Elias of Cortona | |
|---|---|
| Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor | |
 Replica of a lost portrait of Elia da Cortona byGiunta Pisano | |
| In office | 1232–1239 |
| Predecessor | Giovanni Parenti |
| Successor | Albert of Pisa |
| Previous post(s) | Vicar General of the Order of Friars Minor (1221-32) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elias Bonusbaro c. 1180 Assisi, Italy |
| Died | April 22, 1253(1253-04-22) (aged 72–73) Cortona, Italy |
| Buried | San Francesco, Cortona |
| Denomination | Order of Friars Minor |
| Occupation | Friar andscholar |
Elias of Cortona[a] (c. 1180 – April 22, 1253) was a close associate ofSaint Francis of Assisi and one of the earliest followers to join the newly foundedOrder of Friars Minor. A lay brother, he rose to positions of significant leadership within the order, serving as bothvicar general and minister general. Saint Francis himself appointed Elias vicar general in 1221.
Elias's family background is documented bySalimbene di Adam, a contemporary associate. His family name was possibly Bonusbaro or Bonibarone, with his father originating from nearBologna and his mother fromAssisi. Prior to joining theFranciscan Order, Elias assisted in his family's confectionary and mattress business and taught children in Assisi to read thePsalter. According toThomas of Eccleston, Elias later worked as ascriptor or notary in Bologna, likely pursuing additional education.
Elias appears to have been among the earliest companions ofSaint Francis of Assisi. The exact time and place of his joining the order remain uncertain, thoughLuke Wadding, a Franciscan historian, proposes Cortona in 1211. It is clear, however, that Elias held a prominent position among the friars from the outset.
Following a brief stay inTuscany, Elias was appointed head of amissionary group sent to theNear East in 1217. Two years later, he became the first provincial minister of the then-extensiveSyrian province. In this capacity, he receivedCaesarius of Speyer into the order. While the specifics of Elias's work in the East remain unclear, the three years he spent there appear to have had a significant impact on him.[1]
Elias remained alay brother throughout his life, never taking priestly vows. He instead served as a skilled organizer within the Franciscan Order.[2]
After returning fromAcre in 1220, Francis brought Elias back with him. Francis had previously appointed Peter Catani asvicar general to manage the order's day-to-day administration. When Peter died on March 10, 1221, demonstrating his trust in Elias, Francis named him vicar-general. Elias held this office for five years until Francis' death on October 3, 1226. He then oversaw the temporary burial of the saint at the Church of San Giorgio in Assisi, an ancient church later incorporated into and replaced by theBasilica di Santa Chiara.
PopeGregory IX, a great patron of the Franciscans and their official protector asCardinal Ugolino, entrusted Brother Elias with the task of building a magnificentchurch to house the body of Saint Francis. Elias immediately began planning a grand basilica in Assisi to enshrine the remains of thepoverello.[1]
To finance the basilica's construction, Elias, with papal authorization, obtained the Collis Inferni, a hill at the town's western extremity. He also implemented various fundraising methods, which alienated some friars zealous about poverty, a core Franciscan principle.
Another point of contention was Elias's status as a lay friar and his encouragement of other lay people to join the order. This move faced opposition from manyordained friars andministers provincial, who also resisted increasedcentralization of the order's structure.
This internal opposition led to Elias's rejection at the May 1227 Chapter election for Minister General. Despite his prominence, Elias lost toGiovanni Parenti, the Minister Provincial of Spain, who became the order's newMinister General.[1]
Elias's ambition for leadership was realized at theGeneral Chapter of 1232, where he was elected Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, becoming the second to hold this position after the order's founder. However, his succession was met with immediate controversy and caused a rift within the order.
Some of his most vocal critics were early companions of Saint Francis, including the simple Brother Giles, Brother Masseo, andBrother Leo, St. Francis's secretary and confidant. These early followers believed that Elias strayed from Saint Francis's cherished ideal ofcommunal poverty. They cited the grandeur of the newBasilica of Saint Francis andSacro Convento as examples of this, which Elias oversaw as the final resting place of the holy founder. Despite this criticism, Elias did attempt to uphold the rule of poverty for those closest to Saint Francis, includingSaint Clare of Assisi, the founder of thePoor Clares, with whom he had collaborated to establish the female branch of the Franciscan Order.
Elias's administration was marked by a vigorous effort to expand the order. He sent friars to establish new communities in distant lands and authorized the construction of large, monastic-style residences in cities. These residences served as centers of learning and represented a significant departure from the order's earlier tradition of small, scattered hermitages and a more itinerant lifestyle. This development had two key consequences. First, the concentration of friars in large communities led to friction with established clergy in cities. The faithful increasingly sought the spiritual services of the friars, which strained relations with localparish churches. Second, the new lifestyle fostered a growing distinction between friars residing in established communities (who came to be known as Conventuals) and those who, adhering more closely to the original Franciscan ideal, preferred a more austere and mobile existence (these latter friars were referred to as Spirituals).[3]
In 1238, Pope Gregory IX sent Elias of Cortona as anambassador to the excommunicated Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II. Elias apparently became a supporter of the Emperor as a result of this mission.
A General Chapter of the Franciscan Order was held inRome in 1239, where Elias was deposed from the office of Minister General. Friar Thomas of Eccleston's account of the Chapter suggests that FriarHaymo of Faversham was a leading figure in opposing Elias.
Following Elias's deposition,Albert of Pisa, the Minister Provincial of England, was elected Minister General. Elias traveled to Cortona without permission, visiting a house of Poor Clares. Though Albert was willing toabsolve him, Elias instead went to theGhibelline city ofArezzo. This prompted Pope Gregory IX toexcommunicate him.[4]
Albert died during his first year as Minister General. Haymo was then elected to the office in 1240.
In 1240, Elias definitively sided with the Emperor in his conflict with the papacy. He joined the Emperor's army, even riding a richly decorated warhorse at the sieges ofFaenza andRavenna. Consequently, Pope Gregory IX excommunicated Elias again and expelled him from the Franciscan Order.[2]
Elias faced allegations of being analchemist. Consequently several alchemical texts have been associated with his name. His authorship of these is however dubious.[5]
Shortly before his death, Elias was reconciled with both theHoly See and the Franciscan Order, with Saint Clare playing a mediating role.[2]
In April 2016,Ave Maria Press published the first popular history about Elias of Cortona titledThe Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started.[6]
Elias remains a debated figure within the Franciscan community. While a 2016 book reflects a critical view of his role, his reputation underwent reassessment during the 18th and early 20th centuries, particularly within the Conventual Franciscan movement. In 1923, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri advocated for a balanced historical evaluation of Elias, emphasizing the importance of recognizing both his achievements and his flaws.[7]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Preceded by | Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor 1232 – 1239 | Succeeded by |
