Comments on: St. Francis’ prayer not actually written by St. Francis

By: livius drusus

livius drusus — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:50:38 +0000

Francis of Assisi actively courted martyrdom by joining the crusader forces besieging the Egyptian port town of Damietta. It didn’t work because the man to whom he was preaching, Sultan Al-Adil, had no interest in killing him. The opposite is true. He tried to negotiate a treaty that would lift the siege. How people in their own homes in Egypt being systematically destroyed by starvation, thirst and disease courtesy of an invasion force of Europeans can be characterized as “Moslem extremists bent on destroying, then as now, the Catholics and the Church” is completely beyond my ken.

Note, also, that while Al-Adil was attempting to negotiate peace with the Pope and the crusaders — who would, of course, have none of it — the whole time the crusaders were allied with another “Moslem extremist,” the Seljuq sultan of Anatolia who courteously opened a second front in Syria to sap Egyptian forces.

Perhaps you should look to the mote in your own eye before lecturing people about humility.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:02:23 +0000

William L purports:

“Would he be pleased to see what the Catholic Church did to honor him? Or would he be shocked & ashamed?

“I think I know the answers.”

Since St Francis was passionately devoted to the Roman Catholic Church, even to the point of accepting martyrdom by Moslem extremists bent on destroying, then as now, the Catholics and the Church, your assertion that you think you know the answer is specious at best.

You know, William L., it is the height of arrogance to press your own views on a historical character with the pretense that know what he would think.

Francis spent much of his life restoring and beautifying churches specifically because the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should ne celebrated with as much splendor as possible as a sign of the Mass being a time when heaven touches earth.

I hope, William L., that, when you want to present your own views again, you will look before your post and do it with a tad more humility.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:06:18 +0000

Oh yes… understand

By: livius drusus

livius drusus — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:42:25 +0000

The Basilica of St. Francis isn’t at all garish or monstrous, imo. It’s rather delicate in decoration, with its Giotto and Cimabue frescos. The building was designed by a follower of St. Francis, and really, as far as Catholic churches go, it’s not all that lavish.

Do I think Francis would have preferred to worship in a field instead of such a church? Ya, probably, but he wasn’t resentful of wealth in general. He just personally eschewed it.

By: William L.

William L. — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:05:43 +0000

One has to wonder what St. Francis, who devoutly embraced his vow of poverty in the absolute, would think of that gargantuan, garish monstrosity of a building, the Basillica of St. Francis, in Assisi?

Would he be pleased to see what the Catholic Church did to honor him? Or would he be shocked & ashamed?

I think I know the answers.