Saint Francis of Assisi

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the life contributions of Saint Francis of Assisi. The paper discusses what his career discloses about male-female roles in late medieval Europe. It explains that Saint Francis of Assisi is still one of the most popular and well-known saints of the Catholic Church. It shows how today, many people know him as the saint representing animals and the land.

From the Paper:

"Saint Francis' real name was Francesco di Pietro Bernardone. He was born in Assisi in 1181. His father was a well-to-do cloth merchant, and Francis' young life was spent in the normal pursuits of the time, including education at the local church school, dreams of chivalry and knighthood, women, celebrations, and an early love of hunting and nature. He learned his father's trade, and was happy to "one day becoming a bachelor, a squire and finally a knight." However, as he grew older he felt an increasing need to follow God's word. He made several pilgrimages to religious capitals such as Rome, and he forced himself to overcome his fear and loathing of the less fortunate, such as lepers, as he began to see the goodness in all God's creatures. In 1206, at a small, destitute church near Assisi, San Damiano, Francis heard the word of God speak to him. He began to try to raise money to help repair the church, and to help in his cause, he took some of his father's most valuable merchandise and sold it along with his horse, then gave all the funds to the priest at San Damiano."

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