The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi

[448] See I Pet. 1: 12.

[449] See Levit. 11: 44.

[450] See Ps. 61: 9.

[451] See I Pet. 5: 6.

[452] Philip Melanchthon in his Apology (Augsburg Confession, art. on the Mass) usurped these words of St. Francis to defend his erroneous teaching against private Masses. But there is nothing in this letter or elsewhere to show that St. Francis reprehended such Masses in any way. On the contrary, as the Bollandists point out, the words “according to the form of holy Church” refer to the rite of the Roman Church to be followed in the celebration of Mass and not to the one Mass to be celebrated daily. (See Acta S.S., t. II, Oct., pp. 998-999).

[453] John 8: 47.

[454] See I Tim. 4: 5.

[455] See Philip. 2: 8.

[456] This prayer, which, as I have said, is found in some MSS. at the head and in others at the foot of the present letter, is separated from it altogether by Wadding, who (p. rot) places it immediately after the sheet given by St. Francis to Brother Leo. There it is also found in the new French edition of the Opuscula (p. 25).

[457] It refers to “the chapters which speak of mortal sin” which are only found in the First Rule, and speaks of proposed changes in the Rule which could not, as is clear, have been made after November, 1223. In particular the subject of the tenth chapter of the new Rule discussed in the Chapter held at Portiuncula, June 11th of that year (see Spec. Perf., ed. Sabatier, c. t), is mentioned as not yet definitely settled.

[458] See Quellen, etc t. XXII, p. 547.

[459] “ . . . plus des objurgations et des reproches que des conseils.”—Sabatier, Bartholi, p. 120.

[460] Hist. Seraph., fol. 177 v.

[461] Fruct. XXII, P. 11, n. 46. The part here given is that which Wadding exhibits as Epis. VI. M. Sabatier is clearly mistaken in regarding these different abstracts of the letter published separately as so many complete epistles. He says: “. . Frère Elie ne se corrigeant pas, le saint ne cessa pas de lui faire des recommendations identiques,” l.c., p. 119.

[462] See Epis. VIII. This is a different and longer version than that given in the Conformities. Wadding gives yet another abstract of the letter as Epis. VII. This he translated from the Spanish, though he confesses misgivings as to the authenticity of its form.

[463] See his edition of Bartholi, pp. 113-131.

[464] See Frère Elie de Cortone, p. 51, where the idea of abolishing penances is described as “so Franciscan.”

[465] See “The Writings of St. Francis,” in the Month, January, 1904, pp. 161-164.

[466] In 1899; after the Vatican MS. 7650, and the Foligno codex. See Epistola S. Francisci ad ministrum generalem in sua forma authentica cum appendice de Fr. Petro Catanii.

[467] In 1900, after the Ognissanti MS. See his Bartholi, p. 113.

[468] In 1900. See his Frère Elie de Cortone, p. 50 seq.

[469] This is the superscription of the Neapolitan MS. According to the greater number of codices the letter is addressed: “To Brother N . . . Minister.” The MSS. of Foligno and St. Isidore’s read: “To Brother N . . . Minister General,” and some Italian versions cited by M. Sabatier (see Bartholi, p. 121, note 1) add the name of Brother Elias (see also Rodolfo, l.c., fol. 177 v.). The rubric in the second family of MSS. already described (See Introd.) reads simply “Letter which St. Francis sent to the Minister General as to the way to be followed regarding brother subjects sinning mortally or venially.” Wadding (Opusc., p. 25, n. 1) thinks the letter was addressed to Peter of Catana. See Speculum Minorum, fol. 218 v.

[470] For the rendering of this doubtful passage: et in hoc dilige eos ut velis quod sint meliores Christiani, I have translated the Latin text as given in the Isidorean MS. 1/25, in the Conformities (fol. 132, v), in Wadding’s edition (Epis. VIII), and in that of Quaracchi (p. 108). In the Ognissanti MS., however, this passage reads et non velis ”and do notdesire that they be better Christians.” This reading has been followed by Fr. Edouard d’Alençon and M. Sabatier. The latter thinks St. Francis is here referring to ungrateful and recalcitrant lepers whom he was wont to call Christians. But in that hypothesis the passage might be translated “and do not desire to make them better lepers!”

[471] Cod. O. for eremitorium reads meritorium. But may not this very improbable reading be that most common thing in early MSS.,—the slip of a copyist?

[472] Cod. O. omits the remainder of this sentence.

[473] The Neapolitan MS. for “appears” reads “sins.”

[474] Chaps. V, XIII, and XX of the first Rule.

[475] See Matt. 9: 12.

[476] Cod. O. reads: “another.”

[477] In chap. XX of the First Rule. The passage enclosed in brackets is the part omitted by Wadding and those who have followed him.

[478] See John 8: 11.

[479] Minister General of the Order, 1579-1587, afterwards Bishop of Mantua (see Acta Ordinis Minorum, 1904, p. 265).

[480] De Origine Seraphicae Religionis Franciscanae (Venice 1603), p. 806.

[481] See Quellen, etc., p. 535.

[482] See Gen. 47: 39.

[483] See Ps. 118: 21.

[484] See Ezech. 33: 12.

[485] See Luke 8: 18.

[486] See Wis. 6: 7.

[487] Cod. 225, mentioned above. See Sabatier’s Bartholi, p. 135.