St. Francis of Assisi - Writings and Early Biographies [antikvár]

FOREWORDTo commemorate the seventh centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, Popé Pius XI issued the encyclical Rite Expiatis on April 30, 1926. In it the Supreme Pontiff wrote: "While it is presumptuous to make comparisons between the heroes of sanctity who have been called to their heavenly home and whom the Holy Spirit has chosen, one for this task, another for that purpose here below comparisons which, arising as they generally do from inordinate motives, are altogether futile and even offensive to God, the author of sanctity still it would appear that in no one has the image of Christ our Lord, and the ideál of Gospel life, been more faithfully and strikingly expressed than in Francis. For this reason, while he called himself 'the Herald of the Great King/ he has been justly styled 'the second Christ,' because he appeared like Christ reborn to his contemporaries no less than to later ages, with the result that he lives today in the eyes of men and will live unto posterity."Among all the saints of post-apostolic times, it is generally conceded, none seems to have exercised a more profound influence upon the Church and the world, not only in his own age, but alsó during the subsequent centuries down to our own day, than the Little Poor Man of Assisi. None had and still has so many devoted followers and ardent admirers within the fold of the Catholic Church as well as outside it. None has been the subject of so many biographies and other books, written and printed in every major language of the world.In the field of historical research, interest in St. Francis seems to have attained a higher degree in modern times than ever before. During the past century especially, numerous scholars, Franciscans and others, have busied themselves with discovering, collecting, and analyzing all existing historical documents concerning St.