About the holy Brother Francis Tittelmans, priest and preacher

The Flemish Brother Francis was from the territory of Hasselt. He was born of honest parents. From his early childhood he was given to learning and became a most perfect humanist. When he reached about sixteen years of age his fine mind was such that he fell in love with the sciences and thought of little else day and night. The prudent young man always remained with his mind lifted up in such things. This was the reason he avoided every sort of vice at that age.

He was not very tall, though well proportioned. He had a very gracious face with a suitably long, thick beard. He always conversed with serious, learned persons. Hence when he felt he did not have all the opportunity that is fitting for anyone who wants to advance in learning, he decided to leave the world and become a Religious. Since in his homeland the Friars Minor had an excellent university he took the habit of the Franciscan Order in order to study better. When those Fathers saw the fine bearing and intelligence of the modest youth they immediately set him to study. Within a short time he became very learned in all the sciences. He had such a great command of the Hebrew, Greek and Latin languages that he was made Reader. Everyone had the highest expectations for him. He wrote many learned books.

However it pleased Our Lord God that he hear that the Capuchin Reform had emerged in Italy. With his fine mind and catholic doctrine he turned towards the things of the spirit. After reconsidering his situation well he was enlightened by God and recognised everything as vanity except to serve Our Lord God in the perfect observance of the Rule and his vows. He thought about coming to Italy to take up the Capuchin habit. Then after he had been in the Reform for some years and well instructed in the customs and way of life of the Congregation, he would return to Flanders. With the obedience and the good grace of His Holiness Paul III, and with the permission of the Fathers of the Congregation, he would carry out the Reform there united therefore with the Congregation of Capuchins.

He brought with him a young Priest called Brother Leonard who was his student, and a lay Friar called Brother Martin. When they came to Rome they took the habit from the General of the Congregation who was the venerable Father Bernardine of Asti.

While we was staying in Rome for some years he wrote some beautiful little works, especially against the heretics. Because of the neglect of the Friars these have been lost in part, and some have gone into print. However first the great servant of God wanted to do his novitiate, remaining always withdrawn in continuous prayer. After some months, to better mortify himself, he asked for the grace to be assigned to the Hospital of the Incurable to serve the lepers, just as we read about or Father Saint Francis. For in that time the Friars had charge of that Hospital with ten or twelve Friars always there at the service of the lepers. Having obtained the permission therefore he served in that hospital for many months doing the lowliest task there was. This was to take away the excrement of the poor sick and to keep the toilets clean. He washed the bandages, served food, swept and did other tasks with such fervour and care that he was like another Saint Francis.

He wore a habit of natural wool, patched completely with sacking. He never spoke Latin. When some Latin word came out by accident he took it back immediately in the common language, although he knew how to speak our Italian language only a little bit. He said Mass for the sick every day. When there was no need for him to stay at the Hospital for the service of the sick he withdrew to a solitary room. There he said the Canonical Hours and persevered in holy contemplation.

However the Father General was concerned that he would become ill because he was delicate and little used to suffering. So he took him from the Hospital. He then gave himself more assiduously to holy contemplation and wrote a little book of very beautiful prayers where he outlines a wonderful wasy to praise God.

When the venerable Father Bernardine of Asti saw that he was an extraordinary man, he enjoined o him to do some sermons to the Friars to animate them in the true observance of the Rule. From then on, in the manner of a discussion he often gave sermons to the Friars. He explained the Rule so divinely that all those venerable Fathers, who were also very learned, have never since heard higher sentiments and thoughts. His face would glow like a Cherub. It was a great effort for him because he didn’t know the common language, therefore he mostly spoke in Latin. Then looking around at the lay Friars he restrained himself and grieved that he was unable to feed them with those beautiful ideas on the Rule. Above all the extolled the precept of poverty under the heading of Most High Poverty. He called it the foundation of the Order and of every virtue, the sharp knife that takes and cuts away every impediment from the servants God that could impede or retard them in perfect contemplation, which he said, was the goal of religious life. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, introduced that poverty into the world and not man. HE left it to the Church, his Bride, as a testament. Just as I heard from his own lips, he used to say that for the sustenance of nature there is no way better conformed to the Rule than to live by our own labour and efforts. When it may be impossible for us to live by our own labours Father Saint Francis allowed us to be able beg the necessary things. The early Fathers of the monastic life understood this very well. While leading a solitary and contemplative life they all live from their own labours. The great Basil himself put in his rule and commands his monks that the should life from their own labours and that they should not receive things that come to them as a just inheritance nor because of ties. Nor might they receive alms that were offered them by seculars. Also Father Saint Benedict put it into his Rule that the monks had to work. Even though we read that the Monks might have property, they had to work the fields, ploughing, sowing, and reaping. This is what Father Saint Bernard observed with his Monks in his day. Finally this venerable Father said that all the Heads of Orders insist on work. Saint Paul glorified in hot having eaten bread except for what he earned. Our Father Saint Francis said, “I have worked with my own hands and I want to work. And I want all my Friars to work, etc. Therefore this holy man said that the Capuchins would never observe the Rule perfectly if they do not observe the Testament of our Father and live in part from their own labour.

Because of this, in the beginning our Fathers used to work. Often I was there when sacks of bread and other things that came from their work arrived at the friary in Rome. They ate this with great gladness. With tears of joy they thanked God saying, “Now we live of our efforts.” This venerable Father said, “I would like the Superiors to order work to be done and that those Friars that spend their time vainly spend it working instead. However when the preachers study or the priests review the Mass, let them study the rubrics, say the office of the dead and do their other prayers. I would not want them bothered. But since one cannot always pray, let them work for recreation.”

When he became Vicar of the Province of Rome many Friars learned to make baskets and wicker shutters and they received for these the price for their labour. It seemed that Our Lord God cooperated with his grace for while they were working each remained withdrawn by himself. While they were working they strove to keep their minds on God. The seculars were very edified by this. Although he was busy in the office of Vicar, when a little time came to him he used to make baskets.

He went barefoot continuously in summer but wore sandals in winter because he was frail. Usually he only ate once a day, and then very little. He rarely ate meat. He wore only one habit of slave wool and during winter he wore the mantle. He said the mantle was more in conformity with the Rule than the tunic. For the rule grants us the use of tow garments and no more. However anyone who wears the tunic on a journey also takes the mantle. Since weather is mostly fine, he wears it without real need. This is not in accord with the purity of the Rule.

It was a marvellous thing to see a learned man come to such humility and zeal about the true observance of the Rule that he was conscientious about the smallest things, so much so that our Fathers thought him too enthusiastic being the great man he was. For in his day he was regarded as the most learned man in Christendom. He debated with Erasmus and defeated him. Erasmus himself said that there was no many in Christendom for him except Tittelmans. He wrote many works on the Psalms, the Gospels and Saint Paul as well as many other very spiritual works. He did Logic and Philosophy and other (sciences). In these works he showed his fine mind, his facility with languages as well as the Catholic and profound doctrine that were present in this great servant of God.

With great effort he visited the Province of Rome, suffering many hardships. He desired to bring the Reform and the Capuchin habit to his homeland. However, since the Congregation had not grown very much, the Fathers did not feel that they could give Friars suitable for such an undertaking. Therefore the matter was delayed. Nor was His Holiness Paul III happy about this.

It pleased the Lord God to reward this servant of his and to bring his efforts to an end. For when he was in the countryside of Rome in the house of Anticoli, he became gravely ill with a great fever and dysentery. Within as few days, after having received all the most holy sacraments with great devotion, that happy soul passed away to its creator.

At that time Mr. Bernardine of Spain, a humble and very wealthy man, having despised all the things of the world had come from Spain to Rome and was leading a very religious life. He was a great friend of Tittelmans. At the hour of his passing, while Mr Bernardine was at prayer, in spirit he saw a great procession of saints. At the end of that procession he saw the great servant of God Brother Francis Tittelmans dressed very gloriously. Stunned by that vision, he immediately sent a servant to our house in Anticoli to see what had happened to Tittelmans. He found that he had passed from this life at that same hour.

Through this servant of his the Lord God worked many miracles. For Mr. Bernardine had a small piece of his habit. There was a woman seriously ill with dysentery and he put the piece of cloth on her, telling her to commend herself to him. When the woman did this she was restored to health immediately and completely.

For more than ten years, his body remained fragrant and fresh in the tomb as if he had just died. I heard this from trustworthy Friars who saw it many times. In particular I was informed by the preacher, Brother Francis of Calabria. Four years after his death he entered his tomb and found his habit completely decayed. He took a cloth and wiped down the body and took off that rotted habit the holy body remained intact without any lesion. It was a fragrant and fair as if he were still alive. Because of this many of the sick from the countryside of Anticoli went to his tomb and after having invoked his name left healthy and free (of illness). Among these was the Archpriest of Anticoli called Mons. Marino. For many years he had been completely blind. When he heard about the fame of the saint, with great faith he had himself led to the tomb. Opening the tomb and entering within with great reverence and faith, he touched that body with his consecrated fingers. He then placed them on his eyes. Then when he took them from his eyes his sight was restored immediately. He lived for many years after that and he said the Office and the Mass without glasses as if he were a young man.

I am certain that if that holy body had been taken from the tomb and placed in some suitable vault, it would have remained whole until this day and the Lord God would have made him illustrious with many miracles. I will not write about other miracles because I do not know much about them. I am writing these that I have received from trustworthy persons who were present at these miracles.

Therefore may this little bit I write badly about this venerable Father suffice to make known the doctrine, genius and holiness of Brother Francis Tittelmans who greatly enlightened this world with his teaching and adorned the Order of the Seraphic Francis, above all the holy Congregation of capuchin Friars. Amen.