The Kinship of Saint Francis - 690 

some way had two virgin daughters, that is Saint Clare and her sister Agnes, through whom innumerable virgins of the Order of Saint Clare and other persons were converted to God. For he was appointed visitator, governor, and corrector, the father of the poor ladies, that is, of Saint Clare and her sisters, and was the first visitator of that Order.a

 

[Saint Matthew] [Brother Angelo]

 

6h The eighth companion was Brother Angelo Tancredi who was very much like blessed Matthew the Evangelist. Among the Evangelists, blessed Matthew is portrayed as an angel, that is, as a winged man.b This companion of Francis, who is like him, is called "angel," just as Saint Matthew can be called "angel." Matthew means donum festinationis [a gift of haste] because of his hasty conversion.c Tancredi, however, the surname of Brother Angelo, means statim credens [immediately believing]. Saint Matthew could be called "Angelo" because of his image, and "Tancredi" by reason of his quick conversion, because he immediately believed in Christ Who was calling him. Brother Angelo could also be called "Matthew" because he also had the gift of haste in his conversion.

And he can be called a levite, which means appositus [added] or assumptus [assumed],d because, when there were only eleven brothers in the Order, he was added that the number of the twelve apostles might be complete. He was also taken in the state of perfection as a true levite for divine worship.

Before his call, Matthew was very worldly and taken up with secular affairs, as was Brother Angelo. Earlier he was a knight and was extremely worldly. As Matthew wrote Christ's Gospel, Angelo wrote Saint Francis's life.e As Matthew is portrayed by a human being, so Brother Angelo, of all the companions of Saint Francis, was humane and courteous, and because of this Saint Francis greatly commended him

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Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 3, p. 690