St Francis and the Leper

Like many people of his day, Francis had a fear of people with leprosy. Francis would be familiar with the condition and probably disgusted by the sight of those with leprosy and would have crossed the road rather than encounter a leper.

Francis’ attitude to lepers was to change radically, when early on in his journey of conversion, Francis encountered a leper. He records his encounter in his Testament:

“When I was in sin, the sight of lepers nauseated me beyond measure; but then God himself led me into their company, and I had pity on them. When I became acquainted with them, what had previously nauseated me became the source of spiritual and physical consolation for me.” (Franciscan media)

To continue reading click here 03 St Francis and the Leper pr 13-07-24