St. Francis could probably be called the world's first animal
communicator and animal welfare advocate. He was one of the first
humans in recorded history to value the life of animals as highly as
humans, to speak openly and unabashedly with them as equals. He
preached soulfully to flocks of birds, rescued turtle doves from
captivity and wrote poetry to honor all creatures and nature. His
legacy of reverence for all life continues to inspire the world today.
In the story of St. Francis and the wolf of Gubbio, the legendary
patron saint of animals went into the woods to talk with a wolf who
had been coming into the village and killing livestock. Communicating
his deep sense of compassion, St. Francis basically negotiated a deal:
that the village people would respect, shelter and feed the wolf in
their village forever more if the wolf would agree not to take the
villager's animals for his meals. As St. Francis and the wolf silently
spoke, the village people watched in awe as the wolf lifted his paw to
St. Francis' hand and allowed himself to be held. The wolf came to
live peacefully amongst the people in the village for two more years
until his natural death. His remains were placed in a concrete like
casket which remains today in the Church of S. Francesco della Pace in
Gubbio.
—from the
Animals in Our Hearts website.
