How did Pope Innocent III decide to approve St. Francis of Assisi’s rule?

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Bonaventura Berlinghieri: St. Francis and Scenes from His Life — St. Francis of Assisi *St. Francis and Scenes from His Life*, tempera on panel by Bonaventura Berlinghieri, 1235; in the Church of San Francesco, Pescia, Italy.

In 1209, St. Francis of Assisi traveled to Rome with 12 disciples to seek official approval for his "Primitive Rule" (Regula primitiva) from Pope Innocent III.

Initially, the Pope was hesitant to grant his approval. However, according to tradition, Pope Innocent III experienced a dream in which he saw Francis supporting the crumbling Basilica of St. John Lateran. Influenced by this vision, the Pope gave his oral approbation to the Franciscan rule of life, an event traditionally dated to April 16, 1210. This recognition was a pivotal moment that established the Franciscan order and distinguished it from groups like the Waldensians, who had been declared heretics.1