roles saint françois ( saint francis ) -- baritone l'ange ( the angel ) -- soprano ( though sung by a soprano , the libretto refers to the angel as '' he '' throughout ) le lépreux ( the leper ) -- tenor frère léon ( brother leo ) -- baritone frère massée ( brother masseo ) -- tenor frère elie ( brother elias ) -- tenor frère bernard ( brother bernard ) -- bass frère sylvestre ( brother sylvestro ) -- baritone frère rufin ( brother rufus ) -- baritone synopsis the subject of each scene is borrowed from the fioretti and the reflexions on the stigmata , books written by anonymous franciscans of the 14th century .