Saint Francis of Paola Revives Dead Animals. By Dr. Chapman Chen

Born in the Calabrian town of Paola, Italy, Saint Francis of Paola (1416-1507) was introduced to religious life at the Franciscan monastery of San Marco during his childhood. By the age of 15, with permission from his parents, he withdrew to a cave, dedicating himself to a life of prayer, humility, simplicity, celibacy, and nonviolence. As part of his spiritual practice—extending the principle of Lenten fasting—he adopted a strict diet that excluded all animal flesh, dairy, and eggs. Just like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis of Paola believed animals were beloved by God, bore souls, and continued to exist beyond death (Bouvet, 1660/1853; Butler, 1956).

Francis’ devotion and spiritual powers began to attract many people. To accommodate them, he founded a religious community initially named the Hermits of Saint Francis of Assisi, subsequently renamed the “Minims” to reflect their commitment to being the “least among the faithful.” In addition to the traditional monastic vows—poverty, chastity, and obedience—the Minims embraced a fourth vow: nonviolence. They abstained from eating animals or consuming anything that caused animal suffering, placing them among the earliest advocates of what we now call ethical veganism within the Catholic tradition (Bouvet, 1660/1853; Order of Minims, 1506).

Francis was credited with numerous miracles—resurrecting dead animals, healing the ill, walking upon water… In one well-known episode, some desperate men captured and killed his gentle lamb companion, Martinello, and ate him. Upon discovering this, Francis peered into the fire where the lamb’s remains were burning and called out, “Martinello, come out!” Miraculously, the lamb emerged alive, unscathed, and bleating joyfully (Bouvet, 1660/1853; Butler, 1956).

In another incident, a priest visiting the monastery spotted a trout swimming in a nearby pond. Francis had grown fond of the fish, whom he had named Antonella. But to the priest, she seemed like food. He caught her, brought her home, and began to fry her. Upon learning of this, Francis sent someone to retrieve her. The priest, irritated, threw the cooked remains on the ground, smashing her body. Nevertheless, the messenger brought the pieces to Francis, who gently placed them back into the pond and prayed, “Antonella, in the name of Charity, return to life.” The fish was instantly restored, alive and swimming again (Bouvet, 1660/1853; Veuillot, 1866).

Francis’ lamb story echoes the parable of the lost sheep wherein Jesus as a good shepherd cares about every single one of His flock (Matt. 18:10-14); while the fish episode refutes the myth of Jesus eating fish and/or catching His disciples to catch fish.

Francis’ reputation for holiness and compassion continued to grow. When King Louis XI of France neared the end of his life, he summoned Francis, hoping for a miraculous cure. Although Francis did not heal the king, he remained by his side until death and later became a trusted advisor to Louis’ son and successor, Charles VIII (Butler, 1956; Vatican Archives, 1483).

Francis returned to Heaven at the age of 91 on Good Friday, April 2, 1507. He was officially canonized in 1519. His feast day is April 2. His legacy of humility, compassion, and veganism continues to inspire. Each of us is endowed with the divine ability to protect and care for all of God’s creatures (Leo X, 1519; Acta Sanctorum, 1675).  #VeganChrist #VeganGod #VeganTheology #VeganChurch

 Full Text: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/saint-francis-of-paola-revives-dead-animals-by-dr-chapman-chen

References

Bouvet, Jean. (1853). Vie de Saint François de Paule (Originally published c. 1660). Paris: Gaume Frères.

Butler, Alban. (1956). Butler’s Lives of the Saints: April (Rev. ed., edited by Herbert Thurston & Donald Attwater). London: Burns & Oates.

Leo X (Pope). (1519). Bull of Canonization for Saint Francis of Paola. Vatican Archives.

Order of Minims. (1506). Constitutions of the Order of Minims, approved by Pope Julius II.

PETA Lambs. (n.d.). “Saint Francis of Paola and the Church’s Earliest Ethical Vegans”.  https://lambs.peta.org/saint-francis-of-paola-miracle-worker-for-animals/

Veuillot, Louis. (1866). Les Petits Saints. Paris: Palmé.

Vatican Archives. (1483). Correspondence and records regarding the visit of Saint Francis of Paola to King Louis XI.

Acta Sanctorum. (1675). Aprilis Tomus I. Antwerp: Société des Bollandistes.