Chapter 4

(57) Our Father St Francis, aware of the Apostolic teaching, was convinced that the desire of money is the root of all evil; and wishing to eradicate it completely from the hearts of his children, commanded the Friars in the Rule onno account to receive money, either by themselves or through others. And the better to impress it upon theri minds, as a thing he had much at heart, he repeated it three times in the Rule. Christ, Our Lord, also said: “Beware of all covetousness.” Desiring, therefore, to carry out entirely and fully the pious desire of our Father, who was inspired by the Holy Ghost, we ordain that the Friars shall in no way have a Procurator, or any other person – by whatever name he be called – to receive or hold money for them, either at their instigation, request, or in their name, for whatever interest or cause. But our Procurator and Advocate shall be Jesus Christ, and all the Angels and Saints shall be our spiritual friends.

(58) As sublime poverty was the chosen spouse of Christ, the Son of God, and of His humble servant, our Father St Francis, the Friars should remember that they cannot injure her without highly displeasing God, and that to offend her is verily to touch the apple of His eye. The Seraphic Father was accustomed to say that his true Friars ought to value money no more than dust, and to dread it as a venomous serpent. How often our devout and zealous Father, foreseeing in spirit that many, neglecting this pearl of the Gospel, would become lax by accepting legacies, inheritances and superfluous alms, wept over their downfall, saying that the Friar was nigh to perdition who esteemed money more than dirt.

(59) Experience teaches us that no sooner does a Friar drive away from himself holy poverty than he falls into every great vice. Let the Friars, therefore, after the example of the Saviour of the world and His Most Beloved Mother, strive to be poor in earthly things that they may be rich in divine grace, holy virtues and heavenly treasures. Above all, when visiting any sick person, let them beware of inducing him, directly or indirectly, to leave us any temporal goods. Nay, even should he wish to do so of his own accord, let the Friars dissuade him as far as they reasonably can, remembering that they cannot possess at the same time both riches and poverty. Legacies shall not be accepted.

(60) To possess more securely this precious treasure of poverty, we forbid the friars to have recourse to Spiritual Friends, even for necessary things when these can be procured conveniently in some other way permitted by the Rule. In order to be less burdensome to our friends, no Friar shall obtain anything of great value without the permission of the Vicar Provincial. Recourse to Spiritual Friends is not forbidden for necessary things that cannot be procured in any other way. In all cases of recourse there must be real necessity and permission of the Superiors.

(61) And since we have been called to this life to mortify the outward man and to quicken the spirit, we exhort the Friars to accustom themselves to endure privations in earthly things after the example of Christ, Who, though Lord of all, chose for our sakes to be poor and to suffer.

(62) Let the Friars beware of the noon-day devil who transforms himself into an angel of light. This happens when the world, out of devotion, applauds us and rejoices, pampering us with earthly comforts, which were very often the cause of many evils in religion. Let them not desire to be of the number of those false poor who, in the words of St Bernard, wish to be poor in such a way as to want for nothing.