The Second General – Brother John Parenti

35 How he became a Religious 36 He is elected Minister General 37 He visits the Order 38 Ordinances of the General Chapter 39 Solemn inauguration of the basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi 40 Translation of the body of the Seraphic Father 41 The first declaration on the Rule

(35) After Father Saint Francis the second General was the Venerable Father John Parenti of Florence and from the Province of Rome. In the world this man of God had been a doctor and judge in the Civita Castellana. As it pleased the Lord God, once he was standing at the window of his palace as a herder was trying to drive his pigs into the city. Preferring the shade, all the pigs escaped. Although the herder tried very hard, he could not make them enter. Mister John liked this very much. It was something amazing. The herder cried out, “Go into Civita Castellana you pigs just like the judges go to hell!” Immediately the pigs came together and like gentle lambs entered the city. Mister John was stunned by this and for many days he could think about little else than that miracle. Since he was very involved in the tangles of the world he became so terrified about being damned that he decided to become a Religious.

(36) As it pleased the lord God he was received into the Order of Friars Minor and so applied himself to the service of God that he thought of nothing else than to serve Him in all things. He was a man of remarkable abstinence. He rarely ate more than once a day and always went barefoot in summer and winter. He so gave himself to holy contemplation that everyone regarded him as a holy man. Hence within a short time he became Minister of Spain. However when the General Chapter assembled for he feast of Pentecost in Assisi in the place of Our Lady of the Angels in 1227 he came with the other Spanish Ministers. He met with such great approval that he was elected General almost unanimously. This was a great wonder for everyone since at that time the Order was full of judicious men and men capable of leadership, noble and learned men, many of whom were made splendid by miracles. Nonetheless the Holy Spirit chose Brother John as General of the whole Order as the most learned and suitable for such leadership. He offered great resistance as he considered he dangerous state of Superiors and the great effort the office would involve since the Order had spread throughout all of Christianity. However since he recognised that the Lord God wanted him to apply himself in that office for the universal good, he humbly submitted his neck to the yoke of the Lord.

(37) To the great benefit and satisfaction of all, he visited the whole Order. He always went on foot and barefoot and with such exemplarity of life that the while Order was most edified. Many who had departed somewhat from that first fervour returned to the true observance of the Rule through his holy instructions. This holy man firmly corrected many incorrigible ones. However, with great maturity, he never wanted to correct anyone without diligently examining the person’s reasons first. He led back transgressors so kindly and with such prudence that everyone said, “Truly our Lord Jesus Christ has sent us this holy man through the prayers of our Father Saint Francis.”

The whole Order remained in good condition without any outcry since everyone loved him very much because of his kindness. Nor could anyone contradict him. Even though there were some who were on the wrong track completely and naturally perverse, when they saw him they changed from lions into lambs.

(38) That Chapter assembled when the Supreme Pontiff Gregory IX was on the Chair of Peter. It was the first year of his pontificate. This Chapter ordered that no Friar be called Master or Lord. Rather all should be called Brothers. For at that time there was great endeavour for learning and many of the Friars became great men of learning. Since they had become Masters, some of the more conceited ones wanted to be considered pre-eminent in the Order. Many had themselves called Lords. Those who were zealous about the observance of the Rule and about humility did not like this at all. Therefore with the authority of His Holiness and the deliberation of all the Fathers of the Order it was decided that everyone be called Brothers, both the learned and the simple Friars and also the lay Friars. No title would added to anyone’s name except the Superiors’ titles – Father General, Minster, Provincial, Custos and Guardian. In this Chapter those Venerable Fathers also ordered that the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist be kept in a silver box and kept honourably in the altar and adored by all, according to the practise of Holy Mother Church.

(39) At the same time, that is, in the year 1228, the Supreme Pontiff Gregory IX came personally to the city of Assisi on Sunday the 16th of July. With a great company of Cardinals, Bishops and other Prelates he came to the Church that had been built in honour of Saint Francis. Then with much solemnity the Supreme Pontiff wrote Father Saint Francis into the catalogue of Saints and canonised him. Later, in the year 1230, the body of our blessed Father Saint Francis was translated from the church of Saint George to the church dedicated to his name, while the Friars gathered for the General Chapter. When they began to build that Church the Supreme Pontiff Gregory IX was present. With his own hands he laid the first stone. He wanted that the Church and friary to be exempt and subject to no other Prelate of the Church but the Supreme Pontiff alone. He gave them a very valuable cross adorned with many gems and in which there is a large piece of the wood of the cross of Our Lord. He gave them many altar cloths, chasubles and copes as well as other sacred and precious vestments.

(40) A great multitude of Friars convened for this Chapter, especially the ultramontanes for whom the Chapter did not pertain but who only came to see the body of our Father Saint Francis. However Brother Elias, who was in charge of the matter, had the translation done secretly. He didn’t want it know where that precious treasure was located. Many of the Friars lamented this. With a sermon he tried to have everyone understand. He said this was done out of deep respect. However the Friars remained unhappy about this. They felt wronged in not being able to see the body of their Father after some of them had walked over a thousand miles just for this.

At this Chapter the holy General ordered that no novice clothed in the Order, whether he be a Priest or have come from some other Order, could hear the confession of seculars or of the Friars. Nor could all the Friars hear confessions without the permission and approval of the Provincial Minister.

(41) During this same period many disputes arose among the Friars about many passages in the Rule. Because of this the Friars had recourse to His Holiness since Father Saint Francis had informed him well during the long and close familiarity His Holiness had with him while he was alive. He understood very well what our Father Francis’ mind was about how he wanted the Rule to be understood. Beginning on the 28th September 1230, during the fourth year of his pontificate he kindly made his clarification on the Rule. Hence it seems that this holy man Brother John only governed for three years. Then there was the election of another General.