Vatican City, Sep 15, 2010 / 08:32 am
Continuing his theme on women's contributions to the Church throughout history, Pope Benedict recalled the life of St. Clare of Assisi during his catechesis on Wednesday. “Her witness,” the Pope noted, “shows us how much the Church is indebted to courageous women rich in faith who, like her, were capable of giving a decisive impulse to ecclesial renewal.”
Born into wealthy nobility, the saint had a marriage arranged for her when she was very young, the Holy Father explained. However, at the age of eighteen, Clare left her family home and joined the Friars Minor at the church of Porziuncola in Italy. The renowned St. Francis of Assisi welcomed her, cut her hair and invested her with the penitential habit.
“Clare found in Francis of Assisi, especially at the beginning of her religious experience, not only a master whose teachings to follow but also a fraternal friend,” he said. “The friendship between these two saints is a beautiful and important element, for when two pure souls inflamed with the same love for God meet, from their mutual friendship they draw a powerful stimulus to follow the path of perfection.”
“Friendship is one of the most noble and exalted human sentiments, which divine Grace purifies and transfigures.”