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This raises the question of Francis and his relations with Muslims and Jews. A friar friend reminded me that Francis was near Cairo " which, of course, is not very far from Damietta... and, since the Testament was written AFTER his sojourn in the Middle East, there could be some connection there. Especially given the fact that Francis also picked up the idea (from the Muslims) of calling the towns to prayer (Letter to the Rulers of the People)." There is the question of Francis' father and his religious background. Gemma Fortini wrote an article a number of years ago that tried to prove that Francis' father was Jewish ( she was skating on thin ice, to use a Minnesota expression). Conrad Harkins, OFM presented a paper at Kalamazoo a number of years ago that addressed this issue. He discussed a sermon delivered by Giovanni da Capistrano in Vienna in the 1450's in which Giovanni identified Francis' father as being Jewish ( I can summarize the details if anyone wants them). Conrad is very skeptical about Giovanni's claims, but why would Capistrano bring the issue up? Thanks, Julia, for your reply. Bro. Steven J. McMichael, OFM Conv. On Sat, 7 Mar 1998, Julia Bolton Holloway wrote: > Would he have come to have learned of how sacred sacred writings are held to > be amongst Jews, where even the old and tattered texts are to be treated > with respect and stored in a special room, as in Cairo's Genizeh, or buried > in a cemetery, but never burned? > > At 09.27 07/03/98 -0600, you wrote: > > > >I am curious if anyone on the List knows if other medieval individuals or > >groups had the practice of picking up and taking care of discarded sacred > >writings. I am trying to find out if there is a background to Francis of > >Assisi's practice that he wrote about in his Testament ( and other > >writings): "Whenever I come up His most holy written words in unbecoming > >places, I desire to gather them up and I ask that they be collected and > >placed in a suitable place." > > > >Thank you in advance for any responses! > > > >Steve > > > >Bro. Steven J. McMichael, OFM Conv. > >Department of Theological Studies > >St. Louis University > > > > > > > ____ > Julia Bolton Holloway, [log in to unmask] > Hermit of the Holy Family > via del Partigiano 16, Montebeni, 50014 FIESOLE, ITALY > http://members.aol.com/juliansite/Juliansite.htm > > For he does not despise anything that he has made, nor does he disdain to > serve us at the humblest office that belongs to our body, for love of the > soul that he has made to his own likeness. Wisdom 11.23-26 > Julian of Norwich, _Showings_, Westminster Manuscript, fol. 78 verso > > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%