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The Lord Pope approved the rule for him and his brothers, both present and future.a He also gave him authority to preach everywhere as the grace of the Holy Spirit was given him and that the other brothers were also to preach, provided that blessed Francis gave them the office of preaching.
From then on, blessed Francis began preaching to the people in the cities and villages, as the Spirit of the Lord revealed to him. The Lord placed in his mouth uncompromising, honey-flowing, and very sweet words, so that hardly anyone ever tired of listening to him.
Because of his great love for the Brother,b that cardinal had all twelve of them given the tonsure.c
Afterwards, Blessed Francis ordered that a chapter be held twice a year, on Pentecost and on the feast of Saint Michael in the month of September.
Chapter VIII
HOW HE ORDERED THAT A CHAPTER BE HELD
AND THE MATTERS TO BE TREATED AT THE CHAPTER
37 On Pentecost all the brothers used to gather for a chapter near the church of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula. At the chapter they would discuss how they could better observe the Rule. They appointed brothers who would preach to the people throughout each of the provinces, and assigned brothers in their province.d
- It is difficult to determine with precision when this initial approval was granted. It is generally held that the approval was granted in the spring of 1209, before May 25, when Innocent III left to spend the summer in Viterbo. For an in-depth study of the problem, see Omer Englebert, Saint Francis of Assisi: A Biography, 2nd ed., trans. Eve Marie Cooper, revised and augmented by Ignatius Brady and Raphael Brown (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1965), 377-383.
- This designation of Francis as "the Brother" is unique. Jordan of Giano highlights the fact that, when recognizing Francis at a Chapter, Elias would refer to him simply as "the Brother." Cf. ChrJG 17 infra.
- The Latin of this passage reads: "Dictus autem Cardinalis . . . omnibus illis duodecim fratribus clericam fecit dari [The said cardinal had a clericam given to all twelve brothers]." This passage is fraught with difficulties. In the first place, the nature of the act, clericam fecit dari[had a clericam given], is not clear. Although the term clerica, which the editors have rendered "tonsure," is used, it is not clear if it means that (1) the brothers had received the "tonsure" and thus became "clerics;" or (2) they had been recognized as lawful preachers, a permission granted in a previous paragraph; or (3) they could be publicly recognized as religious. Secondly, in this text the author seems to contradict what he said above (AP 31), that there were twelve brothers in addition to Francis. AP seems to present it as an act of kindness on the part of the cardinal to help the brothers to be accepted as preachers.
Anonymus Perusinus, Fontes Franciscani, p. 1339-1340
6Et dominus Papa concessit ei Regulam et fratribus eius habitis et futuris. 7Et dedit ei auctoritatem praedicandi ubique, sicut ei Spiritus Sancti gratia largiretur, et quod possent etiam fratres alii praedicare, quibus esset a beato Francisco officium praedicationis concessum.
8Exinde coepit beatus Franciscus per civitates et castella populo praedicare, sicut ei Spiritus Domini revelabat. 9Posuit autem Dominus in ore eius verba honesta, melliflua atque dulcissima, ita ut vix posset de audiendo eum aliquis satiari.
10Dictus autem Cardinalis, propter devotionem quam habebat in Fratrem, omnibus illis XII fratribus clericam fecit dari.
11Et postea ordinavit beatus Franciscus quod fieret Capitulum bis in anno, in Pentecosten et in festo Sancti Michaelis in mense septembris.
Caput VIII
Quomodo ordinavit quod fieret capitulum
et de his quae in capitulo tractabantur.
37 1In Pentecoste conveniebant omnes fratres ad Capitulum apud Ecclesiam Sanctae Mariae de Portiuncula. In quo Capitulo tractabant qualiter possent melius Regulam observare. 2Et constituebant fratres per singulas provincias qui populo praedicarent, et qui fratres in sua provincia collocarent.