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How did St. Francis of Assisi understand the meaning of poverty?
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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.
For St. Francis of Assisi, poverty was not merely an external state of having no possessions, but a profound spiritual commitment to imitating the life of Jesus Christ. His understanding of poverty was rooted in several key principles:1
- Total Self-Denial: Francis sought the total denial of self, viewing poverty as an essential lifestyle for his order that required renouncing both personal and corporate ownership.1
- Imitation of the Apostles: His commitment was solidified when he heard the Gospel account of Christ’s mission to the Apostles, which instructed them to take no gold, silver, or extra supplies on their journey. He adopted this literally, discarding his shoes, staff, and extra clothing to preach repentance.2
- Spiritual Allegory: His contemporaries often celebrated his devotion to poverty by personifying it as his "lady" or "bride," reflecting how central this virtue was to his identity and spirit.1
- Brotherhood: By embracing poverty, Francis sought to remove barriers between himself and others, fostering a deep sense of brotherhood that extended to all creatures and fellow human beings.1
Ultimately, Francis viewed poverty as a means to follow Christ’s teachings and walk in his footsteps, rejecting worldly goods to focus entirely on the Gospel.12