One of the problems of being as popular a saint as Saint Francis, is that admirers are always trying to recreate you in their own image. Saint Francis was very much a medieval saint. His loyalty to the pope, his embrace of poverty, his reverence for the Eucharist, his miracles, his being the first to be granted the Stigmata, all marked him as being among the greatest saints by his contemporaries. He is a poor fit for the 21rst century, and more is the pity for our time. In regard to Muslims, he wished to convert them all. Many of the brothers of his Order met death in attempts to carry out this mission of conversion, and Francis envied them and wished for the death of a martyr.
His greatest early biographer Saint Bonaventure, captured this aspect of Francis well in describing his famous meeting with the Sultan of Egypt Malik al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade:
“For, as the Soldan beheld the marvellous fervour of spirit and valour of the man of God, he heard him gladly and did right earnestly invite him to tarry with him. Then the servant of Christ, taught by the heavenly counsel, said: “If thou, together with thy people, wilt be converted unto Christ, for the love of Him I will right gladly tarry among you. But if thou art hesitating whether to give up the law of Mahomet for the faith of Christ, do thou command that a great fire be kindled and I will enter the fire with thy priests, that even thus thou mayest learn which faith is the surer, and holier, and most worthy of being held. Unto whom the Soldan made answer: “ I do not believe that any of my priests would be ready to expose himself unto the fire in defence of his faith, or to undergo any sort of torture.” For he had seen that, so soon as mention of this was made, one of his priests, an aged man and one in authority, had fled from his presence. Unto whom the holy man replied: “ If thou wilt promise me, on behalf of thyself and thy people, that thou wilt embrace the faith of Christ, if I come forth from the fire unscathed, I will enter the fire alone; if I am burned, let it be set down unto my sins, but if the divine might protect me, ye shall know that Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, is the true God and the Lord and Saviour of all.” Howbeit, the Soldan replied that he dare not accede unto this proposition, for that he feared a revolt of his people. But he offered him many costly gifts, all of which the man of God, hungering, not for worldly goods, but for the salvation of souls, contemned like mire. The Soldan, perceiving the holy man to be so absolute a despiser of worldly things, was moved with amazement and conceived a greater devotion for him. And, albeit he would not, or perchance dared not, go over unto the Christian faith, he did nevertheless devoutly pray the servant of Christ to receive the gifts aforesaid, for his own salvation, and to bestow them upon Christian poor folk, or on churches. But Francis, for that he shunned the burden of money, and could not see in the soul of the Soldan any root of true piety, would not agree thereunto.”
Most present day Franciscans, and others, attempt to twist this into an example of ecumenicalism, which illustrates the ability of many people to see what they wish to see.
There’s a Sign on the door in Hell which Reads: “All Yea who enter Abandon all Hope”. And they know It’s True.
Yet there’s a kind of wishful thinking, a kind of “self” deception that can also be present there and in temptations instigated… here also on earth..
The thinking of the Franciscans: “If we’re nice to them, they’ll be nice to us.” Utter nonsense, of course, we will always be the enemy to Islam, it’s right in front of their face in Europe and they’re blind to it.
Seems to be for show.
Smile for the cameras, while doing something “nice”
If you really cared about the Muslims, you would be trying to get them away from their false religion.
It’s like bringing cupcakes to drug addicts and thinking the cupcakes will bring them out of their addiction.
PS- St Francis would have hated Earth Day as a materialist / pagan abomination.
are not muslims, in the spiritual sense, among the least among us?
is not acting charitably toward them, in one sense, preaching the Lord’s Gospel?
In a spiritual and practical sense Islam is a deadly enemy of Christianity. The most charitable thing a Christian can do for a Muslim is to convert them.
Ramadan is the celebration of the “prophet” Muhammad’s “divine” revelation.
Since part of that revelation was that Christ did not die on the cross, I don’t see how any Christian should make nice about it, and I doubt St. Francis would be OK with Catholics creating a scandal by participating in it.
But that’s just me, I guess.
christianity cannot be killed. ergo, islam cannot be a deadly enemy of christianity. i understand, of course, that muslims can commit mortal crimes against individual christians, but the Church cannot be destroyed.
Donald, if conversion to Christ does not begin with acting charitably toward the lost, then, in your opinion, where does it begin?
Donald, if conversion to Christ does not begin with acting charitably toward the lost, then, in your opinion, where does it begin?
With the grace of God always after Christianity is preached.
but the Church cannot be destroyed.
In spite of the best efforts of many clergy and laity to accomplish that feat.
Bonaventure, one of the greatest saints in Catholic history, giving his fascinating testimony to perhaps one of the great saints in history to actually directly persuade the Muslims to embrace Our Lord.
How close he came.
@Matthew: Absolutely right.
I have never been so badly affected to my detriment in my life than by those to whom I employed the reasoning: “If I am nice to them, they’ll be nice to me.”