Approval of the Rule by Antonio Carnicero 1789
Being the son of Baroque sculptor Alejandro Carnicero, Antonio became a celebrated painter, engraver and illustrator, from the Academy of San Fernando, Spain.
Approval of the Rule of Saint Francis by Pope Innocence III
(Oil on canvas, 1789)
The scene depicts how St. Francis, having composed for his mendicant friars a simple rule on 1209, led the group of 12 disciples to Rome to seek the approval of Pope Innocent III. This was an important step which demonstrated Francis’ recognition from the papal authority and saved his order from the fate of the Waldensians, who had been declared heretics in the late 12th century.
This Regula primitiva, or Primitive Rule drawn from passages in the Bible: “To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps”.
At first Pope Innocent was hesitant, but, having had a dream in which he saw Francis holding up the church of San Giovanni in Lateran, he gave oral approbation to the Franciscan rule of life. According to tradition, these events occurred on April 16, 1209, and mark the official founding of the Franciscan order.
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