St Francis of Assisi – Evangelizer of Muslims…
To mark the Feast of St Francis of Assisi today , 4 October – from Catholic World Report…
Debunking the Myth of St. Francis as a Modern Ecumenist…
[When he met the Sultan], Francis “skipped over the question about messages from the leaders of the Crusade and got immediately to the point. He was an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ and had come for the salvation of the sultan’s soul. Francis expressed his willingness to explain and defend Christianity.” Francis made it clear that he was willing to die for his beliefs.
The truth, then, is that St. Francis’ purpose was to evangelize the Muslims. He was inspired by God to preach the gospel to the sultan. He boldly, bravely, and unapologetically proposed the truths of the Catholic faith to him at great personal risk. He did so with respect – peacefully, humbly, without denigrating or attacking Islam, and with good will. In this sense, he is a good model for interreligious dialogue today. It is vital for Catholics to be able to talk with people of other faiths – to be able to share the gospel truth, to be able to listen respectfully, and to look for common ground.
St. Francis sought peace, yes – but not by means of political negotiations or a legal treaty or by compromising his faith in exchange for coexistence with Islam, but by converting the enemies of the faith to Christianity. He did not dialogue with the sultan with the limited aim of improving mutual understanding; he wanted to save the sultan’s soul by offering him the Good News, or to die a martyr’s death trying. And it was a reasonable expectation that he would be killed for his faith, since a fundamental doctrine of Islam both then and now is that Muslims are obliged to either kill, convert, or totally subject all non-Muslims to Islam. Click here to read entire article…
Editor writes…
By his every word and action, just about, Pope Francis reveals that – more likely than not – he chose the wrong saint as his patron. Not that there’s an ecumenical or inter-faith saint in the calendar, anyway – is there?
A very happy Feast of St Francis of Assisi to one and all! Pray especially for Pope Francis today…
7 October – scroll to the end of this thread to comment on the Battle of Lepanto and to pay tribute to Our Lady on this Feast of the Most Holy Rosary…
Comments (26)
This is a very different St Francis of Assisi from the meek lover of animals and plants, LOL! I don’t think this is the way Pope Francis wants to see him portrayed, since he’s been very clear about not seeking converts to the faith. It’s a very encouraging read, and ironically it makes this saint the right one to be patron of inter-religious work.
Happy Feast!
At the shrine of St Anthony of Olives in Coimbra, Portugal, there is a very old picture of a Franciscan friar kneeling down, about to be beheaded by muslims. I took a photo of it but don’t know how to upload it to this site. I remember thinking two things when I saw it – firstly, I was surprised it was still on view as it wasn’t very ‘interfaith’ – and I can assure you Portuguese novus ordo parishes are generally as politically correct as any in the UK, and also, how little things had changed in the intervening years regarding Islam.
There was a film made in the 1970’s about St Francis of Assisi and I think it did immense damage to his image, as he was portrayed as some kind of ‘green’ nature-loving ‘peace at any price’ hippy, and this misrepresentation seems to have stuck.
Westminster Fly,
It’s that green image and ecumenical and inter-faith image that makes people like him these days. If they knew he went to the Sultan to try to convert him, he’d be on the cancelled list right away.
Nicky
St Francis on the cancelled list. LOL! As if he’d care . . . but this is what happens with saints nowadays. All the orthodox things are downplayed and anything deemed ‘inoffensive’ is upgraded. St Anthony of Padua is another example. People go on about him as being the finder of lost things as if that were his only role. I’m not saying that the Church hasn’t had that tradition, but he was also known as ‘the hammer of heretics’. You don’t hear that very much these days.
westminsterfly,
St Anthony of Padua, “hammer of heretics” – well, I went to search for that and found that he actually is, and that he is a contemporary of St Francis of Assisi, would you believe. It also says in the article I’m linking here that he was one of the most quickly canonised saints in the Church, but I wonder if he still holds that record, with all the fast-tracked canonisations these days, LOL!
https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/st-anthony-padua-hammer-heretics-6076
I have to admit, though, that he’s my first “go to” when I’ve lost something, and that is a lot! He never fails me!
Happy Feast of St Francis of Assisi to all at Catholic Truth Scotland.
I agree, we should pray especially for the Pope today, to his patronal saint, even if he picked him for the wrong reason, LOL!
Happy Feast everyone!
That is a wonderful piece about St Francis of Assisi, and it explains his canonisation. Nowadays, you can be canonised for anything but back then there was a process to be followed and canonising someone just because they liked nature would not have happened, LOL!
Happy Feast everyone! It’s great to have a break from the reductionist version of the saint’s life – he was no ecumenist, far from it and he didn’t approve of dissent from the faith, either.
W.Fly is the Movie that you seen the one where Alex Guinness acted as Pope .
Alex was a convert to Catholicism Himself maybe because of St Francis. Of that I know not .
Happy Feast Day All.
ED am not good at putting Links Up . But please I beg you PLEASE will you put the Article on Life Site News of How Bergoglio and His Lavender Mafia led by Timothy Rattcliff are going after Franciscan Friars and Cloistered Nuns. It really is Pure Satanic.
This Horrible Evil Man who Dresses up as a Pope knows full well the Persecution that is Happening–Right Now — to these Holy Men and Women. They are being Persecuted by Horror Bergoglio and His Homosexual Mafia to the point where it is now Criminal and also Dangerous to be a Believing Catholic who wants to Follow Christ and not Man .
If the only thing we can do is alert their plight to all on Here at least it will be something.
This Evil within Our Catholic Church is Communism and True Hatred of Anything that is Holy.
St Francis Pray For Them .
FOOF,
I’ve had a quick look on the Lifesite website and can’t see any such article, but here’s how to post a link.
Look at the top of this page where it says https://catholictruthscotland (etc):
You just place your mouse at the end of those words, and it turns into a blue strip.
You then right click on your mouse and select “copy”
Then come here and right click again- select “paste”
Once you have pasted the website address, click “enter” – that will make sure it becomes a link. Like this…
https://catholictruthscotland.com/2021/10/04/st-francis-of-assisi-evangelizer-of-muslims/
Go and try it – you can test it here, first, if you wish, then find the article on Lifesite, do the same thing and paste it here.
Can’t wait!
I am posting this here, on the Saint Francis thread, as well as on the current “eco” thread (Glasgow Archdiocese: “A Prayer For Our Earth…” ) thus, breaking my own rule by posting it on two threads; this is exceptional, for the record, because it’s a disgrace that the Pope should be doing this on the Feast of St Francis, of all days. Once more placing the office of Vicar of Christ on an equal footing with every other “faith” leader under the sun. And all in the name of “saving the planet”. In any event, this whole “eco” nonsense can’t be challenged enough – especially when it is being encouraged by Catholic bishops and priests.
Didn’t see any Chinese Faithful there at the Lone Ranger gathering. But am sure I noticed Tonto.
Of course I could be wrong as He was wearing a Mask.
Surely to God we cannot be the only people in Scotland that see Horror is just that, a Horror of a Man and Evil to Boot . After listening to that good Franciscan Priest say He maybe Suicided, as of the famous Maggie Thatcher saying. The Man Is Not For Turning.
Thanks again ED for this Great Blog. Even if it gets a Few Good People to read it with an Open Mind it is WELL worth it .
FOOF,
Thank you for your kind encouragement – the fact is, we have plenty of people reading the blog. What we need are more who actively contribute – i.e. sign up to comment. Still, given that half the folk who sign up for marriage end up getting divorced, I suppose we can’t complain too much – lack of / fear of commitment is a very sad feature of life in the 21 century…
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-has-agenda-to-overhaul-cloistered-womens-communities-franciscan-friar/. This is it Here Ed thanks for the Help.
I didn’t think that Bergoglio and His Homosexual Lavender Mafia would surprise me with Any Evil they have done . This doesn’t disappoint me . A good Priest saying that if He’s Found Dead .
It Will Not Be Suicide.
FOOF,
Bravo! You managed to locate the URL (Uniform Resource Locator – the address of a particular website, top of the page) and to copy and paste it – brilliant! Well done!
I have read the report quickly and, as you indicate, it’s horrendous. I’ve not had time to watch the video of the priest, but I’ll do that when I get time.
Editor
That video of Francis confirms without doubt that this man is a humanist and a servant of the spirit of this world – he does not speak, act or write as the Vicar of Christ on earth but as one entirely given over to the Masonic/Communist agenda. His very gathering of those so-called “faith leaders” in the Vatican is a sin against the First Commandment as well as the infallible dogma ‘Extra ecclesiam nulla salus’. He even further humiliated the Church with that ridiculous face mask. God help us! How did this man ever get elected to the Papacy? He’s the first Pope in my lifetime who actually gives me the creeps.
Athanasius,
I’ve still not seen that video yet, but I am increasingly outraged the more I think about his attack on cloistered religious. The contemplatives are at the very heart of the Church and it looks like a case of having savaged as much as he can to date in the areas of faith and (especially) morals in the Body of the Christ, time now to kill off the heart. I was actually seriously considering launching a dedicated thread on the topic this morning but since there are already comments here, I’ll leave it, at least for now. I have many friends in the Carmelite Order, though, so I may yet post something if and when this news develops.
Your remark “”he does not speak, act or write as the Vicar of Christ on earth” is on the button, and reminds me of my amazement (coupled with, I have to admit, amusement) on learning that his encyclical Fratelli Tutti (an essentially humanist document) released on the Feast of St Francis last year, 2020, is actually longer than the Book of Genesis and three times the length of the Gospel of St John. Unbelievable – the arrogance of this pope is just too incredible for words. Even the once (and still almost) papolatrist Catholic World Report writes: “Fratelli Tutti is a familiar mixture of dubious claims, strawmen and genuine insights.” (CWR, 5/10/20).
Having such a terrible pope, however, should strengthen, not weaken, our Faith. Christ’s promise to Peter remains and since this particular “Peter” has not bound us to accept as “of the Faith” any of his departures from Catholic belief and morals, we can safely continue to ignore – as un-Catholic, and therefore not binding – all of his (entirely worldly) words and actions. Indeed, like his predecessor, Benedict, he has made clear that he has no intention of drawing on the powers of the papacy to “bind and loose” using the gift of infallibility. Goodness, Francis doesn’t even want the title “Vicar of Christ”.
Where is Rowan Atkinson when you need him?
Editor
It’s interesting that you mention the very long length of Francis’s Fratelli Tutti, which is a common feature of all Modernist documents. The reason for it is twofold: First, it’s a demonstration of how intellectual and enlightened the writer perceives himself to be, which is pride. Second, it’s a method employed to confuse and bamboozle the reader.
Since they cannot associate anything they write with the traditional teaching of the Church, which is why they rarely reference Popes and Councils prior to Vatican II, they have to find a way of indoctrinating readers with their errors. Hence the long-winded treatises in which they attempt to dance around divinely revealed truth with their rationalist ideas.
You’ll note in this regard that Our Lord spoke clearly in the Gospels and never at great length. His purpose was to make divine truth easy to grasp and free from ambiguity. The same method was followed by all the Popes up to Vatican II. When these wrote in matters of faith and morals the subject matter was made clear as day, and in a manner that even the most simple of the faithful could understand. That all changed with the Conciliar revolution, whose most avid apostles (apostles of apostasy) had to find ways to transform a divine religion into a humanist one. They achieved this largely by writing extremely large and obscure texts designed to confuse. It was straight from Hell!
ED in reply to your comment about Our Catholic Faith. Bergoglio has without a Doubt Strengthened mine. I know I have said it repeatedly but it’s worth mentioning again. Just in case any new readers see it .
This Blog Led me to The Latin Mass , which led me to look at my Catholic Faith and myself more deeply. It also showed me which Men were Priests and which Men were Career Clergymen. We know on Here their is an Eternity of a Difference ,as the Quote from the Priest whom I asked concerning your Good Selfs ” They are a Shower of Nutcases “. O BTW I never spoke to that Priest again after He made that comment. As Athanasius said. Am proud to be a Nutcase . In fact am probably the only one in my Village.
And if you asked any of them they’d say so .🙈 Does it bother Me . Not one bit.
Athanasius at least for the moment Horror Bergoglio just gives us the creeps , in the above Link to Life Site News as I have said ,a Good Franciscan Priest is afraid of His Life from this Horrible Human Being and His Homosexual Mafia. I know it’s a long Video but this Priest says how a Former Good Priest was maybe going to say something about the Equally Horrible Human Being Timothy RaTTcliff and his Band of Homosexual Buddies. The Good Priest of course committed Suicide by Shooting Himself in the back of the Head .
We ,thank God know what a Spiteful. Hateful. Vengeful, Horrible Man that Bergoglio is by reading Good Catholic Sites . O I know am going off Topic. But what is it that those Prayers For the Earth people cannot see. I and probably you also have your arguments with Friends and Family about this Terrible Pope yet they won’t even look. To me Bergoglio is certainly of the Limped Wrist Mob as He displays all of their Characteristics. He is Narcissistic to the Core ,now even wanting to go to WAR with EWTN which is anything but a Conservative Catholic Outlet. We know that this Horror of a Pope Hates Catholicism with a Vengeance. I personally cannot wait to see if God Bless Our Pope ,will be sung at the Feast of St Peter and Paul. But if God spares me am walking out in Disgust. I personally now Cannot Stand The Man ,and I hope He goes to His Appointed Place one way or another, Gods in Charge not Bergoglio. One things for sure we know that He is Satanic, and He ain’t going to change now .
FOOF
I can well understand your anger and frustration with this Pope, arguably the worst Pontiff in the history of the Church, but we have to try to demonstrate some kind of heroic charity in his regard while at the same time calling him out for the destroyer of faith that he is. Our Lady of Fatima insisted that we pray for the Pope. She didn’t say we couldn’t resist his errors and highlight them to others, just that we should pray for him, which is the essence of Catholic charity. Our Lord prayed for Judas right up to the end and would have forgiven his betrayal had he asked. We have to have that charity of Our Lord or else we become just like the worldlings of today who want vengeance visited upon all who break the law, whether divine or human. Hard as it is, try praying for the conversion of this Pope, that he may realise the error of his ways and take steps before his death to rectify the great damage he has done to the Church. No Catholic who understands the eternal suffering of Hell wants any soul to end up there, especially the soul of a Vicar of Christ.
Athanasius I well understand what your saying and you are correct ,but as Forgiveness is a Decision, it also Has to be asked for . I personally don’t see Bergoglios Pride let Him climb down now ,and repent for all the Damage He has done, and Money He has stolen from The Catholic Church. I cannot Pray For someone, not because Bergoglio is just an Enemy of the Catholic Church and The Catholic Faith. But Prayers are said for this Man Daily at every Mass as you know, and He seems to get more Evil now on a Daily Basis. Sorry but He’s been off my Christmas List for a long time now and I cannot see Him coming back on in the near Future. My Prayers will be for the suffering Good Priests and Nuns that this Horrible Man is Persecuting. I know we must and should Pray For our Enemies but as the Old Saying goes. Charity begins at Home .
Also am sure that St Paul would have resisted Bergoglio to His Face . And I know av had this little bit of a Theology discussion before. But am still sure that St Paul asked St Peter Outside and it wasn’t for a Jimmy Martin – Bergoglio like Chit Chat.
Would Judas have been Forgiven, I personally know not ,because at the Last Supper we know that Christ said ” It would be better for that Man had He never been Born ” Of course Our Lord knew Judases Mind and Heart . But what if Christs words were ” Their is One Here who will Betray me but If He asks Me for forgiveness when I am Suffering, that I will grant Him ”
To me the Whole thing revolved around Judas not Believing that Jesus was the Messiah. After all that Judas seen and witnessed over 3 Years . Judas still did not Believe.
Bergoglio to me is in the same place as Judas ( maybe that’s why He’s a Favourite of His ) After all Bergoglio overseen and witnessed a Eucharistic Miracle Yet Doesn’t Beleive. At least if He did He would surely NEVER stop talking about it . I stand to be corrected if am wrong.
As Long as You Don’t Resist Me to My Face .🤢
We’re less than an hour away from welcoming in the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary (7 October). I decided not to launch a dedicated thread but to use this one – for what I hope are obvious reasons. As with all Feast days threads, discuss all relevant issues, post favourite prayers and hymns – whatever!
Here’s a link to an article about the Battle of Lepanto – which led to the institution of this Feast, originally under the title of Our Lady of Victory (for reasons which will become obvious when you read the article, if you’re not already familiar with the story).
https://www.osvnews.com/2018/10/07/the-blessed-mother-the-rosary-and-the-battle-of-lepanto-2/
And here’s a version of the hymn O Queen of the Holy Rosary – not the one with which I grew up (can’t find that on YouTube) but a very nice, gentle, version – enjoy!
Enjoy the Feast, tomorrow!
Happy Feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
Please pray for Pope Francis today.
Early in 2020 I wrote a trenchant but courteous letter to PF, urging him to speak out forcefully about Islamic persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa. I told him that many of his flock were utterly aghast at his silence on this elephant in the room and I asked for a root and branch re-assessment of the Catholic Church’s relationship with the murderous creed of the so-called prophet. Fat chance of that. No reply, of course.
Of all this pontiff’s failings his wilful and cowardly blindness to this horrendous daily phenomenon must be the most egregious. Pray for him I will, but for a pope with guts and soon.
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