The sun of July darted. Assisi flooded by its light was fervent of enthusiasm. Along the ornate roads of motley decorations crowded thousands of inhabitants and of strangers dressed with the many coloured clothes of the party. In the city had arrived crowds not only from the surroundings, but nearly from all Italy.
Under the big arc triumph in order to welcome the Pope, since dawn had lined up the city militia and the guard of the corporations. The magistrates of the city with chains of gold and silver at the neck wandered impatiently between the town hall and the place in which would have been welcomed the extraordinary guest. There had been formed small groups of priests and of religious. The black Benedictines were at the side of the white Friars of the order of the preachers. An enormous mass of Friars minor has gathered. Because that was their day, their feast.
It had been a year that was Pope the great protector of the order and cordial friend of Francis, the cardinal Ugolino of the Counts of Segni, that now as a Pope had the name of Gregory IX. After the benevolent Onorio had ascended to the Papal throne the eighty-five years old nephew of the great Innocence III, a man endowed, in spite of his age, of an extraordinary energy. As soon as he has worn the tiara, on his Papal head, he ordered in a resolute manner to the emperor Frederic to leave without delays for the promised crusade that had been so many times postponed. Frederic understood that he had to grant the demand of the Pope. The expedition, headed by the landgrave of Turingia, Ludovico, indeed departed. But returned immediately. Ludovico hit by illness, died before the fleet sailed from the Italian coast. Frederick that, he too felt ill, ordered to the ships to return. Gregory, nevertheless, didn’t believe the explanations of the emperor. He excommunicated him. In answer to that, Frederick sent his armies on the Pope’s lands. The war between the Pope and the emperor fired again, despite the efforts of the middlemen: von Salza, great teacher of the theutonic order of the knights of the crusade, and Friar Elijah.
Against its delays the General Chapter didn’t choose Friar Elijah as general of the order. The majority of the presents was against him and chose as general Spain’s provincial, Friar John Parenti. The Pope, who appreciated Elijah, was not satisfied about that choice, however, he didn’t oppose the Friars’ decision. He took Elijah to his retinue and entrusted to him the links with the emperor. He allowed him also the direction of the construction of the new convent.
The construction has already begun and on the hill at the Western extremities of the city rised walls authentically cyclopic. Enormous supports, closed by arcs, equalized the ground and formed ground and a plinth that stretched in length hundreds of steps. Hidden by those supports raised the lower church and the crypt which was destined to the sepulchre of Francis.
Anthony too had intervened to the ceremony that day. The Chapter of the year before had confirmed him in the charge of provincial of Romagna.
He had to attend to many duties. He had to work very hard. His fame of incomparable preacher did so that he was called continually in various cities to hold at least a public lesson. To answer to those calls he had to be in travel incessantly. This activity exhausted his strengths. Although he possessed the talent of an irresistible oratory, he prepared with care every homily before he would pronounce it. Because of this he had to sacrifice his nights. During the daytime he dedicated himself to the numerous tasks linked with the administration of the province, and from time to time he gave lessons of theology to the
Friars. And at last there was the confessional. As soon as he would take his place in there, there formed long lines of people that wanted his advice and his consolation.
He didn’t have any time to rest, he didn’t have any time to sleep. His health kept on tormenting him. To the illnessess that he had suffered till now, others had come. To most fastidious one was the swelling that augmented from month to month. It was difficult to walk with his feet swollen. When he had to speak, he revived. To the listeners it could seem that they had in front of them a person very healthy and full of enthusiasm. But after his sermon pervaded him an enormous weakness: the body crushed his spirit, it crushed him till to the earth.
Once he arrived in Assisi it seemed to him to be at the center of a whirling storm. All taken by his activities, he didn’t have the time to occupy or to at least perceive the divergences that lacerated the young community of the Friars.
Amongst the Friars minor contrasted two tendencies diametrically opposed. One demanded the return of the original simplicity, the second demanded a radical reform of the order, that would allow to achieve knowledge and to contemplate the influential positions in the church.
Neither of these tendencies was as strong to prevail the other. Both had a substantial number of supporters, that didn’t desist from disputing with the adversaries. The debates were becoming more and more stormy, the shouts were becoming insults, they would even use fists or hit with a rope.
"Are you on Elijah’s side?" some Friars asked Anthony.
"Are you on those stupid side?" asked others.
He shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know what to answer. He comprehended Elijah’s ideas because of the approval of the studies. But he comprehended even the others. Whilst it seemed that the alight disputes would have lacerated the order, he was able to see his future in the union of the two tendencies.
"They are arriving! They are arriving!"
The loud shouts made the city shiver. The Papal procession was visible from far away. At its approximation all the bells from far away started to ring. Every living being ran at the door of the welcome.
The Friars minor came out in procession to meet the other procession. They had the right: it was in fact their day. They had to rise the corpse of Francis, and transfer it in a new coffin. He was going to be proclaimed Saint. At only two years of the dead of the old friend, and protector of the order, and today Pope, was arriving in person to Assisi to perform the action of the canonization. Because of this, a long range of Friars, in their greyish habits, proceed at the edge of the road. At the sight of the Pope they all fell on their knees.
Gregory arrived on a white horse harnessed with a wonderful saddlecloth interwoven with gold. Despite his old age he had a strong appearance. The trip beret covered his hoary hair and only the luxuriant white beard fell on his breast. He had ruddy cheeks, sign of good health, and sparkling eyes from which emanated energy. At the sight of the knelt Friars, he stopped the steed. He looked not without surprise the crowd that welcomed him. Twenty years had not gone by since a group of ragged people had implored from the Pope the right to live in complete poverty, without the possibility of possessing anything. The Cardinals didn’t even want to speak to them. They treated them as mad, dangerous revolutionary, that under the clothes of poverty were hiding their desire of demolishing the authority of the Church. Only he had accepted to speak to them. He had listened to the ardent words of Francis. After he had heard the words of the son of the merchant Bernardone, had come to a decision: he had decided to go to his uncle Innocence III, to tell him that in each case the deriving stranger of Assisi seemed to be a person out of the commune, since he believed unshakably in what he was saying, and for this the Pope had not to dismiss him empty handed. But the day after the same Innocence III had called him. He greeted him with the words:
"Imagine, my dear, what did I dream last night. I have dreamt that a ragged man at the head of a group of ragged people came to ask me to bless his work which it consisted to preach to every one and to maintain a state of poverty. But you wouldn’t guess what I dreamt of him…"
Gregory blessed the Friars with an ample sign of cross and continued to advance in the direction of the city. To the two sides of his steed proceeded Friar Parenti and Friar Elijah.
When the coffin was opened in front of the Church there was a murmur. It seemed that they were expecting a miracle, they thought that on the opening of the coffin there was an uncorrupt body. However things went otherwise. Francis` corpse was already changing into dust. The skull was sunk and one could see the worn out teeth. The hands crossed on the breast were now reduced in skeleton. The mark of the stigmata miraculously pierced through by invisible nails had disappeared.
After the Gospel was read the bull of canonization. The Friars tuned the song of Francis 'Praised be God the Highest’. The same Friar Leon burst into tears.
After the solemn ceremony celebrated in the Church of Saint George, the Pope expressed the desire to visit the Poor Dames of sister Chiara. Through the same door by which he had entered in the city, he went out the walls and went below towards the convent, that was in the old little Church of Saint Damiano.
In front of the poor little Church was waiting for Gregory the group of the sisters. They were dressed in the greyist habit tied with a rope of the same colour. Only the candid bonnets framed the face and a black handkerchief covered their heads. In sign of respect for the presence of the Pope the sisters were waiting outside the convent. Usually they never left the convent. As the Pope descended his horse the sisters knelt and only sister Chiara, with heavy footstep, drew near and kneeled to kiss with respect the Papal ring.
"Greeting, daughter" Gregory said touching with benevolence the head of Chiara with the point of his fingers...
"I greet you, daughters" he greeted the sisters. "May our Lord Jesus Christ protect you. I have come here to you in an exceptionally solemn and joyful day. Just a few hours ago we have bent ourselves in front of the rests of the man that was your founder, and in whom God wanted to impress a particular sign of his predilection. By carrying out his will, I have announced to the church and to the world that Francis Bernardone, son of this city, is a Saint of the Lord, and is sojourning in Heaven, and is now hearing our prayers which he will present them to the Lord. You have known him as I have known him. He lived as a man. And today he intercedes for us in Heaven. Dear daughter Chiara, I remember well how at his call, you have abandoned you natal house, have renounced wealth, to consecrate your life to the Lord. I know in the midst of difficulty and contrariety you have defended the right to offer the life to Jesus Christ. You have known much suffering, so that you could proceed on the walk of renunciation and sacrifices. How many people fight for the earthly happiness! You and your sisters have chosen a more difficult struggle to conquer the eternal happiness and not only for you, but for everyone else…"
He bent over Chiara, that had knelt, and she said:
"To serve him it was Jesus that called, whilst to teach us how to serve him it was Francis."
Anthony was looking at the face of the knelt sister. It was extraordinary beautiful. Thirthy two years of age, half of which spent between penance and mortifications, didn’t take away from that face its beauty outside the common. Anthony saw Chiara for the first time, but he knew that in Assisi was eradicated the conviction that between those walls there hadn’t been a girl more beautiful.
While he was observing Chiara, appeared to him suddenly the eyes of Emily. Since the time he had left Lisbon he didn’t know what had happened to her. Then when he was in Coimbra, and his brothers and his sisters visited him, he never asked news of her. He didn’t want to ask… He thought: "Certainly she must be married by now, she must have children, she must have forgotten everything." He wanted that things were like this. He didn’t want to think that she would remain alone dominated by her love for him. Because he hadn’t forgotten about her. At the beginning, when he was taken by the problems of the Friars minor, he had not thought of her much. Then it had arrived the moment of the intense work that absorbed him totally. However, since sometime ago, although he was mortally exhausted, the memory of Emily has returned. As if someone would remind him of her. In the memories has faded the face of the girl, has disappeared her image. Had remained something similar to a feeling of guilt, since running away from love and having found the purpose of life had left Emily alone... With what so much perfection had behaved Francis tying Chiara to his own work!
"Stand up, daughter" said Gregory "I want you to show me your convent."
"As you desire, Holy Father." she answered.
She moves first, always supporting herself on a walking stick. While she was walking he signaled to one of the sisters to accompany them. The Church was low, with only one aisle, it was immersed in the dim light and in the silence. Over the altar was sending golden glares a Byzantine crucifix. Christ was nailed to a cross-covered with multicoloured paintings. This background formed the only coloured stain in the grey interior of the church. She stopped at the altar. Indicating the crucifix said:
"From this cross, Holy Father, Christ spoke to Friar Francis." The thick walls of the Church were marked by infiltrations of humidity. The Pope knelt in front of the altar. He prayed for a little while with his eyes fixed on the crucifix. Then, always preceded by the two sisters, he entered the convent.
j
He saw everywhere the walls stained by the humidity, the heavy furniture, rough, the dormitory with pillows made of twigs on the sisters’ pallets, the austere refectory.
The upper wall of the convent contained a small kitchen-garden with a well in the middle. Above the large rose bushes one could see the valley of Spoleto immersed in the July sun.
Gregory went from cell to cell. At every footstep he appeared more and more overpowered by the impressive nudity of the environment. The tour was of brief duration. Once again he found himself in the sun in front of the Church, before the lined up sisters. He looked nearly with horror the barefeet of the women, so graceful, well formed by the soft footwear, and now covered of scratches and of crusts, the hands reddened and marked of work, candid once, ringed, now heavy with bulgy veins.
"Of that do you live?" he asked
"Of alms, Holy Father" answered Chiara.
"The times however are difficult. Despite the wars and the invasions are you able to receive enough?"
"God looks over us so that we don’t perish." She answered.
"A life as such, however, must be very hard for women. You should have some kind of protection in case of aggression. The convent is placed outside the walls of the city. Gangs of brigands wander by the country."
"We do not own anything worth stealing. And about our safety over ourselves awakes Jesus, your Holiness. Jesus crucifix." She added.
The answers were humble, but resolute. That woman didn't give the impression of being afraid. Anthony, who was close, heard her words quite well, and could continue to admire the exceptional beauty of her face.
"Nevertheless my daughter" said Gregory
"I am in anxiety for you. The vow of absolute poverty that you pronounced along with your sisters is an unsuitable weight over your shoulders. I have visited with preoccupation the convent in which you live. I am afraid for you, I repeat it. And because of this I say: if you feel that you have burdened yourselves of a weight too heavy I, vicar of our Lord, dispense you from your vows. Even Jesus says that man must ponder well his strengths before he wears upon himself a big decision."
He looked around himself. The priests, the dignitaries, the magistrates of the city nodded and they seemed to confirm with the look the affirmations of the Pope. The few people that had accompanied him in the visit to the convent were also concerned for the nuns. Even between the Friars one could hear:
"It is not possible to live like this... It is a weight above anyone strength... after all they are women... even Friar Francis if he would see them... "
Chiara stepped forward. Supporting herself to the walking stick, she knelt with fatigue. She raised her face, she fixed her eyes in those of the Pope. She said with a vibrant voice in which one could feel the emotion:
"I know, Holy Father, that you have the right to tie or free, and that who you tie or free on earth will be tied or freed in heaven. And because of this I will implore you that you absolve we poor and sinner women by our sins and weaknesses. But we desire not to be freed by our poverty..."
She turned her head, and then the sisters standing behind her knelt as well. They repeated in chorus:
"Free us, Holy Father, from our sins, but do not free us from our poverty. In it we want to live and die."
The face of Gregory quivered with emotion. He said:
"Be your will done. May the one, that we proclaimed today, sit beside the throne of the Father, intercede to obtain for you the ability, the strength and the blessing to persist in your decision."
Chapter 29
Chapter 29
The sun of July darted. Assisi flooded by its light was fervent of enthusiasm. Along the ornate roads of motley decorations crowded thousands of inhabitants and of strangers dressed with the many coloured clothes of the party. In the city had arrived crowds not only from the surroundings, but nearly from all Italy.
Under the big arc triumph in order to welcome the Pope, since dawn had lined up the city militia and the guard of the corporations. The magistrates of the city with chains of gold and silver at the neck wandered impatiently between the town hall and the place in which would have been welcomed the extraordinary guest. There had been formed small groups of priests and of religious. The black Benedictines were at the side of the white Friars of the order of the preachers. An enormous mass of Friars minor has gathered. Because that was their day, their feast.
It had been a year that was Pope the great protector of the order and cordial friend of Francis, the cardinal Ugolino of the Counts of Segni, that now as a Pope had the name of Gregory IX. After the benevolent Onorio had ascended to the Papal throne the eighty-five years old nephew of the great Innocence III, a man endowed, in spite of his age, of an extraordinary energy. As soon as he has worn the tiara, on his Papal head, he ordered in a resolute manner to the emperor Frederic to leave without delays for the promised crusade that had been so many times postponed. Frederic understood that he had to grant the demand of the Pope. The expedition, headed by the landgrave of Turingia, Ludovico, indeed departed. But returned immediately. Ludovico hit by illness, died before the fleet sailed from the Italian coast. Frederick that, he too felt ill, ordered to the ships to return. Gregory, nevertheless, didn’t believe the explanations of the emperor. He excommunicated him. In answer to that, Frederick sent his armies on the Pope’s lands. The war between the Pope and the emperor fired again, despite the efforts of the middlemen: von Salza, great teacher of the theutonic order of the knights of the crusade, and Friar Elijah.
Against its delays the General Chapter didn’t choose Friar Elijah as general of the order. The majority of the presents was against him and chose as general Spain’s provincial, Friar John Parenti. The Pope, who appreciated Elijah, was not satisfied about that choice, however, he didn’t oppose the Friars’ decision. He took Elijah to his retinue and entrusted to him the links with the emperor. He allowed him also the direction of the construction of the new convent.
The construction has already begun and on the hill at the Western extremities of the city rised walls authentically cyclopic. Enormous supports, closed by arcs, equalized the ground and formed ground and a plinth that stretched in length hundreds of steps. Hidden by those supports raised the lower church and the crypt which was destined to the sepulchre of Francis.
Anthony too had intervened to the ceremony that day. The Chapter of the year before had confirmed him in the charge of provincial of Romagna.
He had to attend to many duties. He had to work very hard. His fame of incomparable preacher did so that he was called continually in various cities to hold at least a public lesson. To answer to those calls he had to be in travel incessantly. This activity exhausted his strengths. Although he possessed the talent of an irresistible oratory, he prepared with care every homily before he would pronounce it. Because of this he had to sacrifice his nights. During the daytime he dedicated himself to the numerous tasks linked with the administration of the province, and from time to time he gave lessons of theology to the
Friars. And at last there was the confessional. As soon as he would take his place in there, there formed long lines of people that wanted his advice and his consolation.
He didn’t have any time to rest, he didn’t have any time to sleep. His health kept on tormenting him. To the illnessess that he had suffered till now, others had come. To most fastidious one was the swelling that augmented from month to month. It was difficult to walk with his feet swollen. When he had to speak, he revived. To the listeners it could seem that they had in front of them a person very healthy and full of enthusiasm. But after his sermon pervaded him an enormous weakness: the body crushed his spirit, it crushed him till to the earth.
Once he arrived in Assisi it seemed to him to be at the center of a whirling storm. All taken by his activities, he didn’t have the time to occupy or to at least perceive the divergences that lacerated the young community of the Friars.
Amongst the Friars minor contrasted two tendencies diametrically opposed. One demanded the return of the original simplicity, the second demanded a radical reform of the order, that would allow to achieve knowledge and to contemplate the influential positions in the church.
Neither of these tendencies was as strong to prevail the other. Both had a substantial number of supporters, that didn’t desist from disputing with the adversaries. The debates were becoming more and more stormy, the shouts were becoming insults, they would even use fists or hit with a rope.
"Are you on Elijah’s side?" some Friars asked Anthony.
"Are you on those stupid side?" asked others.
He shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know what to answer. He comprehended Elijah’s ideas because of the approval of the studies. But he comprehended even the others. Whilst it seemed that the alight disputes would have lacerated the order, he was able to see his future in the union of the two tendencies.
"They are arriving! They are arriving!"
The loud shouts made the city shiver. The Papal procession was visible from far away. At its approximation all the bells from far away started to ring. Every living being ran at the door of the welcome.
The Friars minor came out in procession to meet the other procession. They had the right: it was in fact their day. They had to rise the corpse of Francis, and transfer it in a new coffin. He was going to be proclaimed Saint. At only two years of the dead of the old friend, and protector of the order, and today Pope, was arriving in person to Assisi to perform the action of the canonization. Because of this, a long range of Friars, in their greyish habits, proceed at the edge of the road. At the sight of the Pope they all fell on their knees.
Gregory arrived on a white horse harnessed with a wonderful saddlecloth interwoven with gold. Despite his old age he had a strong appearance. The trip beret covered his hoary hair and only the luxuriant white beard fell on his breast. He had ruddy cheeks, sign of good health, and sparkling eyes from which emanated energy. At the sight of the knelt Friars, he stopped the steed. He looked not without surprise the crowd that welcomed him. Twenty years had not gone by since a group of ragged people had implored from the Pope the right to live in complete poverty, without the possibility of possessing anything. The Cardinals didn’t even want to speak to them. They treated them as mad, dangerous revolutionary, that under the clothes of poverty were hiding their desire of demolishing the authority of the Church. Only he had accepted to speak to them. He had listened to the ardent words of Francis. After he had heard the words of the son of the merchant Bernardone, had come to a decision: he had decided to go to his uncle Innocence III, to tell him that in each case the deriving stranger of Assisi seemed to be a person out of the commune, since he believed unshakably in what he was saying, and for this the Pope had not to dismiss him empty handed. But the day after the same Innocence III had called him. He greeted him with the words:
"Imagine, my dear, what did I dream last night. I have dreamt that a ragged man at the head of a group of ragged people came to ask me to bless his work which it consisted to preach to every one and to maintain a state of poverty. But you wouldn’t guess what I dreamt of him…"
Gregory blessed the Friars with an ample sign of cross and continued to advance in the direction of the city. To the two sides of his steed proceeded Friar Parenti and Friar Elijah.
When the coffin was opened in front of the Church there was a murmur. It seemed that they were expecting a miracle, they thought that on the opening of the coffin there was an uncorrupt body. However things went otherwise. Francis` corpse was already changing into dust. The skull was sunk and one could see the worn out teeth. The hands crossed on the breast were now reduced in skeleton. The mark of the stigmata miraculously pierced through by invisible nails had disappeared.
After the Gospel was read the bull of canonization. The Friars tuned the song of Francis 'Praised be God the Highest’. The same Friar Leon burst into tears.
After the solemn ceremony celebrated in the Church of Saint George, the Pope expressed the desire to visit the Poor Dames of sister Chiara. Through the same door by which he had entered in the city, he went out the walls and went below towards the convent, that was in the old little Church of Saint Damiano.
In front of the poor little Church was waiting for Gregory the group of the sisters. They were dressed in the greyist habit tied with a rope of the same colour. Only the candid bonnets framed the face and a black handkerchief covered their heads. In sign of respect for the presence of the Pope the sisters were waiting outside the convent. Usually they never left the convent. As the Pope descended his horse the sisters knelt and only sister Chiara, with heavy footstep, drew near and kneeled to kiss with respect the Papal ring.
"Greeting, daughter" Gregory said touching with benevolence the head of Chiara with the point of his fingers...
"I greet you, daughters" he greeted the sisters. "May our Lord Jesus Christ protect you. I have come here to you in an exceptionally solemn and joyful day. Just a few hours ago we have bent ourselves in front of the rests of the man that was your founder, and in whom God wanted to impress a particular sign of his predilection. By carrying out his will, I have announced to the church and to the world that Francis Bernardone, son of this city, is a Saint of the Lord, and is sojourning in Heaven, and is now hearing our prayers which he will present them to the Lord. You have known him as I have known him. He lived as a man. And today he intercedes for us in Heaven. Dear daughter Chiara, I remember well how at his call, you have abandoned you natal house, have renounced wealth, to consecrate your life to the Lord. I know in the midst of difficulty and contrariety you have defended the right to offer the life to Jesus Christ. You have known much suffering, so that you could proceed on the walk of renunciation and sacrifices. How many people fight for the earthly happiness! You and your sisters have chosen a more difficult struggle to conquer the eternal happiness and not only for you, but for everyone else…"
He bent over Chiara, that had knelt, and she said:
"To serve him it was Jesus that called, whilst to teach us how to serve him it was Francis."
Anthony was looking at the face of the knelt sister. It was extraordinary beautiful. Thirthy two years of age, half of which spent between penance and mortifications, didn’t take away from that face its beauty outside the common. Anthony saw Chiara for the first time, but he knew that in Assisi was eradicated the conviction that between those walls there hadn’t been a girl more beautiful.
While he was observing Chiara, appeared to him suddenly the eyes of Emily. Since the time he had left Lisbon he didn’t know what had happened to her. Then when he was in Coimbra, and his brothers and his sisters visited him, he never asked news of her. He didn’t want to ask… He thought: "Certainly she must be married by now, she must have children, she must have forgotten everything." He wanted that things were like this. He didn’t want to think that she would remain alone dominated by her love for him. Because he hadn’t forgotten about her. At the beginning, when he was taken by the problems of the Friars minor, he had not thought of her much. Then it had arrived the moment of the intense work that absorbed him totally. However, since sometime ago, although he was mortally exhausted, the memory of Emily has returned. As if someone would remind him of her. In the memories has faded the face of the girl, has disappeared her image. Had remained something similar to a feeling of guilt, since running away from love and having found the purpose of life had left Emily alone... With what so much perfection had behaved Francis tying Chiara to his own work!
"Stand up, daughter" said Gregory "I want you to show me your convent."
"As you desire, Holy Father." she answered.
She moves first, always supporting herself on a walking stick. While she was walking he signaled to one of the sisters to accompany them. The Church was low, with only one aisle, it was immersed in the dim light and in the silence. Over the altar was sending golden glares a Byzantine crucifix. Christ was nailed to a cross-covered with multicoloured paintings. This background formed the only coloured stain in the grey interior of the church. She stopped at the altar. Indicating the crucifix said:
"From this cross, Holy Father, Christ spoke to Friar Francis." The thick walls of the Church were marked by infiltrations of humidity. The Pope knelt in front of the altar. He prayed for a little while with his eyes fixed on the crucifix. Then, always preceded by the two sisters, he entered the convent.
j
He saw everywhere the walls stained by the humidity, the heavy furniture, rough, the dormitory with pillows made of twigs on the sisters’ pallets, the austere refectory.
The upper wall of the convent contained a small kitchen-garden with a well in the middle. Above the large rose bushes one could see the valley of Spoleto immersed in the July sun.
Gregory went from cell to cell. At every footstep he appeared more and more overpowered by the impressive nudity of the environment. The tour was of brief duration. Once again he found himself in the sun in front of the Church, before the lined up sisters. He looked nearly with horror the barefeet of the women, so graceful, well formed by the soft footwear, and now covered of scratches and of crusts, the hands reddened and marked of work, candid once, ringed, now heavy with bulgy veins.
"Of that do you live?" he asked
"Of alms, Holy Father" answered Chiara.
"The times however are difficult. Despite the wars and the invasions are you able to receive enough?"
"God looks over us so that we don’t perish." She answered.
"A life as such, however, must be very hard for women. You should have some kind of protection in case of aggression. The convent is placed outside the walls of the city. Gangs of brigands wander by the country."
"We do not own anything worth stealing. And about our safety over ourselves awakes Jesus, your Holiness. Jesus crucifix." She added.
The answers were humble, but resolute. That woman didn't give the impression of being afraid. Anthony, who was close, heard her words quite well, and could continue to admire the exceptional beauty of her face.
"Nevertheless my daughter" said Gregory
"I am in anxiety for you. The vow of absolute poverty that you pronounced along with your sisters is an unsuitable weight over your shoulders. I have visited with preoccupation the convent in which you live. I am afraid for you, I repeat it. And because of this I say: if you feel that you have burdened yourselves of a weight too heavy I, vicar of our Lord, dispense you from your vows. Even Jesus says that man must ponder well his strengths before he wears upon himself a big decision."
He looked around himself. The priests, the dignitaries, the magistrates of the city nodded and they seemed to confirm with the look the affirmations of the Pope. The few people that had accompanied him in the visit to the convent were also concerned for the nuns. Even between the Friars one could hear:
"It is not possible to live like this... It is a weight above anyone strength... after all they are women... even Friar Francis if he would see them... "
Chiara stepped forward. Supporting herself to the walking stick, she knelt with fatigue. She raised her face, she fixed her eyes in those of the Pope. She said with a vibrant voice in which one could feel the emotion:
"I know, Holy Father, that you have the right to tie or free, and that who you tie or free on earth will be tied or freed in heaven. And because of this I will implore you that you absolve we poor and sinner women by our sins and weaknesses. But we desire not to be freed by our poverty..."
She turned her head, and then the sisters standing behind her knelt as well. They repeated in chorus:
"Free us, Holy Father, from our sins, but do not free us from our poverty. In it we want to live and die."
The face of Gregory quivered with emotion. He said:
"Be your will done. May the one, that we proclaimed today, sit beside the throne of the Father, intercede to obtain for you the ability, the strength and the blessing to persist in your decision."