Name: Giovanni (Francesco) Bernadone Born: 1182 in Italy (1182 – 1226) Favourite food: Used to be Italian and French, but these days not a lot! So how did you get your nickname Francesco? My dad returned from a business trip to France when I was a kid and he decided to re-name me Francesco which means ‘little Frenchman’. My mum – Pica – was French.

What about the ‘Saint Francis of Assisi’ bit?
Dunno what you’re talking about! Assisi is where I’m based these days – and I Like the name of the town because it literally means ‘The Rising’
So with a French mum and an Italian Dad which language do you speak?
Both. I’m what they call bi-lingual.

And who would you support in a football match between the 2 nations?
Hmmm. Tricky! I’ve lived in so many different places I don’t really feel loyalty to any one country. And besides my home is heaven, nowhere down here. What’s football?

That depends whether you’re American or European.
What’s American?

Erm – this is getting confusing – let’s move on.
OK

Everyone thinks of you as this big holy man – but what were you like as a teenager?
I’m not holy now, and I certainly wasn’t then! I was just a regular young guy, wanting as much fun as possible out of life. I hung out with a dodgy crowd until I was about 25 - lots of sex and drinking and fighting. To be honest I was the ringleader in the group. I was the worst. We just got caught up in wasting time on stupid stuff and hurting a lot of people in the process. Including ourselves.

What was the turning point?
Well, in my early 20’s I left home and became a soldier. I got involved in a violent skirmish with a neighbouring city and got taken prisoner. They left me in gaol for about a year and when they released me I was wrecked physically. I went back home but it took me another year to recover fully. It was that year, convalescing at home that turned my life around. God just began to break into my life. I started off incredibly depressed. I was lonely and the time seemed to pass so slowly. But I began to think about my life, where it was going and especially about God. It became almost an obsession and I ended up camping out on my own next to this derelict church – San Damiano.

Didn’t people think that was weird?
Yeah – they probably thought I was cracking up. But I was actually getting myself together at last. I was needing time to be on my own – wanted somewhere to process stuff, where I could pray and think. People said I’d become a hermit, but I just liked hanging out by that run-down church. It was quiet and gave me the space I needed to find God. And there was some cool wildlife too!

What happened next?
God spoke to me. I mean I heard the audible voice of Yahweh. I was praying in the derelict church building and suddenly a voice came from the crucifix there at the front of the building. It said 3 words that just re-wrote my life… “Rebuild my church”. That was it. And that’s all I’ve been trying to do ever since. Not so much to do with bricks and mortar – it’s the Body of Christ that needs to be restored. God’s people are so compromised, living so far from the example of Jesus. Christ’s Body must be healed and restored.

So what did you do when you heard the voice?
I freaked out! Imagine hearing the actual voice of God! After I calmed down a bit I figured the best place to start was in that very building. So I began repairing the ruined walls of that little church. Real hard physical labour! When God speaks, you should always start small, start practical, start where you are. And don’t be afraid to take God literally – most people are too scared to take God at his word!

How did your parents react?
Dad was livid. Especially when I started just giving away everything I owned to the poor. He kept telling me how hard he’d worked for those possessions and saying I had no right to give them away. But I was only trying to be obedient to Jesus and follow his radical example. Eventually my dad got so desperate he hauled me in front of the local bishop.

That must have been scary
Not really. It was quite exciting actually. I hated upsetting my dad but I had never been surer of anything in all my life and I had never felt so free. I realised that if I was gonna ‘rebuild the church’ it would have to start with me! So I stood in front of that bishop in his lavish robes and stripped off!

You got naked in front of a bishop?
Yup! I renounced all claim to my Dad’s estate, so he wouldn’t have to worry about me giving his stuff away any more. And then I remembered that he had even paid for the clothes I was wearing. So I just took them off there and then and found myself standing butt naked in front of a bishop! I turned to my dad and said that from now on my only father would be ‘Our Father who art in heaven’. I chose to put all my confidence in him to provide for my needs.

What happened next?
Someone gave me an old robe to cover myself up, which is what all of us in this movement now wear – just a basic grey, scratchy robe. Finding myself out on the road with absolutely nothing I remembered a travelling troupe of French jugglers I’d once seen. They just juggled for money and went wherever they wanted. I decided I’d be ‘Le Jongleur de Dieu’ (God’s Juggler). I just began wandering through the towns and villages, preaching the gospel and living in utter poverty.

But how did ’God’s juggler’ end up starting a whole movement?
By accident! The surprising thing was how many of my old friends from my pre-Christian days decided to give up everything and join me on this adventure! A girl called Clare Favone from my hometown left a very wealthy background and became the first woman in the team. From there it’s just grown and gone crazy. There seem to be people all over the world now living like this. If they’re men they’re called ‘Franciscans’ (which I hate – it’s not about me it’s about being disciples of Jesus). And the ladies are called ‘Little Clares’ after Clare Favone.

 

Many people have described this as one of the greatest spiritual movements in history. You certainly went a long way in rebuilding the church and your influence is still being felt 1000 years later. How did that happen?
It’s simple. I just obeyed God. Anything else that has happened is down to him. Ask Jesus how he did it, not me.

You’re known for your love of animals.
Yes I do love all God’s creatures. They all carry something of him. Maybe you’ll think I’m stupid but sometimes I just can’t help preaching the gospel to them, especially when I can’t find any people to tell! I think there will be all sorts of surprising creatures in heaven.

When you found all these people joining you, what did you do?
I developed a ‘Rule’ – a set of advice that would hold us all together and keep us true to the call. But I’ll let you into a little secret – I cheated! Even the pope has now given my Rule the thumbs up, but actually I just copied all my ideas from the Gospels! They’re not new at all. I probably should just have handed out Bibles instead of writing the Rule, but then people think they know what the Bible is all about. There are a few other things we do like we all greet each other with the salutation ‘Peace and Good’. Why? Because this world is so violent and so evil. We are called to be different. We are called to be humble, non-materialistic and more in love with God than the things he has created.

Do you believe in miracles?
Absolutely! I remember once meeting a blind girl from the city of Bevagna. She was so in love with Jesus and my heart just went out to her. I spat on my hands and marked her eyes 3 times in the name of the Trinity. And she was healed! She opened her eyes and she could see. We had such fun talking with her all night and showing her the simplest things that were so exciting to her! There’s a truth in that. The simplest things are the most amazing. Another time a guy from Orte came to me with a tumour between his shoulders the size of a loaf of bread. Can you believe that? I laid hands on him and blessed him and the tumour just vanished! What an amazing thing it is to be a follower of Christ – I’m the wealthiest, most blessed, most undeserving person I know.

That’s one of the weird things about you. Most people would expect a homeless beggar to be miserable but you always seem so happy!
Thanks! I just can’t help it. God is so incredible and I feel such joy bubbling up inside that sometimes I can’t keep it in. You know, when I got to stand in front of the pope I was practically dancing! My friends tease me because when I speak I’m always moving my feet around in a little dance because I’m normally so happy!

 

You’re an old man now and you recently resigned from leading the Franciscan Order. Why was that?
I want to get back to that young man camped next to the church in San Damiano. I never meant to start a movement. I just want to be a disciple. It’s all getting a bit political for my liking and I want to keep things simple. Hey – I’ve got an idea. It’s Christmas 1223. How about we stop this interview and celebrate together in style? I’ve found a cave and I want to do something that will blow people round here away with the Christmas message. I’m going to make a manger and borrow a tiny baby from one of the women in the village! The farmer has agreed to lend me 6 of his cows and a sheep. Let’s light it all with candles and get the villagers all come and see. But keep it a surprise!

 

That sounds a lot of fun, but before we do that I have a favour to ask. Would you just speak the words of your most famous prayer for me?
OK, but then I need to go and get that baby. I like Sinead O’Connor’s version best, so perhaps I’ll sing it…
“Make me a channel of your peace…”