St Francis Of Assisi Research Paper

St Francis of Assisi was born with the name Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone in the year 1181 in Assisi, Italy. His parents were Pica de Bourlemont (mother) and Pietro Bernardone die Moriconi (father). When Francis was born his father was on a business trip to France so his mother had him baptized him. When his father returned home from his trip he renamed him to Francesco. This was either because of his interest in France or his wife’s background. His father did not like that he was baptized because he didn't want his son to be a man of the church. Francesco learned to read and write latin at a school near the church of San Giorgio and was fond of the Provencal culture of the Troubadours. He liked to speak French (though not perfectly) and tried to sing in French, too. His youth was most likely without serious moral lapses. Francesco had an exuberant love of life and a general spirit of the world. This had made him a recognized leader of the young men in the town. During a war many of the people of Assisi died. Francesco was captured and held for ransom because of his armor that showed he was wealthy. …show more content…
While he was captured he was held in a horrible dark dungeon and while in the dungeon he fell ill. Some people had said that he never lost his happiness in the unhappy place.After a few years in the dungeon, he was ransomed. Strangely this experience didn't faze him. Finally, a call for knights for the Fourth Crusade gave him a chance to fulfill his dream. He then left Assisi to go to a battle. But Francis never got farther than one day’s ride from Assisi. He had stopped at Braindisie. There he had a dream in which God told him he had it all wrong and told him to return home so he returned home. He was laughed at and called a coward because he never made it to battle and his father was enraged by him by wasting money on expensive armor. Francis’ conversion did not happen overnight. God had waited for him for twenty-five years and now it was Francis’ turn to wait. Francis started to spend more time in prayer. He went off to a cave and wept for his sins. Sometimes God’s grace overwhelmed him with joy. But he didn't want to focus on God because he had much to do with waiting on customers. One day while he was riding through the countryside he had come face to face with a leper he came down and kissed the hand of the leper. He was filled with joy when the kiss of peace was returned and he was filled with joy. When he looked back while driving away he saw the leper had disappeared, he always thought it as a test from God that he had passed. His search for conversion led him to the ancient church at San Damiano. While he was praying there, he heard Christ on the crucifix speak to him, “Francis, repair my church.” Acting again in his impetuous way, he took fabric from his father’s shop and sold it to get money to repair the church. His father saw this as an act of theft and put together with Francis’ cowardice, waste of money, and his growing disinterest in money made Francis seem more like a madman than his son. Pietro dragged Francis before the bishop and in front of the whole