About the disturbance and little edification the aforementioned controversy over Padre Ludovico gave to the Roman Court

364 Bad example 365 Disastrous impression caused by Padre Ludovico’s conduct 366 The Pope shows his kindness towards the Capuchins 367 Cardinal Quiones does the same 368 The Irish Friars ask the Capuchins to accept them 369 The campaign against the Capuchins after the Chapter of 1536

(364) No matter how simple a person may be, I believe every one can know on his own just how much bad example has been the of great evil at every time and in all the nations of the world. In the Old Testament because of the bad example given by some scoundrels in a city of the tribe of Judah and done against the wife of a Levite, the tribe of Benjamin was almost completely eradicated by command of God as a result of that scandal and bad example. It would be too much to want to describe the harm which bad example has always done in the world. It would be enough to say that from it come almost all evils. On the other hand every good is born of good example. Our Lord’s saying to the Hebrews wasn’t without purpose, “Which of you would accuse me of sin?” He wanted to show that the good example and the good life of a man are almost impossible unless they re from God. It is clear sign that a man is in the grace of God because all God works that are acceptable to God are from the Holy Spirit. So on the contrary bad works in men are a clear sign that they are stripped of divine grace and possessed by the infernal enemy and all the evil they do they do by instigation of the devil.

(365) Therefore this is what caused the disturbance which Padre Ludovico gave in the General Chapter held in Rome when he had that disagreement with all the other Fathers of the Chapter. This spread abroad and was known not only by the Friars but also by the whole Roman Court that was taken by great surprise. When this first affront was reported to His Holiness he held a poor opinion of the whole Congregation, wondering if it was infected by ambition. For everyone expected quite the opposite, that the Friars were all saints since they were thin and pallid because of their many fasts and because they all went around barefoot and dressed in habits of coarse natural wool which they used more as sackcloth than to keep warm. Therefore they said, “How is it possible that any of those poor fellows might desire to dominate in such a miserable life?” They talked about this a lot among themselves in such a way that all those Prelates who first supported them turned their backs on them. However this didn’t spread around too much even though it was discussed among the noblemen and judicious persons. As for me who is writing this, at that time I was in the city of Siena. I was required to go as companion of the alms questor, the priest Father Bernard of Seggiano. He was called by a nobleman who said to him, “Father Bernard, I want to know if what is said is true.” Brother Bernard replied, “May Your Lordship say whatever he wants so that I may reply.” The nobleman said, “It is said here that a disagreement has broken out between two of your Fathers in that when the Chapter was held in Rome each of them wanted to be General. One them, because he couldn’t be General has left you and has made another sect. So where there used to be one Congregation before, now there are two Capuchin Congregations.” Brother Bernard replied. “My Lord, the rumour that our Congregation is anything other than one Congregation is false. It is true that the Father who founded the Congregation, because things did not go the way he wanted in that Chapter is a little angry. Since he founded it he loves it very tenderly. Like a zealous person it seemed to him that it would be organised in such a way that its austerity would be somewhat moderated because it could not last with everyone. This was the reason. However with all this the Congregation is not divided. Rather in that Chapter it was consolidated more than ever because the Father General was elected there by common consent. He is one of the more learned Fathers and the holiest in the whole of our Order according to his public opinion and his fame. The Order had never elected a General before as our Order is accustomed to do. Our Fathers have made some beautiful ordinances and His Holiness has granted us a Bull again.” The nobleman was completely satisfied.

(366) Moreover it pleased the Lord God to persuade the whole Roman Court and the Prelates of the Holy Church. For when our Fathers became aware that those Prelates did not cherish us as before, they met among themselves. With much maturity they considered what could be done to persuade the Roman Court. Inspired by God, one Father rose to his feet and said, “Reverend Fathers, do not worry about the dissatisfaction of the Court. If you give me the merit of obedience I hope in Jesus Christ to turn the whole Court back to devotion towards our Congregation in a short time.” The Father General answered with all the other Fathers, “We not only give you the merit but because it is such an important thing we impose it upon you. With every act of charity we implore you to take up this task.”

Given Father Justin of Panicale as his companion, a very venerable lay Friar and a holy man, this venerable Father began. First he informed His Holiness. With a long discussion he freed his heart of any shadow that he may have had earlier about the poor Congregation. By the words of this venerable Father His Beatitude was clear about the goodness of the Congregation. From then onwards the Congregation received every possible support from him. He had such a high regard that one day when he was going to do some exercise, he met the Father General with another Father. And with much reverence and humility the good Pastor blessed them and he greeted them and showed them reverence by bowing his head. The Master of ceremonies felt it had not been a good for His Holiness to bow to two Friars in public. When he was at table for a little recreation he said to him, “Holy Father, you have not observed due solemnity this morning because you bowed to two Capuchin Friars.” His Beatitude replied, “Now am I not obliged to do reverence to the relics of the saints?” “Yes,” he answered. The Pope said, “I have given reverence to two saints and have not failed due solemnity. Those are all holy Religious among whom the apostolic life and holiness of life shine more than any other Religious in these times.”

(367) This Father nevertheless continued to visit all the Cardinals. He visited two every day with such good grace that did not leave them without leaving them as most friendly. Within two months he turned around the entire Court to devotion towards our Congregation. Finally he also wanted to visit the Cardinal of Holy Cross who was a member of our Order and a major enemy of the Congregation in the beginning. One day he went personally to find ur Fathers and commanded them under the virture of holy obedience certain things he wanted them to do. He said, “I am Protector and corrector of this Order and I will make you see how much I can do. One day he came across seven of our Friars who were going to the seven Churches. In a rage he rebuked them sharply. He said to them, “Are you going seven by seven? I will not be long and I will cut off your steps and put you in good order myself.” When this Father had spoken with him it was an amazing thing and judged by everyone as a work of the Holy Spirit that he turned with great devotion towards the Capuchins. Not long after the good Prelate fell ill. He felt remorse for what he done against us earlier and sent one of his to our friary to speak on his behalf. “Reverend Fathers, my Cardinal is gravely ill and sends me to ask forgiveness so that if at first you received some sinister thing from His Lordship that you may forgive him. He begs you to prayer for him to God for his health because he has great faith in you. And if you obtain this grace from God he promises to be a good Father to you.” Our Lord did not want to extend his life any further, but because he was in this good disposition he passed to a better life.

(368) Finally it pleased the Lord God to well inform and everyone both Religious and secular and to clarify for them all that there was no ambition in the holy congregation. Rather it remained spotless and pure in it s beauty and purity. Its fame spread so far that when the General Chapter was held later in Rome an Ambassador was sent specifically from the island of Ireland with a letter to that Chapter. The contents of the letter said that people and all the Religious of that Island, after hearing about their fame, begged our Fathers to send some of our Friars to establish houses because they all had to reform themselves and would do whatever our Fathers told them. However, since they had not yet received a Bull to be able to go out of Italy, our Fathers wrote back to them that they were unable to go because his Holiness did not want it. That Ambassador begged vigorously that they might give him our Constitutions but our Fathers did not agree. The he returned very discontented and I was present for all these things.

(369) Some lax Friars who had persecuted our Congregation continuously made a great issue about this General Chapter and the dissatisfaction the Court derived form it. They thought with this opportunity to send us all to oblivion, saying among themselves, “This is our turn to make His Holiness know that these Capuchins are a mob of ambitious men, who because they could have what they liked among us, have mad themselves that sect. However they are all hypocrites and vagabonds.” They began to give false testimony with great and moved all their friends. They said to them, “What have we always told you about these Capuchins, that they have no foundation. Have you seen the beautiful Chapter they have held?” And they gave them all the worse details while asking them to help their Order. “These madmen have already completely ruined it and you will merit before God by preserving such a great Order from which so many saints have come. Now these madmen have denigrated it. It is necessary therefore that you help us in the presence of His Holiness so that he may have them return to us because there is not a shred of obedience among them. Everyone does what he wants and one day they will produce some great scandal.”

Many important persons were moved by these words and went personally to His Holiness and told him all these things. However, since His Holiness had been well informed by the Cardinal of Trani, he did not believe their words.

The not only moved the Prelates of the Church. They procured letters from many Christian Princes addressed to His Holiness and which said that tolerating the Capuchin sect was ruining the Order of Saint Francis. Therefore, since I was in Naples, I was well informed by the words of a Spanish lay Friar of ours, called Brother Angelo. When he was a soldier he was acquainted with Charles V and was present when the Emperor went to Rome at the time of Paul III. His Majesty was visiting the more important places of Rome like the seven Churches, the stations and other pious places. His Beatitude said to him, “Where does Your Majesty want to go tomorrow morning?” Charles answered, “I want to visit the Holy Trinity Monastery.” The Pope replied, “I don’t know if Your Majesty has seen certain Religious who have appeared recently and who live in our Rome there along the way you are taking tomorrow morning. The seem to me to be holy Religious and if it pleases Your Majesty to go there for Mass tomorrow morning because they say very devout Masses. I would like it very much if you consider their life a little.” Charles replied, “I will go there willingly.” And so he did. Because our Friars were advised, they all went to meet him with great reverence. When he returned later His Holiness asked him what he thought. His Majesty answered, “On the surface they are very holy, resplendent in their poverty and very austere life.” The Pope responded, “Does Your Majesty remember writing to me about certain Religious who had recently come about and that I did the wrong thing in supporting them?” Charles answered, “I don’t remember it.” His Beatitude gave a signal and the letter was read and then given to the Emperor. When he saw it he said, “This is my letter. I was badly informed.” Charles never revoked anything he had decided. “I revoke this and where I begged Your Holiness earlier to remove this Order, now on the contrary I beg him to preserve it and do for it every possible good.”

It was not without the providence of God that all the undertakings the lax Friars took up against the poor Congregation that the Lord God always refuted them with shame and detriment. They were even discovered by their friends. They became such a nuisance that no one wanted to listen to them because of the just judgement of God. To the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his most holy Mother and of our father Saint Francis. Amen.