhm. It is beautiful that you show humbleness and that you want to start again. Perhaps, this is why God sent you an illness, to show you that you are not yet mature in your decisions. Have you got any capabilities?"
"I am a Priest..."
"A priest? Magnificent! We have such a need for Priests. Listen, in our province there is a small hermitage over a mountain that bears the name of the pagans apostle. I will send you amongst those Friars. There are four, you will be the fifth. You will celebrate the mass, you will pray, and you will reflect. And in a month of so we will see…"
Chapter 15
Anthony observed him greedily. He was a delicate little fellow, with dark face, ploughed by wrinkles. His blue eyes were surrounded by a blood halo. The small head on his thin neck oscillated like a flower too heavy on the slender stem. When he allowed the hood to go down, from the head it could be seen that he was partially bald. The trimmed beard allowed the discovery of the big half-opened lips. He breathed with effort and he walked with uncertain footstep. They were saying that he was forty, he had however the appearance of a more elderly person.
The Chapter continued for eight days. The second day Francis spoke again. He declared that because of illness and of weakness that afflicted him he was delegating to the dear Friar Elijah Bombarone. When he pronounced these words, from the crowd of the Friars, came out friar Elijah, a baldheaded corpulent religious with a small flat nose. On the face of the new Minister General one could see intelligence, decision and energy. Upright, in the inner part of the circle, Friar Elijah accepted the function of guide, while Francis sat at his feet.
Weeks went by, the Easter feasts went by.
Anthony recovered sufficient strength to be able to face the trip. But the thoughts that sprouted in him earlier, were rooting more and more in him. He had no will to go to Coimbra neither to Portugal. He wanted to remain all his life an unknown Friar minor. He wanted to go where his superiors sent him.
In the meantime in the small house of Messina the news that for Pentecost there would have been in Assisi the General Chapter. arrived the news that for Pentecost there would have been in Assisi the general chapter.
Friar Pafnunzio and other Friars would have gone. Anthony decided to go with them. He was very interested to visit the place from which started the movement of the Friars minor, and to see with his own eyes the man that he followed. He also believed that, at the Chapter he finally would be able to understand his future.
Friar Pafnunzio was not very happy for Anthony to follow them since the religious was so predisposed to illness. However, seeing that he had asked clearly that any Friar, according to his possibilities, should participate to the Chapter, could not refuse Anthony`s participation. Because of this, he limited himself in anticipating by one day their departure so that they would have more time for the trip. April sun didn`t burn as yet in a troublesome way, especially when they left the isle. The days were lukewarm, but the nights were cold.
They proceeded along the sea shore. The harsh landscape, similar to the Sicilian one with naked rocks, small stony fields, rows of sturdy olives and locks of fig trees of India, was transforming itself as they were moving towards North. Now the slants of the mountains were covered by a dense thick wood and reminded the shores of the Tago. Beyond the gulf of Salerno they entered in a region of cultivated fields.
They started to meet on their way other Friars minor also directed to Assisi. So that the group became bigger and they started singing religious hymns.
The road was passing through Rome, so they entered in the city to pray in Saint Mary Maggiore, and in the basilica of Saint John whose walls, as they firmly believed, had been saved from their founder. In the city the group of the Friars minor augmented up to one hundred religious. After they left Rome, they subdivided themselves again in smaller groups, not to cause any problems to the villages and to the settlings that would have given them shelter.
When the Friars met there were vivacious conversations. Anthony was learning from them many things. The Friars were over excited by the permanence of Francis in the Holy Land and in Egypt, as well as to his interviews with the Sultan of Egypt. The great crusade, rather than facing the battle for Jerusalem, had gone to Egypt and had conquered Damietta. But instead of carrying out the exchange of Damietta with Jerusalem, the captain of the expedition, the cardinal Pelagio, had asked to the Sultan both Palestine and all Egypt.
The Muslims had once again busied themselves in a relentless struggle, that ended with the defeat of the crusade troops. They had run around in the slime, which was brought, by the floods of the Nile. In order to save the men, it had been necessary to renounce to all conquests.
What happened to Francis who set off for the crusade? On this, they were different voices. Some affirmed that he had fallen in the hands of the Saracens, others thought that he had died, others that he had drowned in a ship on which he was coming back. But there were some Friars that affirmed the Francis had come back in Italy, before still the defeat of the crusades. A well informed Friar, that walked in the same group of Anthony, said that Francis during his staying in the Holy Land had been recalled in his country by the news that the Friars Ministers Gregory of Naples and Matthew of Narni, who were left in charge to govern the order during his absence, weren’t able to govern the order successfully because of some arbitrary actions of various Provincial Ministers. So that Frar Philip, being designed to be the guardian of the Poor Dames of sister Chiara, once he knew of the aggression at the convent of Saint Damiano, had gone to Rome and had obtained from the Pope a decree of excommunication for those who would assail once again the convent. Other Frars, gathering together in the Provincial Chapter, had made new rules regarding the fasting, more rigid than the preceding ones. And finally Friar John della Cappella, gathering a group of supporters, tried to separate himself from the Friars and to found an Order completely different. According to the Friar that was talking, Francis was very angry against all the innovations introduced during his absence.
The groups of Friars, who came from the South, crossed in the meantime Umbria. Once again the smallest groups came together with the bigger groups, so many were the Friars that walked along the road. But although they had become so numerous, the population of the villages that they crossed greeted them amicably, and did not refuse them hospitality. The region that they crossed seemed to be sincerely a devout region.
The Friars minor walked garrulously as a flock of sparrows. Between the travelers there were also the supporters of John of the Cappella. Those vexed themselves to praise the changes proposed by John. Anthony didn’t intervene in the conversations and he limited only to listen attentively.
He persuaded himself that the incomprehension was caused above all from the low mental level of the Friars. They were people fundamentally rough, pervaded of enthusiasm and the love of Christ, but easily surrendered to the influence of more cultured and more skilled individuals, between which there were also the ambitious that aspired to guide the others as well as those people that rebelled to the rich clergy.
The fact that in the course of only a few years the order has reached such a big number of religious could not keep them away from changes. The Friars minor in their ingenuity were talking in such a way that people would think they were heretics. Anthony came to know that just because of this they were sent away from Germany.
While the Friars were going to Assisi, numerous wagons overloaded with food were going as well. The local parishes, the villages, the palaces sent food in abundance, so that the Friars gathered in a congress would have enough food to nourish themselves. Four years earlier they had come to the Chapter even five thousand Friars, and now it was expected that they would have been even more. In that occasion had attended to the Chapter Ostia`s Bishop, Cardinal Ugolino. There was even Dominick, the founder of the order of the preachers.
Finally from the high hills, that from every side surrounded the city, Anthony saw Assisi. Above the roofs of the houses, one could see the walls of a castle. The imperial Governor has its center in the castle, according to what the Friars, who knew Assisi, were saying. But twenty years earlier the inhabitants had taken by force the castle and since that time they had not allowed any German knight to impose his will on them. It was said that Francis took part of the assault when he still had chivalrous aspirations.
Along the road that conduced to the city door, called New, in a small forest could be glimpsed some constructions. Here, at Saint Damiano, resided sister Chiara. But they continued along the road that surrounded the city from South and which led to Perugia. And still, at a little distance from the road, over a hill in the middle of a forest rose, perceived from far, an agglomerate of cottages, of hurdles and of huts made of clay similar to the villages of African people. The Friars that knew the place burst in joyful exclamation. That burst of happiness was welcomed by the Friars who had arrived earlier and that now were coming towards them with shout of joy.
The crowd of the new arrivals flowed in the huts and hurdles happily singing. The small houses of the Friars, similar to the small shops of the feasts, formed a semicircle. In the middle, surrounded by little constructions a little more solid, but also rough, rose a small Chapel. In front of it stretched an ample open space that formed a kind of basin. Anthony stopped looking around himself.
"Then, this is it," he thought "the appearance of the place in which the movement of the Friars minor had initiated." But he didn’t have the time to observe, since to their small group, drew near the quarter masters, that as a sign of recognition were holding a hank of straw on their arm to indicate them the place in which they had to take their lodging and have their meals. The new arrivals interrogated the others:
"Is Friar Francis here? Has he arrived? "
"He is. He is." Assured the others.
"He is here. He has come back."
"God be praised, God be praised" answered happily the new arrivals.
"But is it true" they were investigating with curiosity "that Friar Peter, designated as General Minister by Friar Francis, is dead?"
"It is true. God has called Friar Peter just before the feast of the Resurrection."
"Then who is now the General Minister of the order?"
"Friar Elijah. He has been together with Friar Francis in the Holy Land and together with him, he has come back.
"And how is the health of Friar Francis?"
"Not so good. He also has an illness to his eyes. He sees very little."
"May God protect him!"
"Yes. Yes. Everyone pray incessantly for this. Go Friars to those small houses on the side…"
While he was taking a rest, Anthony reflected:
"Here I am at the Porziuncola, I am going to see friar Francis. I will persuade myself who is the man whose teaching has taken me away from my cell of the convent and has made me face many extraordinary adventures.
According to what the Friars said, Francis has been able to reach the Sultan of the Saracens in person, and nothing happened to him. The Sultan El-Kamil received him, listened and dismissed him with the words:
"Pray God to reveal to me which religion he likes more."
He had not been even able to reach the door of the palace of the Sultan… Nevertheless even Francis had not been able to convert any Muslim…
After two days the arrival of Anthony at the Porziuncola the Chapter began. The number of the Friars even in this occasion had reached a thousand. All of them
got out in the open space and sat on the ground.
The cardinal Ugolino had not come. At his place there was the Cardinal Capocci, Archbishop of Viterbo. He sat on the armchair placed there for him under a canopy that protected him from the sun.
The Chapter began with the mass celebrated on the altar prepared in front of the Chapel. As it was about to begin and the Archbishop was wearing his liturgical hangings close to the altar, appeared, greeted by a buzz of the voices, Francis.
But when was the time of reading the epistle and the gospel, the archbishop invited Francis to read. The pale and sad face of Francis unexpectedly cleared up and became bright. The hoarse and low voice as it was speaking acquired strength and colour. Francis read with a lot of emotion. While he was reading the words of Christ, the intonation of his voice reminded of a chant.
Once the reading was concluded, at a new invitation of the archbishop, Francis began the homily. Anthony listened and from moment to moment grew his amazement. The other was speaking simply, as if he were speaking to children. His words were deprived of doctrine and of erudition, yet they had the force of convincing and of dragging.
"My sons" he was saying. "we must always remember what God has done for us. And he will do much more, much but much more. Let’s not ask for anything, however, because he will not forget about any of us, as he doesn’t forget not the sparrow on the wig, not the small flower that grows amidst the grass. Let’s just be incessantly loyal to what we have promised Him...
…Let’s thank him incessantly, both for the sun that shines over us, or for the rain that quenches the thirst of the trees, shrubs and the grass. Let’s thank him for the bread that we eat and for the water, our sister, that quenches the thirst. All that we have, we receive it from Him. Every good, we have received it from Him. And to Him it belongs. We have to enrich it with our work and then give it back…
…We do not have fear of anything. How was saddened my heart when I have heard that, while I was absent from here, certain Friars asked the Church to inflict terrible pains to those that assail the house of our Sisters! Not us, neither our dear and pious Sisters desire a similar protection. Sister Chiara asked me to ask you in her name that no protection will be given to them. It is enough that God will awake over our safety. Even if we found ourselves, not on firm land, but on a stormy sea as Saint Peter, when our Lord called Him to Him, we will not drawn if we have faith in Jesus. We are not allowed to become prey not to sadness, nor to fear, nor to sloth. Let’s perform the work that every day brings to us. Let’s be patient. Let’s be happy of what God gives to us. Let’s not invent fasts, but as the Gospel dictates let’s eat what people give us. Let’s not search for palaces. Let’s live in house that at any moment we can leave without regret. Let’s not bind our heart with gold, nor with money, nor any other thing…
…Let’s respect the Holy Poverty because only the man who has nothing can carry out freely the orders of our Lord. Of this I pray you and I beg you: do not ever renounce to poverty that should be our contersign, of us, the least of the Friars minor.
…If people will contradict you, you will be saved by your humbleness, your patience and your poverty, because who could ever take anything if you do not have anything!
But do not refuse to anybody love. Whatever will be done to you, love, since this way loved our Lord. 'What worth would they have those who are loved by others?' teaches our Lord. Love those who love you and those who persecute you. Love them and do something good for them. Do not get angry towards those that will offend you. Be happy if they offend you, since our Lord was insulted with words. Go amongst simple people, poor, weak and insulted. Stay with the weakest, never place yourselves above others..."
He stopped and looked at everyone, on the thousands faces of the Friars that he had dragged and guided and that now, with their eyes fixed on him, listened in profound silence his words. After a brief pause, as if he remembered of something, he added:
"If in your group wants to enter and educated man, he should renounce his doctrine and should accept humbleness. Since science makes men vainglorious and too sure of themselves, and it doesn`t allow to serve the others. If any educated man wants to become a Friar minor, he must say to himself: 'I have learned many things, yet I have not learned about who is God. Help me Friars, so that I could re-examine from the beginning my life, I could concentrate and undertake an activity not towards to my own glory, but solely to God.' Then he will be like a lion freed from the cage, ready for everything. If he is asked to speak, he will be speaking from the deep of his soul, with a strength that he never had, with an impetus in the heart that he never knew..."
They started to consider varied problems of the Order. Friar Elijah read loudly the bull of the Pope, on the basis of which from that moment every candidate of the order of the Friars minor had to overcome a year of proof. Those who had been accepted in the Order, couldn’t leave it unless they were approved licence. The bull threatened severe sanctions for those who wore the habit of the Order even though they were not part of the Friars minor.
At a certain point Anthony saw Francis pull the habit of Friar Elijah and then Friar Elijah bent over him telling him something in low voice. Then Friar Elijah stood up again and said:
"Friar Francis has asked me to announce to everyone: There is a country called Germany. Some year ago a group of Friars minor went there to announce the word of God, but it has badly welcomed. They were treated as if they were announcers of heretical doctrine and they have been beaten and thrown out. Now however many pilgrims come to us from that country, and one can see that they are good Christians. Because of this, Friar Francis believes it is necessary to forget the old wrongs and go once again in Germany. Those who want to go voluntarily, stand up and gather under that tree..."
There were around three hundred voluntaries that gathered under the tree. They declared expressly to want to go to Germany, even if they had to suffer martyrdom. From that small group, twenty five were chosen, and amongst them there were twelve priests, while as a guide was declared Friar Cesario da Spira, a German that had been together with Francis in the Holy Land.
Then spoke a Prelate, at the place of cardinal Capocci, and said that in the far North there was a country called Poland. It was an authentic Christian country. In this country went the Pontifical legacies while the Polish Bishops were present at the last Council. The Archbishop of Poland, who resided in the capital, founded by the great Saint Adalberto, called in polish Wojciech, employed his efforts to spread the news that in Poland they need various religious to help diffuse the faith and knowledge of the Law of God.
He invited also the Friars minor and in particular the Sisters minor since many Polish girls desired to serve God in a convent.
Eventually the sessions of the Chapter were coming to an end. The Friars that had not received the licence of leaving for the missions were subdivided between provinces and the Provincial Ministers started to gather their Friars to indicate the houses in which they were assigned. Under the guide, the groups united and prepared themselves to leave.
There was however lots of food, so Friar Elijah asked the Friars to remain at the Porziuncola until they had eaten every thing.
Anthony found himself alone. Friar Pafnunzio saluted him and he went away. Besides him, Anthony didn`t know anybody. He fell on his knees and started to pray with fervour. He implored the Madonna not to abandon him and to indicate him the path to follow. Since his tender years he was very devout to Mary, Mother of Christ. He dedicated hours and hours of meditation when he lived in the monastery of Saint Cross.
He particularly loved to reflect on the question of the Assumption. He was sure that May dies in the human way, since She like Her Son took the nature of human being, and as such She could not escape the common fate of men. Could it be possibly true that Jesus would have allowed His Mother Blessed body to remain in the tomb and would crumble like the others in ashes? He, that had risen, desired certainly to have in Heaven His Mother with sould and body. Especially since Her body formed His body. When they raged over Him, when they whipped Him, when they crucified Him, She would have felt each would, each lash.
The passion of Christ redeemed humanity, but She was a radical part of His sacrifice. And because of this Her body could not suffer destruction. The Son came to take it and along it He took her soul. This is what some doctors of the Church believed. But there were others who didn`t believe.
Anthony desired that every one believed to the Assumption of the body of Mary. He searched for arguments to convince people. Mary`s body Assumption in Heaven was for him the sign and the announcement in advance that our bodies contaminated by sin, but redeemed by the Passion of Christ, one day would be resurrected and assumpt in Heaven. This would have been also the sign that the human body preserves its great worth and one day would recover its lost dignity, that dignity what was lost because itr was used as an instrument of pleasure…
By the end of the Chapter, Anthony understood that Francis didn`t want educated people amongst his Friars minor. Because of this he decided to renounce to all his knowledge and bury it forever.
"So be it, Madonna" he was praying
"All my life I want to remain any Friars minor humble and quiet..."
He went out. The open space in front of the Chapel was more and more deserted. He saw an elderly Friar wandering around. Anthony noticed him during the Chapter sessions and remembered that his name was Friar Graziano and had been nominated Minister of the province of Romagna. Pushed by a sudden determination he approached him. He said with his head humbly bowed:
"I know that you Friar are the Minister of Romagna. My name is Anthony and I come from Portugal. A year ago I became a Friar minor at Coimbra. Then I left towards Marocco to convert the Saracens, but Jesus evidently didn’t want my service, because he has sent me illness. Not being able to convert the Moors, I decided to go back to Coimbra, but a storm pushed the ship out of rout till Italy, the ship on which I was..."
Friar Graziano was listening swaying good-naturedely his head.
"And what do you want to do now Friar?" he asked
"I think that it is a long way to go back to Coimbra. And, even though it has been one year that I am with the Friars, I have tasted still so very little the life of the Friars minor. After what I have tried, I would like to reflect from the beginning everything... I could perhaps be useful in the province that has been entrust to you, Friar?"
"Uhm" Friar Graziano was looking smiling at Anthony. "Uhm. It is beautiful that you show humbleness and that you want to start again. Perhaps, this is why God sent you an illness, to show you that you are not yet mature in your decisions. Have you got any capabilities?"
"I am a Priest..."
"A priest? Magnificent! We have such a need for Priests. Listen, in our province there is a small hermitage over a mountain that bears the name of the pagans apostle. I will send you amongst those Friars. There are four, you will be the fifth. You will celebrate the mass, you will pray, and you will reflect. And in a month of so we will see…"
