Testament of St. Francis: Full Text

The conversion and the encounter with the lepers

The Lord granted me, Brother Francis, to begin thus to do penance: for, when I was in sins, it seemed too bitter to me to see lepers; and the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what seemed bitter to me was changed into sweetness of soul and body. And afterwards, I stayed a little while and left the world.

Faith in the churches and in the Eucharist

And the Lord gave me such faith in churches that I thus simply prayed and said: "We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches throughout the whole world and we bless You, because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world."

And I wish that these most holy mysteries above all other things be honored, venerated, and placed in precious places. And wherever I find writings of the most holy names and words of Him in unseemly places, I wish to gather them, and I pray that they be gathered and placed in a becoming place.

Veneration for the priests

And afterwards the Lord gave me and gives me such great faith in priests who live according to the form of the Holy Roman Church because of their order, that even if they were to persecute me, I wish to have recourse to them alone. And if I had as much wisdom as Solomon and were to encounter poor priests of this world in the parishes where they dwell, I do not wish to preach against their will.

And these and all others I wish to fear, love, and honor as my lords. And I do not wish to consider the sin in them, because in them I recognize the Son of God and they are my lords. And I do this because, of the same most high Son of God, I see nothing else corporally in this world except the most holy body and most holy blood which they receive and administer to others.

And we must honor and venerate all the theologians and those who administer the most holy divine words, just as those who administer to us the spirit and life.

The origin of the Franciscan fraternity

And after the Lord gave me brothers, no one showed me what I ought to do, but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I ought to live according to the form of the holy Gospel. And I had it written in a few words and simply, and the Lord Pope confirmed it for me.

And those who came to embrace this life distributed to the poor all that they could have, and were content with a single tunic, patched inside and out, with the cord and the breeches. And they did not wish to have more.

We clerics said the Office in accordance with the other clerics; the lay brothers said the Our Fathers; and we stayed very willingly in the churches. And we were unlettered and subject to all.

Work and poverty

And I worked with my hands and I wish to work; and I firmly wish that all the other brothers work at such work as befits honesty. Those who do not know, let them learn, not for the cupidity of receiving the reward of labor, but to give example and to keep away idleness. When, however, the reward of labor is not given to us, let us have recourse to the table of the Lord, begging alms from door to door.

Let the brothers carefully guard against accepting absolutely churches, poor dwellings, and whatever else is built for them, unless they are as befits the holy poverty which we have promised in the Rule, always staying in them as strangers and pilgrims.

The greeting and obedience

The Lord revealed to me that we should give this greeting: "The Lord give you peace!"

I firmly command all the brothers in obedience that, wherever they may be, they dare not ask for any letter (of privilege) from the Roman curia, neither personally nor through another, neither for a church nor for another place, nor for the sake of preaching, nor for the persecution of their bodies; but, wherever they are not received, let them flee to another land to do penance with the blessing of God.

And I firmly wish to obey the minister general of this fraternity and that guardian whom he may wish to assign to me. And I wish to be so imprisoned in his hands that I cannot go or do anything beyond obedience and his will, because he is my lord.

And although I am simple and infirm, nevertheless I always wish to have a cleric who recites the Office for me, as it is prescribed in the Rule.

Final blessing

And let the brothers not say: "This is another Rule," because this is a remembrance, an admonition, an exhortation, and my testament, which I, little Brother Francis, make to you, my blessed brothers, that we may observe more catholicly the Rule which we have promised to the Lord.

And the minister general and all the other ministers and custodes are bound, in obedience, not to add or take away anything from these words.

And always let them keep this writing with them along with the Rule. And in all the chapters they hold, when they read the Rule, let them read these words also.

And to all my brothers, clerics and laics, I firmly command, in obedience, not to insert explanations into the Rule and these words, saying: "Thus they must be understood"; but, as the Lord has given me to say and to write the Rule and these words simply and purely, so simply may you strive to understand them and with holy works observe them until the end.

And whoever observes these things, let him be filled in heaven with the blessing of the most high Father, and on earth let him be filled with the blessing of His beloved Son with the most holy Paraclete Spirit and with all the powers of the heavens and with all the Saints. And I, little Brother Francis, your servant, confirm to you within and without this most holy blessing to the best of my ability. Amen.