The Founding of the Franciscan Order
April 16, 1210
by James M. Kushiner
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone was born c. 1181, the son of a wealthy silk merchant. Called “Francesco” by his father, Francis lived the high life of an affluent heir.
After a military expedition, a year as a prisoner of war, and a second attempt at military service, Francis had a vision that turned him to spiritual things. He eventually relinquished his inheritance to follow Christ in poverty and repentance.
In 1207 he began preaching repentance to his fellow townsmen. After composing a primitive rule—“To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps”—Francis and twelve disciples set off for Rome to seek papal approval of their mission. Pope Innocent III, according to the official account, gave final approval to the Franciscan order on April 16, 1210, after having a dream in which he saw Francis holding up Rome’s St. John Lateran Church.
Francis and his followers were essentially street preachers without possessions, imitating those sent by Jesus to preach repentance while carrying “no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse.” Franciscans are known as friars (not monks) and embrace a mendicant lifestyle, eschewing property and embracing poverty. They are often itinerant or live in urban areas serving the poor.
In 1219, Francis joined the Fifth Crusade to preach Christ to the Saracens in Egypt. By 1217 the Franciscans had established a presence in the Holy Land, and by 1229 they had a house in Jerusalem. The order also spread all over Europe.
Other Franciscan-related orders include the Poor Clares and Capuchins. Notable Franciscans include Bonaventure, Anthony of Padua, Bernardine of Siena, Padre Pio (Capuchin) and three popes—Sixtus IV, Sixtus V, and Clement XIV. There have been a few Anglican and Lutheran Franciscan communities.
James M. Kushiner is the Director of Publications for The Fellowship of St. James and the former Executive Editor of Touchstone.
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