How the venerable Padre Francesco da Iesi explained to Padre Frate Francesco Venitiano, a Zoccolante Friar, that our Reform is the true Reform according to the prophecies

12 Francesco da Venezia OFM proposes to the Capuchin General a merger of the two Reforms 13 The reply of Padre Francesco da Iesi 14 The prophecy of Giovanni da Parma 15 The prophecy of Bernardo da Quintavalle 16 The vision of Giacomo da Massa 17 Another prophecy 18 Some revelations about the future of the Capuchin Reform

(12) Back in the beginning there was a great controversy among the Friars in the body of the Order. Was the Capuchin Congregation the true Reform that corresponded with the prophecies of saintly men in the Order? The Venerable Padre Francesco Venetiano, the Guardian of the Reform of the Zoccolanti Fathers, was involved in this dispute. He was already a close friend of Padre Francesco da Iesi. Because of the great trust he had in Padre Francesco da Iesi, and since the latter was the General of our Congregation, he wrote him a letter while at the friary of Monteluco at Spoleto. In the letter he strongly urged that the Capuchin Congregation join with the Reform of the Zoccolanti Fathers. I was the one who sent the letter, that is, the reply our General gave him. The General said very persuasively that this was impossible and that the Capuchin Congregation would never join with that of the Zoccolanti.

That Father, however, was not satisfied with this reply. When the time came for the Assisi Indulgence, our Father General was there. Padre Francesco Venetiano went to the Fraternity of Saint Lawrence in Assisi where the Capuchin Fathers gathered. I was there for the Indulgence. By his good graces, the Father General, who always showed me great love, told me everything. The good Padre Francesco Venetiano came to the room where our Father General was sleeping and repeated the proposal to him. His plea was insistent as he urged the merger. He also added that ours was not the true Reform according to the prophecy. The Capuchins were not going to succeed. “Furthermore,” he added, “we have obtained from His Holiness the most adequate Reform bull ever received.”

(13) Our Father General answered his objections, beginning with the apposite Bull. “Know, Padre Francesco, that you will never accomplish a Reform among the Zoccolanti. Even if you have a Bull from heaven, as well as every possible kind of human support, you will never manage to carry out the perfect Reform. Secondly, regarding the prophecy you speak about, I believe that you are seriously deceiving yourselves. In fact, according to the prophecy, ours is the true Reform. To convince you: there are three famous prophecies in the Franceschina that clearly demonstrate how that Reform should be done.

(14) “The first prophecy says that three times reform will be about trivial matters and petty theory that will never result in Reform. It will come after some time. So that you may understand: this prophecy was fulfilled at the time of Ubertino da Casale, Blessed Giovanni da Parma, Frate Adamo and Frate Caesare. They were very learned and holy men. At the time of these Fathers the Reform was debated three times, which showed their extraordinary merit and learning. They were among the most zealous, learned and holy men in the entire Order. Under the pain of excommunication and by holy obedience His Holiness commanded them to write down all the passages of the Rule that the community of Friars did not observe. This they did. Although they were superior to the others in debating and tried to persuade His Holiness and others that the Reform was necessary, the reform, in the end, could not come about. The lax Friars resented and intensely persecuted those venerable Fathers instead. They couldn’t accomplish anything. Then Frate Angelo Clareno and Frate Liberale had their reform which, by the grace of God, endured in remarkable holiness for many years.

“There you have the prophecy fulfilled. Those zealous and venerable Fathers thought, however, that the Reform would come fail because of the grim persecutions, so the Lord God allowed and wanted Blessed Frate Paoluccio da Foligno to begin your Reform, the Reform of the Zoccolanti Fathers. That Reform was the most comprehensive hitherto realized.

(15) “There is another prophecy which says the Order would continue to go from bad to worse, right up to the seventh degree. Then, at that seventh degree, there will be a Reform conformed to the spirit of the Founder. Simple, unlearned friars will do this Reform and no one will know exactly who did it. After the dispersion there will be the Congregation of poor friars in the third place. The signs of the true Reform will be evident in them. They will be certain about all that they will need to do. Here the prophecy finishes and shows that this is the last, the most authentic and most perfect reform.

“Note all these words well and consider the stages through which the Order has changed. You will see that we are now in the seventh degree. The vision of the statue had by our Father Saint Francis endorses this. I won’t mention everything because I am sure you know all these things. Take the words of the prophecy which says, ‘In the last days there will be a Reform in the spirit of the Founder,’ which means ‘according to the spirit of Saint Francis.’ Consider well that neither the Zoccolanti nor anyone else have ever made a reform as the Capuchins have done. Their reform has conformed completely with the true observance of the Rule as they miraculously resumed the proper habit of Father Saint Francis. Their habit is the same colour, lowliness, coarseness and shape as his habit and differs not in the slightest way. The Capuchin friaries are like those first houses built at the time of Father Saint Francis. By the grace of God no other Reform has ever observed lofty poverty as strictly and universally as the Capuchins.

‘Simple men will do this Reform.’ You know quite well about this and who Frate Matteo da Bascio, Frate Lodovico and the others are. That prohecy says about ‘it has been fulfilled after the dispersion.’ The poor Capuchins have set up three places: one at Camerino and one at Monte Campano built by the duchess of Camerino, Cathera Cibo, the loving mother of our Congregation. The third was a Castello called Albacina, in the dominion of Fabriano. Therefore, note well, my dear Frate Francesco. Grave persecutions scattered the Capuchins far and wide. They were not together. They freely admitted that they never thought the Congregation would go ahead. There were always doubts. However when Frate Lodovico obtained the Bull he assembled them all at the shelter at Albacina, their third place. There they celebrated their first General Chapter. Those present say that a miraculous, supernatural light came upon them: that this reform was the true one. Enlightened by God they clearly saw that the reform was God’s work and that God had preserved them miraculously amid so many persecutions. Such a strong motivation for genuine perseverance grew in them that from then on they felt that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. They gave the shape of a Order to the little Capuchin Congregation. They divided it into the various friaries with their Guardians. They began to go about openly everywhere. So you see, in the third place they became convinced. There they made their Constitutions and organised their way of life.

The prophecy says that the Reform will be different in this way from the beginning of the Order. The Order had a holy leader in the beginning. He was Saint Francis. However, this Reform will have a holy leader at the end. If you consider the matter well, the Capuchins fulfil the entire prophecy. You can be certain then that this is the true reform and no other reform will be done.

(16) “Understand carefully, however, what Blessed Frate Giacomo says. God enlightened him profoundly, especially in that rapture when God showed him the whole Order in the form of a huge tree. There he speaks about a dispute, prompted by holy zeal, between the two holy men Padre Frate Giovanni da Parma and Saint Bonaventure. The dispute threatened a fierce storm which would uproot the tree completely. He saw Blessed Giovanni on top of that tree, for he was General. He left that place to go down to a safe position and Saint Bonaventure replaced him. This shows us that Blessed Giovanni renounced his office when he was General and that his place was taken by the Seraphic Saint Bonaventure. The great storm uprooted the tree completely. Not a single branch was left. Then this holy man saw a shoot of fine gold spring from the root of the tree. What does the uprooting of the tree signify if not the strong persecution that heretics and wicked people were to carry out against the Religious. The Order would completely disappear from public. And as our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to our Father Saint Francis behind the rostrum in Our Lady of the Angels, the Order will provoke God to such anger that he will give the demons full authority to harass it. This will be the persecution that Our Lord speaks about there: the habit of the Order cannot be worn except in the woods or in the land of the infidels. When this persecution has passed, those remaining will be so refined, contemplative and holy that the perfect and ultimate reform will blossom again. This reform has to come from those good Friars who will found within the true observance of the Rule. By the same token God will give that Reform the perfect observance of the Rule and the spirit of holy contemplation.

(17) “You should be know about another prophecy which says that during this persecution all the Orders will be uprooted except for the Order of Saint Francis. Because of the holiness of the Founder, the third part, good friars, will remain. However, do not be surprised if it seems to you that there is no great spirit to be seen. Saint Francis says this Reform will please God very much, even if it has no obviously important works. He says this will happen because charity will have gone cold and it is charity that has made Saints act fervently. However, they will not display great spirit yet because they will suffer persecutions from wicked men and demons and be embattled from within and without. You can see that this has happened to the poor Capuchin Congregation. Nonetheless our Father Saint Francis says. ‘Those who persevere will not be deprived of the merits of the early saints.’ Know that the spirit has not been given yet. The spirit will be given after the persecution. When the holy Church will perfectly reform, then the spirit will be given with every degree of perfection. Therefore it is enough for us poor Capuchins to live in the perfect observance of the Rule and persevere until death in the Congregation amid so many persecutions.

(18) “Go, then, dear Father, and let your mind be completely at peace. You will never see this Congregation unite with your Reform. On the other hand, however, I tell you that Our Lord Jesus Christ has appeared nearly every day for a period of some months to a holy man we have in the Congregation, and he has let us all understand that this is the true Reform; that there has never been a Congregation in the Church of God that pleases him as much as the Capuchins. Furthermore he has revealed to us that all those who live dissolutely in this Congregation and do not live truthfully, if they do not amend themselves soon, His Majesty will cast them out of the Congregation. We see this fulfilled all the time and that our Lord God does not respect learning, nobility or greatness. Those who do not establish themselves on humility nor strive to live in the truth within the true observance of the Rule, God sends them away. I have no other fear except that God may chase me away from this Holy Reform because of my sins.

“Be sure then, my dear brother, and clear from your mind all the darkness that would have you judge this not to be the true Reform. We are sure of this from the prophecies and from revelations of Christ. More importantly, this Reform thoroughly conforms with the true observance of the Rule. And although it is quite weak, the Reform has resisted such robust opponents who, with all their power, have never been unable to bring it down. What does this show, if not that the powerful and strong hand of God miraculously preserved the Reform despite everyone’s expectations? I say to you, woe to those who seek to relax the Reform. They will be severely punished.”

This Venerable Father departed completely convinced. With many tears he kissed the hands of our Father General.