About some ambitious men who, when they saw the devotion of the people because of the novelty of the habit in the beginning, usurped the habit of the Order

May 16, 2025

240 About some who dressed in the Capuchin habit without authority 241 Angelico from the Fratta di Perugia 242 His deeds in Montecasale 243 His end 244 Criticism of the opinions Joseph Zarlino 245 Raphael of Venice His followers become Capuchins 247 Others who came at that time 248 A Bull of Paul III

(240) In the early Church when the people saw the magnificent things which our Lord Jesus Christ worked in his holy Apostles they had a great admiration for them. In a manner of speaking they were outraged by the Holy Spirit to believe that a crucified man was the great God who created heaven and earth. They captivated their mind in the service of Christ in such a way that a countless number, despising all earthly things, risked their lives for Christ in order to see that the holy Apostles and their disciples spoke in all languages, raised the dad and did countless other prodigies. There were some others, on the other hand who were not moved by either faith or the Holy Spirit but from the ambition because of their desire to be adored and followed by the people. They were baptised and took on the shape of Christians. For example there was Simon the Magician and countless other false apostles and false Christians with whom Saint Paul was kept occupied defending himself from them and from their false doctrine which they introduced into the Church. Finally, by the grace of Christ, the Holy Church was purified of all false doctrine.

It was just like this at the beginning of our Congregation. Some ambitious men saw the devotion of the people and how much the habit of the Seraphic Father Saint Francis was universally honoured by the people. Therefore by themselves and on their own authority they dressed in that habit and with much effect and arrogance appeared preaching. With great fervour they exhorted everyone to believe what they told them. Putting the pointed cowl on the heads of these vagabond men and their bad example was an act of cunning by the infernal serpent. It was of no small moment because of the scandals that the demons made those who wore that habit do in order to have the habit hated by the world.

(241) So that it doesn’t look as though I am speaking in vain I am glad to write down some of them and mention them by name. Among these the first was a certain Brother Angelico from Fratta di Perugia. He was in the Order of the Zoccolanti Fathers. Because he was man weak in the head, as soon as he was aware that Fra Matteo and the other holy men had taken up the capuchin habit, he apostatised from the Order on his own accord. Without the authority of His Holiness he took up the capuchin habit and in it went around different parts of Venice and preached there with great fervour. He converted some and clothed them in the same habit and made himself a sect of vagabonds. It pleased the Lord nonetheless to draw good from evil because when he was preaching and talking in the city of Chioggia a Priest was there, a very virtuous and holy man. Earlier he had been a member of the Franciscan Order. However, for the sake of the honour of his four sisters, who were about to go astray, he begged His Holiness to be able to become a Priest and find husbands for his sisters and them return straightaway to the holy Order. (This he did.) When he saw Bother Angelico he inquired about him and knew that the Congregation of Capuchins had already begun. He believed Brother Angelico had the authority to clothe, though this was not true.

The venerable Priest said in his heart, “You have to return to the Order. To be able to observe the Rule, where can you do it better and for the greater benefit of your soul than in this holy Reform?” He immediately got procured a coarse habit and was received by Brother Angelico. He was given the name Brother Paul and was the fourth Capuchin. This is discussed more amply in his biography. God drew out so much good from this for he was a holy man and died a holy death.

(242) A little later Brother Angelico wanted to return to his homeland and left those parts with some of his disciples. He started a friary at Montecasale where he established himself very well. He had the citizens there believe that he was the reformer of the Order of Saint Francis. There it pleased the Lord to bring about a good result because Brother Tullio of Potenza came to him. He was a learned and seemly young man in the friary at Borgo ad was received by Brother Angelico and he was clothed immediately. The following Lent he preached in the cathedral of Borgo with a very great reception. Because of this preaching the very fervent, young Brother Rufino of Borgo converted. He later had a holy death in our Congregation. Brother Angelico clothed him in the professed habit without any period of probation according to the Rule. Not long after the great servant of God Bother Raniero of Borgo came to the Order and was received by Fra Ludovico of Capranica.

The news that Brother Angelico had usurped the habit and started a friary at Montecasale arrived to the ears of Fra Ludovico da Fossombrone. He obtained (a letter) from His Holiness that constrained Brother Angelico under the pain of excommunication either to incorporate himself with the Order under obedience or to take off that habit. Fra Ludovico da Fossombrone sent Fra Ludovico of Capranica. When he showed this letter to Brother Angelico with its excommunication, he decided to flee from Montecasale, taking his first companions with him. Brother Tullio stayed behind while Brother Rufino, because he was a simple youth, went with him because it seemed to him that it was not good to leave his Master, Brother Angelico. However when a relative of his called Nero came to learn of this, he followed Brother Angelico with great fury and caught up with him high in the Alps. Furious at having learned that Brother Angelico had apostatised he seized a sickle he was carrying and cried loudly, “Brother Angelico, Brother Angelico! Today you make me do something that I would rather not do! You ought to be ashamed for having betrayed a city, and even more so for leading off my Brother Rufino!” Terrified by these words Brother Angelico returned Brother Rufino to Nero. Fra Ludovico of Capranica received him and clothed him in the caperone. In this way Brother Rufino was professed before he was a novice.

(243) Brother Angelico continued on his journey. When he arrived in the Marches he took up the habit of a hermit and began another Congregation. However, after he began a school for children in a castle he became such a disgrace among the people. Prosecuted by the captain of the guard, he fled. He realised his plans were not succeeding. Humiliated, he returned to Fra Ludovico da Fossombrone and humbly begged that he would receive him. He received him and sent him to Scandriglia. This was the first friary in the Province of Rome. Since he was a good talker, being a preacher, Fra Ludovico sent him to Naples to take up the friary of Saint Ephrem. He preached there with great approval. For some years he persevered, giving very good example. However, tempted by the enemy again, he left the Order and died badly in secular dress.

(244) It seems to me that I should not be silent about the venerable priest Don Joseph, a Venetian. He has composed a certain little work. However he has picked up a crab, as the saying goes, in wanting to criticise the Reverend Father Marius for not writing well in his Chronicle when he says Fra Matteo was the first Capuchin who began our Congregation. Rather Brother Paul of Chioggia was the one who rediscovered the Capuchin habit. That this is so completely false is apparent in this. Did His Holiness name Brother Paul of Chioggia in either the Bull or the Brief that was earlier? Obviously it is clear that Fra Matteo and Fra Ludovico and his other companions are nominated there. On the contrary, it is obvious that there is no mention there of Brother Paul of Chioggia. Furthermore all Italy was aware that Fra Matteo was the first Capuchin when he went preaching. Would Don Joseph be able to say perhaps that Brother Paul of Chioggia was the first Capuchin in those parts? This is also false because Brother Angelico was before him. What can we say? The entire Order maintained and still holds Fra Matteo was the first Capuchin. How is it possible that Don Joseph know more about it than the whole Order since we have the testimony of Fra Matteo that he was the first to discover the Capuchin habit? Therefore in this way Don Joseph has spoken against Father Marius erroneously.

(245) The second one to take the Capuchin habit was a hermit, a Venetian called Brother Raphael. When he saw the honour given to Brother Raphael and his disciples he wished for that himself. Without any authority and off his own bat he clothed and collected about ten disciples. Brother Raphael spoke well and had a simple knowledge of the Scriptures. His preaching was well received. He showed the greatest fervour and the number of his disciples further increased. Then he heard that Fra Ludovico had obtained a Bull that excommunicated those who wore the Capuchin habit outside of the Congregation. So he set off on a journey with all his disciples to go to Rome and beseech from His Holiness Clement VII to be able to wear that habit and to begin a new Order. When he arrived in Terni by certain ones who thought they were hermits invited him to start a house in the Abbey of the Mantarella. Brother Raphael liked this very much. Wanting to increase his numbers and went and preached many sermons there that were very well received. Having planned to open a house there, he went in procession with all the people to go to where they had planned that house to be. He carried a large cross on his back. However, because the mountain was rough and very steep, after he had gone a short distance he was so weary that he couldn’t continue. He put the cross down on the ground. He turned to the people and with great fervour he began to cry out and say, “Oh my Lord, how heavy your cross was!” He gave a very solemn sermon there on the cross. He was so fervent that he moved all the people to tears and he went back with all the people.

(246) Another day he took the cross and had a devout hermitage built in a short time. It is there today still. He left some of his companions there and continued on his way. He stayed in Rome many days but he was never able to speak with His Holiness. Rather, His Holiness became angry when it was reported to him that Brother Raphael wanted permission to wear the Capuchin habit and start a new Order. His Holiness sent a message to him that if he didn’t take off that habit he would excommunicate him and have him die on a galley. Fearful and despairing of ever obtaining what he desired, he became a hermit against. Almost all his companions became Capuchins. I knew Brother Lucido Cipriotti, Brother Innocent of Venice, Brother Juniper and Brother Francis. They all had a holy death in our Congregation. However Brother Raphael was not accustomed to be under obedience. He didn’t want to lose his freedom.

All this happened while Charles V was in Rome. Brother Lucido told me he was present when Charles V and a few others entered Saint Peter’s. The masons who were building the wall brought an arch down to the ground. A little ivory box with the lance of the Cross of our Lord bounced out from where it fell. Not knowing what the clamour and rush of the crowd were all about, Charles took fright, especially at the dust which looked like a cloud and at the cry of the people, “Miracle!”

(247) Three others took up the capuchin habit. Two were two hermits from the mountain of Spoleto. One was called Brother Bear and the other Brother Wolf. They wore it about fourteen years and because they were regarded as good men no one said anything to them. However, when they heard about the excommunication they took it off.

The other was called Pensabene. He went for many years in the capuchin habit. I knew him and often spoke with him. However he later withdrew to Rome and because of his good life was given care of a monastery. For many years he lived in the hermit habit.

(248) When Clement VII died – during whose time most of these things happened – Paul III assumed the Papacy. By his kindness he granted to the Capuchins a much more ample Bull with greater authority than before. It put an end to all the apostates who were wandering around in the Capuchin habit because this Bull excommunicated them. In this way they ceased to lacerate the poor Congregation. To the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.