New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-15
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSIST.
THE IDEAL OF CHRISTIAN POVERTY.

This interesting book reopens the oisc"'oi' "
a question which will probably never De se''ieu
in this world. Is it possible to carry out io'
any length of time a rule OF absolute Po'e'"
such as Francis Of Assist formulated an 'he "o'os
~ the New Testament for his followers? Of
course in considering the matter, Orlen'ai CA
perience must be excluded Climate makes pos
sble in Southern Asia what cannot DE uohe i'
Europe Even under Christianity In one OF us
extreme forms the eremtic life OF the IheDaid
was continued for a long period. But the African
desert Is not Europe. and the problem WHICH
Francis endeavored to solve was unlike any 'ha'
had heen before offered TO the world. A Dog
rapher naturally takes sides with the SUBJECT VI
his narrative and NJ. Sabatier. In the present tN-
cellent translation of his work offers no e@cep'o"
TO the rule There from the very outset
conflict between the Church or Rome anu '"''
devout but stubborn ally who could see only one
way Of subdung the world The Church won
comparatively easy victory so easy 'ha'
seemed a triumph Of human weakness rather
than If religion II Francis was fighting hu-
manity rather than the corruption OF the Chureh'
his defeat takes on an aspect different from that
which il wears when his saintness II CONSUL
cred. The Church was indeed corrupt. Nobody
was more likely TO concede this than the rope
and the cardinals, who anxiously meditated over
tho movement started at Assist. When Dominic
and Francis both refused. the one tentatively
the other absolutely to sanction the Withdrawn
Of friars from their orders to become bshops'
they were really opposing measure or REFORM
Vast numbers Of bishopr1cs had been turned
practically into private property by certain fam-
flies from which the prelates were chosen geher-
alton after generation Religion was hardS oe'-
ter than a vested interest The growing popu-
larity. especially of the Minor Frars' as the Io-
,owers of Francis were called, promised the neces-
sary power TO overcome an inherited ABUSE ~
was Cardinal Ugoini. the chosen friend OF frah-
cis at the Papal court, who thought or TINS reme-
DIV for one Of the of Christianity lie De-
lieved" remarks NJ Sabatier. that the freachins
Dominicans) and Minor Friars FranciScan9
would not only possess those virtues whch were
lacking in Others but that in the hahus Vi '"e
nanacv they might become a highly centralized
hierarchy. truly Catholic. wholly devoted 10 'he
world at large" AS prince of the Church. the
cardinal evidently thought Of Its interests frst
and then of Christendom The Church unques-
tionabl> needed reform but II must reform Itself
A change forced upon Rome from without wouiu
be more dangerous than the existing evils
Dominic replied that he should prefer TO see MS
cononanions remain as they But Francis
exclaimed:
"If nv friars have been called Minores, IL Is
not that they may become Majores. IL you oe-
sire that they become fruitful In the Church
Of God, leave them alone, and Keep the" III '"e
estate into which God has called them pray
you. father do not so act that their poVer'!
shall become a motive for pride nor elevate 'he'h
70 prelatures which would move them 10 inso-
lence toward others.
In this brief conversation lies the key TO the
whole controversy between the authorities OF the
Church and the Patriarch OF the Franciscan Or
der II was impossible for Francis TO conceive
of right doing a matter OF policy lie was
faithful to the rule and the teaching OF the Ro-
man See But he looked at il from without ana
not from within. II he had been German In
stead Of an Italian he might have anticipated
the schism OF Luther by more than two centuries;
that is to say, if his principle Of poverty were
broad enough 10 found a reformation upon. The
nanacy after IT had time 10 think about the mat
ter formulated its views in the words OF John
XXII-"Magna quidem paupertas. sed major IN
tegritas harumque obedienta maxiIna. foVer-
~ was an excellent thing. but 1t must not De al
lowed to imperil the unity OF the Church' ana
above all, It must yield obedience 10 rome
Francis's view Of the matter was not eccentric III
the thirteenth century. The wonder was tnat
his ideal came so near being realized just as ne
formed IT, But in order 10 comprehend H. one
must study. as NJ. Sabatler mas DONE the !Ou'h
OF this apostolic man and his environment. IL
was a very practical world into which FRANCIS
NJ Assist was born The speculative fancies Of
the East had been transmitted Into actiViues'
Men meddled less and less with vagaries Of doc
trine. Learning had submitted 10 the Church'
and the men who now threatened her were the
moor and oppressed who In their wretchedness
and degradation felt that she had failed In her
mission" In the stories preserved by such men
nc Jacoues de Vitry the most obvious moral was
that good lives must all be modelled on those OF
the nilgrim and the hermit. mo sooner was
voice uplifted." remarks NJ. Sabatier. preaching
austerity and simplicity. than II drew together
not the laity only. but members Of the clergy as
we'll Toward the close OF the twelfth century
we find a certain Pons rousing all Perigord
preaching evangelical poverty before the coming
Of ST. Francis. The close OF the twelfth century
also saw in Italy the rise Of the Poor Men who
without doubt were a part Of the movement of
Arnold Of Brescia." Francis would have called
his own order Pauperes Minores with direct ref
erence to the profound agitation Of the Poor OF
LYONS, If he had not been dissuaded by the Ro-
man court Such things show what the popular
feeling was how thoroughly the fact had been
burned into the consciousness of the people. that
,here were bitter wrongs which needed TO be
rsghted.
Francis must from his childhood have been ia
niliar with these woful aspects OF life His
own condition. however. was far from poverty.
His mother appears to have been woman OF
noble origin, and his father was prosperous
merchant As the youth had money TO spend
and was lavish with II. he was welcomed by the
Young aristocrats OF Assist His father encour-
aged him in his escapades from feeling OF So
cial ambition. Francis showed himself an adept
In trade He acquitted himself creditably also
as soldier In one or two Of the little wars which
were the curse OF Italy. But as time wore on.
what with experiences In sickness and as pris-
oner Of war; he began to feel the emptiness Of the