Issue 42 Francis of Assisi

What's inside

Francis of Assisi: Did You Know?

Little-known or remarkable facts about Francis of Assisi.

Mark Galli

Tattered Treasure of Assisi

How a rich and carefree man relinquished everything to follow Christ.

Lawrence S. Cunningham

The Canticle of Brother Sun

Francis’s most famous poem.

Francis of Assisi

How Virtue Drives Out Vice

A poem by Francis.

Francis of Assisi

Snapshots of a Saint

Stories that reveal Francis’s intense, complex personality.

Francis of Assisi: A Gallery of Five Who Knew a Saint

Not everyone who loved Francis followed his way.

Mark Galli

Christian History Timeline: Francis of Assisi 1181–1220

Chronology of major events associated with Francis and his movement.

Joanne Schatzlein

Francis’s Troubled World

In that day, it took extreme measures to live for peace: a photo-essay.

The Editors

The Case for Downward Mobility

Why did Francis insist that his followers live in absolute poverty?

William S. Stafford

A Time to Be Poor

In Francis’s day, abandoning possessions was seen as a key to holiness.

William S. Stafford

Francis’s Tenacious Lady

Gentle Clare of Assisi had to defy family and church to follow in Francis’s way.

Ingrid Peterson

The Strange Stigmata

Did Francis really receive the wounds of Jesus?

Lawrence S. Cunningham

Fractures in Francis’s Order

How should his followers obey his instructions?

the Editors

Controversial Passages

Three passages of Francis's rule led to bitter controversy.

Francis of Assisi: Christian History Interview — Modern Medieval Man

Eight hundred years later, Francis’s life and message seem remarkably up to date.

Conrad Harkins

Francis of Assisi: Recommended Resources

More resources about Francis, his order, and his times.

Conrad Harkins
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