Pacificus was a disciple of

St. Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

, born probably near

Ascoli Ascoli may refer to: Places in Italy *Ascoli Satriano, a town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region *Province of Ascoli Piceno, a province of the Marche region ** Ascoli Piceno, a city which is the seat of the province above ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, in the second half of the twelfth century; died, it is thought, at

Lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, around 1234.

Poet Laureate

Local authors identify him with a certain William of Lisciano, who joined the court of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor.Macdonell, Anne. "A King of Verses" ''Sons of Francis'', J. M. Dent, 1902, p. 123 et seq.
/ref> Before becoming

Friar Minor , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

(

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

) he had been

poet laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

at the Court of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.Oliger, Livarius. "Pacificus." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 29 January 2019 Around 1212 St. Francis preached at San Severino, in the Marches; the poet had a

vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

of two resplendent swords crossed on the saint's breast. He was deeply impressed by this vision. In a preface to a book by Cardinal Cantalamessa about St. Francis,

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

wrote, "When Brother Pacificus, then known as William of Lisciano, met St. Francis, 'he saw the splendor of his holiness and through him saw the beauty of God's face. That which he always sought, he finally found and found thanks to a holy man.'"Wooden, Cindy. "The Lord is always waiting for you, pope writes to young people", Catholic News Service, April 7, 2021
/ref> William asked to be received into the new order. St. Francis gladly complied, giving him the name of Pacificus. In the ''Speculum perfectionis'', attributed to

Brother Leo Brother Leo (died c. 1270) was the favorite disciple, secretary and confessor of St Francis of Assisi. The dates of his birth and of his becoming a Franciscan are not known; a native of Assisi, he was one of the small group of most trusted compa ...

, Pacificus is said to have experienced a vision at San Pietro in Bovara of Francis in heaven.

Introduced Friars Minor into France

Francis summoned Brother Pacificus and sent him, with other friars, throughout the world, preaching the praises of God. In 1217 he was sent to

, where he is said to have become the founder, and first provincial, of the Friars Minor. In the Spring of 1226 Pacificus witnessed the holy "

Stigmata Stigmata ( grc, στίγματα, plural of , 'mark, spot, brand'), in Roman Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ: the hands, wrists, and feet. Sti ...

of St. Francis". The last certain date we have in the life of Brother Pacificus is that of the papal bull, 12 August 1227, in which

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...

recommends the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

to Pacificus' care. Cf "Magna sicut dicitur", 1227 (Bullarium Franciscanum volume I, 33–34)

Return to France

Pacificus was sent back to France, where he later died. It has long been mooted that Pacificus' poetic abilities were put to use turning Saint Francis' songs into verse, however there is no evidence to support this.

References

{{Catholic, wstitle=Pacificus Italian Franciscans 1230s births