Rite expiatis

St. Francis of Assisi

The encyclical Rite expiatis of April 30, 1926 takes Pope Pius XI. on the occasion to honor the 700th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi († October 3, 1226). About St. Francis of Assisi and the order of the Franciscans already had the Popes Leo XIII. in the encyclical Auspicato concessum (1882) and Benedict XV. Written in Sacra propediem (1921), Pius XI. mentions these encyclicals and confirms the statements of its predecessors.

Renewal of Christian society

“It seems to us that in no other saint is the image of Christ the Lord and the way of life of the Gospel so clearly expressed as in Francis. As he called himself the herald of the great king, he was rightly called the second Christ. For as the newly reviving Christ he stepped before the human society of his time and before all subsequent generations. So it is that he is still alive in people's hearts today; and he will remain alive until the end of time "..." Francis of Assisi was a man who was sent by God not only to reshape his troubled times, but rather to renew Christian society throughout the centuries. "

This is the key message of the encyclical with which Pius XI. highlights the importance of St. Francis of Assisi for the Catholic Church . Furthermore, he orders that the religious and civic festivals, but also the meetings and sermons , should be dedicated to this great saint. This is followed by a detailed description of the life and work of the saint.

Founding of the order

In the further letter he makes an appreciation of the establishment of the order and the life in poverty and devotion. The rules of the order established by Francis, which arose from just a few words from the New Testament, he describes as exemplary, especially when it says there: “If you want to be perfect, go there, sell what you have, and give it to the poor ”( Matt. 9, 21 ). His obedience and the shown discipline then also have Pope Innocent III. moved to recognize the "Ordo Fratrum Minorum" (Order of the Friars Minor). He founded the secular "Third Order" for women and men who wanted to live according to the Holy Gospel . He wrote with the participation of the later Pope Gregory IX. a new and extensive set of rules for the main order, which was then also adopted by Pope Honorius III. has been confirmed.

Stigmatization and canonization

In the further remarks Pope Pius XI. again on the stigmatization , which led to Franz receiving the five wounds of Jesus Christ . This stigmatization was finally also by Pope Gregory IX. approved. After the death of Francis it was Gregory IX who confirmed the canonization and laid the foundation stone for the Basilica "San Francesco" in Assisi .

Web links

Text of the encyclical