Detail of St. Francis of Assisi from “Madonna Enthroned with the Child, St. Francis and four Angels,” a fresco executed by Giovanni Cimabue between 1278-80 for the lower church of St. Francis Basilica in Assisi, Italy. RNS file photo courtesy of the Custodian of St. Francis Basilica in Assisi.
This image available for Web and print publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.
(RNS) Just as many Catholics have connected Pope Francis’ humility and austere lifestyle with that of St. Francis of Assisi, those seeking clues on the new pontiff’s approach to Christian-Muslim relations see another example in the iconic namesake.
In a little known episode in 1219, St. Francis left the camp of the crusaders besieging the walled Egyptian city of Damietta and crossed enemy lines to meet with Malik al-Kamil, the young sultan of Egypt.
“I can’t believe that the choice of his namesake is only about deference to poor people, as important and admirable as that is,” said the Rev. William Hugo, a Capuchin Franciscan brother and priest in St. Joseph, Wis. “The story of Francis seeking out Al-Kamil would surely raise up in Pope Francis the desire to reach out and be in relationship with those suffering a separation or (who are) excluded.”
A desert encounter
Scholars are divided, however, on whether it was peace or proselytizing that motivated St. Francis. The earliest biographies of him depict a more hard line Christian who sought to convert Al-Kamil.
“Francis’s goal was, of course, conversion, not coexistence. And while some 13th-century Christian commentators criticized the crusades for their violence, Francis was not among those critics. His joining up with the 5th Crusade suggests a tacit acceptance of crusading,” said Philip Daileader, a history professor at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
Many later biographies, however, say St. Francis’ motivation was more dovish.
“He wanted to see the sultan because he was pained, and he felt guilty,” said Jon Sweeney, author of the new book, “Francis of Assisi In His Own Words: The Essential Writings.” “He saw the carnage and it was his church that was doing it.”
Conversion or coexistence?
Chris van Gorder, a scholar of Christian-Muslim relations at Baylor University, asserts that St. Francis, a former soldier, was driven by compassion, a hatred for war, a desire to learn from others, and “to build missionistic bridges of reconciliation and healing.”
“St. Francis of Assisi was a confident evangelist and a fearless peacemaker who was appalled at the rapacious violence of his era,” said van Gorder.
But even if St. Francis’ goal was conversion, it was not an end unto itself, but a means to peace.
“We’re seeing the church interpret Francis in modern times as a bridge,” said Paul Moses, author of “The Saint and the Sultan,” a 2009 book which explores St. Francis’ pivotal engagement with Islam. “To Muslims ears, the choice of Francis for a name should sound good.”
Andrea Stanton, a religious studies professor at the University of Denver, said peace was Francis’ motive.
St. Francis of Assisi (seen here in a stained glass window at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral in Honolulu, Hawaii) is the patron saint of animals. RNS file RNS photo by Kevin Eckstrom
This image available for Web publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.
“His attempt to convert the sultan was a conflict resolution exercise: if the sultan embraced Christianity, the wars would end, because a Christian would govern Jerusalem,” Stanton said.
What makes Francis’ trip all the more improbable is that Muslims were depicted as blood-thirsty heretics inspired by the devil, and venturing into their camp meant certain death.
“Attitudes toward Muslims at that time were hostile beyond imaginings,” said van Gorder. “St. Francis was prepared to be a martyr and was warned by his colleagues that there was a price for the head of a Christian in the sultan’s court, and that his death would almost be certain if he persisted in his plans to go to the sultan’s camp.”
Although there are no first-hand accounts of the meeting, historians say it had a tremendous influence on both men. Al-Kamil, known as a tolerant ruler who offered religious freedom to Christians, received St. Francis hospitably, allowing him to stay in his court for several days and even preach.
The two talked about religion, war and other issues. During his stay, St. Francis made no requests of the sultan, except shortly before he departed, when he asked for a meal, possibly with the hope of breaking bread with Al-Kamil.
“The hagiography portrays the two men as having a profound impact on each other. They parted in peace with each other and gained respect for the other,” said Hugo.
A model for 21st-century dialogue
The visit had a profound impact on St. Francis, who returned to Italy the next year, and made a monumental change to his nascent order’s rules. Before the visit, Franciscans were allowed to engage Muslims with the goal of converting them. After the trip, he revised the rule to say it was also permissible to live peaceably among Muslims and under Muslim rule, without trying to convert them.
“That was revolutionary at that time,” said Moses.
While it’s not clear if Pope Francis will look to St. Francis for interfaith guidance, he wouldn’t be the first pontiff to do so. In 1986, Pope John Paul II led the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, inviting religious leaders from several different faiths to the saint’s birthplace. Benedict, who was not a big supporter of the World Day of Prayer, according to Moses, returned for the 25th anniversary in 2011.
“Pope John Paul II looked to Francis as a figure that can provide inspiration in today’s world as to how we approach other religions,” said Moses. “The pope didn’t just pick that site because it’s easy to get to.”
KRE/YS END SACIRBEY
24 Comments
Frank Rega
Hello,
It is very clear from studing the original sources that St. Francis wanted to convert the Muslims to the true Faith. This was his priority, to bring people to Jesus. Please see my book “St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims.”
Frank
MU
http://www.religionnews.com/2013/03/15/pope-francis-has-a-model-for-muslim-engagement-in-st-francis-of-assisi/#comment-48676
MU
Jesus was a Muslim
http://www.youtube.com/user/0070sa/videos?sort=da
.
Eddie
Jesus was Jewish.
sleepless
Convert to the “true” Faith”?? Is this a scholarly language, dude? No offense but I will never read your book that sadly uses such a language and confessional point of view.
I didn’t know about this interesting encounter with the Ayyubid sultan; thank you, Sacirbey!
Brian Gregory
‘How St. Francis Converted the Sultan…’ from ‘The Little Flowers of Saint Francis’ http://www.tldm.org/News9/St.FrancisConvertsSultan.htm
MU
Muslims follow Jesus Christ more than Christians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdL_GH5RGn0&list=PL1F12AF622A03004D
.
ellen cerro
Muslims follow Jesus Christ more than Christians…just how uneducated are you??????????
Eddie
Jesus was Jewish.
Lorraine
Yes, he did die for our sins, even knowing that many would not care or understand. If this weren’t true then the whole bible is false. God be praised!
Riki
I, being a catholicJew, having worked as an RN in Jerusalem for several years, can tell you that Muslims don’t believe that Jesus is God, nor the Son of God. On the golden dome of the Omar Mosque it is written GOD HAS NO SON.
Palestinian Muslims told me that Jesus never died on the Cross. His apostles managed to put an imposter in His place!!!!!! Allah is the only true God and Muhammad his one and only true prophet.
BTW Jesus was JEWISH.
Rivka
Riki
C O E X I S T E N C E (CONVERSION or COEXISTENCE ?)
“COEXIST” the latest command
of the “New World Order” band
live and let live
no need to forgive
for there ain’t no sin
each living their own spin
Coexistence a cold and loveless word
in a cold and loveless earth
for they have declared God dead
and worship themselves instead
mankind in his selfish pride
orchestrates the worldwide divide
but LOVE will return as LOVE
He begs us to throw in the glove
to run away from the dragon
to escape the devil’s paddy wagon
to turn to the Eternal Light
be our heart broken but contrite
He will cleanse us thoroughly
from all sin and iniquity
we will live as brothers and sisters
no need to send us any twisters
no more armies, no more wars
no more enemies at our doors.
be watchful, children, be on guard
keep Me constant in your heart
My return date you don’t know
but Myself suddenly I will show
in a new and peaceful Jerusalem
a new birth in a new Bethlehem
Rivka, November 18 2012
Lottie
From all I have read about St. Franics, including the biography by St. Bonaventure (a contemporary) and from The Little Flowers of St. Francis, Francis’ goal was to preach to the Muslim sultan and be a martyr, and thus gain heaven. He was extremely disappointed to have to return to Italy, understanding it was not God’s will for him to be a martyr in this fashion. As it is today, it was a crime under Muslim law to denounce Islam, and it was punishable, as it is today, by beheading. That the sultan did not murder him and his companions was near miraculous. I don’t think anybody should try to do revisionist history regarding this well known story of Francis’ life.
dreamer
Dear Lottie,
Conversion has been a problem in places where its public declaration has political significance, but this is not a general rule.
1. The first officially atheist country in the world is a Muslim majority country.
2. Tens of millions of Muslims in South Asia are simultaneously following Islam and Hinduism, or their local religions in the Near East, Africa, Balkans or Central Asia in harmony with (or under the banner of) Islam.
3. There is no Muslim law – shari’ah practiced universally, as there is no church or one official interpretation of Islam.
4. Muslim rulers had always Jewish and Christian translators, viziers, astrologers, mathematicians, scientists etc, while no Muslim could possibly exist in a Christian majority land.
5. Muslim majority lands have always been, and still are, religiously much more diverse than Europe and Americas.
Please reconsider your prejudices. May God bless you.
Jacj
Our Holy Father Francis just quoted Leon Bloy
What he said struck me:
“Those who don’t pray the Christ are praying the demons”
In my humble opinion, that quote announces the end of the Assisi’s interfaith meetings.
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