CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: E - St. Francis of Assisi was born to a wealthy family in Italy, but as a young man he felt called to forsake that lifestyle in order to live in poverty, where he ultimately founded the Franciscan Mendicant Order. Though not a priest, he was a Catholic preacher, and his following quickly became large. The rules he outlined for his order were similar to those of earlier monastic orders, except that he advocated that Franciscans should live among the poor. In 1210 his order received the Church’s official recognition through Pope Innocent III. Then, Francis founded the Order of Poor Clares, an order for women (they were essentially nuns). In 1224 he received the first documented stigmata in the history of Christendom.