Here's another explanation for St Francis rolling around in the
filth, from _Roger of Wendover's Flowers of History_, trans. J.
A. Giles (London, 1849), ii. 494 (under 1227). (Sorry, I only
happen to have the English translation to hand.)
It concerns Francis's attempt to get Pope Innocent III to approve
his Order in 1209:
The pope gazed fixedly on the ill-favoured mien of the
aforesaid brother, his mournful countenance, lengthened beard,
his untrimmed hair, and his dirty, overhanging brow, and when
he heard his petition read which it was so difficult and
impracticable to carry out, despised him, and said, `Go,
brother, go to the pigs, to whom you are are more fit to be
compared than to men, and roll with them, and to them preach
the rules you have so ably set forth.' Francis, on hearing this
bowed his head and went away, and having found some pigs he
rolled with them in the mud till he had covered his body and
clothes with dirt from head to foot; he then, returning to the
consistory, showed himself to the pope, and said, `My lord, I
have done as you ordered me; grant me now, I beseech you, my
petition.' The pope was astonished when he saw what he had
done, and felt sorry for having treated him with contempt, at
the same time giving orders that he should wash himself and
come back to him again; he therefore cleansed himself from his
dirt, and returned directly to the pope. The pope, being much
moved, then granted his petition, and, after confirming his
office of preaching as well as the order he applied for, by a
privilege from the church of Rome, he dismissed him with a
blessing.
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Bonnie Blackburn
67 St Bernard's Road
Oxford OX2 6EJ
tel. 01865 552808 fax 01865 512237
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