The humility of Francis, the wisdom of Anthony

Editorial Staff

Francis and Anthony are two saints who lived in the same period. Francis, even if he went to various regions of Italy to preach, remained deeply tied to Assisi where he was born in 1182 and died on 4 October 1226; Anthony instead moved from his native Lisbon (1195) to North Africa and then returned to Italy, went to France and then spent his last years in Padua, where he died on 13t June 1231. Two saints who were different in social extraction and formation, in temperament and evangelical style, but who had the same passion in following Christ. Both had been rich and happy young people; both had dreamed of dedicating themselves to military enterprises; both had abandoned their wealth to embrace a life of poverty and put themselves at the service of the poor; both had also tried, in vain, to become missionaries among the Islamic of Morocco. Tradition has it that the paths of Francis and Anthony crossed in Assisi 800 years ago: let's go through the event together. We are at the end of May 1221. The streets of the Umbrian plain resounded with songs and prayers: groups of Friars Minor, coming from various regions of…