To my family for giving me life and love - Bilkent University

from this analysis both because of its later date of composition and for being
clearly biased towards showing Francis’s mind in line with the order’s policy
around 1260, which strengthened the position of learning as a part of the
Franciscan vocation.
In reality, the only piece of text which is claimed to have been written by
Francis, and which seems to show a positive regard for study within the order is a
letter sent to St Anthony of Padua. 25 A detailed investigation on the authenticity
of this letter has been most recently performed in 1952 by Ottokar Bonmann, who
concluded that there was not enough evidence to accept the letter as authentic. 26
The existing manuscripts containing this letter are all from later compilations,
and not from the collections made by the immediate companions of Francis.
However, even if the letter were to be accepted as a historical evidence, its
interpretation hardly leads to the conclusion that St. Francis wanted his friars to
study, or was unconcerned with the idea of friars devoting themselves to learning.
Depending on the Latin expression placet mihi, the letter simply expresses
Francis’ contentment at Anthony’s teaching of theology to the friars in Bologna.
Surprisingly, although there is no such indication, the letter has been regarded by
25 According to Esser’s edition, the latin text is as follows: “Fratri Antonio episcopo meo frater
Franciscus salutem. Placet mihi quod sacram theologiam legas fratribus, dummodo inter huius
studium orationis et devotionis spiritum non exstinguas, sicut in regula continetur.” Esser,
Opuscula, pp. 94-5.
26 For a discussion of the authenticity of this letter see Habig, St. Francis of Assisi, pp. 162-4. See
also Bonmann, O., “De authenticitate epistolae S. Francisci ad S. Antonium Patavinum”, AFH, 45
(1952), pp. 474-92. Bonmann challenges Esser’s argument on the absolute authenticity of the
letter, and argues that the conlusions drawn from it should be ignored: “Usquequo enim de
authentia epistolae non constant, omnes huiusmodi speculationes nullo modo possunt excedere
vim argumenti pure negativi.” ibid., p. 492.
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