The Franciscan Tau Cross

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Pope Innocent III had always worked for the renewal of the Church and the reformation of the clergy. He had desired to hold an Ecumenical Council that would help to eradicate liturgical abuse as well as call the clergy to repentance and deeper conversion. He announced the Council on April 19th, 1213 and set the date for its opening; November 11th, 1215. It was to be held at the Vatican.

 

The Fourth Lateran Council is often referred to as the “Great Council of Lateran” or “The Great Council”. 21 Patriarchs or Metropolitans attended along with the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Jerusalem. The Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch sent representatives. There were 412 bishops in attendance and 900 abbots and priors. Evoys from Emperor Frederick II attended. The Latin Emperor of Constantinople and the kings of France, England, Aragon, Hungary, Cypress and Jerusalem were all represented.

 

At the Council Important points of dogmatic and moral theology were defined. Most notably was the term “Transubstantiation” given as the sole term to define the bread and wine becoming the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. The Council also decreed points of discipline, drew up measures against heretics and conditions of the next crusade were discussed.

 

Pope Innocent III opened the Council by reading from Ezekiel 9:1-7

 

Then he cried loud for me to hear: Come you scourges of the city! With that I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces the north, each with a destroying weapon in his hand. In their midst was a man dressed in linen, with a writers case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar. Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writers case at his waist, saying to him: Pass through the city [through Jerusalem] and mark the Tau (T) on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it. To the others I heard him say: Pass through the city after him and strike! Do not look on them with pity not show any mercy! Old men, youths and maidens, women and children-wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the Tau (T); begin at my sanctuary…”

 

Pope Innocent III explained that he was the man clothed in linen with a writers horn at his loins. He said that he was sending out those at the Council to call all to repentance and to receive the Tau. Those who did not convert, change or repent, he told them to strike with interdict, with suspension and excommunication. In particular, this was a call for the reform of the clergy and a call to renew the faith of the people.

 

Saint Francis was set on fire by the speech of Pope Innocent III. He too saw himself as the one dressed in linen with the inkhorn. Saint Francis decided that it was his call, his mission to go about the world and call the world to repentance. He believed it to be his mission to proclaim the mercy of God and to call souls to enter into that mercy and to live holy and virtuous lives. For Saint Francis the Tau became the symbol of his own live of continuous conversion and the mark that he sought to write upon the head of all he encountered.

 

This image of the Tau became so significant for Saint Francis that he adopted it as his signature. Frm 1215 on Saint Francis will sign his name with the Tau. We see this on his letter to Br. Leo as well as on the wall of the cave of Saint Michael in Monte Gargano, Italy.

 

The Tau is the letter “t” in the greek alphabet. In the thirteenth century it was common to depict the cross in the form of a “T”, the upper part of the cross was considered made by the sign I.N.R.I. For Saint Francis this carried yet another significant part of his mission: to preach Christ crucified. It was his mission to make sure that the world came to love love once again. More than marking the Tau on the foreheads of the repentant, he wanted to brand the Cross on the hearts of those who would repent and come to trust in the love God has for them.

 

The Church has often seen the Tau as a prophetic symbol of the indelible mark made upon the soul at Baptism. For Saint Francis this had a double significance. First; call to the waters of baptism the unbaptized, in particularly the muslims. Secondly, to remind the baptized of the dignity they have received in baptism. For those wrapped in mortal sin Saint Francis felt obliged to call them to be restored to the State of Grace and be renewed in their baptismal life.

 

The Tau is a sign for those who show forth the power of the cross in their deeds according to what the apostle said: They have crucified their flesh.”

 

During his conversion, while praying in a cave on Mount Sabbassio near Assisi, Saint Francis had an apparition of Christ on the Cross. He experienced the love and mercy of God that lifted him from the sorrow and sadness of a life lived in sin to a joy found in the mercy and love of Christ Crucified. In that experience he cried out “Love is not loved! Love is not loved!” From thence forth he sought to love love, to love Christ crucified. From that point on he couldn’t see a cross and not think of the passion of Jesus. The sorrow for the sins of ungrateful men, sorrow for the sins of his past life and sheer joy of the love of God would lead him to tears.

 

Saint Francis love for Christ crucified was consummated on Mount LaVerna. It was there that he asked for two graces; 1. To feel in his body all the pain Christ felt when he died for the world. And 2. To have in his heart the love and mercy that made God want to die for sinful humanity. Both graces were granted and Saint Francis was the first Saint to receive the stigmata. He became a living crucifix, a living TAU. It wasn’t marked upon his forehead with ink, it was engraved in his flesh. In the flesh of Saint Francis was fulfilled the words of Saint Paul:

 

Let no man trouble me, for I bear the brand marks of Jesus in my flesh.

Fro the year of 1215 on the TAU has become one of the Franciscan Trademarks. When you see the TAU you know that there is a Franciscan nearby. More importantly, when we see the TAU we should render thanks to God for the love He has shown us from the cross. We should recall the wonderful gift our own baptism and be renewed in our call to be children of God. We should be reminded to seek deeper conversion and be willing to speak boldly of the call to conversion. It should remind us to be apostles to the baptized who have fallen away and to the unbaptized who stand in need of the divine adoption. Above all, may the TAU call us, like Saint Francis to spend our lives seeking to love love.