an original. Franciscan originality derived from the success that Francis had in “performing” the gospel. That performance, in turn, developed against the official attempts at church reformation which reached its zenith in the lifetime of Francis at the Lateran Council IV (1215). The impact of that reforming council is crystal clear in the writings of the saint himself. In other words, his life and message were a kind of existential exegesis of the scriptures in response to the reforming elements