The documentary evidence that was examined by Tommaso da Celano, first biographer of Saint Francis, in order to produce his various legendae and accounts of miracles, was arranged by him in such a way as to provide as complete a picture as possible of the truthfulness of the events he narrated. But above all, it was meant to be an effort to portray the figure of Francis of Assisi in the light of the paschal mystery of Christ. This is highly evident in the transitus accounts of Francis’ death and glorification. That is why the use of these paragraphs from Celano’s Vita beati Francisci, Legenda ad usum chori, Vita beati patris nostri Francisci and Memoriale in desiderio animae is highly recommendable during the celebration of the transitus of Saint Francis, of which this year we are commemorating the 800th anniversary.
NEW BOOK: Melita Illyrica and Melita Africana: The Islands of Saint Paul
NOEL MUSCAT ofm – SANDRO TOMAŠEVIĆ ofm, Melita Illyrica and Melita Africana. The Islands of Saint Paul, Foreword by Chev. Prof. Horatio C.R. Vella, published in collaboration with the Commissariat of the Holy Land, Malta, 2018, pp. 152, ISBN: 978-99957-1-395-9.
The famous story of Paul’s shipwreck on Melíte is the pride of two islands having similar names, namely Mljet in the Adriatic, off the Dalmatian coast of Dubrovnik (Mélita Illyrica), and Malta in the centre of the Mediterranean, some 80 km. to the south of Sicily (Mélita Africana). Which was the island that welcomed Paul and was evangelised by the Apostle of the Gentiles? Which of the two was the island on which Paul was shipwrecked?
Biblical exegesis has always pointed to Malta as the most probable spot of the shipwreck. But the traditions of Mljet as the island of St. Paul have never ceased to be defended by proud Croatians like the Benedictine monk Ignjat Đurđević, who found staunch opposition from the Maltese Catholic tradition upheld by the Knights of the Order of St. John.
This study is the result of the fraternal initiative of two Franciscan friars, one Croatian, the other one Maltese, who together have visited and studied these islands, and whose close collaboration as a writer and photographer has produced these pages. This is no scholarly work of Biblical exegesis or historical erudition. It is simply the work of two Franciscan brothers and friends, who love their respective countries: the lush green forests of the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and the barren sun-drenched rocky cliffs of Malta, set against the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea and sky.
Noel Muscat was born in Malta in 1957. He joined the Order of Friars Minor in Malta in 1976, and became a priest in 1984.
Sandro Tomašević was born in Croatia in 1984. He joined the Order of Friars Minor in the Province of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Croatia in 2006, and was ordained priest in 2013.
The book is available from the following address:
Commissariat of the Holy Land
Franciscan Friars
291, Saint Paul Street
Valletta VLT 1213 – Malta
Or by sending an email directly to the authors:
A limited number of copies has been printed. The book will be available in digital form during 2019.
In Difesa dell’Indulgenza della Porziuncola
Una presentazione sommaria delle varie fonti che parlano dell’Indulgenza della Porziuncola, concessa da Papa Onorio III a San Francesco nel 1216. Questa è la versione italiana di un e-book dell’autore in inglese, con il titolo “In Defence of the Portiuncula Indulgence”.
Saint Bonaventure and his vision of saint Francis and the theology of history in the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI
Joseph Ratzinger published his volume, Die Geschichtstheologie des heiligen Bonaventura, in Munich in 1959. Since that year this monumental volume has been translated and republished in various languages, particularly during the years in which Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013). In this volume Ratzinger makes a detailed analysis of the concept of theology of history as outlined in the context of the 13th century schools of theology, particularly in the University of Paris during the time in which Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio was lecturing, and especially during the final years as minister general of the Franciscan Order, when he delivered some famous Parisian lectures or conferences, especially the Collationes in Hexaëmeron, between 9 and 28 May 1273.
“Ad servitium et communem utilitatem fratrum” The concept of goverment of the fraternity according to the mind of saint Francis
Saint Francis of Assisi envisaged a new form of government in the Order of friars Minor. In a time when the prevailing model was the monastic and Benedictine model of the abbot or prior as father and head of the community of monks, Francis introduced the figure of the minister and servant of the fraternity, calling him by various names, such as minister, custos and guardianus.
“Guardate la vostra dignità, fratelli sacerdoti” La visione sanfrancescana del sacerdozio ministeriale
L’articolo considera le parole di san Francesco d’Assisi riguardo al ministero sacerdotale, e la sua visione dello stesso ministero come viene fuori dai gesti concreti della sua vita.
Francis new Adam
THE LAST SUPPER OF SAINT FRANCIS AND THE IMAGE OF THE NEW ADAM
The object of this paper is that of seeing, first and foremost, the figure of the first man, Adam, and that of the new Adam, Christ, applied to Saint Francis, and then to understand how Francis lived the paschal mystery of Christ in the perspective of the new Adam, particularly in the revelation of Christ who offers himself to his disciples during the paschal meal.
IL GIOVEDÌ SANTO DI SAN FRANCESCO NELLA PROSPETTIVA DEL NUOVO ADAMO L’oggetto di questo studio è quello di vedere prima le figure del primo uomo Adamo, e di Cristo, nuovo Adamo, applicate a san Francesco, e poi a capire come Francesco ha vissuto il mistero pasquale di Cristo nella prospettiva del nuovo Adamo, che si rivela in Cristo che si dona ai suoi nella cena pasquale.
The meeting of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic in the franciscan sources
One of the popular themes in the iconography of St, Francis and St. Dominic is that of presenting them in a friendly and fraternal embrace. For many centuries both Orders held a strong tradition that the two saints met on more than one occasion. This tradition was also the reason why the two Orders nurtured fraternal contacts between themselves, and celebrated together the feasts of their founders. The feeling of fraternity between the Minors and the Preachers was motivated by these traditions. Our aim is that of showing how the mediaeval Sources for the life of St. Francis describe these meetings between the two founders.
St. Clare and Palm Sunday
THE NIGHT WHEN CLARE OF ASSISI LEFT HER PATERNAL HOUSE (28 March 1211)
On Palm Sunday night in many monasteries of the Order of St. Clare the nuns celebrate an important event in the life of their spiritual mother. On the night of 28 March 1211, which was the night concluding the feast of Palm Sunday, Clare left her paternal house in the piazza of the cathedral church of San Rufino in Assisi and proceeded towards the Portiuncula chapel to begin a new way of life under the direction of Francis and the first brothers.
LA NOTTE QUANDO CHIARA D’ASSISI LASCIÒ LA CASA PATERNA
(28 marzo 1211)
La notte che segue Domenica della Palme viene celebrata nei monasteri delle Clarisse con un ricordo di un evento importante nella vita della loro madre spirituale. Era la notte del 28 marzo 1211, la notte che seguì la Domenica delle Palme, quando Chiara lasciò la sua casa paterna nella piazza della chiesa cattedrale di San Rufino in Assisi, e corse verso la cappellina della Porziuncola, per dar inizio ad un nuovo stile di vita sotto la direzione di Francesco e dei primi frati minori.
Il-Passjoni ta’ Kristu fl-Ispiritwalità Franġiskana
IL-QIMA LEJN IT-TBATIJIET FIŻIĊI TA’ KRISTU
FL-ISPIRITWALITÀ FRANĠISKANA
Noel Muscat ofm
FL-ISPIRITWALITÀ FRANĠISKANA
Noel Muscat ofm
Il-moviment Franġiskan, mibdi minn San Franġisk t’Assisi (1182-1226), ta kontribut kbir lill-Knisja mis-seklu 13 ‘il quddiem. Imwieled flimkien mal-moviment l-ieħor ta’ San Duminku Guzman (1170-1221), fundatur ta’ l-Ordni tal-Predikaturi, l-Ordni tal-Minuri kien strumentali fit-tixrid tal-messaġġ evanġeliku fil-Knisja bil-għatx għar-riforma taż-żmien tal-Konċilju Lateran IV (1215).
Franciscan Studies 