This is a slightly different rendition of St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, whom we normally associate with cute little animals. Yes, the Roman Catholic Church has described him as the patron of animals and ecology, but on a recent trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I heard a lecture on a different side of St. Francis. Note that the photo above has him holding a skull. He was big on penance.
The Catholic Encyclopedia has a lengthy article on St. Francis and indicates that he "went forth at once exhorting the people of the country-side to penance, brotherly love, and peace. . .When the number of his companions had increased to eleven, Francis found it expedient to draw up a written rule for them. This first rule, as it is called, of the Friars Minor has not come down to us in its original form, but it appears to have been very short and simple, a mere adaptation of the Gospel precepts already selected by Francis for the guidance of his first companions, and which he desired to practice in all their perfection. When this rule was ready the
Penitents of Assisi, as Francis and his followers styled themselves, set out for Rome to seek the approval of the Holy See." His life was very complicated but certainly was broader that the popular version of St. Frances surrounded by all kinds of animals with birds circling his head.
