who is the ST FRANSIS OF ASSISI ?

Answer 1

He was a 13th century Italian who gave up a life of luxury to pursue peace and holiness.

He was the founder of the Franciscian religious order.

While convalesing after being wonded in one of the many inter-city wars that went on in northern Italy in those days, Francesco became aware of the grace of God and convinced that he had a calling other than his father's business affairs. He began by rebuilding the church of San Damiano and being generous to the poor. When confronted by his father, he renouced all claim to the family estate, instead proclaiming himself "Le Jongleur de Dieu", a fool for God.

He made it his goal to live a prayer-filled and spirit-filled life and out of this rich inner life came "the range of virtures which shone forth in his life, he stood head and shoulders above all others." [St. Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies, ed. Marion H. Habig, 1973]. He wandered as a medicant friar preaching peace and the gospel, greeting people with the salutation "Peace and Good!"

Answer 2

He was a truly remarkable man.
His family was well off in the cloth business. When Francis was young he had a carefree attitude to life but he had an inner experience which brought about an abrupt change in his thought and behavior. In many places the Bible is critical of the rich, and Jesus was very critical of the rich. Francis took this as his inspiration and became very serious about not having any property at all. He renounced his inheritance by taking off all his clothes in the center of town and giving them away. (Today he would be considered a sexual deviant if he did this. Modern life is weird.)
He embraced a life of total poverty - he refused to own as much as a book, or even a bowl. His exceptional piety drew followers and soon he became notorious for his denunciation of worldly splendor and wealth. Since the Papacy was splendid and wealthy, the Pope thought that Francis was a heretic. But in a personal interview Francis convinced the Pope that he was a very obedient Catholic, and he was allowed to found his own order. Francis was known for preaching to birds and animals. He was one of the first to develop the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ: nail holes in each palm, in each foot, and the wound in the liver. These bled and would not heal.
Francis wrote a beautiful hymn to "Brother Sun, Sister Moon."
He also preached the Crusades, but unlike everybody else, who just wanted to kill off all the Muslims, Francis wanted to convert them (a novel idea). Francis went to the front lines and was given an audience by a Muslim chieftain or prince, who thought he was amusing and harmless.
After his death the Franciscans acquired property donated to them by pious Catholics. Over time they acquired a lot of property. They would deny that any one individual owned the monastery in question, for example, and said that the order as a whole owned it, which in their minds did not contradict their vows of poverty. But some Franciscans thought that even this was too much, and they branched off into the Spirituals, who refuse to have anything to do with property.
The Franciscans were known for their learning. Unfortunately when the Inquisition was formed, Franciscans were used as Inquisitors, so their history is not as innocent as one would think. Nevertheless St. Francis was one of the only real Christians in the Middle Ages. (In my opinion.)

Answer 3

Francis was born, to Pietro di Bernardone, a prominent businessman, and his wife Pica Bourlemont, about whom little is known except that she was originally from France. He was one of seven children. Pietro was in France on business when Francis was born, and Pica had him baptized as Giovanni di Bernardone in honour of Saint John the Evangelist, in the hope he would grow to be a great religious leader. When his father returned to Assisi, he was furious about this, as he did not want his son to be a man of the Church. Pietro decided to call him Francesco (Francis), in honor of the child's maternal heritage.

for more info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

Answer 4

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