The first Franciscan Rule is very severe against those who murmur. The friars – it says – “must speak evil of no man, nor murmur, nor detract others, for it is written: «Whisperers and detractors are hateful to God »”.
Francis definitely had no sympathy for this type of sin, nor was he very soft-hearted towards those who allowed themselves to be overtaken by it. So much so that Thomas of Celano tells us that Francis deemed it correct that “he who had stripped his brother of the glory of his good name be stripped of his tunic, and suffered him not to lift up his eyes to God unless he had first restored that which he had taken away”. The same biographer says that he often repeated the same kind of words: “These are the slanderer’s words: «I lack perfection of life; I have no store of learning or of peculiar grace; and so I have no standing either with God or with men. I know what I will do: I will besmirch the elect and curry favour with those in authority. I know that my Superior is but a man and that at times he follows the same plan as I: to cut down the cedars so that the bramble alone may be seen in the wood. Go, wretch, feed on human flesh, and since you cannot live otherwise, gnaw the entrails of your brethren!» Such men strive to appear good, not to become so; they accuse others of vices, but do not put them away themselves. They praise those alone by whose authority they desire to be protected; uttering no praises but such as they think will be reported to him they have praised. They trade on the pale face of abstinence for pernicious praises that they may appear spiritual men who judge all things but themselves are judged by no man. They rejoice in being considered saints, without having their works, in the name of angels, without having virtue.”
Saints are authentic people and therefore sincere, hating falsehood. It is not a coincidence that Francis alludes in a not so hidden way to the famous admonition of Jesus against hypocrites: the Master asks those who listen to Him not to imitate them in any way whatsoever, neither boasting of charitable actions, nor praying to be seen by others, nor disfiguring themselves so that the signs of their fasting be seen outwardly. Because – Jesus says – those who behave in such a manner have already received their reward. We will hear this Gospel again on Ash Wednesday, and while the priest or deacon places the austere penitential symbol on our heads, he will admonish us: “Be converted and believe in the Gospel”.
Of course it’s not enough to avoid eating meat on Fridays to obey that admonition, especially if we deprive ourselves of nothing else, maybe even dearer than meat. It would be much more useful to seriously consider the severe words of Francis and to avoid hypocrisy and murmuring: because we can fool men, but not God. And because “what man is worth in God’s sight, such is his real worth and not more”.

“Such men strive to appear good, not to become so; they accuse others of vices, but do not put them away themselves.”