Francis of Paola

Francis of Paola (Latin Franciscus de Paula ) (* March 27, 1416 in Paola, Italy, † April 2, 1507 in Plessis- lès -Tours, France) founded the Order of Paulaner and is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

Life

Francis of Paola was taught from the age of 13 by the Franciscans. As a teenager, he retired to a lonely area of Calabria, where he wanted to lead an ascetic hermit life. From his deep piety attracted, soon several young men gathered around him, and there was a small spiritual community. In 1454 they built the first monastery in Cosenza and the first church of their community. In it the real beginning of the new order which is seen " the least brothers ".

From this community went from a great spiritual charisma, which led to several monastic foundations in southern Italy in a short time. The rules to which Francis of Paola undertook his monks were hard: they had to promise permanent strict fasting, vegan diet and regular acts of penance. 1474, Pope Sixtus IV the Rule. Over the years, Francis was known by Paola as a saintly man and miracle worker.

1483 was the French king Louis XI. call him by Pope Sixtus IV to his bedside in Plessis- lès -Tours in Tours. Charles VIII, the son of Louis, kept the pious man near him and took him as a counselor in his services. He built the Founder in Plessis- lès -Tours, a monastery, where this on April 2, 1507 Good Friday, died. To Francis of Paola is shrouded in numerous legends. In 1519 he was canonized by Pope Leo X..

Memorial and Patronage

Feast day is April 2.

To Patrozinien see Franz von Paola church and Pauline Church

Representations

There are several artistic representations of St. Francis of Paola. The most famous painting created Ubaldo Gandolfini, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Jacopo Tintoretto and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The composer Franz Liszt wrote a piano piece to the legend, in which Francis of Paola walking on the sea, crossed the Straits of Messina.