How Padre Ludovico went to Rome and how he established the first friary in Rome

271 The first Capuchin friary in Rome 272 A commission of Cardinals 273 The coming of Francis of Iesi 274 The Capuchins in the Hospital for the Incurable in Rome 275 Wit the Pope the adversaries insist against the Capuchins

(271) Fra Ludovico had taken up the task again of helping the poor Congregation. He was inflamed with a new fervour. Fra Ludovico was like the great Maccabeus who with his sword at his side gave it to his enemies like an unchained lion. First of all he went to the mother Duchess of Camerino. He told her everything, that again the adversaries were plotting against the poor Congregation and that it was very necessary to establish in Rome a little bastion and establish a continuous residence to be able to instantly oppose the fiery blows of the adversaries. He received letters of support from Her Ladyship in which she wrote to certain important persons who could help a lot with His Holiness, warning them to stay vigilant and keep her advised as well as the Lady Marchioness of Pescara, Victoria Colonna. She too had taken to be mother of the poor Congregation.

Leaving Camerino Padre Ludovico arrived in Rome in a few days. He took up a little place called Our Lady of Miracles near the Peoples’ Gate almost on the banks of the Tiber. There the poor Capuchins began their friary in Rome.

(272) News of this spread and when the adversaries saw that despite the Brief Fra Ludovico still received Friars, their hearts were inflamed to make the ultimate effort to completely remove the spectacle of the Congregation of Capuchins who appeared so offensive to them. That those Friars came and Fra Ludovico received them was contra the Brief was because His Holiness greatly desired the augmentation of the Congregation. On the other hand the adversaries insisted with him very much. His Holiness wanted partly to satisfy the adversaries to whom he had granted the Brief. On the other hand he didn’t want to impede anyone from doing the right thing. So he appointed three Cardinals over the matter who could grant permission to Fra Ludovico to be able to receive some Friars were suitable for the building up of the holy Reform. With that Brief he refrained the unrestrained wish that the Capuchins had to receive anyone.

(273) Father Francis of Iesi came to the Congregation at this time. When Fra Ludovico saw him he said, “Father, you have come at a bad time because our adversaries have obtained a Brief so that we may not receive any Friars. Nonetheless it is true that His Holiness has appointed three Cardinals to whom we may have recourse. If they give us permission we ma receive some Friars. However, it is not likely. The last time I was there to beg permission for someone else they sent me away very angrily so that I don’t think we will be able to obtain this permission.” Father Francis answered, “That’s not important. Go and listen to what they tell you.” Fra Ludovico went and asked the permission. He was given a great rebuff and sent away. When Father Francis heard this he said to Brother Padre Ludovico , “That is not important. Come with me because I want to ask them for it for myself.” Fra Ludovico returned again and kneeling down Father Francis said these words with great humility, “My Lords, I have promised to God the Rule of Saint Francis and I cannot observe it where I am. Now I ask your permission to go and observe it because the Lord God grants me this and His Holiness has appointed you to give permission for those whom you know to be truly suitable. I am one of those. I have come to do you due reverence and I ask you blessing.” With out any reply he got up from the ground.

When they heard this they called Fra Ludovico aside in order to know who this Father was. Fra Ludovico answered, “This is one of the first Fathers, one of the holiest and most learned there is today in our Order.” The Cardinals replied, “If that is so, receive him with the blessing of God, because that is the will of His Holiness.” And so he was received. However because he was very contemplative and liked solitude, finding himself in that disturbed little friary he still doubted whether that Congregation would go ahead because there still weren’t any men of good order. He made an agreement with Fra Ludovico and said to him, “Father, I have great faith in advancing our Reform. Therefore I want to return to the Zoccolanti and do as much as I can. If it turns out that our Reform goes ahead and the Reform of the Capuchins does not go ahead, I want you to promise me to come with all the Capuchins to this Reform. If ours does not go ahead and yours grows, I promise to return with as many reformed Friars I can.”

Thus the pact was made. With mutual concord he returned and went to find Father Bernadine of Asti who, at that time, was Procurator of the whole Order. With the favour of God they immediately obtained the Bull of the Reform from His Holiness. When this venerable Father returned to the Province of Saint Francis to begin with the support of the Bull, the Zoccolanti immediately put him in prison along with his companion Father Baptist of Norcia assurance that they would never see the sun again. However, as it pleased God, they were freed. They took themselves off straightaway and went to Camerino and the both of them became Capuchins again along with many others.

(274) Now to return to Padre Ludovico . Since it seemed to him that that place was not very suitable, he procured to have another that had been a monastery of Nuns called Saint Euphemia. The poor Capuchins lived there for many years in the beginning. Then they took up the Hospital for the Incurable and it had many good and holy Friars. Their service to the sick was so pleasing to God and the people that all of Rome and the majority of the Prelates of the Holy Church became devoted to the Capuchins. For they found that Hospital almost completely abandoned and without any organisation. They reorganized it into such a beautiful state of organisation and cleanliness that many nobles had themselves brought to that hospital in their infirmity because those servants of God ran it. The devotion to do good for those servants of God grew so much that the contributions increased by more than half within a short time. When it fell to me to do my little bit there I heard that fifteen and twenty thousand scudi came in at a time and when wood was collected. Very often there were five hundred beds in the hospital, as I saw with my own eyes. The poor fellows served the sick day and night with such solicitude that their fame spread through all of Christendom.

(275) The adversaries could not tolerate that the poor Congregation was going ahead. They procured letters from all the Princes of Christendom addressed to His Holiness. With great cleverness they arranged for His Holiness to receive them all at the same time. For His Beatitude they were very stupefying and a great bother because they were all of the same tenor and made the same point that His Holiness was ruining the Order of Saint Francis if he allowed thew Congregation of Capuchins to go ahead. When he heard this, His Holiness almost regretted having granted that Bull and decided to revoke it. It was referred to us by someone who heard him say, “What have I done because the world is upside down for my having given the opportunity to those servants of God to observe their Rule? I have made a great mistake if it causes such an outcry! Well then, if they do not want them, let us remove them.”

There was no shortage of those continually in the ear of against the poor Capuchins. And I don’t mind telling you that the infernal tried his hardest to quench that light that shone through the good example which those poor Capuchins gave. However, as it pleased the Lord God, while His Holiness was in such a bad disposition against the Capuchins, one day there was a great storm. The storm was unusual with such prodigious rain, hail, wind and lighting it seemed as if the end of the world had arrived. Lightning bolts fell on all the principal Churches of Rome. It lit up the Castle and split the Angel in half. It fell on Saint Peter’s, Saint John Lateran and did the greatest damage to Mary Major. Because of this the acquaintances of His Holiness said that he spoke these words, “The Lord God is angry with us because of the persecutions done against the Capuchins. My Lord, let your anger cease and I will not fail to give them every support, despite the opinions of the opponents, if this is your will.” It was something amazing, because His Holiness had no sooner said these words than the storm disappeared completely. But in order to satisfy partly the wishes of the adversaries, he sent the Capuchins from Rome, as will be described here below.