Fast Facts about St Francis

1. His name was John, but he was called Francis, as he was related to the French. His father, Pedro Bernardone, was a merchant who worked in France. As he was in that country when his son was born, the people nicknamed him "Francesco" (the French), even though he was named John at baptism.

2. He was a prisoner of war for a year. When he was about 19 years old, before his conversion, he joined the army and fought in a war that was fought between the cities of Perugia and Assisi. He was taken prisoner for a year, but was finally released unharmed.

3. His way of life was inspired by Matthew 10, 9. In Matthew 10.9, Jesus tells his disciples: "Do not wear gold, silver or coins in your belt" when traveling to preach the Gospel. He was inspired to do the same and began traveling to preach repentance in poverty.

4. Pope Innocent III decided to support the Franciscans after a supernatural dream Pope Innocent III was adverse in giving support to Francisco and his new group of followers. Then, he had a dream in which he saw Francisco holding with his body the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, which was about to collapse. The Holy Father interpreted the dream as an indication that Francisco and his group could support the Church and thus gave them official recognition as an order.

5. He attended the IV Lateran Council, where he met Saint Dominic of Guzman. The IV Lateran Council was the 12th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church in which transubstantiation and papal primacy were ratified, among other things. Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans, was also present.

6. He visited a Muslim sultan, preached the Gospel and challenged him. During the fifth crusade, Francisco and a companion traveled to Muslim territory to visit the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Al-Kamil. The saint preached before the Sultan, and to demonstrate his great faith in the Christian religion, he challenged those present to a "fire trial", which consisted of him and a Muslim walking on a burning path, with the idea that the follower of true religion should be protected by God. Francis offered to go first, but Al-Kamil rejected the challenge. However, the Sultan was so impressed by his faith that he gave Francis permission to preach in his land.

7. He received stigmata while performing a 40-day fast. Stigmas are a condition in which the wounds of Christ appear supernaturally in a person's body. A Franciscan who accompanied him said: "Suddenly he saw a vision of a seraph, a six-winged angel on a cross. This angel gave him the gift of the five wounds of Christ." This happened in 1224 during a 40-day fast on Mount Della Verna, when he was preparing for the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, on September 29.

8. The first stone of the Basilica of St. Francis was laid the day after its canonization. Francis died on October 3, 1226. He was declared a saint by Pope Gregory IX on July 16, 1228, and the next day the Holy Father personally laid the first stone of the new basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.