The Sixth General: Brother Crescentius

55 The Legend of the Three Companions 56 The General is named Bishop of Iesi 57 Controversy over the observance of the Rule 58 The General is deposed from office

(55) The sixth General was Brother Crescentius of Iesi, from the Province of the Marches. He was elected in the General Chapter in the year of the Lord 1245, in the second year of the pontificate of Innocent IV. Since nothing was known about the miracles and more noteworthy things of Father Saint Francis, in the same Chapter this General ordered all the Friars and the whole Order to write these things down and send them to him. When he had received all these he gave them to Brother Leo, Brother Angelus and Brother Rufino, companions of blessed Francis, so that they could approve those that were true and disapprove the untrue, since they were present at those things.

(56) This General was a great enemy to the enthusiastic and behaved little better than Brother Elias, as appears in the ancient Chronicles. Nonetheless the Order was provided for by having him removed, though honestly, by managing to have him made Bishop of Iesi. With this holy ruse thay absented him from the Order. However when taken the see for just a few days he was away to give an account to the Lord God.

(57) In the year of the Lord 1246 many quarrels arose with the Order because the zealous Friars wanted to understand the Rule strictly while the lax saw it their own way. It was necessary that His Holiness expound the Rule in order to settle the controversies. He was in Lyon in France and decided the doubts in the third year of his Pontificate.

(58) The General Brother Crescentius governed the Order three years. However when the General Chapter assembled he did not want to appear but sent his Vicar, Brother Bonaventure of Iesi, a prudent man. In that Chapter because of his inadequacy, lack of eloquence and other impediments he was deposed and made Bishop of Iesi, as has been said already.