What the Capuchin Friars did from 1526 until 1528

187 The tribulations of the first years 188 Fraternal love 189 Calumnies 190 The Capuchins supported by seculars 191 The example of Saint Francis 192 Consolations

(187) You should know that the atrocious persecutions against the poor Capuchins lasted two years, that is, from 1526 until 1528. During this time the poor Capuchins were only a few and had obtained nothing from His Holiness except the Brief. As we have mentioned above Padre Giovanni da Fano had it weakened, though not annulled. During this time they had no friary. Fugitives they stayed in the woods like wild animals. No tongue could tell how much those poor fellows suffered, tried by our Lord God like gold in the furnace. They were in a sea of troubles to make it obvious that this was God’s work. This was much the same as the other works that without doubt His Majesty had performed when the Holy Church was founded by those first Fathers with so much effort and bloodshed over so many years. When the Saviour of the world died he left in the Church that part of the Cross which Simon Cyrene carried. In this way the cross always accompanied the primitive Church so that all those who wanted to live according to the divine will had to carry the cross.

Because God gave the Order of Saint Francis to the world as a help and benefit to the Holy Church, our Lord wanted it to always conform to Francis. And as has been seen, whenever holy and zealous Fathers wanted to restore the Order to its pristine state, they have always suffered the worst persecutions from lax Friars. This is obvious with the Reform of the Zoccolanti. For many years they were persecuted by the Friars who were lax and had little zeal for the observance of the Rule. And that is what our Lord wanted for the poor Congregation of Capuchins, so that those first Fathers who founded it would be truly conformed to the holy cross. When Padre Fra Giovanni Fano received the Brief he went after the poor fellows like an unfettered lion. And if His Holiness had granted him an inch of authority, he took a mile. He spread it abroad everywhere that they were all excommunicated and he tracked them down with the constable. However, their worry about whether they were excommunicated was one the severest trials the poor men had to suffer. Some of them returned and Brief stopped those those who had decided to join the Reform.

(188) Fra Ludovico did not fail to help them as much as he could, however the evil was so widespread that they had nowhere to appeal and where Fra Ludovico could explain things. The poor fellows were wandering fugitives. Some of them remained hidden in the mountains and deserted places. Others stayed in caves. Others stayed in truly inaccessible places. For whole months they lived on wild fruit and drank water. Some in hiding were secretly provided for by a farmer. Those who were caught in the net, and there were very many of them, were apprehended and imprisoned immediately. Many were lashed and atrociously afflicted in different ways. On the other hand they did not lack the support of the Most High God. Amid all the tribulations He gave those poor fellows amazing patience and such a good spirit that those grave tribulations seemed light and unimportant to them. They so rejoiced to suffer for the love of Jesus Christ that He gave them the invincible strength to never abandon the true observance of the Rule because of these tribulations or any of the other infinite afflictions that God permitted them. They comforted one another saying, “Do not worry, Brother. God will provide for us.” Freed from jail, those servants of God went back to their other companions. The strong love they bore one anther was such that separation from one another was the possible greatest sorrow they could have in this world. They were all happy to stay in the forest and live on herbs and water with his truly beloved brothers rather than remain in the physical comfort of the Order. Those who returned to the Order at first because of these fearful circumstances later returned to the Capuchins once things had calmed down.

(189) At that time the wicked tongues of many Religious rose up. They strove with all their wit to pollute all the seculars who supported the poor Capuchins. They were saying publicly that the Capuchins were excommunicated and were losing both soul and body simultaneoulsy amid so many afflictions and difficulties because they were under the restricitions of excommunication. Although this was untrue, nevertheless they chilled many of those who had warmly welcomed the Capuchins at first. Now they avoided the Capuchins so as not to be excommunicated too. This caused the poor fellows to suffer very much because no one wanted to give them accommodation any more. They no longer had the places to which they used to withdraw. Consequently they were compelled very often to stay out under the trees or in caves.

Padre Fra Giovanni relaxed the fear of God in himself to extent that wherever he heard there to be some Capuchin Friar he would go there in person to capture him. Often he had a large company, not only of Friars suitable for the task, but also constabulary. He sought to get his hands on Fra Ludovico da Fossombrone more than anyone else. However he could not do this openly however because of the Brief. Therefore it evidently did not bother him. As for Fra Matteo, he did not take him too much into account nor did he trouble him because of the threats made him by the Duchess of Camerino. She would have given the same help to the others but they were being persecuted outside her jurisdiction, and also because His Holiness had been told that she loved the Capuchin Friars too inordinately and that as a woman she did not consider the great harm that she was giving to the Order, as well as the scandal the Church would receive because of the novelty of that habit. And His Holiness would be blamed. Therefore even though she did not stop writing to His Holiness, the Pope no longer gave her letters credence. This gave Padre Fra Giovanni ample opportunity to proceed against the Capuchins. So rabid was he that he thought of nothing else but how to persecute them.

(190) At this time seculars gave great relief to the poor Congregation at this time. When many of them heard that the Friars had fled into the woods, they would bring them something to eat and consoled them saying, “Do not worry. I have heard that the Duchess of Camerino wants to ride to Rome on you behalf and to get a Bull promptly from His Holiness. Be happy. As long as I have some bread so will you. If my children lack bread then you will too. There is still faith in you. However the enemy wants to remove you from the face of the earth. Persevere then because Jesus Christ will help you.” The seculars often helped them often when the constabulary came to capture them. Knowing where the poor Capuchins were the seculars told them, “Don’t go up because they are not there. If you want to find and capture them go up such and such a mountain. You will find them there.” In this way they lead them away from the poor Capuchins whom they then warned secretly so that they could get away and not be caught.

(191) The Reverend Camaldolese Fathers also gave them great comfort. They were the last resort for the Capuchins, as we have already mentioned above. As well as these Religious, seeing themselves to be just like Father Saint Francis in the Legend of the Three Companions consoled them and heartened them to persevere in the life they had begun amid so much difficulty. For in the beginning Father Saint Francis did not intend to set up houses as is usually done. His intention was to begin an Order where they would conform totally with the Holy Apostles in everything by leading an itinerant life. Perfectly founded in holy poverty they would go throughout the world preaching more by example than with doctrine. When he thought to find a mountain or solitary places where they could dedicate themselves easily to holy contemplation, they would make there some huts with walls and roofs made of lowly materials. When their quiet and tranquillity of mind was impeded due to frequent visits by seculars or other difficulties, they could leave those little hovels without difficulty. They had cost nothing and had no obligation to them. Then they would go somewhere else where they could dedicate themselves quietly to contemplation. At other times they used abandoned churches or the huts of other Orders, as clearly is the case of the Carcere of Assisi. In that little place there was little by way of other buildings where they could find shelter, since there was the naturally steep rock of the mountain. This belonged to the Monks of Saint Benedict. The same for Our Lady of the Angels. As long as he lived, Father Saint Francis did want there to be anything but a few little cells made from thatchwork work and mud covered with straw, except for the devout little Church of the Monks.

(192) Returning then to the poor Capuchins. They rejoiced very much at being able to lodge in abandoned churches, caves, hospices and other poor places compatible with their poverty. They were very glad to be pilgrims who had nothing else on earth except the rags they wore. The Lord God did not fail to give them his Spirit, since being completely detached from all earthly affection they were continuously rapt in God. With their minds always lifted up in contemplation of the things of God, every suffering was easy for them. Therfore they rejoiced when they saw everyone had abandoned them.