Today's Saints, for the 16th of January, Franciscan Martyrs

[Shin]

Amongst others are...

Sts. Berard, Peter, Accursius, Adjutus and Otho, of the Franciscans..

'It was at the General Chapter of the friars in 1219 that Francis assigned to himself the task of preaching to the Muslims in the east and shortly thereafter he began his journey to Damiettta. At the same general Chapter, half a dozen men from the Order were chosen to witness to the Saracans towards the West, having as their goal the North African country of Morocco. Appointed to be in charge of this group was a pious brother by the name of Votalis; his five companions were the Saints Berard, Peter, Accursius, Adjutus and Otho.

Berard is said to have known some Arabic and Peter and Otho may have been priests. Prior to their departure on this mission, Francis spoke to them at length. he prefaced his discourse with the following words:

"My dear children, it is God who has commanded me to send you amongst the Saracens to make known His faith and refute the law of Mahomet. I shall go in a different direction to work for the conversion of the same infidels, and thus I shall send preachers over the whole earth."

After giving many counsels and exhortations he closed by entreating them to keep in mind the Passion of Christ, which would strengthen them in the sufferings ahead.

The friars set out for Spain. . . Votalis became seriously ill and had to abandon the mission.. the remaining five proceeded.. They attempted to enter the principle mosque of Seville. There, their preaching was met with beatings, and they were forced back. Undeterred they sought an audience with the Muslim emir, who tolerated their attempts to have him convert and be baptized until the friars began to openly deride Mohammed. They were briefly confined to the top of a tower, but after loudly proclaiming Jesus to those entering the palace below, they were moved to the ground floor and brought before the sheik. They were offered complete pardon if they would renounce Christianity in favor of Islam, but announced they preferred death.

Seeing their stubbornness, the sheik and his court decided to banish them to Morocco, which ironically was their original destination.

There they encountered Don Pedro, the self-exiled brother of the King of Portugal. This Christian prince who was in the service of the Muslim king of Morocco Miramolino received them with respect, but tried without success to dissuade them from preaching Christ to the people. Berard in particular stood upon a wagon and began railing against Islam, and he continued doing so even as Miramolino and his cortege were passing by. Thinking that the friar must be mad, the king ordered all five of the brothers out of the country.

But the Franciscans escaped on their way to the port. When they resumed their preaching, they were imprisoned at Marrakech by the Muslim ruler.

After twenty days of confinement, where they were deprived of all food and water, they were finally released. To the astonishment of their captors, they "came out in full health and strength."

After a long serious of imprisonments and escapes and more preaching accompanied by reports of miracles, the king had the friars bound and brought into his presence. He offered them large sums of money and beautiful women if they would only embrace the Islamic religion.

Otho is reported to have replied, "Mohammed guides you on a false and lying path, to the place of eternal death where he is tormented along with his followers."

After listening to their protestations of their willingness to die for the Faith, the king despaired of ever converting them to Islam. With his own hands he angrily grabbed his scimitar and cleaved the heads of all five of the Franciscans.

They were canonized in 1481 by Pope Sixtus IV, their sanctity confirmed by miracles. . .

When the news reaches Francis of the death fo the five Moroccan martyrs, his reaction was, "Now I can truly say I have five brothers."'

- 'St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims'