Francis of Assisi

Please post your comments and suggestions for this article.

Comment by Jane Sian Mycock on June 17th, 2009 at 4:26 am

I am studying the encounter of St. Francis and the Sultan, and I am unsure about one statement in your account of the event:

“Francis, though, was convinced that the continued fighting between the Christians in the Holy Land and the Muslims was futile and unnecessary.”

This statement is not referenced, and I wonder what evidence you have that he “was convinced” of this fact. Certainly, some scholars have considered that St. Francis had a ready-made “peace theology” before embarking upon his mission (e.g. Hoeberichts), but this is not a mainstream view or one which receives much support from the historical evidence. Indeed, Saxby says that “it would seen that […] Hoeberichts [has a] ready-made theor[y] to explain why St. Francis went to the Sultan and that what the early accounts say about the event is, for [him], inconsequential”. I would expect a claim that St. Francis saw the continued fighting as “futile and unnecessary” would be referenced in an unambiguous fashion.

Your article is otherwise commendable in many ways. Thank you for your efforts.

Comment by Jane Sian Mycock on June 17th, 2009 at 4:30 am

Benedict of Alignan is not a Saint, but a Blessed. The article should read “Bl. Benedict of Alignan”.

Comment by Gordon Anderson on June 17th, 2009 at 1:08 pm

Thank you. This change has been made.

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