SAINT FRANCIS’S MEETING WITH SULTAN MALIK AL-KAMIL AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN THE 21ST CENTURY Submitted by Cathy Hampton, May 3, 2013 Introduction: Beyond Enemy and Friend In 1219, Saint Francis of Assisi journeyed to Egypt to meet with the Sultan Malik alKamil. Most of the sources retelling the story agree that Francis’s primary purpose was to convert the Sultan from Islam to Christianity. The sources, however, disagree on the secondary purpose of Francis’s trip to Egypt. The camp representing the traditional view of the Catholic Church makes the claim that Francis wanted the Saracen army in the Crusades to kill him so that he could become a martyr for Christianity,1 while the camp representing the progressive view of practitioners of nonviolence makes the claim that Francis saw his role as that of peacemaker and that he was following in Christ’s footsteps by crossing the threshold of “Us” and “Them,” showing his love for his enemy.2 The truth, however, is most likely in the middle in the form of a mediating “both/and" and a transcending of the divide between “enemy” and “friend.” Francis was not afraid to die for his love for God; peace and nonviolence lay at the heart of his calling and his message as a follower of Christ. Francis’s encounter with the Sultan has much to offer for a reflection on nonviolence. The recognition that truth is not the property of a single person or tradition – but can be found at the core of each person – is basic to nonviolence. The ability to listen respectfully, and to be willing to be changed by an aspect of truth expressed by another, is necessary to the practice of nonviolence. Francis and the sultan witness to a willingness to search together for aspects of truth found in different traditions.”3 When we journey back to 1219 to retrieve meaning from Francis’s encounter with Malik al-Kamil, we cannot assume from the hagiographical tradition of Francis’s biographers that any of the retellings of his journey actually occurred. Instead, we must seek the truth from many 1 Saint Bonaventure, The Major Legend of Saint Francis Paul Moses, The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam and Francis of Assisi’s Mission of Peace (New York: Random House), 2009. 3 Ken Butigan, et al, Franciscan Nonviolence: Stories, Reflections, Principles, Practices and Resources, Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, 2003, p 54. 2 Cathy Hampton Page 2 of 22 conflicting sources over a wide span of history and try to discern a common thread(s). Each step of Francis’s journey to Egypt called for a deep capacity to put love and concern for the "enemy" over concern for his own security. In my view, the story of Saint Francis’s encounter with the Sultan should be read as an example of nonviolence as a way of life that reverses and reconciles opposites and disseminated through shared dialogue across religious traditions. Most recently, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio’s decision to choose the name of Francis as pope has propelled the story of Saint Francis of Assisi’s 1219 journey to meet Sultan Malik al-Kamil back into the public sphere.4 From the hermeneutical lens of the Church, Francis’s purpose for making a trip to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade was to convert the Sultan to Christianity. From the lens of interreligious relations, Francis’s meeting with Malik al-Kamil can be viewed as a moment of interreligious dialogue that came close to converting Francis who left Egypt unharmed. Francis left Egypt understanding that the reverence Muslims have for the Qur’an and their devotion to the Ninety Nine names of Allah mirrors the praises of the Christian God.5 However, instead of achieving his goal of converting a Muslim to Christianity, Francis ended up being introduced to a life of prayer and nonviolence in submission to the monotheistic faith tradition of Adam, Moses and Abraham which is shared by Jesus Christ and by the Prophet Muhammad. The friendship of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Egyptian Sultan Malik al-Kamil gives us a historical resource as well as an inspiration for studying the critical theories and approaches relevant to contemporary Islam in various academic disciplines ranging from theological anthropology and spirituality to history and peace studies. In this paper, I locate myself as a Christian academic and nonprofit professional who is studying systematic and philosophical theology and is interested in integrating the philosophies Omar Sacirbey, “For Muslim Engagement, Pope Francis Has a Model in St. Francis of Assisi.” HuffPost Religion Online, March 16, 2013. 5 Jan Hoeberichts, “Francis’s Letter to all the Brothers: Title, Theme, Structure and Language,” Collectanea Franciscana 78 (2008), p. 22 4 Cathy Hampton Page 3 of 22 of other non-Christian traditions into her world view without appropriating each into a programmatic agenda The more I understand about my own faith commitment and underlying beliefs, the more self critical I become about passively accepting the current standard of violence, separation and lack of trust between Christians and non-Christians. The academic study of spirituality and other religions is self implicating by its very nature. We are both the objects and the subjects of this area of study which calls for an awareness of our own spirituality and faith tradition before beginning to integrate the religious experiences of others into who we are, and without being tempted to appropriate and then dismiss what is unique about the other because I have made it my own. The experience of looking into a mirror is a good analogy to use. Do I see myself when I look through the mirror of dialogue, or do I see the other person who sees me? In this context, the academic study of spirituality mirrors the academic study or theology of Islam as we look at each other through the mirror of interreligious dialogue. Both interlocutors are engaged in a dance of mutual appropriation and self appropriation. We influence the other in ways we cannot possible predict and, in turn, are influenced and motivated by the other to continue with our dialogue. We are guided by the spirit who breathes through us as we encounter the breath of the other. Throughout the following, I will attempt to link the descriptions that emerged from the retelling of the experiences of Francis during the Fifth Crusade to the critical need for interreligious dialogue for achieving peace and reconciliation in society today. I will also attempt to interpret the event through the eyes of a Christian and a Muslim, understanding that my own perspective is subjective (e.g., self implicating), and yet intersubjective, as I relate some of the historical “facts” behind Francis’s intentions to the anti-Muslim hatred expressed today by Islamophobia. The dialogue between Francis and Malik will give us a framework for imagining similar exchanges taking place today between leaders of nations, religious orders and their Cathy Hampton Page 4 of 22 followers. Some of the questions that arise from the use of this intentional framework are: What does interreligious dialogue look like in a secular world that has defused the power and importance of religious conversion? Is there a higher order of submission to God’s call that transcends the particulars of religious affiliation in the context of interreligious dialogue? What can I realistically hope to accomplish by studying the acts of Saint Francis of Assisi, a selfproclaimed fool who was intent on becoming a martyr for Christ, using the “enemy” to do his dirty work? A search for answers to these questions will illustrate how an instance of interreligious dialogue can resonate in concentric circles of importance throughout history and mean different things at different times Francis's View of Islam: Francis's calling was to follow in the footsteps of Christ and to become as simple and as complex as Christ was in his public ministry. The founder of the Order of the Friars Minor, also known as Franciscans, Francis was a visionary entrepreneur who had intuitively tapped into the signs of the times and gave up everything of tangible worth to transform the debilitating lack of faith that he felt into overwhelming joy by answering God's call to follow Christ and to rebuild his house. In many ways, Francis’s story mirrors the biography of the Prophet Muhammad who experienced visions and founded a major religion that continues to grow and keep up with Christianity on the world’s stage. While little is known with any certainty about what actually happened when Francis talked to Malik, we are able to turn to the writings of Francis after his return from Egypt to arrive at conclusions based on textual evidence. Because everything written was written long after the fact and reflected the interpretation of what was popular at the time, we will focus on what the encounter between Saint Francis and Sultan al-Kamil can mean for us in the 21st century. With the startling resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the appointment of a Cathy Hampton Page 5 of 22 new Pope who has taken the name of Francis, the timing is good for bringing the story of the Saint and the Sultan back to the foreground of interreligious dialogue. The events of September 11, 2011 triggered an initial flurry of scholarship on Malik and Francis’s peaceful encounter which can be said to add content to a more "postmodern" look at interreligious dialogue through the Levinasian lens of the Same and the Other. In his philosophy, which emphasized the ethical command of the face of the other, Emmanuel Levinas intended to create a new humanism, a new understanding of subjectivity and intersubjectivity that restores the Other and difference to equality with the Same. “The way in which the other presents himself, exceeding the idea of the other in me, we here name face.”6 The dialogue between Francis, a lowly and poor friar, and Malik, a wealthy and powerful ruler, is an example of how our faith commitments freely chosen can transcend our personal and political differences. Who we are is represented by far more than our circumstances and our personal identities cannot be reduced to religious affiliation or gender. We are all God's creation. Again, Francis’s early life experiences were similar to that of the Prophet Muhammad. Both men were raised in privilege which they renounced for the sake of justice and fidelity to God despite harsh criticism from friends and family. This similarity made it possible for Francis to see Muslims through a lens different from the more clouded lenses of other Catholics. At the time of the Fifth Crusade, the attitude towards and knowledge of Muslims was limited and stereotypical. In her book Daring to Cross the Threshold: Francis of Assisi Encounters Sultan Malik al-Kamil, Kathleen A. Warren, OSF sets the stage for understanding and reconciliation by describing the Fifth Crusade and the attitudes towards Muslims at the time. Warren points out that Pope Innocent III’s attitude towards and knowledge of the Saracens was “sadly very limited 6 Emmanuel Levinas, Totality and Infinity (Pittsburgh, Duquesne University Press, 1969), p. 40 Cathy Hampton Page 6 of 22 and all too common.”7 Information about the Saracens that did exist came largely through a few, limited sources that considered Muslims “to be uncivilized barbarians, condemned as heretics, despised as the enemy.”8 In his biography of Saint Francis, Paul Sabatier gives us some direction for choosing amongst the prejudiced and uneducated sources when he shares that for understanding the interviews between Francis and the Sultan, it is best focus on the narratives of Jacques of Vitry, the French priest who was appointed bishop of Acre at the time of Francis’s journey to Egypt, and to question the credibility of the stories of Saint Bonaventure.9 However, as John M. Sweeney points out in a side note to his biography, Sabatier tells us very little of Francis and the Sultan. Sabatier also does not provide us with the Sultan’s full name, suggesting that he is reluctant to take on the conflicting sources in the context of his own synthesis of Francis’s life, a strategy that perhaps has greater value than taking sides in unsolvable disputes over what happened in the early 13th century.10 Overall, Saint Francis can be seen going through a process of personal conversion calling him to expand his mission of Christian evangelization to the world in a manner similar to the style of missionary journeys made by Saint Paul and the Prophet Muhammad. Francis possessed an uncanny understanding of the polar opposites existing in society between rich and poor and the resulting imbalance of power that arises when God is removed from the public sphere and replaced with autonomous and self-absorbed individuals. The life and example of both Saint Francis and the Prophet Muhammad must be read in this context of serving God and Allah in all 7 Kathleen A. Warren, Daring to Cross the Threshold: Francis of Assisi Encounters Sultan Malik al-Kamil (Rochester, MN: Sisters of St. Francis, 2003), p. 27. 8 Ibid., p. 28 9 Paul Sabatier, The Road to Assisi The Essential Biography of St. Francis, edited with introduction and annotations by Jon M. Sweeney, (Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2003), p 102. 10 Ibid, n102. Cathy Hampton Page 7 of 22 of our activities, both ecclesiastical and secular, with humility and the awareness of God’s grace at work in the world. Islam's View of Francis: Francis journeyed to Egypt expecting to find martyrdom and evil men who needed to be converted to Christianity in order to be saved from hell and damnation. And yet he left Egypt respectful of Muslims to the point that he encouraged Christians to emulate them in prayer and prostration, and to join Muslims and others in service to all people despite their different religions. In his writings, Francis specifically instructed his followers not to try and convert Muslims or other non-Christians. Having experienced Muslim prayers while in Egypt he declared to his followers that: "You should manifest such honour to the Lord among the people entrusted to you that every evening an announcement be made by a town crier or some other signal that praise and thanks may be given by all people to the all-powerful Lord God." And “at the mention of His name you must adore Him with fear and reverence, prostrate on the ground so that in word and deed you may give witness to his voice and bring everyone to know that there is no one who is all-powerful but Him."11 While Francis’s intentions were noble, his own brothers began to turn against him while he was still alive. Instead of remaining in Egypt a while longer at the request of the Sultan, Francis had to leave early to take care of an insurrection and power struggle going on within his order that led to his resignation as leader. Many of his brothers did not agree with the radical nature of the poverty of the Franciscan Rule and petitioned others to overthrow Francis as leader. Many of the brothers also did not appreciate Francis’s peaceful dialogue with the Sultan and Regis J. Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellmann and William J. Short, editors, “Later Admonition and Exhortation,” in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, (New York: New York City Press, 1999), Volume I, p. 74. 11 Cathy Hampton Page 8 of 22 immediately began to rewrite the history even as it was being written. We will never know the true story of what Francis learned from Malik al-Kamil other than the fact that the truth has been altered over the centuries to meet the needs of the Franciscan order as it struggled for survival against the intransigence of the Spiritual Franciscans who fought to remain true to the original vision of Francis’s Rule and Testament. To the extent that Francis was transformed by his encounter with Malik al-Kamil, one wonders from the distance of the 21st century if Francis had, in fact, converted to Islam, especially given the mystical nature of his writings on creation which were not edited to the extent that his Testament and Earlier Rule were altered over the centuries, as reflected in the multiple manuscript versions of his writings. From this interpretation, the stigmata that Francis experienced at La Verna a few years after his return from Egypt could be a fabrication to preserve the sanctification of Francis’s life for the Church, and not an actual event. Once again, we will never know with any certainty. One of the major lessons I have learned in Islam in the Public Sphere is that the media--in Francis’s case, the monk secretaries and scribes in the 13th century and their bishops--exercises its power by transforming facts into fiction that fits with the needs of the powers and principalities of the time. In his essay “”Muslims, Pluralism, and Interfaith Dialogue,” in Omid Safi’s book Progressive Muslims, Amir Hussain discusses the interreligious relationships that the Prophet Muhammad enjoyed during his life. He states that “As with any new religious tradition, Islam would not have developed had it not been for interfaith dialogue.”12 Instead of tolerance for the other, the goal is to make an active attempt to arrive at an understanding of the differences of the other person, out of respect and love for the other. “Pluralism is not the same thing as Amir Hussain,” “Muslims, Pluralism, and Interfaith Dialogue,” in Progressive Muslims, edited by Omid Safi (Oxford: One World, 2003) p. 252. 12 Cathy Hampton Page 9 of 22 relativism.”13 Hussain talks about the debt that Muslims owe to Christians. Both Christianity and Islam are missionary religions carrying a message of justice that draws converts to each faith. The life of Saint Francis of Assisi is important for Islam because “often it was the Sufis, the mystics of Islam, who spread Islam by living among the people and providing them with an example of how to live their lives as Muslims.”14 Saint Francis led a similar life as a mystic and was without fear, living a life of joy on the margins of society. For Tariq Ramadan in Western Muslims and the Future of Islam, interreligious dialogue is similar to the call from God experienced by Saint Francis. “Interreligious dialogue would then become a call to our truth, a dawa (call, invitation, preaching), with no meaning beyond that.”15 In the introduction to Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend, Andrew Shryock makes an interesting observation regarding the dialectic between same and other and its impact on Muslims. “Everywhere, Muslims must take into account the prejudices and expectations of an imagined, non-Muslim observer. As a result, new distinctions between Self and other are constantly woven into self definitions.”16 It is interesting that Sultan al-Kamil is described as a young and tolerant ruler who offered religious freedom to Christians, and yet no contemporary Arab records of Francis’s meeting with the Sultan remain extant. Amin Maalouf wrote a book called The Crusades Through Arab Eyes,17but it does not address the encounter between Francis and Malik. In The Sufis, Idries Shah devoted a chapter to Francis, “a veritable European Sufi who discovers in Damietta the profound sources of spirituality.”18 Amir Hussain,” “Muslims, Pluralism, and Interfaith Dialogue,” in Progressive Muslims, edited by Omid Safi (Osford: One World, 2003), p. 252. 14 Ibid., p. 256. 15 Tariq Ramadan. Western Muslims and the Future of Islam, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), p. 205. 16 Andrew Shryock, Introduction: Islam as an Object of Fear and Affection,” in Islamophobia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend, edited by Andrew Shryock, p. 19. 17 Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, translated by John Rothschild, (London: Al Saqi Books, 1984) 18 Idries Shah. The Sufis, introduction by Robert Graves, (New York: Anchor Books, 1964), p. 308. 13 Cathy Hampton Page 10 of 22 According to Shah, “Francis’s poetry strangely resembles that of the Sufi poet Rumi.”19 Is it possible that the Sultan’s friendship with the Saint was not appreciated by the priests and the Sufi mystics of the royal Egyptian court? From the Christian perspective, however, observers are consistent in putting Francis into a Catholic framework. For instance, the Franciscan theologian, Saint Bonaventure, revitalized the Franciscan order after Francis’s death by placing Francis’s mission to Egypt “under the rubric of his burning love for God, a love which compels him to seek martyrdom.”20 Is it possible that Saint Francis’s encounter with the Sultan means more to Christians because he is a revered saint than it does to Muslims who differ on the power of saints in Islam? This is the case quite likely. Regardless, “Francis’s mission to Egypt is neither an aberration nor a simple footnote to the history of the Fifth Crusade. It is a key moment in his life, essential for those who wish to understand Francis and the attitude of his new mendicant order towards Islam.”21 A Meeting Point for Conflicting Points of View: Francis and Malik talked for three weeks in the midst of a brutal war campaign initiated by the Catholic Church that ended up killing more Christians than it did Muslims. In terms of any impact made through their meeting, we learn from history that the Sultan, only ten years after the meeting, ceded control of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and a corridor from Bethlehem to the Mediterranean Sea to the Christians, saving only the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, and the temple area for the Jews.22 Over time, many conflicting stories have been told about the Saint and the Sultan, some to promote the Christian side and others to promote the 19 Idries Shah. The Sufis, introduction by Robert Graves, (New York: Anchor Books, 1964), p. 308. John V. Tolan, Saint Francis and the Sultan: The Curious History of a Christian-Muslim Encounter, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), p. 13. 21 Ibid., p. 11. 22 Omar Sacirbey, “For Muslim Engagement, Pope Francis Has a Model in St. Francis of Assisi.” HuffPost Religion Online, March 16, 2013. 20 Cathy Hampton Page 11 of 22 Muslim side; some claiming the Sultan became Christian, or even that Saint Francis was a Muslim Sufi mystic. Again, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle with both men continuing to walk the way of illumination shown to them by God – one in imitation of Christ, the other in submission to Allah. “Love calls for relationships of mutuality in which there is reciprocal giving and taking, teaching and learning, speaking and listening and that’s what dialogue is all about. “Love they neighbor” means “Dialogue with thy neighbor.”23 Interreligious dialogue has become a buzzword today and can mean essentially anything to anyone, quickly turning into a "touchy-feeling" type of exchange in which "I am okay and you are okay" are the basic points of contact. It is important, though, that empathy, compassion and respect for the other as Christian or as non-Christian govern the tone of the dialogue. Guidelines to follow are helpful for ensuring that the dialogue has been beneficial for both parties, that some form of agreement or consensus has been reached, even it means to agree that both parties are in fundamental disagreement. In the words of Raimon Panikkar, "In real interreligious dialogue, heart speaks to heart. Only so can persons from different traditions really ‘hear’ each other. Only so can one's own experience and religious understanding be transformed in the process of dialogue.24 Despite their extreme differences, the influence of the meeting on both men was profound. For Francis, it was as significant as his first embrace of the lepers of Assisi that led to his conversion and ability to see them as equal in the eyes of God. He was particularly transformed by the adhan or by salat, the Muslim call to prayer and its frequency (5 times a day) and its regularity (every day). While it is true that the Benedictine Order, which was founded in Europe in the 6th century, was the first to implement a daily program of prayers in the Divine 23 24 Paul F. Knitter, Introducing Theologies of Religions, (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books), p. 102. Ibid., p. 131. Cathy Hampton Page 12 of 22 Office, the Muslim call to prayer is inclusive and demands that upon the call of the muezzen that immediate attention and gratitude be paid to Allah. For Francis, prayer is the form of life he chose to follow with his brothers. For Franciscans, as for Muslims, we were created to give ongoing praise, thanks, adoration, glory and gratitude to God. Prayer gives rhythm and deeper meaning to the routine of daily life and becomes, in a sense, the air that we breathe. Prayer also adds the element of the sacred that is missing from the workings of the human imagination and the purely secular, psychological point of view. From his experience with the Muslim Sufi tradition in Egypt, Francis finds his own faith and belief in God through Jesus Christ reinforced and strengthened. Francis comes, finally, to understand his true vocation, the calling to love one another as God has loved us. In practical terms this means resisting the tendency of violence to divide the world into various enemy camps. Practitioners of nonviolence seek to become their truest selves by slowly learning to love all beings, especially their enemies. In verse 38 of his Later Admonition and Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, Francis exhorts us "We must love our enemies and do good to those who hate us."25 As it emerges from the prayers of Francis, a “theology” of prayer is centered on God, “that part of us where our heart, mind, and body are connected, and our heart is allowed to function unobstructed.”26 Although it seems like a simple matter to hold the view that God is the center and creator of the universe, the implication of Francis’s prayers becomes complex when we take into account his vision of the cosmos and the integration of prayer with poetry. In his analysis of St. Francis in The Canticle of Creatures Symbols of Union, Eloi Leclerc O.F.M. opens up the “interior meaning of Francis’s prayer, The Canticle of Creatures, by looking closely at the level of the unconscious and the interior dream landscape of Francis.27 The cosmic 25 Ken Butigan et. Al., Franciscan Nonviolence: Stores, Reflections, Principles, Practices and Resources, Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, 2003, p. 3.. 26 Laura Slattery, et al, Engage: Exploring Nonviolent Living, (Oakland: Pace e Bene Press, 2005), p. 93. 27 Eloi Leclerc, The Canticle of Creatures Symbols of Union: An Analysis of St. Francis of Assisi, (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1976), p. 3-23. Cathy Hampton Page 13 of 22 symbolism of sun, fire, water and air and its naming in terms of gender (brother and sister) is now seen as mystical and archetypal. For Francis, the simple is complex because of God’s majesty and mystery, and yet remains simple in the essence of creation. If we take seriously the simple reality of the injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to “Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (MT 5:44), it is possible to become more centered and self reflective, more in tune with the “self-implicating” nature of our spirituality in relation to our “friends” and our “enemies.” In the light of God’s power over sun, fire, water and air, the intellectual concept of “enemy” points back at us as the source of the enemy. We are our own enemy; thus, the first step of interreligious dialogue -- centering and praying -- becomes critical if we are to become self reflective and to transcend our egos by embracing and healing the darkness of our shadowselves that are revealed in our dreams each night. Francis comes, finally, to understand his true vocation, the calling to love one another as God has loved us. In practical terms this means resisting the tendency of violence to divide the world into various enemy camps. Practitioners of nonviolence seek to become their truest selves by slowing learning to love all beings, especially their enemies. In verse 38 of his Later Admonition and Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, Francis exhorts us “We must love our enemies and do good to those who hate us.”28 From the perspective of the theological and spiritual realms, Francis’s experience with the Muslim faith tradition in Egypt reinforces his own faith and belief in God through Jesus Christ. “May you announce and preach His praise to all nations in such a way that praise and thanks may always be given to the all-powerful God by all people throughout the world at every hour and whenever bells are rung.”29 28 Eloi Leclerc, The Canticle of Creatures Symbols of Union: An Analysis of St. Francis of Assisi, (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1976), p. 3-23 p. 3-23. 29 Regis J. Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellmann and William J. Short, editors, Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume I, 1LtCus: 8, FAED, p. 57. Cathy Hampton Page 14 of 22 Interreligious Dialogue as a Form of Prayer: On the personal level, prayer is who we are in our conversations with God. Prayer is the mental discipline that transcends human suffering by opening us to God’s “ineffable mercy” and the passion of Jesus Christ. In Francis’s Paraphrase of the Our Father, we ask God for mercy as we seek to do his will, to forgive us our trespasses as we in turn forgive others. “And what do we not completely forgive, make us, Lord, forgive completely that we may truly love our enemies because of You, returning no one evil for evil.”30 Francis’s prayer is both an ethics and a commentary on scripture using scripture and is referred to both as an exposition and as a paraphrase. Francis’s call to prayer in his writings is as universal and as inclusive as the Muslim tradition of salat. It is for all creation and all creatures to hear and to respond to in prayer and submission to the will of God. On the social level, we move from interior or personal prayer to the level of prayer as communal and relational, uniting us with all other beings who share in God’s plan of salvation, making us responsible for the good of our neighbors. In his writings, Emmanuel Levinas talked about the absolute command of the face of the other in a way similar to the cosmic vision of Francis. Between a philosophy of transcendence that situates elsewhere the true life to which man, escaping from here, would gain access in the privileged moments of liturgical, mystical elevation, or in dying—and a philosophy of immanence in which we would truly come into possession of being when every “other” (cause for war), encompassed by the same, would vanish at the end of history—we propose to describe, within the unfolding of terrestrial existence, or economic existence, a relationship with the other that does not result in a divine or human totality, that is not a totalization of history but the idea of infinity. Such a relationship is metaphysics itself.31 On the ecclesial level, prayer functions as a regulating mechanism to maintain order and to ensure that all Church-related or institutional efforts are directed to the greater glory of God. On 30 Regis J. Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellmann and William J. Short, editors, Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume I, 1LtCus: 8, FAED, p. 159. 31 Emmanuel Levinas, Totality and Infinity, (Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University Press, 1961), p. 52. Cathy Hampton Page 15 of 22 the level of the cosmos, we look to the transformation of our personal, inner prayers into material reality and into creation itself. God speaks to us in our dreams and, if we listen carefully, and act on what we have heard, God’s message of unconditional love will resonate around the cosmos, transforming affliction and suffering into hope. The hagiographers often report Francis’s “dreams” (sometimes they spoke of visions or voices, but the context is dream), and how often it took him a lot of time, and some mistakes, to understand them correctly. A transformation or conversion of this magnitude would be impossible to achieve through a violent effort such as the Fifth Crusade. Only the sign of the “Third Way,” the radical nonviolence and fierce love for humanity shown by Jesus Christ, can save the world from destruction. Francis had been given a vastly different sign – a sign not of violence but of love until death – lifted up above him for the healing of the world, East and West, indeed of human history itself. Only in this sign, Francis was assured on La Verna, will we human beings, the sons of Francis, Muhammad and the Christ, will ever truly conquer.32 An implication of the Franciscan practice of prayer for living in God’s world is that our capacity to look deeply into our inner selves through prayer and faith in God is one that cannot be controlled or influenced by other persons. Depth psychology gives us a glimpse at the depths of our unconscious through dream analysis, while the use of religious language and symbols in prayers evokes a reality that transcends the material world. In terms of affliction, prayer also gives us the forgiveness, peace and patience that we must have to endure suffering and darkness with the hope that our eternal lives with God will be much brighter. Although unable to “bear the light of the sun during the day or the light of a fire at night,” Francis was able to hear the voice of God in spirit, “Then, brother,” he was told, “be glad and rejoice in your illnesses and troubles, Michael F. Cusato, “From Damietta to LaVerna: The Impact on Francis of His Experience in Egypt,” Spirit and Life: A Journal of Contemporary Franciscanism, Saint Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute Publications, v. 12, 2008), p. 112. 32 Cathy Hampton Page 16 of 22 because as of now, you are as secure as if you were already in my kingdom.”33 Francis’s inner sight was far brighter than the light of the sun or the light of a fire, day or night and continues to guide us today. “By anchoring ourselves in our heart, we are prepared to respond, not simply to react, to the conflict we are facing.”34 Saint Francis of Assisi devoted his life to following in the footsteps of Christ and, like Christ, never intended to be the founder of a religious order. Francis was living his life as a disciple of Christ who was given an order by God in a vision at San Damiano to repair his house which was falling down. In following through on God’s request, Francis attracted his own disciples who were seeking similar assignments from God to give meaning to their lives. The relationship between rule, life and gospel, for Francis and his followers, can be seen playing out over time in fraternity and community, and fits in nicely as an example with the goal of articulating the truth of a group or a religious tradition such as Islam. At Chapter meetings of the fledgling order of Franciscan friars and brothers in the early 13th century, the experiences of the brothers were discussed at length and integrated into the rule of their order by Francis. Their life experience preceded the rule, making it possible for the brothers to be “open, direct, vulnerable, and inviting.”35 This is a critical point in the life of Francis of Assisi: there are those who shape and live out an ideal, and there are those who follow it and relive it. The fervor of the latter, however, becomes ever more exhausted, the more the one who embodied the ideal fades away in time and memory. Francis saw and anticipated this with lucid, distressing clairvoyance …. We will briefly note that he acted on two levels: that of norms, in order to render them always more unmistakable, precise, and clear; and those of example, so that the practical reality of example might match the dispositions of the rule.”36 33 Angelo Clareno, The Assisi Compilation: A Chronicle or History of the Seven Tribulations of the Order of Brothers Minor, translated from the Latin by David Burr and E. Randolph Daniel, (St. Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute Publications, 2005). 34 Laura Slattery, et al, Engage: Exploring Nonviolent Living, (Oakland: Pace e Bene Press, 2005), p. 93. 35 Ibid, p. 92. 36 Raoul Manselli, St. Francis of Assisi, (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1988), p. 229. Cathy Hampton Page 17 of 22 As a road map, the rule (our commitments and practices) articulates the truth of the form of life chosen by Francis and his brothers and gives the brotherhood a fraternal, organizational structure in which to explore their shared experiences of life, but without engaging in power struggles. If my own experience of life reflects the values and practices of the Franciscan community, the Franciscan rule becomes an important point of reference for living a similar life, as well as engaging in conversations with others about how they implement similar commitments and practices in their own lives. “We have an attitude of interest and curiosity, trying to learn from the other.”37 Francis’ conversations with Sultan Malik al-Kamil were nonviolent, nonbelligerent and truthful efforts to understand the other’s faith while becoming more articulate in defining and defending one’s own faith. Both Francis and the Sultan spoke with intellectual knowledge and spiritual experience, both pre requisites for meaningful interfaith dialogue today. Francis’s encounters with the Sultan tell us that any efforts to convert others to the Catholic faith and to believe in the truth of Christ’s Resurrection must never be coercive or demeaning. Instead, respect is the bridge that is called for in all conversations about the ultimate reality of God and His presence in the world. As Catholic, Francis was not hesitant in sharing his belief in Jesus Christ with the Sultan. In fact, the dialogue would never have taken place, or Francis’s credibility seriously undermined, if he had shown any doubt about his faith in Jesus Christ in front of a Muslim equally committed to the faith of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. We have only a limited understanding of and possession of the truth and need to transcend our own limited version of truth by listening with an open heart to the truth of the other person. The example of Saint Francis of Assisi is important in grasping this step in depth because he embraced poverty and nurtured relationships with the natural world that revealed his deep understanding of the inherent dignity of creation. Francis carefully followed in the footsteps of 37 Laura Slattery, et al, Engage: Exploring Nonviolent Living, (Oakland: Pace e Bene Press, 2005), p. 92. Cathy Hampton Page 18 of 22 Christ, transitioning to the side of the marginalized by internalizing the message of the Gospel to such an extent that he did not even need to read Scripture towards the end of his life when his eyesight was failing. When we practice active listening to the other, whether in dialogue or in ongoing, shared readings of the Gospel, much of what they possess as truth can be transmitted to us and bring us close to God. In prayer, we can grow closer to the truth of the other person because shared reflective silence can bring up new meaning and truth otherwise buried by the noise and distractions of the outside world. To receive the truth of the other person, we must silence our inner dialogue which is busy preparing what we want to say in response to the other, at the same time that the other person is speaking. The introduction of Islamic practices in Francis’s writings and prayer life after his return from Egypt gives added depth to Franciscan theology and spirituality, both in theory and in practice. “May you foster such honor to the Lord among the people entrusted to you that every evening an announcement may be made by a messenger or some other sign that praise and thanksgiving may be given by all people to the allpowerful Lord God.”38 Taking a moment several times a day to center our thoughts outside of our internal monologue in public prayer can be helpful in escaping the tyranny of introspection and silencing the inherited scripts preventing and truly receiving the truth of the other person. It is important to remember that the person speaking to us is undergoing a similar process of filtering what he or she is hearing from us through his/her own perspectives. By being more sensitive to and aware of this type of filtering, it becomes easier to relax and learn new things from the other person during the conversation. The lack of civility in public and private discourse leads to violence and retaliatory violence as both “sides” talk in sound bytes or platitudes that keep us from receiving 38 Regis J. Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellmann and William J. Short, editors, Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume I, LtR, 58-59. Cathy Hampton Page 19 of 22 any new meaning or truth from the other person. For Saint Francis, receiving the truth of the other person assumed the priority of relationships with all creatures and with God and within the common ground of the public square. “The roots of solutions to society’s problems have to be found in common ground. It is almost impossible to find this common ground in a non-relational environment.”39 Conclusion: Francis’s Call for Peace in the Midst of Violence: The story of Francis’s visit to the Sultan during the Fifth Crusade tells us that we must make an effort today to know more about non-Christian religions and the cultures from which they originate so that we can grow in depth and mature wisdom in understanding our own religious traditions and spiritual commitments. When we pray and center ourselves in preparation for a dialogue or encounter with the other, we are listening to God, a self-reflective activity that should lead us to reject all forms of violence and redemptive violence in our relationships with others, including what others may consider to be a “Just War.” The Word of God has been missing from the common ground that we share with each other today and needs to be restored to the heart and the work of promoting peace and justice. Francis lived a message of inclusivity and communion which embraced all of creation. His most radical expression of this was his stance toward Islam and the Saracens whom he recognized and loved as brothers and sisters. Confronting the theology of Christendom forgetful of its own tradition, he dared to proclaim a truth that had been buried – the truth of fraternal love and community. This insight turned his life around. This is what attracted people from all strata of society: the very message of the Gospel, the mission of Christ enfleshed once again.”40 Francis is a shining model for letting God be the God of this situation. Francis, who entered into true dialogue, was filled with respect for his Muslim brothers to whom he listened attentively and spoke honestly. Francis then walked away, in faithful submission 39 Albert Merz. Franciscan Action Network, http://www.franciscanaction.org/ Kathleen A. Warren, Daring to Cross the Threshold: Francis of Assisi Encounters Sultan Malik al-Kamil, (Rochester, MN: Sisters of St. Francis, 2003). 40 Cathy Hampton Page 20 of 22 to the will of God. In that response Francis gained new insights. It appears the same gift was given to the Sultan.”41 As an obedient disciple and follower of Christ, it is likely that Francis saved Christianity from total destruction when he answered God’s call for him to rebuild his house and when he intervened in the Fifth Crusade to bring about peace between Christians and Muslims. Francis was asked to address the human community and repair what had gone wrong over time and history, so that human beings could flourish as God intended. House is the basic social space for human growth and nurture. Francis speaks of becoming mothers, brothers, sisters, spouse of Jesus Christ, all relationships originating in the house, the location of the ordinary and everydayness of life. Like Francis, the Church also finds its faith rooted in the “spirituality of kenosis – of powerlessness, of continual purification from self-centeredness, of growing more in openness to our partners in dialogue.”42 The story of Francis’s visit to meet the Egyptian Sultan Malik al-Kamil offers us a new form of presence to follow as we listen to God for our own calling in life. The application of interreligious dialogue to the theology and spirituality of Saint Francis links Francis with my own experience in a special way. I look forward to learning more about the Sufi mystic Rumi and his relationship with Saint Francis and encouraging interreligious dialogue about the meaning of the actions of prophets and saints through the ages. 41 42 Michael H. Crosby, Finding Francis, Following Christ, (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2007), p. 117 Ibid., p. 117. Cathy Hampton Page 21 of 22 BIBLIOGRAPHY Armstrong, Regis J. and J.A. Wayne Hellman and William J. Short, editors. 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