When the first Bull of our Congregation was obtained

162 Padre Ludovico wants to ask for a Bull 163 To this end he seeks the help of the Duchess of Camerino 164 With his Fra Ludovico passes to being under obedience of the General of the Conventual Friars 166 Padre Ludovico takes himself to Rome with commendatory letters and obtains the Brief

(162) Finidng himself in the midst of so many troubles, poor Fra Ludovico went off again to find the holy man Fra Matteo who still stayed in the mountains of Fabriano. He said to him, “Padre Fra Matteo, everything is up in the air. You received permission from His Holiness to stay in the capuchin habit outside the Order, going about preaching. But if others want to harm you, you having nothing to show that you have permission. The first Brief did not grant to do a Reform by separating from the Order, but was only for us and our companions to live in a reformed manner. However they have taken our Brief and persecute us without restraint. It is not possible to stay this way. It is necessary that either we return to them and give a thought to having to die in jail or that we separate ourselves from them completely. This is something we cannot do without the good grace of His Holiness. This will involve either a Brief or Bull so that we may defend ourselves from them. And seculars will see us in a better light knowing that were are not excommunicated as our adversaries say we are. For it is for fear of excommunication that everyone avoids us.”

The servant of God, Fra Matteo, answered, “This is perfect joy – to be persecuted by everyone. Before I left I knew that what we suffer now would have to happen. This urged me on even more, because I desire nothing else in this world except to accompany Jesus Christ with the cross. You know that I too thought to obtain a Brief and His Holiness offered it to me. However I was admonished by God not too seek a Brief since it would not be of any use to me except to flee from the cross. When I took up this habit it was never my intention to do a Reform for others but only to reform myself and to suffer every evil for the love of God.”

Fra Ludovico said, “To reform oneself is one thing. To help one’s neighbour to reform is another. If you can do two good things, in good conscience you cannot content yourself to do only one of them. Why do you go preaching if not to gain souls for Christ? Can’t you see how many dangers we are in? It is no less a good to help your Brothers to be within the perfect observance of the Rule that to help seculars in the observance of the commandments of God. we find ourselves in these troubles With these other poor fellows because of our desire to observe the Rule. We are also your Brothers and you are obliged to help us.”

(163) Seeing himself so strongly convinced by these words, Fra Matteo answered him, “What would you want from me?” Fra Ludovico said, “You know that God is not displeased to use the place and time of human means so as to realise those plans we desire for the honour of God, which is the observance of our Rule. Just as Our Lord said to the infernal enemy who urged him to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. He said that this was to tempt God since he could descend by the stairs and use the means of stairs and not fly through the air which was to tempt the Lord God. Now we have determined to do as much as we can, while trusting in the Lord God, to obtain a Brief or Bull and to truly do the Reform. And since they haven’t wanted to grant us the Reform among them, we are determined to separate from them and do it ourselves and for anyone else who wants to reform a beautiful Reform and live according to the purity of the Rule without privileges and other concessions. We are more determined because we see that this is the will of God. It is the will of God because we know that His Majesty has revealed to us this habit that Saint Francis and the whole order wore for more than a hundred years, and which has been hidden for so long. You know therefore that we wish to use the human means that the Providence of God has prepared for us. You know how much love Her Ladyship, Caterina Cibo, the Duchess of Camerino has for us. Let us go to her. Among all the benefits we have received from the Lord, it seems to me that this is the greatest one. For His Majesty has provided us with this woman as a very oppurtune instrument since she is the niece of His Holiness. I know I too can do something on my own, but she has a greater friendship with you.”

Fra Ludovico said this because Fra Matteo had gained this friendship with Her Ladyship for having served the plague victims in Camerino. That was in 1523. Also Fra Ludovico had served the infected in the villas of Camerino at the same time. This greatly please Her ladyship too. Therefore, having turned around Fra Matteo said to him, “In the name of God let us go immediately to Camerino. Leave matters with her Ladyship to me.”

This was the best solution procured by the Lord God in service of the poor Congregation. For the Lord gave us this woman and she was a mainstay of the poor Congregation. Therefore these three servants of God went- Fra Matteo, Fra Ludovico and his brother, Fra Raffaello. They presented themselves to Her Ladyship. On seeing them with great admiration she said in a loud voice, “Thanks be to Our Lord God and may Father Saint Francis be blessed! Now I see very well how the Seraphic Saint Francis dressed.” Then she spoke prophetically, “This novelty will not be in vane or without a purpose: that the Lord has deigned to make present in the world the life of the Seraphic Francis. The Lord God will bring some great good from this.” She kissed the hand of Fra Matteo and said to him, “Now, poor fellow you will not be alone.” After they had refreshed themselves a little, she assigned them a room. Fra Ludovico asked to be able to speak with Her Ladyship. As she listened to him kindly Fra Ludovico put before Her Ladyship and revealed completely his great desire to do a Reform and renew the life of Francis. He said to her, “God knows what we have suffered, Your Ladyship, because we have taken up this habit. He knows how much we about to suffer if your Most Illustrious Ladyship does not help us so that we may advance this Reform more surely.” Her Ladyship answered, “I have said many times that I have no other desire except to help you in everything I can.” Turning to Fra Matteo she said to him, “How many times have I said to you, poor fellow, that you can rely on me. Now you want to suffer more then you have been able to do. See what I can do.”

Fra Ludovico answered, “Your Ladyship, for now it is necessary that you help us in regard to His Holiness so that we may at least have a Brief. A Bull would be better. However since it is difficult to obtain a Bull let us begin with a Brief which allows us to be able to wear this habit, to start friaries and to receive Friars of every kind. A Bull can be still obtained after the Congregation has grown a little, with the help of God and Your Ladyship. Our adversaries persecute us by saying that we are excommunicated. Therefore we need a Brief. We need to attend to this favour. Therefore to give a sound foundation to the matter please write a letter of support addressed to the Minister of the Conventual Fathers to receive us under his obedience so that it does not look as if we want to separate ourselves from the Order, but that this is a Reform of the Conventual Fathers.”

(164) Her Ladyship understood this and liked Fra Ludovico’s approach. She wrote a long letter to the Father Minister straight away and gave it to Fra Ludovico. With his brother, Fra Raffaello, they immediately took it to him personally. Fra Ludovico first told him the whole story and his desire to do a Reform. That good Father embraced him with great joy and kissed him on the forehead. He said to them, “My Fathers, you have no need of letters of favour among us because we are all brothers. I accept you and receive you most gratefully. I will give you all my support always because I am very pleased by Friars who are zealous about their profession.” Immediately he wrote him an ample patent sealed with the seal of the Order. The patent assured whoever read it that those Fathers were his Friars and that he gave them the obedience to be able to undertake the Reform everywhere and with whatever personage, and that they did everything with his obedience and good grace.

(165) On Padre Fra Ludovico’s return to the Duchess she gladly assigned them rooms in the place where they could rest. She gave the order that they be given whatever they needed. There in the palace they bided their time for some days. They said Mass every day. This was the reason that her consort, the Lord Duke Giovanni Maria Varano, had such a great love and devotion for the Friars, since the whole matter was guided by the Holy Spirit from whom all good comes. For from that time onwards the affection that this Prince had was of no small advantage to the poor Order. Those Masses said so devoutly pleased him very much. In the meantime while those poor Friars stayed there in safety Fra Ludovico did not rest; rather he continued to help the matter.

(166) Hence he struck up a friendship with a priest called Don Andrea. He was close to the Monsignor and was commonly conisdered to be a good man. He had the whole city in the palm of his hand and from then on was like a Father to the poor Capuchins. This Don Andrea put Fra Ludovico and his companions in such good grace with the Monsignor that when Fra Ludovico went to visit him later, he asked him the grace to be able to stay in his Diocese under his protection, offering on his own part and that of his companions to be good sons always. He asked if he would deign to grant them a letter of introduction to vouch that they were good Religious who very deserved to be welcomed by His Holiness as Catholic Religious and good sons of Holy Church.

This introduction from His Lordship was no small help. Then with letters from the Duchess and many other personages addressed to His Holiness Fra Ludovico went off to Rome. Once he had arrived in Rome and spoken with those who had to introduce him and give him every support with His Holiness as the Lady Duchess had arranged, and after he had deliverd the letters for His Holiness, he was easily introduced to that Holy See. The Pope had been well informed already and was well disposed to the whole proposal. After he kissed the sacred feet Fra Ludovico expounded to him his entire purpose, just as Fra Matteo had done. He asked the permission and blessing of His Holiness to wear that habit and lead the very strict life that his profession required. He also asked to be able to receive whoever came to the Reform and to give them the same habit so that they could observe the Rule of Saint Francis more surely.

After hearing the proposal His Holiness graciously and fondly granted all Fra Ludovico requested and gave him the Brief. This was in the year 1526, on the 18th day of May, in the third year of his Pontificate.