St. Francis of Assisi

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DanB

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I won’t pretend to be a expert in the history of the Church and its proponents, but please help me on this one, because I think my deacon threw me a fast ball to try and dupe me.

He told me St. Francis of Assisi was made a Bishop of the Church. I told him I had never read such a thing, let alone that St. Francis was never a priest. Certainly things change throughout the ages, but buff me up on this topic. Thanks!
 
I just read a biography on him last month. He was a deacon but I can’t remember if he was also a bishop :confused: I think your deacon friend might be right. Try a google search.
 
Thanks Teflon,
Having read Advent, I did find where Francis was ordained a deacon, but never an ordained priest. The article was very thorough, but did not mention his elavation to a Bishopric.
 
Doctor of the Church he maybe should be, though he isn’t, but he was never bishop.
 
LilyM said:
Doctor of the Church he maybe should be, though he isn’t, but he was never bishop.
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No, he’s neither a doctor of the Church nor a bishop. St. Francis de Sales is/was both, but not St. Francis of Assisi.

Here are the 33 Doctors:

**WESTERN ROMAN CHURCH DOCTORS

1 St Ambrose, 340-397 (Pastoral Doctor)
2 St Jerome, 345-420 (Doctor of Biblical Science)
3 St Augustine, 354-430 (Doctor of Grace)
4 St Gregory the Great, 540-604 (Doctor of Hymnology)

EASTERN CHURCH DOCTORS

5 St Athanasius, 295-373 (Doctor of Orthodoxy)
6 St Basil the Great, 330-379 (Doctor of Monasticism)
7 St Gregory Nazianzus, 330-390 (Doctor of Theologians)
8 St John Chrysostom, 345-407 (Doctor of Preachers)

EARLY CHURCH DOCTORS

9 St Ephraem, 306-373 (Doctor of Deacons and Poets)
10 St Hilary, 315-368 (Doctor of Christ’s Divinity)
11 St Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-387 (Doctor of Faith and against Heresy)
12 St Cyril of Alexandria, 376-444 (Doctor of the Incarnation)
13 St Leo the Great, 390-461 (Doctor of Doctrine)
14 St Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 (Doctor of Homilies)
15 St Isidore, 560-636 (Doctor of Education)
16 St Bede, the Venerable, 673-735 (Doctor of English History)
17 St John Damascene, 676-749 (The Icon or Image Doctor)
18 St Peter Damian, 1007-1072 (Doctor of Reform and Renewal)

MIDDLE AGE CHURCH DOCTORS

19 St Anselm, 1033-1109 (Doctor of Scholasticism)
20 St Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153 (Devotional and Eloquent Doctor)
21 St Anthony of Padua, 1195-1231 (Evangelical Doctor)
22 St Albert the Great, 1200-1280 (Doctor of Science)
23 St Bonaventure, 1217-1274 (Seraphic Doctor)
24 St Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274 (Angelic Doctor)
25 St Catherine of Siena, 1347-1379 (Doctor of Unity)

COUNTER REFORMATION CHURCH DOCTORS

26 St Teresa of Avila 1515-1582 (Doctor of Prayer)
27 St Peter Canisius, 1521-1597 (Doctor of Catechetical Studies)
28 St John of the Cross, 1542-1591 (Mystical Doctor)
29 St Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621 (Doctor of Church State Relations)
30 St Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1622 (Doctor of Conversions and Missions)
31 St Francis de Sales, 1567-1622 (Doctor of Authors and the Press)

MODERN ERA CHURCH DOCTORS

32 St Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787 (Morality and Marian Doctor)
33 St Therese of Lisieux, 1873-1897 (Doctor of Confidence and Missionaries)
**
 
I have never read or heard that St. Francis of Assisi was a deacon.

For one, during his life time, the permanent diaconate was pretty much non-existent. Transitional deacons were those on their way to priesthood and St. Francis never became a priest, nor was he called to be one.

It is my understanding that St. Francis was a 2nd order religious, which is not necessarily a deacon.

Jim
 
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