How the beginning of our Congregation was something quite new for the world.

26 Accusations against the Capuchins when they first appeared 27 How they defended themselves 28 Their austerity was not fanatical 29 The Prelates of the Church and seculars were edified 30 The shape of their habit was not new at all

(26) Generally people were stunned, as were religious persons and Prelates of Holy Church, when something so unexpected appeared in public, namely, the long forgotten habit and such an austere life which everyone considered excessive and impossible to persevere in, considering the weakness and fragility of our nature. Many disparaged the Capuchin Friars, saying their life was fanatical and useless since they could have stayed in the body of the Order without doing something so unconventional. After all, everyone regarded the Order of Saint Francis as holy. Therefore, remaining in the Order, they could do as much penance as they wanted and observe the Rule more easily. Others said that the novelty of the shape of the grubby habit was scandalous. “No religious dresses like you! It is a noble Order and you behave as shamefully as you like. While among Christians religious life has a greater reputation than any other worldly state, you cheapen it with your rags!”

Others said that Father Saint Francis never wore this kind of habit nor the pointed cowl, except for a few days when he renounced the world and dedicated himself to serve God. Having displeased his father, his father compelled him before the Bishop of Assisi to renounce all his legitimate rights due to him as well as any claim on the goods of his mother. The divine Francis understood this. With all his heart he willingly renounced not only these things and his inheritance, but he also renounced his father so as to conform to the Saviour of the world who did not want a father on earth but in heaven. Removing his clothes, he gave them eagerly to his father, and stood as naked as God had created him. Taking a cloak from his muleteer, the Bishop, as a good Pastor, with great kindness covered the flesh of the frail young man again. However Francis wanted nothing but to suffer shame. Using a piece of chalk he marked it front and back with a cross in order to despise himself more. For many days he went around dressed in that mantle. They say then that this was the pointed cowl Francis wore. However, when he later left for the city of Gubbio, he dressed in the religious habit which the whole Franciscan Order wears now.

Others say, “This Order cannot last because it was begun by Frate Bernardino da Siena. What he was deep down has been clearly shown by such a bad outcome.

(27) Generally these and many other calumnies were commonly widespread. So the Capuchins really had to give an account of themselves. Faced by these things, many simple friars did not know how to reply and humbly accepted them as fraternal correction. Lowering their heads, they would beg their detractors to pray that God enlighten them because ‘we truly are great sinners.’ On the other hand, the less patient would dispute with them. However, there is no comparison. The first kind gave the best example. Their silence was a better reply than all those who wanted to convince the others. That humility was more edifying for those who at first were skeptical about the life of the friars, and they then knew that these were true servants of God.

You should know that these and countless other, more persuasive reasons were proposed to His Holiness so that they gave him to understand that this was some wicked sect. Our Fathers had to do a lot to put His Holiness in the picture. Many Illustrious Cardinals and Prelates of Holy Church wanted to know in detail from our Fathers why they were moved to do this unusual thing. Often, after long discussions, the venerable Fathers showed them how the Reform was supremely necessary and they were completely edified by it, as I have heard them say themselves.

Although I don’t remember many of the answers our Fathers gave, I think it will be extremely useful, nonetheless, to put them down on paper what little I can according to my weakness.

(28) Therefore beginning with the first in reply to those who said that our life was too austere. They said that the Founders all began their Orders in a greater austerity than we are today. Not only the holy Orders were founded in such an austere life that could hardly be maintained, but even the Christian Religion founded by the High God was, in the beginning, organised and begun by the Holy Apostles in great austerity. There was the austerity of physical suffering endured by the Holy Apostles and the Fathers of the Church. But also, in goods and poverty it was ordered that all should live in common. Those who converted and wanted to be counted among the children of God and the Holy Church had to sell their goods and give the full amount to the Holy Apostles so that they could distribute it in support of the entire multitude. Therefore it is obvious from these deeds of the Apostles how holy Orders began. I say nothing about their austerity in clothing and how those great Fathers, barefoot, traveled the whole world. And as it is written, they persevered assiduously in fasts, holy prayer and communion with the sacred Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. And what will we say about our Head who, going about for thirty three years, never sought rest on earth? While dying on the wood of the Cross he was denied even a drop of water. Who could describe the poverty and the sufferings of all those who have wanted to follow him, as is told of the Apostle Paul?

I don’t want to ramble on by wanting to recount the austerity and suffering of those first Fathers. It would be too much to want to show how the Church of God was founded on so much suffering and bloodshed; as well as the strict life and poverty of so many Pontiffs, Bishops and other Prelates. An austere of life for Holy Prelates was ancient custom. However, if we consider the strict life of those holy Fathers who lived in the desert, how can one possibly label as fanatical the little we suffer for the love of God and the observance of the Rule – compared with the life of those first Fathers Anthony, Hilarion, Macarius and countless others? By comparison, we are not even worthy to be called religious. What could we say about the founders of the Orders: Saints Basil, Augustine, Benedict, and Francis? Such was the austerity of their lives that they never wanted even to quench their thirst.

However, returning to our Father Saint Francis and his Rule which we have promised and because of which, and for no other reason, we have taken up this life, judged by you others as exaggerated. We have adopted this life for no other motive except to be sure that we follow in the foot steps of our Father Saint Francis. The Rule requires us to dress in austere and lowly clothes. These clothes cannot be called too austere in comparison to what our first Fathers and the entire Order wore for more than one hundred and forty years. These clothes still survive as relics and have been guides to teach us exactly how to dress. Similarly for our low buildings. They are small, poor and in solitary places. We go without shoes just like all those Fathers. Contrary to what others say, there is no hypocrisy or despair in the fasts and any of the things which we adopted from those first Fathers. Rather, there is an obligation because we have professed to observe the Rule of the Seraphic Francis founded on most high poverty.

So then, the life led by so many glorious Saints and approved by Holy church cannot be judged as fanatical.

(29) It was amazing. Visits with long, frank discussions quickly persuaded those Illustrious Cardinals and other Prelates and they conceived such a great devotion towards the Friars. Often they were heard to say that when they saw two Capuchins that they were uplifted in mind and trembled with a kind of reverential awe. The same was true for the ordinary people when they too became convinced. It happened sometimes that when these people saw the friars they stood up straight in wonder, joined their hands and remained very silent while the Friars were in view. Weeping, many said, “You are blessed! These are real servants of God who have put the world beneath their feet.” They would say to one another, “Today Religious have never been seen as mortified and holy as these.” Where people fled from them at first, some even despised them saying, “They are buffoons!” and insulted the Friars. Now if any could welcome them into his home and help them felt he was looking at Saint Francis. Anyone able to hear their preaching and sound instruction considered himself blessed.

This was enough to answer those who said our life was fanatical and too austere.

(30) Our Fathers gave this reply for those who said the shape of the habit is scandalous and unprecedented. “This style of clothing would be scandalous if we had adopted it because of ours whim and hypocrisy. But when have adopted this style of clothing to imitiate the early Fathers, both in the Monastic Order and among all the Mendicants too. Without a doubt, they all dressed in naturally coloured, coarse, lowly and austere clothing. Infact for some time there were no other Orders approved by Holy Church and they all dressed in the most austere cloth. But when the Orders lost touch with their roots different Congregations and Reforms occurred. Because of their large number and variety, and to avoid confusion in the Church of God, different Pontiffs have allowed the clothing to vary between them so that the Order to which they belong might be clear. However, in the beginning there was one form of religious habit, the one worn by the early Fathers. I am sure about this because I have spoken once about it with the Most Rev. Padre Pietro Calzolaio da Bugiano of the Congregation of Saint Justina. This good Father composed the Chronica Monastica. Because of this he had to strive as much as he could to know what Saint Benedict’s habit was like. He told me, “Know that our Father Saint Benedict dressed in and wore the habit you now wear. One should not think Francis adopted anything else but the ancient monastic habit, as did the other Founders of Orders. You can see this in the many early figures who dressed as you do. If we want to say the truth, none of the Orders knows how its Founder dressed. For if one looks into it carefully, there aren’t other Congregations than those founded by holy men at different times, just as it is obvious that our monastic life is many Congregations based on the Rule of Saint Benedict. Just like the Cistercians. Begun by a holy Abbot, the first Abbey was in France, near a Castle called Citeaux. And from this came the name of that Reform that has since spread in no small way, as you can see today.”

What can we say about the Congregation of Monte Oliveto begun by three Sienese noblemen? Filled with the Holy Spirit, they wanted to distance themselves from the world and went to a deserted place which they called the place of the “Enclosures,” about twenty five miles from Siena. They made themselves a little shelter there and persevered in a very austere life. Then after being calumniated and accused of heresy to the Pope in the See of Avignon at the time, these servants of God were compelled to present themselves personally to His Holiness. While they were with him he realised that they were really holy and Catholic men, and good religious. He wanted them to adopt the Rule of Saint Benedict. The Holy Pastor wrote letters to the Bishop of Arezzo in Tuscany who was from Pietramala. The three arrived to within a day’s journey from Arezzo. That night Our Lady appeared to the holy Bishop and said to him, “Know that I am the Mother of Jesus Christ. Tomorrow morning three young servants of mine, sent by the Pope, will come to you. Give them this habit.” She showed him a white habit. In the morning, when the three young men arrived and presented the letter of His Holiness. The bishop received them and gave them the habit that the Holy Virgin had brought to him. On returning to the Hermitage and achieved much in God’s service. There they began that holy Congregation in which there have been many holy men. They have greatly adorned the Church. The Congregation derives its name from the little castello of Monte Oliveto just above the Enclosures.

What shall we say about the Congregation of Vallombrosa begun by the Florentine gentleman, Giovanni Gualberto? As a young man he had four castelli in the Val d’Elsa and his father was killed by a peasant. One day while the devout young man was in one of the castelli on Good Friday, it pleased the Lord God that he set out with all those with him to return to Florence where he could celebrate Easter with greater amenity. On the journey, in a very confined place, he unexpectedly came upon his enemy. The fellow recognized his difficult position and saw Giovanni Gualberto pressing near to kill him. Falling to his knees he cried out in a loud voice, “Giovanni Gualberto! I beg your forgiveness. Grant me my life for the sake of Him who today died for us on the Cross!” When the devout young man heard this, he completely relented, under the action of the Holy Spirit. He lept down from his horse. Tearfully he said, “I wanted to kill you, but for the love of my Lord I not only wish to grant you your life, but offer you peace and forgive you completely for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ.” When he arrived at Florence and entered the church of Saint Miniato to hear Mass, a crucifix hanging there bowed to him in the presence of the people. This miracle had such a powerful effect that, filled with the Holy Spirit, Giovanni Gualberto abandoned the world entirely and withdrew to a deserted place called Vallombrosa. There he began that holy Congregation which has benefited the Church so much through the example and learning of so many holy men. He was famous for many miracles and was canonised by Holy Church.

So as not to be too wordy, suffice it to say that the Congregation of Saint Justina was founded by four Paduan noblemen. Many holy men and very illustrious Prelates have come from that Congregation. To this day we see that it is very faithful, especially regarding the Enclosure and the alms they give, as well as other examples of holiness born to the Church of God from that Congregation.

What will we say about the Congregation of Saint Romuald which that glorious saint began in the Hermitage of Camaldoli? The Hermitage takes its name from its patron. Camaldolo was a nobleman from Arezzo in Tuscany. From then on it was called the Congregation of the Camaldolese. Although it may have relaxed, none the less, the image and form given it by that glorious saint remain in that above mentioned house of Camaldoli. Many beloved and holy sons of the Founder live there in great holiness of life and perfection.

At Montecorona, in the dominion of Perugia, the life of the Hermits of the Fratta di Perugia adorns the Holy Church. That holy Congregation began three years before ours and has always maintained a most perfect life. Good fruits are evident from it continuously in the Church of God.

I will leave be the Silvestrines and other Congregations based on the Rule of Saint Benedict. While the life of that glorious saint and the way of life of the first Fathers of monastic life may no longer be seen upon the earth, nonetheless the monastic life and Order of Father Saint Benedict is preserved in these holy Congregations.