Francis of
By Fr. Tom
Washburn, O.F.M.
{The Cord, September/October 2002]
"To poor priests he (St. Francis) also provided help, reverently
and piously, especially in the appointments of the altar, and, in this way, he
became both a participant in the divine worship and provided assistance for the
need of its celebrants."
-
St. Bonaventure, Life of St.
Francis, Legenda Maior, 1:6.
Our own Francis of Assisi has been called many things –
founder of a new way of religious life, herald of the Gospel, mirror of Christ,
prophet, savior of the Church in conflict.
The list goes on and on, but I would be willing to guess that Liturgical
Reformer is not one of the titles that Francis is usually accredited for. Those in liturgy circles don’t often espouse
the reforms supported by this Poor Man of Assisi. But, a close scrutiny of
the times and of the writings of Francis, especially in relation to the Fourth
Lateran Council, reveal a different picture. These show us a Francis who so dearly loved
the sacred rituals of the Church that he took to heart the liturgical reforms
of the day and became a primary promulgator of them wherever he went and to
whomever he wrote. This Franciscan
Liturgical Reform is also something that the Church could use a strong dose of
from the sons and daughters of Francis today.
Thirteenth Century Medieval
The second great event of that time came in 1215, when the
fathers of the Church gathered at the
This is the world of Francis of Assisi. One in which the Church was not only in
theological dispute, but sociological and spiritual as well. The state of the Catholic Church had
descended to a point where there was real need for reform. Francis would be the man to spearhead that
reform through his actions, simple way of life, and his absolute adherence to
the Gospel. St. Bonaventure reports on
what happened when Francis approached Innocent III seeking approval for his way
of life:
There was among the cardinals a most
venerable man, John of Sabina…he said to the Supreme Pontiff and his brother
cardinals: “If we refuse the request of this poor man as novel or too
difficult, when all he asks is to be allowed to lead the Gospel life, we must
be on guard lest we commit an offence against Christ’s Gospel. For if anyone says that there is something
novel or irrational or impossible to observe in this man’s desire to live
according to the perfection of the Gospel, he is guilty of blasphemy against
Christ, the author of the Gospel.” (Bonaventure, 3:9)
These are the crucial elements that would guide Francis in
his way of life: he was profoundly
dedicated to the Gospel of Christ; he held dear the teaching that emanated from
the Fourth Lateran Council; and was in his own spirituality deeply moved by the
humanity of Christ. His prayer and his
actions witness to this awareness of Christ’s human nature. In opposition to the Albigensian heresy,
Franciscan spirituality has always been very deeply connected to the Word made Flesh.
These guiding principles led Francis to be a liturgical
reformer of the 13th Century Church.
To be fair, Francis is not often thought of as a liturgist or a
liturgical reformer. But often
overshadowed by the great Trinitarian statements of the Fourth Lateran Council,
are the canons that dealt with liturgical practice and sought to restore a
dignity to liturgical celebration. The
writings of Francis show that he was devoted to the promotion of these canons perhaps
even more than the others. We don’t
often rank the Fourth Lateran Council as one of the great liturgical
councils. Instead we usually mark Trent
which set the liturgy in its iron cast for 500 unchanging years and the Second
Vatican Council which melted that away and brought about our current great era
of liturgical renewal. But, for its time
and circumstance, the changes sought by the Fourth Lateran Council were
profound and felt on a very popular level.
The canons of the Council brought about reform in areas that anyone in
the Church would have immediately noticed.
St. Francis and St. Clare both took up these canons in their ministry
and helped to effect the changes that the Council envisioned.
In addition to the pressing
theological concerns about Christ’s humanity and the nature of the Trinity, the
Council took up other issues that were before its members – among them were
issues related to sacred liturgy. The
Council’s liturgical canons give an insight into what the practice of liturgy
was like at the time. Canons were passed
to forbid clerics from drunken displays, from hunting; clerics were forbidden
from pronouncing or executing a death sentence against someone, they were forbidden
from holding secular offices or engaging in dishonest pursuits, and clerics
were reminded to live chaste and virtuous lives. Clearly, the situation was grim. It is difficult to envision the state of
affairs that would lead the Council to state:
Their garments must be worn clasped at the
top and neither too short nor too long. They are not to use red or green
garments or curiously sewed together gloves, or beak-shaped shoes or gilded
bridles, saddles, pectoral ornaments (for horses), spurs, or anything else
indicative of superfluity. At the divine office in the church they are not to
wear cappas with long sleeves, and priests and dignitaries may not wear them
elsewhere except in case of danger when circumstances should require a change
of outer garments. Buckles may under no condition be worn, nor sashes having
ornaments of gold or silver, nor rings, unless it be in keeping with the
dignity of their office. All bishops must use in public and in the church outer
garments made of linen, except those who are monks, in which case they must
wear the habit of their order; in public they must not appear with open
mantles, but these must be clasped either on the back of the neck or on the
bosom. (Canon 16)
The Council also made several proclamations about Sacred
Liturgy seeking to restore a dignity to liturgical celebrations. Canon 17 states regarding the Divine Office:
It is a matter for regret that there are some
minor clerics and even prelates who spend half of the night in banqueting and
in unlawful gossip, not to mention other abuses, and in giving the remainder to
sleep. They are scarcely awakened by the diurnal concerts of the birds. Then
they hasten through matins in a hurried and careless manner. There are others
who say mass scarcely four times a year and, what is worse, do not even attend
mass, and when they are present they are engaged outside in conversation with
lay people to escape the silence of the choir; so that, while they readily lend
their ears to unbecoming talk, they regard with utter indifference things that
are divine. These and all similar things, therefore, we absolutely forbid under
penalty of suspension, and strictly command in virtue of obedience that they
celebrate diligently and devoutly the diurnal and nocturnal offices so far as
God gives them strength.
The phrase, “that they celebrate diligently and devoutly” has
the ring of a liturgical battle cry much like “full, conscious and active
participation” from the Second Vatican Council.
Similarly, regarding sacred space, the Council addressed the issue of
the care of the Church and its liturgical vessels:
We
do not wish to leave uncorrected the practice of certain clerics who convert
the churches into storehouses for their own household goods and also for those
of others, so that the churches have the appearance of the houses of lay people
rather than of the house of God…There are also others who not only neglect to
keep the churches clean but also leave the vessels, vestments, palls, and
corporals so unclean that sometimes they are a source of aversion…We strictly
forbid that household goods be placed in the churches, unless by reason of
hostile invasion, sudden fire, or other urgent reasons it should become
necessary to store them there…We command also that the aforesaid churches,
vessels, corporals, and vestments be kept clean and bright. For
it is absurd to tolerate in sacred things a filthiness that is unbecoming even
in profane things. (Canon 19)
These canons display a clear lack of care for the liturgy,
“It is absurd to tolerate in sacred things a filthiness that is unbecoming even
profane things.” An image is formed of a
clergy, with little concern for their own spiritual life or that of their
flock, with little care for their Churches, vestments, vessels and likewise
little care for the proper celebration of the Church’s rituals. In this milieu, it shouldn’t be surprising
that the Council also state in Canon 20, “We decree that in all churches the
chrism and the Eucharist be kept in properly protected places provided with
locks and keys, that they may not be reached by rash and indiscreet persons and
used for impious and blasphemous purposes.”
And also for the faithful, we see the beginning of what will become the
Easter Duty: “Receiving reverently at least at Easter the sacrament of the
Eucharist.” (Canon 21) Canon 27
reflected these issues in its call for better training of priests:
We
strictly command that bishops…diligently prepare and instruct those to be
elevated to the priesthood in the divine offices and in the proper
administration of the sacraments of the Church. If in the future they presume
to ordain ignorant and unformed men (a defect that can easily be discovered),
we decree that both those ordaining and those ordained be subject to severe
punishment. In the ordination of priests especially, it is better to have a few
good ministers than many who are no good, for if the blind lead the blind both
will fall into the pit (Matt. 15:14).
Canon 33 called upon
the bishops to strongly promote these reforms in their churches, “Those
conducting the visitation shall not seek their own interests, but those of
Jesus Christ, devoting themselves to preaching, exhortation, correction, and
reform, that they may bring back fruit that perishes not.” Francis will heed
this command and strongly promote these reforms of the Eucharist, the Word of
God, the dignity of the priesthood and the dignity of the celebration of sacred
liturgy and the sacred vessels used during the celebration of liturgy.
FRANCIS: LITURGICAL REFORMER
The Council’s Canon 21 stated, “Llet
this salutary decree be published frequently in the churches, that no one may find in the plea of ignorance a shadow of
excuse.” Francis was one of the many in
attendance at the Council and his writings and writings about him show that he
took this call to heart and incorporated it into his mission in a way that
constantly uplifts the dignity of those who are ordained and the task to which
they have been called.
It is stunning to see the frequency with which Francis
strikes these themes in his writings. In his Second
Letter to the Custodians Francis makes it clear that not only is he
concerned with spreading the word about the Councils concerns, but he wants the
rest of the Order to do the same.
Francis exhorts custodes, “I beg you, as much as I can, to give to bishops
and other members of the clergy those letters treating of the most holy Body
and Blood of our Lord…Make many copies of the other letter I am sending you…and
distribute them with great zeal to those to whom they should be given.” (LC2,
4-7) Francis of course wrote letters to many groups - the clergy, to custodians, to rulers of the
people, to a minister, to the entire order, and others. In them he repeatedly calls for this greater
reverence of Jesus, of the Eucharist, of Churches, God’s Word and priests.
In the Letter to the Entire
Order, care of the Eucharist is the first substantive issue Francis
speaks of, “I
also beg in the Lord all my brothers who are priests, or who will be, or who
wish to be priests of the Most High that whenever they wish to celebrate Mass,
being pure, they offer the true Sacrifice of the most holy Body and Blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ with purity and reverence, with a holy and unblemished
intention.” (LO, 14-16) Francis is
encouraging friar-priests to a higher holiness than apparently was evident at
the time. He continues, “See your
dignity, my priest brothers, and be holy because He is holy. As the Lord God has honored you above all
others because of this ministry, for your part, love, revere and honor Him
above all others. It is a great misery
and a miserable weakness that when you have Him present in this way, you are
concerned with anything else in this whole world!” (LO, 23-25)
It is also in this letter that Francis gives his great hymn to the
Eucharistic celebration:
Let everyone be struck with fear,
Let the whole world tremble,
And let the heavens exult
When Christ, the Son of the living God,
Is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!
O wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility!
O humble sublimity!
The Lord of the universe,
God and the Son of God
So humbles Himself
That for our salvation
He hides Himself
Under an ordinary piece of bread!
Brothers, look at the humility of God,
And pour out your hearts before Him!
Humble yourselves
That you may be exalted by Him!
Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves,
That He Who gives Himself totally to you
May receive you totally!
(LO, 26-29)
Canon 19 focused on the care of Churches and the vessels for
liturgical use, “There are also others who not only neglect to keep the
churches clean but also leave the vessels, vestments, palls, and corporals so
unclean that sometimes they are a source of aversion.” Francis addressed this in the Letter to the Entire Order writing that those who are involved
in liturgical life must “also care for the vessels and other liturgical objects
that contain His holy words in order to impress on ourselves the sublimity of
our Creator and our subjection to Him.” (LO, 34) Speaking of pages on which the Word is
written, he continues, “If they are not well kept or are carelessly thrown
around in some place, let them gather them up and preserve them, inasmuch as it
concerns them, honoring in the words the Lord who spoke them. “ (LO, 36)
Likewise, Francis pulled together different liturgical
formulations from the service of Good Friday and the Exaltation of the cross
and commanded the friars to pray the following prayer every time they entered
or passed a Church: “We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches
throughout the whole world and we bless You because by Your holy cross You have
redeemed the world.” (Testament,
5) Perhaps Francis was so beloved in the
Church because through his simple preaching and constantly calling people to
holiness he was able to begin to affect real reform in the church around the
issues raised at the Council. Again from
his Testament he writes, “Afterwards the
Lord gave me, and gives me still, such faith in priests who live according to
the rite of the holy Roman Church…and I desire to
respect, love and honor them.” (Test. 6-7) This regard for the dignity of priests is
deeply connected to the Eucharist.
Francis explains, “I act in this way because, in this world, I see
nothing corporally of the most high Son of God except
His most holy Body and Blood which they (priests) receive and they alone
administer to others.” (Test., 10)
Likewise for the sacred vessels used at liturgy, he writes,
“I want to have these most holy mysteries honored and venerated above all
things and I want to reserve them in precious places.” (Test., 11)
In his Letter to Clergy,
Francis excoriates his brother clerics and the dignity of liturgy, “Let all
those who administer such most holy mysteries…consider how very dirty are the
chalices, corporals and altar-linens upon which his Body and Blood are
sacrificed. It (the Eucharist) is placed
and left in many dirty places, carried about unbecomingly, received unworthily,
and administered to others without discernment.
Even His written names and words are at times left to be trampled under
foot…Let us, therefore, amend our ways quickly…Wherever the most holy Body and
Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ has been illicitly placed and left, let it be
moved from there, placed in a precious place and locked up…Let those who make
copies of this writing in order that it might be better observed, know they
have been blessed by the Lord God.” (LC, 4-15)
Francis clearly calls for renewal with authority and asks clerics not
only to elevate their own celebration of liturgy, but to spread the word.
Francis does the same in his Letter to
the Rulers of Nations and his Admonitions. It is clear that Francis addressed
these concerns at every level – to all people, to all the members of the
Franciscan Order, to the Minister General of the Order, to all secular rulers,
to all the clergy. This clearly was a
passion of his as made evident by this sampling of his writings. These themes are not absent from the Rule
that Francis wrote for the community. In
both the Earlier Rule and the Later Rule Francis addresses the same themes to the brothers
of the proper reverence for the Eucharist, for the Word of God, for a desire
for good preaching, for a devout spirit of worship both at the Liturgy of the
Hours and Liturgy of the Eucharist.
WRITINGS ABOUT FRANCIS
Francis biographers where also aware of his passion in
this regard. A
few samplings of what some biographers mention.
I began with a quote from Bonaventure’s Life of
Francis where he made mention of the work of Francis is traveling
far and wide, never missing an opportunity to spread greater devotion to
liturgical celebrations. Bonaventure is
not alone in noting Francis’ devotion in this area.
Thomas of Celano, in his second biography, Second Celano, writes, “He frequently received Holy
Communion.” (SC, 201) The Lateran
Council had decreed the Easter duty of reception of Holy Communion at least
once a year precisely because reception by the faithful was infrequent if not
non-existent. Francis by example lead the way to greater reception of the Eucharist. Thomas goes on, “Francis wished at one time
to send his brothers through the world with precious pyxes, so that wherever
they should see the price of our redemption kept in an unbecoming manner, they
should place it in the very best place.
He wanted great reverence shown to the hands of priests, for to these
has been given authority from God over the consecrated bread and wine.” (SC,
201) The Legend of
Perugia also reports, “Blessed Francis had a great deal of respect
and devotion for the Body of Christ. He
wanted it written in the rule that in the provinces where they lived, the
brothers were also to devote much care and regard for It,
to exhort and encourage clerics and priests to reserve the Body of Christ in a
decent and fitting place and, if the clerics did not do so, to attend to it
themselves.” (LP, 80) This legend
recounts the command from Second Celano for
the brothers to take pyxes or ciboria wherever they go so that they can reserve
the blessed Sacrament in places where it is not well
kept. This legend adds, “He likewise
decided to send brothers into all the provinces with beautiful and good bread
irons.” (LP, 80) Examples like these are
many in writings about Francis. Francis
made liturgical reform tangible – in word and in action commanding all who
would listen to do these things.
St. Clare and her sisters also took up this mission becoming
devoted to the making of worthy altar linens spreading the work among all the
members of the Franciscan family.
CALL TO REFORM TODAY
These may seem like minor points to focus on as major actions
of liturgical reform in light of our current era of reform. Certainly the reforms of Trent or our
contemporary reforms at the Second Vatican Council seem more in depth and far
ranging at the heart of liturgical theology and spirituality. But, I would argue that for their day, the
liturgical canons of the Fourth Lateran Council were profound. Just as the decrees of the
Second Vatican Council effected the celebration of liturgy on the core local
level, so too the Fourth Lateran made changes that would be immediately
recognized by those in the pews.
The faithful would have noticed immediately the changes being effected
in the lives of the clergy, the emphasis on liturgical dignity, the more frequent
reception of Eucharist by a community that didn’t usually partake of the bread
of life. In the midst of this, Francis,
perhaps more than any other, took up this charge, made it a part of his
preaching and ministry and was a crucial element in restoring the honor,
sanctity and solemnity to the Churches liturgies and rituals.
These reforms are poignant today because the Church once
again needs a renewal of the liturgy’s dignity. We need another Francis to spearhead greater
devotion to the Church’s worship. More
to the point, the sons and daughters of Francis today must take up this charge
to hold high the sanctity of worship.
The complaints of the 13th Century echo today.
People aren’t happy with the level of preaching – in fact it is the most common
complaint about Catholic celebrations.
In too many places a spirit of liturgical minimalism leaves the
celebration of the sacraments somehow empty on an emotive level. There are increasing calls for a greater
focus on the Eucharist as people’s understanding of and reverence toward the
Eucharist have dwindled in the years since the Second Vatican Council. Many people say, “I’m not being fed by
liturgy.” And yet where liturgy is
vibrant and engaging and beautiful the presence of God, the gift of Grace is
tangible. Celebrations are exciting, worship succeeds in lifting the heart, mind and
soul to God and strengthening the faithful for the journey and for
mission. The problem is not, as some
claim, that we no longer pray in Latin or that priests face the people. The problem is that the rituals that we have
are often not done well with the dignity and beauty that can be present in
them. There is in too many places a
basic failure to simply pray the liturgy of the Church with purpose, with care,
with grace, with beauty.
This should be a continuing Franciscan mission. We need to be
ones who lead first by example of our own holy and pious experience of God’s
Grace in Sacred Liturgy. We must be the
ones who uphold the dignity of liturgy through our own liturgical practice,
through our concern for inspiring preaching, through our own reverence for
God’s Word and for the Body and Blood of His Son. We must be the ones who will show such a sacredness at prayer that it can’t help but invite people
into the mystery that is God. Once we
are leading by our example, then we must also spread the word. Our holy father Francis did this before us
and we must follow his lead.
Francis preached seemingly simple things – clean up the
churches, use nice vessels and linens, be conscious of the presence of Christ’s
Body and Blood, hold dear the Words of God, recognize the dignity of the
ministry of the priest. These simple
things however, had a profound effect.
Today too, more than a need to rework or reorder our liturgies, our
churches, clergy and those involved in the planning and implementation of
liturgy must be concerned with its sacred character and seek ways to emphasize
the wonder and mystery of the moments of grace we celebrate. Perhaps there is no greater example to look
towards for this type of liturgical renewal than the poor man of
“And
whoever observes these things, let him be blessed in
heaven with the blessing of the Most High Father, and on earth with the
blessing of His Beloved Son with the Most Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, and all
the powers of heaven and with all the saints.
And, as far as I can, I, little brother Francis, your servant, confirm
for you, both within and without, this most holy blessing.”
- Testament of St. Francis, 40-41