Minister Provincial

Because St. Anthony was held in such esteem by his brother friars he was chosen Minister Provincial of Northern Italy, including the region of Romagna, a position which added further burdens to his already numerous responsibilities. Who assigned him this position is not known, but the majority of Anthonian scholars theorise that he held this position for only three years, from 1227 to 1230.

As Provincial, Anthony distinguished himself by his spirit of service and fraternity, supporting encouraging and guiding his brothers through example and advice.

A reliable source tells us that he remained the provincial until May of 1230.

Friendship with Thomas of San Vittore

While he was Minister Provincial of northern Italy, Anthony always maintained the ideals of St. Francis in the many different circumstances in which he found himself. He cultivated relationships with the church hierarchy, presenting himself as a faithful Catholic, avoiding conflict and fostering a climate of harmony. The proof of this trust and respect by the hierarchy is evidenced by the personal participation of the Bishop of Padua during the Lenten sermons of 1231,and the fact that his quick canonisation met with little or no objection.

A second objective of his pastoral action was his intention to harmonise the activities of young Franciscan Order with those of the older religious Orders. While still in France, Anthony was warmly received by the monks of the Abbey of Solignac.

He also maintained a cordial and fraternal relationship with his former Augustinian community. Although he had become a Franciscan he did not want to cut off his ties with the past, rather he kept all the valid ideas he had learned and loved in the monasteries of St. Vincent and Santa Cruz in Portugal. His closest friendship during his years in Italy seems to have been with the Parisian Thomas of San Vittore, abbot of Sant'Andrea in Vercelli.

As custos, Anthony's travels eventually took him to the city of Vercelli, where he met Thomas of San Vittore and remained for a few weeks to preach. Thomas had gone to Vercelli in 1220. He was nominated prior in 1224, and, in 1226, he became abbot.

Sources say that the two saints held a mutual respect for each other in both their academic and fraternal relationships.

Apostle of Peace

While the Venetian Giovanni Dandolo was the mayor of Padua (29 June 1229 - 28 June 1230), the desperately longed for peace began to settle over the region. Let us hear the testimony of a contemporary, the Paduan notary Rolandino:

"For the space of about one year the cities of the region of Treviso enjoyed such peace that almost all were convinced that from then on there would no longer be unrest or wars. Almost the entire population was spiritually restored, elevated to celestial realities by means of exemplary preaching. And it was at this fair moment that the Blessed Anthony also entered the region announcing the Word of God in a captivating voice".

The writing of the Sermones

The Assidua biography of St. Anthony (11,3) affirms that he wrote his Sermones for Sundays during his stay in Padua, where a deep and mutual affection grew up between him and the inhabitants. It would be difficult for us to date the Sermones with precision. We do, however, know that his place of residence was Santa Maria Mater Domini.
The Assidua (11,7), speaking about the tireless zeal for saving souls that urged Anthony to give himself entirely to the apostolate, notes that he continued his pastoral work until sundown, very often fasting. He preached, taught and heard confessions. In his apostolate, St. Anthony was accompanied by some companions, and in the last period he was accompanied by Blessed Luke Belludi.

Apostolic preacher

It was on the occasion of the General Chapter in 1230, that took place during the translation of St. Francis' remains to the new basilica built in his honour, that Anthony was released from his responsibilities of leadership.
Because of the esteem in which the other friars held him, however, he was commissioned as a preacher with the privilege of travelling wherever he felt best. Along with six other friars he was also chosen as one of the Order's representatives to Pope Gregory IX.

The development of the Order

Did Anthony have personal contact with Gregory IX? When and for what reason was he sent to the papal curia? What position did he take concerning the questions of the development of the Order? What was his relationship with one of the most enigmatic leaders of the Franciscan Order, Brother Elias? Sources reveal that the General Chapter of 1230 had to seek the pope's intercession because of the discordant discussion that had arisen as to whether or not the Last Will and Testament of Saint Francis held any juridical value. St. Anthony played a role in discussing and debating such questions with the pontiff.

During this trip, which took place partly in Rome and partly in Anagni, Anthony became known in the highest circles for his outstanding saintliness and extraordinary biblical knowledge, not only through private meetings with various dignities but through spiritual conferences and homilies. Upon orders of Gregory IX, he gave a speech to many pilgrims in the eternal city. On that occasion, miracle similar to what happened to the Apostles at Pentecost took place; each listener heard the speech in his or her own language.

A Franciscan tradition states that Gregory IX invited Anthony to remain by his side. However, "He, humbly renouncing this honour in order to work for the good of others, and after having obtained the apostolic blessing, he chose to isolate himself in Verna. He remained there for some time, dedicating himself to preaching and penance. He then went to Padua."

Anthony the Franciscan

What relationship was there between Anthony and other Franciscans, especially the leadership of the Order? Biographers have often shown Anthony as standing on his own, almost removed from the context of the Franciscan movement. At the beginning of the order, the followers of Francis were men of diverse personalities and their sense of belonging to a group was probably rather weak. After all, the official document which gave the order its identity was the Rule which dates only to 1223. Anthony and Elias, by their natures, moral temperaments, and spiritual maturity appear to have been quite different.

They lived in different worlds. We do not know what influence St. Francis, his life or his spirit had on the faith and various activities of Anthony. In the Sermones, Francis' name is never mentioned. It is a noticeable void, especially considering that the Sermones constitute such an extensive work and were published after Francis' canonisation. Anthony was a temperate person, who tried to unite being faithful to the Franciscan charisma with the urgent demands made on him in the various surroundings in which he undertook his pastoral task.