Assisi bans begging...What would St Francis do?

St Francis of Assisi,  the 13th century friar, is seen as patron saint of the poor,  as well as lover of animals.  His hometown Assisi, however, now steps into the unforgiving, tourist-dollar-grabbing 21st century by banning begging. The right-wing Mayor Claudio Ricci has stopped people seeking handouts, lying down or sitting on the ground within 500 metres of town churches, other places of worship, squares and public buildings, La Repubblica reports.
    The Vatican is unimpressed.  "Saint Francis is the saint of the poor..."Begging is not a crime," said Monsignor Renato Martino, head of a Pontifical council for justice and peace. "I don't understand why it has to be banned by adopting a law. Even if some people take advantage, helping those who are in need is always a good thing to do."  More hard-headedly, the head of Assisi's Franciscan monastery, Vincenzo Coli, says that St Francis "recommended recourse to begging only when it was not possible to sustain oneself through work." 

   Whatever next? a ban on feeding the birds?

Comments

[Meg M]

While this might not be a problem in the UK, begging in the US has become dishonest and just plain out of hand. In the DC area, we have homeless people, yes we are fine with them. We do give them money and talk to them. It's just the newer generation that walks up and down the medium strip begging with signs, etc. In the past few years we have started to realize that some of these people are not even poor or homeless. They are just plain pranksters. Not only this, but there has been crime linked to some of these people. I honestly have gotten to the point as a young woman where I don't know whether or not to give anything to these people anymore.

[Rick Beekman]

Makes Perfect sense to me.

The RCC hates competion in their never ending quest to "Fleece" the touristas who go there.
So they put a little pressure on the local authorities to stop the beggers..that's more the gullible tourists will spend in DVD's..Albums..Photos...Medals Etc. The RCC Is a Very astute Buisness among other things...

[helena]

Why are they reduced to begging? Are they really destitute, or are they just after free money (sort of like Northern Rock)? And if they are destitute is it their own fault because they knowingly and recklessly and unnnecessarily became drug addicts?

The donors can't tell, so the safest is not to give direct, but via charities who can identify the truly deserving.

It's disgusting to con well-meaning, kindly people, by pretending to be destitute.

[Chris Gillibrand]

The same St Francis who told his religious to use only low and mean tables, so that "if a beggar were to come to sit down near them he might believe that he was but with his equals and need not blush on account of his poverty."

[Stuart Hartill]

If I was an Assisi sparrow right now and had Ricci in my sights.......!

[David B. Monier-williams]

Rick Beekman, I went to Assisi with such an attitude. The Duomo was very crowded all the Friars were doing were shushing the crowd. The was a small booth selling a few postcards etc, but nothing like that was available 200 yards away by individual entrepreneurs.

All photos were banned, this is what upset me as I take both still and HD video. If they were money makers as you claim they would, like the Zwinger Museum in Dresden, charge E5 for the privlege. I was left with getting most of my photos off the internet from people who had paid a large sum to take photos for commercial use.

Remember, the political and social mores of Italy are and have been in chaos since the 7th Century BC when Italians learned to talk with their hands.

I love Italy and the Italians but as my best friend in Germany, an historian said, "Italy is an idea that is yet to be manifest." In the Renaissance it was called," Rich, divided and weak." George Bernard Shaw called it. "Theater---with all the bad actors on stage." Fellini called it, "A cross between a football game and a brothel." Nothing has changed. It's a Crying shame !!!

[Rick Beekman]

David B Monier-williams;
I admit I have never been to asissi; Ihave been to Rome..Naples..Taranto compliments of the U.S. Navy in the early sixties. I love Italian People. I have Great memories when I was there.

What I'm against from a Biblical standpoint is all the adoration for People the RCC "Cherry Picks" to be revered. The Bible teaches that "Let no Flesh Glory in His sight".

By selecting certain individuals and making Idols out of them the promoting it in any way shape or fashion is total Blasphemy against God's Holy Word. I love the Catholic Folks I just don't like The Vatican..The Pope..and the False Doctrines And false teachings they promote worldwide. I came out of that Church in 1987 I know what they teach..what they promote etc.

Appreciate the dialog!

[Robert B]

I can assure you, the bulk of these "beggars" are about as genuine as the Piltdown Man. My local Catholic church has, for the past few months, been plagued by a pair of throughly unpleasant people who pose as beggars (they actually have a nice house and a good car, so they're hardly that poorly off).

They approach parishioners and demand money from them in a completely intimidating fashion - this money is, we now know for a fact, spent on alcohol, cigarettes and possibly drugs too. If they don't get that money they become abusive. They disrupt masses and, when asked to leave, will become violent. They throw all other forms of charity other than money back at us.

And, sadly, this is not rare. Other churches in our diocese have had similar problems. I can recall at least one instance of a "beggar" forcing his way into a Presbytery and holding a priest at knifepoint.

The sad fact is a lot of these people don't have any need of charity. They just abuse it and the trust of those who give it. So perhaps those critics here would care to think up a solution to what is sadly a very real and rapidly growing problem, rather than having a few cheap and nasty jibes at the expense of the Franciscans (who I completely sympathise with).

[Jess H]

Well I hope than when they banned begging they also provided the genuine people with a place to go instead.