Her Bright Merits: Essays Honoring Ingrid J. Peterson, O.S.F.

From Brother Francis to the Poor Sisters of San Damiano: What is left of their correspondence?

From Brother Francis to the Poor sisters oF san Damiano: What is leFt oF their corresPonDence?1* Jean-François GoDet-caloGeras, Ph.D. introDuction Francis of Assisi liked to write. Although a self-proclaimed illiterate,2 he left quite a substantial and significant collection of texts, even some autographs. That taste for writing did certainly not proceed from a desire to shine in the pantheon of literature: it would not have been consistent with his living as a minor inspired by the Gospel. But Francis wanted to be a brother, that is, someone striving for fraternal relationship, and relationship requires communication. Writing allowed Francis to extend communication beyond a physical presence. Although the collections of writings preserved in the realm of the Order of Friars Minor contain no writing ad1 * We quote Francis’s writings from Carlo Paolazzi’s critical edition: Francesco d’Assisi, Scritti, “Spicilegium Bonaventurianum” 36 (Grottaferrata -Roma: Editiones Collegii s. Bonaventurae Ad Claras Aquas, 2009). We quote Clare’s writings and early Franciscan and Clarian sources from Fontes franciscani, Ernesto Menestò and Stefano Brufani, eds. (Assisi: Tipografia Porziuncola, 1995). English translations of Latin texts are our own. We use the abbreviations of Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Regis J. Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellmann, William J. Short, eds., 3 volumes (New York: New City Press, 1999-2001) [= FA:ED], and Clare of Assisi: Early Documents, Regis J. Armstrong, ed. (New York: New City Press, 2006 [= CA:ED]. 2 Test 19: Et eramus idiote; Test 29: Et quamvis sim simplex; LtOrd 39: Quia ignorans sum et idiota. JEAN-FRANÇOIS GODET-CALOGERAS 62 dressed to Clare personally, Francis did write to the community of San Damiano. Clare herself stated it clearly in her Testament: After that, he wrote for us a form of living, particularly so that we would persevere always in the holy poverty. And he has not been content in his life to encourage us with many talks and examples to the love of the most holy poverty and its observance, but he entrusted to us many writings, so that after his death we would in no way whatsoever deviate from it.3 In a letter to Agnes of Prague, probably written in 1238, Clare responded to some concern of her friend regarding food and drink by referring to a document Francis wrote on the same topic for the San Damiano community, and she gave her – and us – a kind of reportatio of that writing: 29 Now about those things that you already enjoined me to clear up for you, 30 namely, which would be the feasts that our most glorious father Saint Francis advised us especially to celebrate by some variation in the food, as I believe you have already made some assessment, I thought I had to respond to your charity . 31 Your prudence indeed should know that, apart from the weak and the infirm – for whom he advised us and enjoined us that for whatever food we use our discernment as much as possible –, 32 all of us who are healthy and valid should only eat Lenten fare, whether on ferial or feast days, fasting every day, 33 except on Sundays and on the day of the Lord's Nativity, when we should eat twice in the day. 34 And also, on the Thursdays of ordinary time, each one may choose, so that the one who obviously does not want to, shall 3 TestCl 34: Postea scripsit nobis formam vivendi et maxime ut in sancta paupertate semper perseveraremus. Nec fuit contentus in vita sua nos hortari multis sermonibus et exemplis ad amorem sanctissimae paupertatis et observatiam eiusdem, sed plura scripta nobis tradidit, ne post mortem suam ullatenus declinaremus ab ipsa. WHAT IS LEFT OF THEIR CORRESPONDENCE 63 not be obliged to fast. 35 However, we who are healthy fast every day except on Sundays and at Christmas. 36 For the whole Easter time, as the writing of Blessed Francis says, and on the feasts of holy Mary and of the holy apostles, we are likewise not obliged to fast unless these feasts would fall on a Friday. 37 And, as has already been said, those of us who are healthy and valid always eat Lenten fare.4 Clare’s letter is quite detailed and, besides the fact that Francis wrote to the community of San Damiano, one may wonder how close he was to the sisters and how much he...