Introduction

Two anecdotes in the early biographies of St Francis of Assisi describe the deep ecclesial character of Franciscan spirituality. In the dilapidated church of San Damiano, Francis heard the crucifix asking him to 'rebuild my house'. (1)Naively, Francis went out to renovate the church buildings immediately. In another account. Pope Innocent III had a vision of Francis holding up a church falling down and in his dream this church was the Lateran Basilica, the Mother Church of the West. (2) In these narratives, the mediaeval authors employed the imagery of the Church as a building to illustrate the contribution of St Francis' charism to the life of the Church. Vatican II ecclesiology reminds one that indeed the Church is sometimes portrayed as a building of God (aedificatio Dei). (3)

The inseparable ecclesiological link of St Francis is also expressed eloquently by Julian of Speyer in the liturgy for the Feast of St Francis. The first antiphon of First Vespers reads:

Franciscus vir catholicus et totus apostolicus, ecclesiae teneri Fidem Romanae docuit, Presbyterosque monuit. (4)

After the Vatican II renewal of the Liturgy, the new Liturgy of Hours (Proper for Franciscans) retains the first half of this antiphon:

Franciscus vir catholicus et totus apostolicus, missus est in praeparationern Evangelii pads. (5)

It is clear that catholicity and apostolicity are distinctive traits of a particular ecclesial quality of St Francis. (6)Being ecclesial may imply a certain ecclesiology, implicit or explicit, for St Francis, his followers and all those inspired by him throughout the ages.

This short paper attempts to test if it is possible to construct a Franciscan ecclesiology. Specifically it will deal with a basic ecclesiological study -- the model of the Church -- with the assistance of Franciscan insights, i.e. from writings by Francis, his biographies and exhortative stories (pseudo-biographies) about him. This approach is made possible with the Vatican II ecclesiological trend of new methodological options. The new methodological options emphasise the word of God which is alive and is transmitted in the teachings of the Fathers, the Councils and the magisterium as well as the testimony of the liturgy and the Christian life of the People of God. (7) From a historical-salvific perspective, the life of this well-loved saint, as captured by the Franciscan sources, can be considered a particular testimony of the Christian life and indeed a methodological option. However, textual criticism of the Franciscan sources is a highly specialised field and is beyond the scope of this short essay.

The bulk of this paper is a typological study of the Church. Classical models such as People of God and the Body of Christ, Herald and Servant, will be reviewed from a particular Franciscan view. An alternative ecclesiological model will also be proposed. Before this, it is necessary to give a short exposition of how the Franciscan fraternity or indeed any community of a religious congregation or order - can be an expression of the Church. This is to establish the validity of using the experience of the Franciscan movement as a source for theological enrichment.

1. 2 Celano 10; Legenda Major 2:1; Legend of Three Companions 13c. In Habig, M. (ed.), St Francis ofAssisi: Writings and Early Biographies (English Ominibus of the Sources for the Life ofSt Francis) (Chicago: Franciscan Herald 1972).

2. 2 Celano 17b; Legend Major 3:10; Legend of Three Companions 51. In Habig.

3. Lumen gentium (LG) 6. In Abbot, W. (ed.). The Documents of Vatican II (London: Geoffrey Chapman 1966).

4. Antiphonale Romano-Seraphicum pro Horis Diurnis (Paris: Desclee 1928) 967.

5. Proprium Liturgia Horarum pro sodalibus Ordinis Fratrum Minorum (Madrid: OFM 1974)200.

6. See introductory notes in Armstrong, R. and Brady, 1. (eds.), Francis and Clare: The Complete Works (New York: Paulist 1982) 15-17.

7. Antbn A., Postconciliar Ecclesiology: Expectations, Results and Prospects for the Future. In Latourelle, R. (ed.),Vantican II : Assessment and perspectives ,Assessment and Perspectives, Vol.I (New York: Paulist 1989) 407-438; cf.412.