The Second General: Brother Louis of Fossombrone

5 Brother Louis General in virtue of the Bull 6 Progress of the Order under his government 7 How he conceived the Capuchin Order

(5) The second General was the Venerable Father Louis of Fossombrone. Because the Congregation was amid great struggles at the time and the General Brother Matthew was not suited to defend the Congregation, Father Louis assumed the Generalate. He was truly sent by God because he was a very judicious and prudent man able to resist the adversaries. God miraculously defended and guided him countless times.

Therefore when this holy man went to Rome he obtained a very adequate Bull from His Holiness Clement VII. The Bull is addressed to Brother Louis, Brother Matthew and to his sibling Brother Raphael. Therefore in virtue of the Bull he became head of the Congregation and was confirmed by His Holiness.

(6) He governed the Congregation for about ten years in a very holy manner and suffered countless trials during his leadership. During his time houses were established in nearly all the Provinces of Italy. However there were no Vicars Provincials since, because of all the difficulties throughout his a General Chapter was never held. However, as a judicious man he used Visitators and Commissaries who reported to Father Louis while making the visitation. All the leadership depended upon him. The Congregation was very happy with his leadership because it was completely fixed upon the perfect observance of the Rule according to the intention of Father Saint Francis, to the letter and without gloss and without privileges. He established the first house in Rome near the Peoples’ Gate which is called Our Lady of Miracles. Then Cardinal Della Valle gave him Saint Euphemia. In his time the Friars served the lepers in the Hospital for the Incurable. They did so with such good example and charity that they won the heart of Rome and all of Christendom. In his time the venerable Fathers of Calabria took up Sicily. He received more than three hundred Friars into the Congregation from the body of the Order. Most of these were men of outstanding reputation, learning and spirit.

(7) Under the government of this good Father God miraculously guided the Congregation of Capuchins. Although it often seemed that Congregation would fail completely because of the many serious persecutions it suffered, nonetheless it suddenly emerged more favoured and fair than before. Weak men always liberated it so that it would be known that it was governed by God and not by man.

The intention of this holy Father was that the Friars lively partly from their own work. Because of this he ordered in Rome, Naples and Genoa and in many other principal cities that the Friars serve the lepers and other sick people in hospitals. Many looms were begun so that alms were sought only a little. Instead by their weaving work the Friars were able to provide for the friary in their needs. This gave the best example to the world however as the Congregation grew the other Fathers were not of the same view. As a result this caused great trouble for this good Father.

Because I speak about his end in the Chronicle I will not repeat myself here. Suffice it to say that during the ten years that he governed he experienced a thousand deaths because of the great persecutions he suffered.