When our Congregation began

75 God uses weak instruments to accomplish His works 76 Humble beginnings of the Capuchin Reform 77 Difficulties of the early stages 78 When it began 79 Joys and sorrows

(75) It is obvious to anyone who reads the Divine Scriptures that all the works of God have originated in weak beginnings. God has always used weak instruments to do His marvellous works. In creation, according to the learned, God only created matter first, the lowest thing of all, which he used to make other things. He formed man from a little mud. He founded the Church on simple, uneducated Apostles. He founded Orders by means of the simplest of men, as is obvious with our Father Saint Francis. This is precisely what happened in the Reform of the Zoccolanti Fathers. Even though the Order was full of learned men and many of them strongly urged the advance of that Reform, none could boast and say: ‘I did it.’ This honour must be given to Frate Paoluccio da Foligno, a simple and unlearned Friar. The same can be said about the time of the Capuchin Reform. I heard the Most Reverend Padre Frate Francesco da Iesi himself say that. He told me, “You know that many, many Venerable Fathers and holy men desired the reform quite a few many years. You would not believe how many tears they shed to receive this grace from God. They died and did not see it realised. How many learned men were in the Order then who strove for the reform and were unable to achieve it. Then came along a simple little Friar, uneducated and without any human favour, and he began our Congregation. All this was because the Lord wanted the honour for the reform and this work to be attributed to His goodness and not to men. If the Congregation had begun with important learned men the outcome would be attributed to men and not God.”

(76) Such a weak man stood against the powerful influence of the adversaries and defeated it – not he, but the grace of God. Infact, and I am sure about this, Frate Matteo’s intention was never that of doing a Reform. Instead, he wanted to go everywhere preaching and to observe the Rule to the letter. The beginning of our Congregation was so unual that we cannot say it had any other Founder but God. Not even Fra Ludovico, as he said himself. (He will be discussed in his turn.) He had no intention to begin another Congregation, but later was enlightened by God. This was amazing, that the Reform of the Zoccolanti Fathers began in the mountains of Foligno, helped by the Lord of Foligno. These mountains are near Camerino; and our Congregation began at Camerino, supported by the Duke of Camerino and his consort. There Saint Bernardine brought about the Zoccolanti Reform. Our reform however, according to prophecy, had to be different in this way: its Saint will arrive at the end.

Our reform was all the more amazing because it started when the whole world was in strife and, despite that, when the poor, barefoot Frate Matteo appeared unexpectedly before the Supreme Pontiff who granted him all he wished without wanting further information. Moreover, Matteo departed (Rome) without any kind of Bull or Brief. That concession was very valuable because many were encouraged just by seeing that cowl. He soon attracted a following of barefoot men who set the whole world awhirl. By patience they conquered and overcame all the fury of the infernal enemy who raged so cruelly against the poor Congregation. When everyone thought at the time that the Congregation would fail, it instead appeared more beautiful and robust than ever. In fact amid so many serious difficulties those servants of God bore in themselves and others even greater fruit.

Their example of holiness and patience pleased everyone. People said, “Obviously the spirit of these servants of God does not abide in this world. They are so absorbed in God that, like the Apostles, they rejoice when they are afflicted and persecuted, a real sign of an authentic spirit.” Their adversaries compelled them to appear before magistrates and accused them of many things, in particular, of having apostatized and being excommunicated. When authorities saw the friars so badly treated, but with their minds raised to God, they would shrug their shoulders. With hearts mellowed by the presence of these servants of God, they would say to one another with tears of devotion, “What do we want to do with the poor fellows? They are angels of God. They all look crucified. Really, anyone who commits an outrage against them is cursed by God for wanting to rid His Church of their shining example. They harm no one. Their exploits and battles are with their own selves, against the devil and this world that so full of vanity. Look how well these servants of God have put the world beneath their feet. Therefore, since we are Prelates of the Holy Church, we are obliged to support anyone who wants to do what is right. For myself I see no reason why we should forbid them to pursue their course in the service of God. Their Rule is proven. That they have chosen to observe it just like the Seraphic Francis and many other holy men cannot be called seditious.” The others all answered the Prelate who said these words, “My lord, you are speaking the truth. Therefore we should let them go so that they may pray to God for us.” Calling them to himself he said to them, “Go my Fathers and pray to God for me. His Holiness does not intend to stop anyone who wants to do good. You have nothing but support from us.”

(77) These were three Most Reverend Cardinals, two of whom I remember by name: Santa Severina the elder, under Clement VII, and Monsignor de Trani. Because of the many pleas of the adversaries His Holiness Clement ordered these three Eminences that no one come from the body of the Order to the Capuchins without their permission. However support was such that despite the order of His Holiness many came and adopted the habit. This was because in secret the Pope let it be understood that he was happy for them to join, but with the least amount of noise possible. Hence on the one hand there was the prohibition and on the other hand the permission of His Holiness. He did all this because of the insistence of adversaries. However his intention was for everyone to reform.

Therefore God gave great steadfastness to His servants. In lax and bad times like those God did not want a shortage of such holy men. Not only was the Order lax, but the entire human race craved for nothing but worldy things. Because of this the reform really was out of the ordinary. Everyone said, “These fellows admonish us just by their presence.” Little wonder that novel appearance of the habit of Saint Francis disturbed the world so much. Even in their own time the appearance of Father Saint Francis and Father Saint Dominic completely dismayed all Christendom, and by their example they took out from the world such a large number of servants of God and valiant knights of Christ.

(78) The Capuchin Reform also was very unusual and was like the Holy Order at its beginning when it started under Innocent III. There had been one hundred and eighty three Supreme Pontiffs from Saint Peter to that one. The historian Vincentius makes two calculations, a major one and a minor. According to his minor calculation there were 5161 years from the creation of the world until the beginning of our Order. According to his major calculation however there were 6406. From the Incarnation of Our Lord until the beginning of the Order there were 1198 years. The Pontificate of this Supreme Pontiff lasted eighteen years, four months and twenty-four days. Our Order began in the ninth year of his Pontificate.

Our Congregation began under Clement VII, 5480 years after creation, according to the minor calculation. According to the major calculation however there were 6725 from creation and 1525 from the Incarnation of the Lord. Clement VII lived his Pontificate for ten years and ten months. From Saint Peter there have been 226 Pontiffs. This holy Reform began in the January of the third year of his Pontificate. By the grace of God it has lasted for seventy eight years in the perfect observance of the Rule up to today (7 January 1593), although in some details there always may have been some imperfections. I who write remember most of the important things that have taken place in this holy Congregation for sixty years. It seemed to me beneficial for everyone to mention some of them and how the Congregation has always been caught between the anvil and the hammer, struck at and hard-pressed by the infernal enemy. He used the many instruments he had introduced to the Congregation to obscure its light that abundantly radiated its beams throughout Christendom in those first servants of God who began the Congregaton so beautifully. Therefore those who persevere in the perfect observance of the Rule until the end of their lives will be blessed. As our Seraphic Father says, “They will find heaven open.”

(79) This holy beginning was a marvellous thing. It was so feeble in the sight of men that we are really unable to say who did it. Nor can we say what its beginning was, what was the very first cause of this holy Reform. We are compelled to say that the reform was from God and not from man, miraculous rather than human. To all appearances it was so weak. However it was robust enough to withdstand such stout opposition. In the midst of so many thorns, this rose remained ever fresh and fragrant by the power and grace of God. When we consider the one who began it, Fra Matteo da Bascio, we see that he was so feeble, uneducated and without any other human support. He was an infirm, feeble, and indirect beginning, because he never had the intention to reform anything but himself. Nonetheless the Holy Spirit used him. For when many zealous Friars saw that habit, like God’s sheep they knew the habit was really the one that the Seraphic Francis wore. They burned with an extraordinary fervour. Like the Hebrews of God, they decided with tremendous longing to observe the Rule in every degree of perfection.

The timely appearance of Fra Matteo was so striking that a number of barefoot men soon banded together with him. Like stray sheep, when they heard the voice of the holy Shepherd they ran with intrepid boldness through the mountains, valleys and high places to reach him and be gathered together under the governance and guidance of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. They did not worry about the thorns, stones and other obstacles of persecution. Willingly they embraced the Cross of their Shepherd. Each day they desired to suffer more for his love and follow in the footsteps of His Majesty, even though the journey was very harsh for them according to bodily comfort and they didn’t have a leader usually given to such bands of God’s servants. Nonetheless they were filled with the hope that God would not abandon them. This hope was not in vain since our Lord God provided them with some necessary support. In this way. amid all the uncertainty, He kept them invincible. The Most Illustrious Lady of Camerino, Caterina Cibo turned a kindly eye towards them and fended for them considerably with His Holiness. Being the niece of Clement VII, her backing was invaluable. However Our Lord never left them without a cross. If she obtained a Brief in favour of the Capuchins, the adversaries immediately obtained another opposing them. Time and again their adversaries used the secular arm to pursue them high and low. Despite this, the constancy of those servants of God was such that the difficulties seemed to rejuvenate them. When they in the woods they laughed heartily about their opponents. It was extraordinary. With all their tactics the adversaries never that even though they used every possible ploys the adversaries never managed to catch anyone.

More than anything else it suffered, that persecution was very worthwhile for the Congregation. It kept the friars fugitives in uninhabited places with such small amounts of very plain food – fruit, herbs and water. All these things favour the spirit and mortify the flesh. During that time our Congregation was like the early Church when Christians lived secretly, hiding in caves and in the mountains. God so enlightened those who found themselves amid that suffering that that they knew that theirs was the happy state of those who truly follow the Rule of Saint Francis. They said that until then they had never understood the Rule, whose aim is a genuine mortification of the senses and true poverty of spirit, and a real union of our spirit with God. With their acceptance of all these things God miraculously brought and guided them to authentic observance. For as long as they lived, and as I saw for myself, those servants of God could never accommodate themselves again to the ways of the world and too much conversation. Instead they always remained a little feral, preferring more to dwell in the woods than any other place.

All the good ways of our life have derived from this spirit that has continued on in our Congregation,

Therefore our leader has been the Holy Spirit and the support of Our Lord has delivered us from every evil until his day, even though the poor Congregation has had its blows. We who have made profession have no excuse since God has given us opportune conditions. To the praise, honour and glory of Jesus Christ.