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When blessed Francis heard this, he diligently asked which one of the brothers had placed the money there. When he found out who it was, he ordered him to come to him. "Why did you do this?" he said. "Didn't you know that I want the brothers not only to avoid using money, but also not even to touch it?" When the brother heard this, he bowed his head, confessed his fault on his knees, and asked that a penance be given him. Francis then ordered him to carry the money out of the church in his mouth and, when he came upon some ass's dung, to place the money upon it. The brother very diligently fulfilled this. Then Francis admonished the brothers that whenever they found money, they should scorn it and consider it worthless.
They were constantly rejoicing, for they had nothing that could disturb them. The more they were separated from the world, the more were they united to God. These men entered upon a narrow and rough trail. They broke up the rocks, trampled upon the thorns, and so have left us, their followers, a smooth path.
Chapter VII
HOW THEY TRAVELED TO ROME
AND HOW THE LORD POPE GRANTED THEM A RULE
AND THE OFFICE OF PREACHING
31 As he realized that the Savior's grace was increasing his brothers in number and merit, blessed Francis told them: "Brothers, I see that the Lord intends to make of us a large congregation. Therefore, let us go to our mother, the Roman Church, and inform the Supreme Pontiff about what the Lord is doing through us so we may continue doing what we have begun by his will and command." Since what Francis said pleased the rest of the brothers, he took the twelve with him, and they went to Rome.a
While they were on the way, he told them: "Let us make one of us the leader and consider him the vicar of Jesus Christ for us. Wherever he wants to go, we will go; when he wants to rest, we will rest." They chose Brother Bernard, who was the first to be received by the blessed Francis, and they did as he said.
They made their way rejoicing and spoke about the words of the Lord. No one dared to say anything unless it pertained to the Lord's praise and glory or to the benefit of their souls, and they spent time in
- Thomas of Celano does not specify the number of brothers who accompanied Francis to Rome (1C 32), while Julian of Speyer indicates that they were twelve in number— Francis and eleven brothers (The Life of Saint Francis 21 [hereafter LJS]). In examining this passage of AP that specifies twelve brothers who accompanied Francis, Beguin suggests that the author, in order to highlight the similarity between Christ and his twelve disciples, is also taking into account the presence of Albert, the poor man identified in AP 9. Cf. Beguin, L’Anonyme, 120-128.
Anonymus Perusinus, Fontes Franciscani, p. 1334-1336
4Quod cum audisset beatus Franciscus, fecit diligenter inquiri quis fratrum ibi hanc pecuniam posuisset. 5Quo invento, iussit eum venire ad se et ait: « Quare hoc fecisti? 6Nesciebas tu me velle quod fratres non solum pecunia non utantur, sed nec etiam tangant eam? ». 7Quo audito, frater inclinavit se et dixit flexis genibus suam culpam, rogans ut paenitentiam sibi daret. 8Ipse vero iniunxit ei ut illam pecuniam extra Ecclesiam ore proprio exportaret, donec stercus asininum inveniens, super illo poneret ore proprio quo gerebat. 9Quod frater diligentius adimplevit. 10Et exinde fratres admonuit ut ubicumque pecuniam invenirent, vilipenderent et pro nihilo reputarent.
11Sic igitur continue gaudebant, quia unde turbari possent non habebant. 12Quanto namque a mundo erant divisi, tanto magis Deo erant coniuncti. 13Isti intraverunt per semitam, artaverunt viam et custodierunt asperitatem eius. 14Ruperunt saxa, conculcaverunt spinas, et sic nobis eorum successoribus viam planam reliquerunt.
Caput VII
Qualiter iverunt Romam
et dominus Papa concessit eis Regulam
et praedicationem.
31 1Videns autem beatus Franciscus quod fratres suos numero et merito augeret gratia Salvatoris, dixit eis: « Video, fratres, quod Dominus congregationem magnam facere vult de nobis. 2Euntes ergo ad matrem nostram Romanam Ecclesiam, notificemus Summo Pontifici quae Dominus per nos facit, et de voluntate eius et praecepto quod coepimus faciamus ». 3Cumque placuisset eis quod dixerat, assumpsit secum duodecim fratres et iverunt Romam.
4Cumque per viam incederent, dixit eis: « Faciamus unum de nobis ducem nostrum et habeamus eum nobis quasi vicarium Iesu Christi. 5Quocumque ei declinare placuerit, declinemus et quando hospitari voluerit, hospitemur ». 6Et elegerunt fratrem Bernardum, qui primus a beato Francisco receptus fuerat, et sicut dixerat opere perfecerunt.
7Gaudentes ibant et verba Domini loquebantur; et nullus eorum audebat aliquid dicere, nisi quod ad laudem Domini et gloriam pertineret, et quod esset ad utilitatem animarum ipsorum, vel orationi vacabant.