Francis of Assisi Trivia Quiz

Answer: Italy

Francis really did come from Assisi, (now in Italy), and some pilgrims still visit the town in honour of him. Assisi's modern day location is in central Italy in the Umbria region, which is also where the Latin poet Sextus Propertius was born. He spent most of his life in Italy, leaving the country only to preach.

Answer: No

His mother, Pica, was a Frenchwoman who baptised him as Giovanni (when anglicised, John). She gave birth to him when his father, Pietro di Bernardone, was on a business trip. Upon his return, he had the name changed to Francesco, perhaps because he took the trip in France or perhaps due to Pica being of French origin. Francis also came to be quite interested in France himself, enjoying French literature, language and the troubadours.

Answer: He went to war

It might seem strange to associate such a benevolent figure with war, but he fought on the side of Assisi in 1202 against Perugia after the former refused to give the latter compensation requested by nobles exiled from Assisi. He was captured for almost a year, fell sick and returned to Assisi where he continued a carefree existence. Two years later he left to enlist in the army at Apulia, but had a vision that gave him the sense that he should return to Assisi.

By the time he had returned, his passion for the carefree, exuberant life he once enjoyed had passed.

Answer: He stole and sold his father's fine cloth to get money to repair the church

According to the biographer and disciple Thomas of Celano, he stole fine cloth from his father to gain money to repair the church. However, the priest at San Damiano refused his ill-gotten gains. An angered Francis threw the money out of the window, and his father grounded him at home before planning to bring him before the civil authorities.

Some accounts write that he stripped naked in front of the bishop of Assisi, who covered him with his own cloak. He then became a beggar, but still contributed to the repair of San Damiano's chapel rock by rock.

Answer: Matthew

Francis was inspired by the words: "And as you go, preach the message, 'The kingdom is at hand! ... Take no gold, nor silver, nor money in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the labourer deserves his food. And whatever town or villa you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart."

Donning a coarse tunic, Francis began to preach the virtues of peace and repentance to the common man, despite not having a formal license to do so. Within a year he had eleven followers.

Answer: "To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps."

The incorrect statements all come from the Proverbs book in the Bible (NIV). After composing the rule, Francis and his disciples went to meet Pope Innocent III in order to gain his approval. Although originally reluctant, the Pope granted religious authority to the group after seeing a dream where Francis held up the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the oldest basilica of the Western world.

The 'Lesser Brothers' as they were known were based in the Porziuncola, a small church in Assisi, and initially worked as street preachers with no possessions.

Answer: Poor Clares

Clare of Assisi, who later became St. Clare, founded the Order of Poor Ladies with Francis in 1212. Although her wealthy father wanted her to return home, she refused, saying she would have no other husband than Jesus Christ. The Poor Clares still exist in modern times; at least 20,000 nuns in the order were found worldwide in 2011.

After founding the order with Clare, Francis began to take his mission worldwide, although many complications cut his journeys short in places like Spain and France. Despite this, his Orders came to grow in notoriety and popularity in the following years.

Answer: Stigmata

In this vision, Francis was visited by a six-winged seraph angel atop Mt. Alverna, and who left Francis with the marks associated with Jesus Christ after his crucifixion -- the stigmata. Due to sickness from trachoma (a blinding bacterial infection) and suspected malaria, he began to deteriorate. Attempts to treat him in cities like Siena, Cortena and Nocena were met with no avail.

In 1226, he was brought back to the Porziuncola church where his movement began, and where he ultimately died.

Answer: Gregory IX

Gregory IX became Pope in 1227 and the Italian artist Giotto depicted him with Francis of Assisi in the artwork 'Dream of Pope Gregory IX with St Francis of Assisi'. He maintained the traditions of papal supremacy and took the name 'Gregory' as he was canonised at the monastery of Saint Gregory ad Septem Solia. Francis' acts of kindness to many, especially the poor, were deemed worthy of canonisation.

The two had actually had met in person: in 1217, Gregory had warned Francis against travelling to France as he was needed more in Italy, suggesting Gregory held him in esteem even then.

Answer: Animals

One such miracle involved the Wolf of Gubbio, who was written to have terrorised the Umbrian city of Gubbio. Francis supposedly tamed this wolf and convinced him to stop attacking the people of Gubbio provided the townsfolk would feed him, which they did. Francis is often depicted with birds as, in another story, he would preach to them and they would not fly away at his approach.

In the 'Canticle of Creation', Francis wrote of praising God for not just the gift of life but for all creation and personified things like the Sun, moon and Earth, as familial relatives. These are all probable reasons Francis was selected to be the patron saint of animals, ecologists and the environment.