Chair of St Peter
The Franciscan family is also celebrating on february 22 the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, in which we remember the fidelity of St. Francis to the Holy See of St. Peter, and his holy successors. Today we reaffirm the fidelity of the Franciscan Orders to the Chair of Saint Peter.
In 1209 Francis wrote down a brief Rule for the brothers. It was mainly composed of the Gospel texts like the ones quoted above. He boldly decided to take his group to Rome to meet Pope Innocent III and ask for approval of their way of life. It was a courageous gesture on his part. Innocent III certainly would have looked suspiciously on such groups of lay preachers... (continue reading after the following advertisment)
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After casting many doubts regarding the group of beggars who were presented to him by Cardinal Giovanni Colonna di San Paolo, he rightly judged Francis to be instrumental in proposing genuine reform among laity and clergy, without the danger of lapsing into heresy.
So Innocent III orally approved the Rule and life of the Order of Friars Minor, as Francis called his friars in his firm belief that they were to live as true brothers and as true "minores" on the model of Christ and the apostles. The group of twelve friars returned to Assisi full of joy.
Image: "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" (1972)
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