Mar 23 2022
2

Francis and the Fifth Crusade

As the Russian Orthodox Patriarch blessed Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, I could not help but think of the Crusades (which, by the way, were not just directed at Muslims, but also toward Orthodox Christians). As a young man, St. Francis attempted to join the fourth crusade but turned back due to a recurring malarial fever.…

Mar 16 2022
0

Poverty and Abundance

Lessons from Francis of Assisi For his whole life possessions had possessed Francis, especially clothing and fashion. His addiction to finery was like a prison, even more confining than the dungeon where he had languished for a year after a battle with nearby Perugia. His father had taken him to court for selling the family…