"Animals Are Our Siblings." ~ Saint Francis of Assisi. By Dr. Chapman Chen

Summary: Today (October 4) is World Animal Day, chosen to coincide with the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), the patron saint of animals. St. Francis had all-embracing love for every creature of God. He regarded them as sisters and brothers (Bonaventure 1904, 8.6), and rescued many of them (Bonaventure 1904:8.6-11).

1. Calling the Animals by the Names of Brother and Sister

“His heart was filled with "that true godliness which.... is profitable unto all things", "compassion", and "all-embracing love for every creature", by which "he was touched with kindly feeling for all things" (Bonaventure 1904: 8.1). For example, "When he bethought him of the first beginning of all things, he was filled with a yet more overflowing charity, and would call the dumb animals, howsoever small, by the names of brother and sister, forasmuch as he recognised in them the same origin as in himself" (Bonaventure 1904: 8.6). "Ofttimes he would buy back lambs that were being taken to be killed, in remembrance of that most gentle Lamb Who brooked to be brought unto the slaughter for the redemption of sinners" (Bonaventure 1904:8.6). Once, he healed an ox’s broken leg by way of hands-on healing (Bonaventure 1904: 10.3).

2. Excellent Communication with Animals

The Saint communicated with animals well, instructing them to praise God, to be at peace with humans, and even to help people. For example, he once instructed a host of singing birds so that they and Francis's praying team praised the Lord in turn without interfering with each other (Bonaventure 1904:8.9). While sojourning in the hermitage of Greccio, Saint Francis successfully dissuaded a herd of ravening wolves from attacking the villagers there (Bonaventure 1904:8.11). A lamb entrusted by Francis unto a noble lady actually escorted her to and fro church (Bonaventure: 1904:8.7).

3. Animals are Reluctant to Leave the Saint

Reciprocally, animals like the holy man, listened to him, and would grieve to part with him. For example, when St. Francis came unto the solitudes of Alverna, to keep a Lent in honour of the Archangel Michael, birds of divers sort fluttered about his cell and rejoiced at his comings (Bonaventure: 1904:8.10). A falcon actually served as an alarm clock of the saint while he was sojourning in the same place (Bonaventure: 1904:8.10). At Saint Mary of the Little Portion, hard by the cell of the Saint, a cicada sat on a fig-tree and chirped… One day he called her, and… he said unto her: “Sing, my sister cicada, and praise the Lord thy Creator with thy glad lay,” she obeyed forthwith, and began to chirp…for eight days until St. Francis gave her leave to go (Bonaventure: 1904:8.9).

4. A Fish Drawn by Love of the Saint

On an island of the lake of Perugia, a rabbit was caught and brought unto the saint, and, albeit she fled from others, she entrusted itself unto his hands and bosom with the confidence of a tame creature. (Bonaventure: 1904:8.8). In like manner, from the lake of Rieti “there was brought unto him a fine, live fish, which he called, as was his wont, by the name of brother, and put back into the water nigh the boat. Then the fish played in the water nigh the man of God, and, as though drawn by love of him, would in no wise leave the boatside until it had received his blessing and leave” (Bonaventure: 1904:8.8). 

The story of St. Francis rebuking Brother Juniper, not for cutting away a pig's foot but for damaging the property of the pig owner, comes from an unreliable source -- Fioretti di San Francesco.

5. Conclusion

The following passage may serve as a fair concluding remark on Saint Francis' life:-

With holy affection, then, must we think on the holiness of this blessed man, that was of such wondrous sweetness and might as that it conquered wild beasts, tamed woodland creatures, and taught tame ones, and inclined the nature of the brutes, that had revolted from fallen man, to obey him. For of a truth it is this piety which, allying all creatures unto itself, is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. (Bonaventure 1904:8.11)

P.S. Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (1181 – 1226), known as Francis of Assisi was an Italian mystic and Catholci friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Francis was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on 16 July 1228, and declared the Patron Saint of Ecologists by Pope John Paul II in 1979. 

Full Text Link: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/animals-are-our-siblings-~-saint-francis-of-assisi-by-dr-chapman-chen

Main Reference

Bonaventure, Saint (1904). The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi. Trans. E. Gurney Salter. New York: E.P. Dutton. https://www.ecatholic2000.com/bonaventure/assisi/francis.shtml