Interactions between Reflection and Praxis in the History of Economic Thought. The Case of the Franciscan Circles from XIII Century to the Present

Daniela Parisi Revista Cultura Económica Año XXIX • Nº 80 Agosto 2011: 29-40

I. Introductory remarks I would like to start from the evidence that the Franciscan movement, which developed In all its long history the Church has from and around the Franciscan order, always been aware of the challenge the world began as an attempt at social and religious presents. This awareness has been a stimulus reformation. to reflect on the reality of worldly affairs, and Gratuity, brotherhood, giving - we doubtless the awareness itself has been provoked by find difficulty in defining convincingly what thought and discussion not only within the we mean by these words. We tend to form our Church. In this contribution I wish to refer to ideas on these fundamental concepts only 2 the dynamic interactions between reflection when we come across concrete situations . and praxis within the Church, in particular, Even the philosophical reflection of our within Franciscan circles. (Etchegaray et al., own times confirms these doubts and makes 1989; Boswell, McHugh, Verstraeten et al., me more confident in following this method, 2000). I wish to start from the evidence that in trying to achieve more clarity in defining interrupted the silence about meanings. Our perception of what constitutes the novelties which accompanied the revival evangelical form, changes and strengthens th through time by sharing and expressing of trade in the 13 Century: it was a silence personal experience on different levels, both (some would have said it was deliberate) which near and far in time and space; experience embraced the merchants in their cities as much that accumulates in time and space and gives as the official spokesmen of the Church: Francis substance to the meaning of the term justice, replies to the call of the crucified Christ (the good, peace, brotherhood, etc. crucifix of San Damiano) who said to him: We can only say what we find tolerable or “Francis, go and rebuild My House which, intolerable now, when a situation presents as you can see, is falling down into ruin” (St. itself or it is perceived as a reflection of our Bonaventura, Legenda Maior, II). system of values or, on the contrary, when it Rebuilding the Church signified for is in contrast with it. him first, restoring its walls and foremost, Investigating into our own system of values recuperating the Gospel message and living it of reference is experience, just as our carrying to the full. For Francis, as Franciscan scholars it into the streets, into the world around us declare, becoming an alter Christus – “another to make it tangible, to interpret it, to put it Jesus Christ” - meant living each day as a into practice in acts and gestures repeated sacrament, accepting wholeheartedly life as and connected to one another. a special grace, making life in society a life of The unacceptability of a situation that sharing brotherhood, and living in the world we experience either directly or indirectly as being at home1. prompts us to find the path to a possible

Revista Cultura Económica 29 justice, peace, good… to a way of life true to immersion in the new commercial society. the Gospel, that takes other people’s views He saw that the society of his time had a into consideration too. new characteristic: a different conception of wealth and poverty. The relationship between wealth and poverty was changing because II. St. Francis and the “new things” in the whole social structure, which goes with a Assisi model of daily life was changing, too - a new model in which the chief characteristic was My thoughts proceed from this general having, using and handling money. remark, to rest on the hub of a particular In Assisi the possession of money –“big” tradition which has offered its own vision of money – was becoming the main reference reality within the Roman Catholic Church, and point for evaluating the social position of which offers an example, a definite rule of life, the different persons, of their relationships which continues, practically unchanged, to and activities; everybody’s identity was evaluate “new things” and operate in the world. either obtained or lost, was socially accepted I am referring to the tradition of St. Francis or ignored in accordance with possessing of Assisi. I am convinced that we can learn a monetary wealth. It was money, in the sense great deal “from this specific experience, in of material riches what gave value and order to apply our discernment when engaged significance to life. Comparing to the decade for social action”, as this meeting proposes. of 1960, when they used to say “the medium A marked characteristic in Francis’s life is the message”, they should have said that was that of being itself a judgement of the money, which was supposed to be the means society in his time. He lived in Assisi in the of trade, had become its very message: “For 13th Century. Assisi was one of the most the person who pays, no questions are asked”. important centres of the new economic Money talks in the precise sense that “money system of that century; money had become works irrespective of the persons involved in vital blood of the city and the surrounding a transaction” (Little, 1975: 13-14). countryside – indeed, money united these two According to contemporary writings, realities in a single system. Not only in the the situation was like this: on the one side sense that everything was paid for in cash, the increasing profits from commerce and but in the sense that the whole concept of speculative transactions brought about an wealth and poverty was redefined according investment diversion, to the detriment of to the new criteria of possession of material agriculture. Agriculture fell in lack of tools goods, no longer agreeing to the old values and cattle, that is to say, the essentials for of feudal power. farming. This changed the nature of the relationship On the other side, the presence of “new” between people, people and nature, people wealthy people brought about an undermining and time, people and society. Francis meditates of the traditional social standards and, in on the new state of affairs and chooses a path the meantime, a rising and spreading fear that puts him outside the logic of the system of sudden poverty. of relationships, which was becoming the As a result of the phenomena, poverty prevailing one in the city; this puts him outside increased: “new” poor people in the countryside the new commercial economy established as well as in towns. In addition, there was in Assisi. He bases this choice on a critical an increase in avarice and distrust, due to view which is morally but also economically the rising fear strictly linked with the “new justifiable. things” and the general state of inexperienced He chooses to remain outside, but not uncertainty3. fruitlessly. He puts forward his own proposal, This way life, which was not based on creatively. He proposes a model of “voluntary relationships with people and things, was material poverty”, to be taken as a deep not recognized or experienced as a free gift rejection of a certain interpretation of life, an of God. If this is the society which Francis interpretation which involved the inhabitants had before his eyes and if these were his of Assisi in a non-critical, undiscerning judgements of the way of life that was taking

30 Año XXIX • Nº 80 • Agosto 2011 root, his proposal was intended as a sign of rational knowledge of the phenomenon trade/ how to approach this novelty so that it may money to measure it against an evangelical turn into a chance to live in harmony with model of reference. I am referring to his creation in the light of the Gospel. analysis of the formation of prices, of the conditions of demand for goods and their supply on the market, his analysis of the III. St. Francis reflects on the meaning of mercantile trade, of the public utility of trade the “new things” and makes his proposal as creating the provision of necessary goods, the analysis of the duties and risks that this We don’t want to discuss whether at the activity brings with it and from which a profit root of that change in Assisi there was the is derived, which, justified by the function, is abandoning of God as the basic reference therefore, morally legitimate. But even the which, in turn, led to the use of the new analysis of the commutatio by Duns Scotus and means (money) and to its negative influence Antoninus, are all examples of the challenge on relationships between people in the town. put forward by reason7. Neither we want to discuss the reverse that A set of phenomena and behaviours came is the influence of the sudden introduction about in Assisi, which started processes that of money as a great new driving force that in no way leaded to fraternity. Therefore caused its possession to become the one money, which could have been considered and only criterion of reference between the an instrument at the disposal of the whole inhabitants. town, poor and rich alike, an opportunity for Neither it would be helpful to make a creating individual profit, but also common historical judgement on what all this meant wealth, was being used in such a way that the for the traditional structure of Assisi’s society. relationship between the rich and the poor Up to that moment, internal relations, as well was signed by confrontation, dividing which as those with the outside world were rigidly in nature, in God’s plan, was a brotherhood. governed on the basis of reference to power, In this sense we must consider Francis’s which had been inherited or won on the proposal of a “voluntary material poverty”: field and consolidated into stable hereditary aimed at showing how to employ the novelty feudal hierarchy; now this system was losing brought by money, in order to transform it its meaning to be substituted with the novelty into an opportunity of life in harmony with of stratifying maiores and minores on the basis creation8. of the power of money4. He proposes the lifestyle of a “poor This change created an interesting source of preacher” who does not live as a stranger to study for historians in many spheres because society, does not set himself outside the city of its uniqueness in the 13th Century: it has boundaries, and does not run away from been a subject for research for historians of real life and the changes it imposes. The the institutions, the Church, the economy, for preacher, indeed, bases his credibility upon historians of economic thought, philosophy, a life of poverty. The poverty of St. Francis literature and art.5 is first of all, a refusal of the possession of What concerns us here is that, in Francis’s wealth. This, if used in a way that upsets eyes, the novelty was seen by his fellow and divides the universal membership of the townspeople as a distraction from the reference family created by God, can be an instrument to God, the father and creator. The ‘new thing’ of prevarication. Moreover, the meaning of St. made people take their decisions in a light Francis’s poverty is an act of approaching both which not only severed the right relationship the human relationships and the relationship of people with God, but led to negative with God with an attitude of “minority”. It is consequences in the system of relationships in this sense that “to become wealthy” is “to ruling within the created world6. receive from God”. Receiving and handling On this distortion of social relationships these gifts from God keeps the believer in from the model of reference the analysis of the desired attitude: Francis proposed the Pietro di Giovanni Olivi is emblematic: in an model of a spiritual guide (preacher) which unusual manner for those times, he achieves a was intended by his followers also as a model

Revista Cultura Económica 31 of a way of life. They intended the state of were now increased to eight… Two more being poor, beggar, itinerant, or hermit, provinces were also made in France … as a choice of a model which could inspire Finally, in 1263, two further provinces came the listening to the Gospel: a Form of Living into existence: Milan and Romania… This and the Rule of an Order. This was the task made a total of 34 provinces… to be accomplished for, not necessarily by intending material poverty as a state of life, In addition, a number of Vicariates was also but by using poverty or wealth as conditions set up: by 1300 three in Europe and three in to spiritual wealth9. the East. Since then, there were also in some The proposal of this alternative way of living other places in North Africa and Russia. And: is in contrast with the one against a fraternal attitude in society: new forms of wealth and When the Observant movement came poverty were present and therefore, new into being toward the end of the fourteenth ways of considering these, too; new needs century, the who accepted this were emerging. St. Francis thought that the discipline soon became independent of model of the poor preacher satisfied the the main part of the Order (Conventuals) needs that were making their way within the and set up their own organization… A list society, which were constituted, first of all, by of Observant provinces in 1506 gives forty a desire of sense. seven provinces and two areas which they At that time, anyone who examined the describe as Custodies (Moorman, Appendix socio-economic novelties, tried to understand I and Appendix II, 1983: 691-697). the new needs and to connect them with the new state of things. In this situation of growing establishment This proposal made by St. Francis had of an Order, which rapidly “shifted from very high costs for the individual, for the social dissent as a fraternity into the social Order, and for society as a whole. The costs responsibility of an order” there were very deep were high for those who decided to take on internal tensions concerning the observance Francis proposal and spread it in the world. of the rule up to the point that. It was high for the original community which grew to become a “ruled” religious Order, a The Friars Minor could not agree on the largely spread and articulated body. In his rule at their general Chapter in 1230. They famous catalogue of the Medieval Franciscan no longer enjoyed the consensus which Houses, Moorman writes that. carried Francis and his brothers into the 1220s. In the early years the brothers had By the year 1217 the work of the friars worked out an economically and humanly had grown to such an extent that it was persuasive way of life. Then, in the 1220s, decided to divide the work and to set up a men in increasing numbers entered the number of provinces. Italy has been divided organization around Francis with other into six provinces… France was divided ideas about the organization’s purposes. into two … The remainder was grouped And so the Friars Minor in 1230 had no into three: Germany (which included all way of reaching a sound agreement on the work in Central and Eastern Europe), “the rule and life”. Spain (also known as S. Jacobi or Portugal) The ministers at the chapter spoke and Holy land (or Syria). Shortly afterwards, about the rule as from two distinct cultures between 1219 and 1223, two other provinces as well as at cross purposes. One culture were created: Aquitaine and England. No came from the schools, the other came from other provinces were made until 1230 early Franciscan life. The learned culture when the following were created: Saxony eventually defined the Franciscan norm, …, Ireland, Aragon and Castile. During both the meaning of Franciscan life as well the next nine years a large number of as its rules. Alien to the founding years, provinces was brought into being as the it had much difficulty and no enduring number of convents grew rapidly… The success in imposing itself on its social body two provinces of Germany … and Saxony (Flood, 1992: 43.)10.

32 Año XXIX • Nº 80 • Agosto 2011 Costs were high for society too; if we to propose some bases for reflection: look at the history of that time, it can help 1) If we search for the way that positive us to understand this. On the one hand, involvement must take, it is helpful to look at we know of the difficulties of relationship the real suffering of our life in society, the real and the tensions between Order, clerics and discomfort, the new forms of disillusionment. Papal Authority on the subject of the role We can look and interpret Francis’s way “here of in the church, between the and now” in the sense that we can be persuaded papal pressure towards clericalization, and that it is not in terms of broad principles of a that of Franciscan theologians to underline system based on political decisions, on coercive the providential importance of the Order power, that we can ground the concept that (Capitani, 1985; Flood, 1992, Lambertini, God is peace, and justice. In this sense, we 2002; Todeschini, 2002 (mainly: Chapter I, do not want to follow ideals either inspired 4 about monks and “rationality”; Chapter II by “secular moralism”, or in the hope of a about “possessing”)11. On the other hand, the “Christian civilization” or inspired by the disagreements between the different cultures: concept of “Christian politics”, in whatever after those well-known chapters of the Sources form it is possible. We must look for the way about the mission of the brethren, about the of positive involvement. first seven brothers on mission, their failure, Francis would say: repair the Church, not and then about Francis in Syria, Morocco and by changing the world into a cloister, not by Egypt, definite inculturization problems arose bringing the cloister closer to the city, but when the brothers began to migrate and to by bringing the open cloister right into the build convents, when the time of political heart of the city. This is the concept of Dante’s negotiations was followed by the attempts cloister, open both to the sky and to the chatter at understanding one another and creating 12 and business of the town, open to the Spirit in a dialogue . And finally, we know of the order to develop contemplation and personal debates going on in society at large – between relationships, open to prayer and work. This trades and professions: these debates are an is the cloister that makes evident, through its important part of the history of the facts and ideas of the XIII and XIV centuries and much daily tasks, the original and universal sharing has been written about them. of God’s gifts. This argument touches both Francis was on the ridge between spirituality the life within the Order and the presence (choice of prayer and preaching) and material of the Friars in the world. reality (choice of poverty) and he kept exactly As to the first aspect, the Franciscan Friars on balance between the two all his life. His idea gathered for the Conference of the European was to live the spiritual side of life concretely, Delegates of Justice Peace Integrity of Creation and the material side of life spiritually, and (JPIC) Commission (Assisi, November 2002), he made decisions that kept him from sliding asked themselves what the correct response would down either of the slopes. He strove to create be, in order to give a Franciscan testimony to a “space”, a dimension within the world, that the values of the Gospel in this particular time permitted the establishment and perfection of where there is more inter-relationship in the everyday relations and without interrupting world, since they are more and more “aware them. This was proposed as well, for those of the links between poverty, environmental who did not share the Franciscan rule of life. devastation and development”. The “space” was filled with the usus pauper Today the Franciscan Order takes on the of things and interpersonal relations, that was responsibility of being heir to St. Francis’s meant to be the opposite of overvaluation of message by asking how the Order can continue temporal things and the interpretation of to “be a sign for the times by living [our] the holy message, which was focussed on its the commitment to poverty and minority, literal meaning13. eliminating the superfluous from our lives and living with respect for all creatures”. IV. Some concluding (not conclusive) The answer that has been given very recently remarks by the Minister General to the friars seems to remind everybody that the way “we organize On the basis of this analysis, I would like our society … directly affects human dignity

Revista Cultura Económica 33 and the capacity of individuals to grow in world comes from specific knowledge (the community”. He asks “brothers and sisters [of sciences); we are helped by the discussions in the Order] to be coherent, that is to say, that the field of morality, both by the debate on our works should reflect the evangelical life moral ideas of the Church and the discussion we have chosen, a life open to the will of God. of those ideas within the Church. There is We must offer such a transparent image that also the possibility of mixing the two levels, it does not give rise to doubts or ambiguities as we can see in the cases - for example - of on our evangelical option”. Populorum Progressio, Laborem Exercens17, Helping the Church to read the signs of the Centesimus Annus18. times, he concludes, means making oneself The interpretation of the present situation the sign of the times, by integrating “justice, makes us concentrate on the new reality, which peace and the integrity of creation” in life together with traditional certainties, makes and mission of the Order, and by generating up the present time on which we are called “right relationships” for each , in each to learn to act. fraternity, with all the others and with creation I have said that we might consider St. (Giacomo Bini ofm, Minister General, Assisi, Francis’s choice as a parable. We know that a October 2002). parable is a form of not “obvious” or “direct” This remark brings us directly to the second preaching – a form of preaching used by aspect of what the Franciscan Friars hold as Christ in public but not in private, so that his important, i.e. not “founding an exemplary message was not immediately understandable fraternity but being himself [every Friar] a but had to be discovered by each individual. fraternal man”14. The significance of the parable is a matter of Francis did not allow Assisi to decide what personal research, and is not a kind of recipe he and his friars should do: nor did he allow that a good book makes available to any hasty himself to be part of the town affairs nor did dabbler completely ignorant of the art19. he have an institutional role. Francis neither From this point of view, the life of Francis experienced nor chose for his brotherhood of Assisi can be seen as a parable because each a “de-situated” life, a special life inside a one of us has to make the effort to uncover “bordered area”, an “oasis cut off from the the specific meaning of the “new life” that St. world”, with its own special regulations. He Francis embodies and which points to God. heard the voice of God through the concrete As in every parable, the life of St. Francis experience of the life of Assisi: he did not holds something surprising which transmits look for friends or partners by choosing to us a concept of the extraordinary that “cuts and picking through the inhabitants of the across the prevailing realism and suggests town, but he simply recognised the people he another dimension of reality which impinges found there as brothers and sisters. He lived upon the strictly human one” (Via, 1967: 66.). within, without accepting the perspectives Francis’s choice is a choice of Christian which seemed to accompany the fact of being brotherhood, and the story of his life, in all a citizen of that town15. the episodes that have been passed down to I am stressing here the importance for every us, is a continual confirmation of this choice20. person to maintain their personal identity and We must ask ourselves, however, what is the vocation in the city where they live so that the specific Franciscan manner of experiencing city may go on building itself, and renewing brotherhood, what are the specific implications itself, welcoming and recognising the new for our lives – those touching on interpersonal elements, getting integrated. It is not a matter relationships, on the relationship with God, of building on the basis of separate parts but on the relationship with nature – through of safeguarding a new found identity16. which the proposal of Christian brotherhood becomes part of our identity and is interpreted 2) This way of thinking of Francis makes daily in the varied Franciscan family. it possible for us to reflect and interpret our First, we can assert that a typical Franciscan present situation. In our attempt we have a way of living and making tangible the much more organized and varied tradition gratuitousness of the relationships among to help us, since our interpretation of the people and between God and the single

34 Año XXIX • Nº 80 • Agosto 2011 person is the sharing of individual capacities profoundly and rationally conscious of this and duties: working in the “city” has this deep usefulness; we are able to be the master of meaning and it is seen as a continuation of goods by using them, distributing them, and creation, or better still a co-creation. administrating them without making them A statement like this, related to capacity, “immovable”, without attaching ourselves duties, work, and respect of human personality, greedily to them22. raises a wide range of questions. This message seems to go on revealing its Nowadays work is considered more human very essential meaning for us, now, when men when it uses intelligence and imagination, when and women “produced by our civilization a person can take part in the work process have thought only about possessing” (Leclerc, with all his capabilities, with his dignity as cit.: 12). a person, with creativity, with adaptability, Certainly, money is still an element of with lively ability to keep himself up-to-date. contradiction and a source of inconsistency Work uses our insight, experience, powers between our daily choices and our point of of judgement, as well as our physical abilities reference in the Gospel: this is also true on a - all operations through which we help to planetary scale. But not only money reveals create the world while getting to know it. our lifestyle in real terms. Possession and power over material riches, In every age there are goods whose possession on the other hand, permit a few people to determines the social position in which each “enter the educated and prosperous system, person lives. We are asked to refuse to make while the vast majority remains on the side of a pact with the new idol of our society: the the road, without participation, even without style of poverty, in the sense of rejection of hopes” (Calvez, in Boswell, McHugh and power and financial interest for itself or as a Verstareten, 2000: 11). means to power, is putting oneself to the test It is not always possible to keep abreast through daily work, seen as a continuation of ever new requirements as very often the of the divine act of creation. In this light, worker is not strong, or intelligent, or capable work becomes the restitution of freedom and enough. So the social economic scene brings autonomy (caring for physical suffering) and humiliation instead of gratification to the gives back to people the power to share23. human personality. In this light, the spiritual attitude of minority 3) If we go along this path thoroughly and is not precisely a “concrete function to be widen the perspective, we see that St. Francis’s fulfilled” but a “permanent state” of mission parable discloses its inner core behind every “helped by no fixed property; it is a mission single human act: dispossession is what binds to be lived among the people as servant of and combines the single facts of St. Francis’s all, submissive, peaceful and humble” (J. biography and it is what makes fraternity come Garrido ofm, in: -Office true. As Pietro di Giovanni Olivi wrote soon of JPIC, Instruments of Peace – A Franciscan afterwards, poverty is an “intellectual choice” Resource Book for JPIC, 1999). Minority is for which donum, oblatio, eleemosyna, are not a “key for our [minor brothers and sisters] only a form of humiliation but above all, an self-understanding and for overcoming a model opportunity for trying out both by individuals of society that excludes many” (P. Schorr ofm, and entire communities, one’s own particular Letter from the International Congress of Justice, capacities and, with an eye to following a life Peace and Integrity of Creation to our Brothers, in of perfection, to use wealth without abusing Intruments of Peace…, 1999, cit.: 265. About it (Todeschini, 2002: 193). “Minorite love”: Peixoto, 2000). This possibility of an usus pauper of things, In spite of the fact that in this brief paper of the “unpossessive” (non avarus) disposition I have made special reference to the Order both towards wealth and towards poverty, of the Friars Minor, I do not wish to forget to depends also on one’s ability to develop underline that it is the whole Franciscan family through life the understanding of the economic which shows us a specific manner to put into and rational significance (in the sense of recta practice a central element of Christian living, ratio) of this use21. We use material goods that is acceptance of gifts. Life gets simpler “purely” because they are useful and we are and more of one piece around that central

Revista Cultura Económica 35 message only if you free yourself from the References rest. Getting rid of your own will as the chief value means giving to whatever life brings a Alberzoni M.P., Bartoli Langeli A., leading role. In this sense, real wealth is the Casagrande G., et al. (1997) Francesco most valuable thing, and it is also the coinage d’Assisi e il primo secolo di storia francescana, to use and put into circulation. Torino, Einaudi. It is a matter of co-operating and acting Baron H. (1938). “Franciscan Poverty”, in vigorously, neither creating a chain of Speculum, 13: 1-37. dependency-inducing relationships, nor (1988). In Search of Florentine Civic partnerships characterised by unequal, unfair, Humanism: Essays on the Transition from master-servant, paternalistic relationships; nor Medieval to Modern Thought, Princeton. forming external dominations, as we act within Bartoli M. (1992). “La povertà e il existing cultures, institutional architectures, movimento francescano femminile”, in ways of living; nor using managerialism Società Internazionale di Studi francescani and the meta-language of management in - Centro Interuniversitario di Studi improbable places and situations. Anyway, Francescani, Dalla “Sequela Christi” : 223- our everyday life runs the risk of cultivating 248. a misrepresentation of reality and of making Boswell J.S., McHugh F.P. and J. Verstraeten, each of us donors – at least men/women (2000). Catholic Social Thought: Twilighr or helping donors – or recipients of false riches Renaissance?, Leuven. that create false discourses and practices. Burr D. and Flood D., 1980, “Peter Johm Olivi: On Poverty and Revenue”, in 4) In the end we must ask ourselves what Franciscan Studies, 18: 18-58. instruments do Franciscans hope to use Burr D. (1992) “Introduction”, in Id., ed., nowadays to put into practice this line of Petrus Ioannis Olivi, De Usu Paupere, spirituality, and I myself ask: Is there and, Olschki Editore (Firenze) – University of if so, what is “minorite economics” today? W. Australia Press, Perth: IX-XXXIX. On this issue I can put together some brief Capitani O. (1985) “Ipotesi sociali del indications coming from recent documents francescanesimo medievale: orientamenti produced within the Franciscan Family. e considerazioni”, in San Francesco, Atti Today the Order of Friars Minor is “strongly dei Convegni Lincei, n. 68, Accademia recommended” by its General- Nazionale dei Lincei, Roma: 39-85. Director of JPIC Office in , to insert Coleman (1987) “Property and Poverty”, in “fraternities in poor areas while respecting The Cambridge History of Medieval Political popular cultures and religious devotions and Thought, Cambridge: 607-648. practices”; he feels the urgency to concretize Etchegaray R., “Esiste una “dottrina sociale” the ideal of minority through “the practice della Chiesa?”, in Etchegaray et al. (1989) of justice and a simple lifestyle”. Il Magistero sociale della Chiesa. Principi This general aim has to be pursued e nuovi contenuti, Atti del Convegno di paying careful attention to the promotion of Studio (Milan April 14th-16th 1988), “greater equality among the friars and greater Vita e Pensiero, Milano: 11-22. accountability for the administration of the Flood D. (1975). “Foreword”, in (1975) resources” of the fraternities, and, at the same Poverty in the Middle Ages, Franziskanische time, initiating without delay “a process of Forschungen, Paderborn: 9-10. reflection regarding ethical investment and (1984). “Assis’ Rules and People Needs. The patrimony”; “facing the ever-new challenges Initial Determination of the Franciscan of being friars in today’s world”, establishing Mission”, in “Franziskanische Studien”, an ongoing internal dialogue and network 66: 91-104. within the Franciscan Family, engaging serious (1989). Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan reflections on JPIC values and issues24. Movement, The Franciscan Institute of Asia, Quezon City. (1992) “The Order’s Master Franciscan Institution from 1226 to 1280”, in Società

36 Año XXIX • Nº 80 • Agosto 2011 Internazionale di Studi francescani del farncescanesimo, Edizioni Francescane, - Centro Interuniversitario di Studi Milano. Francescani, Dalla “Sequela Christi”: 41- Moorman J.R.H. (1983). “Medieval 78. Franciscan Houses”, Franciscan Institute Fumagalli E. (2002). San Francesco, il Cantico Publications, History Series No. 4, St. e il Pater Noster, Jaca Book, Milan. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, Garin E. (1965). Italian Humanism, New New York. York (I ed. Bern, 1947). Nelson B. (1948). The Idea of Usury, International Franciscan (OFM) Congress, Philadelphia. (October 2000). Instruments of Peace led by Niebuhr R. (1953). Christian Faith and Social the Spirit, Vossenack, Germany ( Materials Action, in Hutchison J.A., Ed., Christian compiled by G. F. O’ Conaire OFM, Faith and Social Action, Charles Scribner’s Rome, September 2001). Sons, New York-London: 225-242. Kirschner J. and Lo Prete K. (1984). “John Order of Friars Minor-Office of JPIC (1999). Olivi’s Treatise on Contracts of Sale, Usury Instruments of Peace – A Franciscan Resource and Restitution: Minorite Economics or Book for JPIC (ofm-jpic.org/handbook). Minor Works?”, in Quaderni fiorentini, 13: Peixoto J., “Gratuitous And Minority Love” 233-285. of the Franciscans in relation to Ecology Lambert M.D. (1961). “Franciscan Poverty: (2000) International Franciscan the Doctrine of the Absolute Poverty of (OFM) Congress, Vossenack, Germany, Christ and the Apostles in the Franciscan Instruments os Peace led by the Spirit: 91- Order 1210-1323”, London, S.P.C.K. 112. Lambertini R., Momenti della formazione Potestà Gian Luca (2002) “Introduzione”, in dell’identità francescana nel contesto Guglielmo di Rubruc, Viaggio nell’Impero della disputa con i secolari (1255-1279), dei Mongoli, traduzione e note di Luisa in Società Internazionale di Studi Dalledonne, Genova, Marietti: IX-XXXV. francescani - Centro Interuniversitario di Putnam R. (1993). Making Democracy Work: Studi Francescani, Dalla “Sequela Christi”: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy, Princeton 123-172. University Press, New York.. Little, K.L. (1992). Religious Poverty and the Società Internazionale di Studi francescani Profit Economy in Medieval Europe, Ithaca, - Centro Interuniversitario di Studi Cornell University Press (I ed. London, Francescani (1992). Dalla “Sequela P. Elek). Christi” di Francesco d’Assisi all’apologia Martini C.M. (1996). Perché Gesù parlava in della povertà, Att idel XVII Convegno parabole, EDB-EMI, Bologna (I ed. 1985). internazionale (Assisi, 18-20 ottobre Martini C.M. (2002). Message delivered on the 1990), Centro Italiano di Studi sull’Alto Occasion of “Giornata della Solidarietà”, Medioevo, Spoleto. February 9th, 2002. Sontag F. (1992). “Who are the Truly Martini C.M. (2002). Discorso di Mileto, Poor? St. Francis, Leonardo Boff, and centro Ambrosiano, Milano, May 28th, Katzanzakis”, in Franciscan Studies, 52: 2002. 233-246. Martini C.M. (2002) Message delivered to Rosenwein B.K. and Little L.K. (1974). Milan Municipality, June 28th, 2002. “Social Meaning in the Monastic and Mawdsley E., Porter G. and Townsend Mendicant Spiritualities”, in Past and J. (2001). The Role of the Transnational Present, 63: 4-23. Community of NGDO’s, “Development Spicciani A. (1980). “Usura e carestie in un Studies Association Annual Conference, canonista del XIII secolo (Sinibalkdo 2001”. de’ Fieschi, papa Innocenzo IV)”, in Ch. Merino, J.A. (1991). Vision franciscana de Wickham, Istituzioni ecclesiastiche della la vida cotidiana, Ediciones Paulinas, Toscana medievale, Galatina, 1980. Madrid. Spicciani A., Vian P. and Andenna G., eds. Merlo, G.G. (2003). Nel nome di San (1990) Pietro di Giovanni Olivi. Usure Francesco. Storia dell’Ordine dei frati minori e compere e vendite..., Europia, Milano.

Revista Cultura Económica 37 Tabarroni A. (2000). “Povertà e potere nella 5 With reference to its effect on art history, see tradizione francescana”, in Dolcini C. Thode, 1885. “The idea that religion and nature (ed.), Il pensiero politico dell’ìetà antica e are one harmonious whole is an idea that originates medievale. Dalla polis alla formazione degli in Francis of Assisi (…) by examining the Christian faith, translating it into tangible images and giving Stati europei, Utet, Torino: 175-207. it popular form [Franciscans] have given Christian Thode H., 1934 (1885, 1904, 1926), Franz art one of the main conditions for its existence”. The von Assis, (It. Ed. Francesco d’Asssi e le main elements which emerge are: the recognition origini dell’arte del Rinascimento in Italia), of the personality of each and every human being, Donzelli, Roma, 1993. nature as a go-between between men and God: man Todeschini G. (2002). I mercanti e il tempio. contemplates God through nature, contemplated by La società cristiana e il circolo virtuoso della man and the image of God. In this sense 13th Century ricchezza fra Medioevo ed Età Moderna, Il Tuscany is the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. See: Bellosi, Prefazione, in Thode, 1993: XI). Mulino, Bologna. 6 Verstraeten J. (1989). “L’insegnamento “God, Who through the Word creates all things and keep them into existence, gives men an enduring sociale della Chiesa come fonte di witness to Himself in created realities” (Dei Verbum, ispirazione per il “Centre d’ économie Nov. 18th 1965, n. 3; with reference to: Rom., 1, 19- et étique” dell’Università Cattolica di 20). We can intuit God invisible qualities, applying Lovanio”, in Etchegaray et al. (1989): our mind to created realities, because these qualities 247-256. are testified in created realities (natural divine Via D.O. (1967). The Parables: their Literaly revelation). and Existential Domension, Fortress Press, The recent interpretation of The Canticle of Brother Philadelphia, 1974. Sun by Edoardo Fumagalli is of interest as it suggests Zerbi P. (2002). Philospophi e logici - Un that the Latin preposition per in the lines of praise ventennio di incontri e scontri: Soisson, should not be interpreted as through, but may well have the value of agent and therefore should be Sens, Cluny (1121-1141), Vita e Pensiero/ understood as by [all Your creatures] (Fumagalli, 2000). Istituto Storico Italiano per il Medioevo, 7 This process initiated in the 12th Century with the Milano. debate between Bernard and Abelard and the work http://www.franciscan-archive.org.(2000) of mediation made – with “intelligent friendliness” The writings of St. Francis of Assisi. Translated and “charity”, giving witness to genuine Christian from the Critical Latin Edition, edited by pluralism – between their opinions by Venerable Fr. Kajetan Esser O.F.M. A Publication of Peter of Cluny (Zerbi, 2002: 160-163), prepared the Franciscan Archive. the ground for the modern proposal of intellectual autonomy, and is said to be the origin of Christian Humanism. 8 “…Holy Lady Poverty, may the Lord save you and your sister, Holy Humility (…) Holy Poverty destroys all cupidity and avarice and anxiety for the things 1 Francis alter Christus in the sense of a ‘living’ of this world. Holy Humility destroys pride, all men adhesion to Christ, able to penetrate the secrets of who are of the world, and all the things which are in the world” (St. Francis, A Salutation to the Virtues). existence, that is, the vital links in the relationship 9 between death and life, desperation and hope, Because poverty or wealth are in themselves failure and success. “spiritually neutral unless accompanied by the 2 On the difficulty in classifying what is just or not for love of God”: we need a religious commitment actions that are “responses to constantly changing to approach poverty (Sontag: 240-242). For a realities and circumstances…” see Beretta in Boswell, discussion of different contemporary positions on McHugh and Verstraeten, 2000: 238. the biblical “option of the poor”, see Dorr: 249 3 See, mainly, Sinibaldo de’ Fieschi, pope Innocent ff. and the very recent Todeschini, 2002, Chapter IV’s Apparatus (1251), Pietro di Giovanni Olivi’s III (about “making use of things”), Chapter VII Tractatus and Enrico di Gand’s Questiones (1276). (about “opportunity of making riches useful for the 4 “…the commutation of feudal military obligations community”), Chapter VIII (about “managing riches as a form of institutionalized charity”). into money payments constituted a major political 10 as well as administrative change (…) The money To read the De vera laetitia and to confront it economy was altering some of the individual’s with what happened in the decade that followed relationship’s with nature, with work, with time, with St. Francis’s death helps us to understand the human society and with his own deepest values and number of metamorphoses experienced by the religious beliefs…” (Little, 1975: 15). Franciscan Order, both within the order itself and

38 Año XXIX • Nº 80 • Agosto 2011 in its relationship with the Church and society. 16 In his Discourse to the City of Milan of 28th June Without taking into consideration the fact that not 2002, cardinal C. M. Martini, at the very time he was much later the dramatic period of decadence of the leaving his archbishopric, he developed this concept. Church and the Order was about to come to a head, 17 The Introduction by Boswell, McHugh and a dramatic aspect is linked, for instance, to the story Verstraeten to the volume Catholic Social Thought: and the fate of Angelo Clareno (Merlo G.G., Nel Twilight or Renaissance? develops the theme of “large nome di San Francesco. Storia dell’Ordine dei frati minori and complex areas which lie between, on the one e del farncescanesimo, Edizioni Francescane, Milano, hand, broad values and principles and values”. forthcoming 2003). Calvez, in the same volume underlines that “the 11 Putnam has claimed that the Catholic Church bishops also have a part to play”, and “the important discouraged the growth of trust by its imposition role of non-official thought in complementing of a hierarchical structure. I think that to limit and carrying forward the official social teaching. this point of view would generate very incomplete Hellemans refers to the need for “a permanent interpretations of what the Medieval Church was: discussion, consultation and co-operation process on horizontal bonds of fellowship were certainly formed social issues…”. Verstraeten focuses on and develops in that part of the Church which stuck to the Rules the theme of the discussions on the use of the term and at the same time the presence of different ‘doctrine’ in Catholic thought and affirms “that a points of view on which interpersonal relationships Catholic social tradition of reflection and praxis, …, were based undoubtedly produced discussion and not only needs inspiration from other traditions of argument (Putnam, 1993). interpretation and inquiry, but from a living relation 12 th In the middle of the 13 Century Papal Bulls from to the text of Bible…”and stresses the importance of Innocent VI to the Tartar king and people were the “biblical narratives”. His reference is to P. Ricoeur entrusted both to Preaching Friars and Friars Minor; but I would like to refer to the recent discourse of one of these got to its destination at Caracorum by C.M. Martini on The Word of God and the Future of means of Giovanni di Pian di Carpine who returned Europe. Lesch, in the same volume, points out that to Lyon with a written message on behalf of the king “even if the Church as an institution and continues of the Mongols which showed a refusal to open to to promote a social doctrine on her own there is papal approaches. no privileged access to truth in matters of society, The most recent bibliography to be found concerning economy and politics….Using the philosophical the early Franciscan missions is that included in means of modernity social thinking has to remain a the translation of the brief and succint account of critical observer of the pathological effect of the global the journey to the East (as far as the court of the acceleration of all kinds of mobility and efficiency”. Great Kahn) made in 1252 by the Flemish friar William of Rubruc who carried a letter from Louis As Boswell and Hogan say, “the marginalisation of IX. (Guglielmo di Rubruc, Viaggio nell’impero dei CNOST appears paradoxical for an institution as mongoli, translation and notes by Luisa Dalledonne, historically embedded as the Catholic Church”, also Introduction by Gian Luca Potestà, Genoa, Marietti, because “the shape of non-official Catholic Social Thought is changing…” 2002). 18 13 On the usus pauper controversy which split the Important attempts at reflection in this manner order between the thirteenth and the fourteenth are contained for example in the Acts of the century and the indissoluble connection between International Congress on the Encyclical Populorum usus pauer and vow, see Burr, 1975; Burr, 1992. Progressio (Uca, Buenos Aires, 1998, in course of 14 Leclerc, 1999, in: Order of Friars Minor-Office of publication) and in those delivered on the occasion JPIC, Instruments of Peace – A Franciscan Resouece Book of the Laborem Exercens Conference (Vatican City and for JPIC. Francis’s “spiritual life did not take place in Rome, Sept. 1991). 19 a separate universe. He went to God with his cosmic On this profound significance of the word in roots...”. parables, in Kings 19.12b; Mark 4, 11-12; John 15 This concept was expressed by Br. Peter Schorr 16.25, see: D.O. Via, Parables. Their Literary and ofm (Definitor General for JPIC) in his Words of Existential Dimension, Fortress Press, Philadelphia Farewell “Our convent is the world where we live and 1966; C.M. Martini, Perché Gesù parlava in parabole?, work. Our convent is the world where we meet our EDB-EMI, Bologna 1996 ( I ed. 1985). human beings, especially the poor who still have no 20 Francis’s presence “is profoundly human as well as rights or voice. We go out to them to give a voice and evangelical and cosmic. A total presence that has the that they may rise up. We return to our places with gift of converting all hostility into fraternal tension, our brothers and sisters, guided by the Holy Spirit within the unity of creation” (Paul Ricoeur quoted in as instruments of peace” (Instruments of Peace Led Leclerc, Franciscan Presence to the World, in Order of by the Spirit, “International Franciscan Congress”, Friars Minor: 12). Vossenack, Germany 2000, Studio VD, Città di You could use B. Nelson’s phrase in this regard: St. Castello (PG), 2001: 263). Francis managed to create the passage from “tribal

Revista Cultura Económica 39 Brotherhood” to “universal Otherhood”. people who would otherwise be excluded from the 21 Idem, II, 4. “Non igitur oportet quod quantitas area governed by the principles of economics. usus pauperis determinetur in puncto nec secundum 24 Obviously, every specific suggestion brought uniformitatem realem sed potius secundum quod forward in the Conference of the Franciscan recta ratio dictat pensatis debetis circumstantiis Family (CFF, founded in 1996) would deserve to be secundum divesitatem personarum negotiorum examined here. In particular I refer to the special temporum et locorum”. (Pietro di Giovanni Olivi, in suggestions put forward by the (the Todeschini, cit.: 342). Second Order), which point to the spirituality of St. 22 Idem, III. Clare, based on humility and fraternity (Women and 23 It seems to me that this is the style put forward the Charism of Francis and Clare, in Order of Friars by the Work Pastoral Care which puts forward the Minor, 1999: 108-116; Bartoli, 1992), and that of the objectives of giving back to people the power to Third Order Regular and Secular, and those of the plan and hope, “healing the sick”, that is caring Conventuals, the Capuchins, CFI-Tor and Brothers for physical suffering, and giving back the ability of the TOR. But also, because of their similarity and to share things, “sending away demons”, that is their projects for Human Rights in Geneva, those of sending away the spirit of hopelessness and fear that the Dominicans. prevents people from being real people (Luke, 9, I am referring also to the proposals given on the 1-3). C.M. Martini, Message delivered on the occasion occasion of the meetings of the Sub-Saharian of the “Day of Solidarity”, February 9th 2002. Lack of Conference (Nairobi, Kenya, September 2002), of hope takes away personal dignity and estranges; the East Asia Conference and of the Pan-American forms of exchange based on reciprocity rather than Meeting (November 2002) “the equivalence of the market” manage to include

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