Regarding the third challenge, the Pope allowed those members who wanted to retain their eremitical (hermit) lifestyle and practice to do so.
This was, however, solely on the condition that their Augustinian superior did not have a need to call them to apostolic service for any reason.
There was the expectation that all who were able and qualified would engage in the apostolate, and that future generations of Augustinians would have no choice but to do so.
Regarding the fourth challenge for the new Augustinian Order, the Franciscans were not satisfied with the papal decision which dispensed members of the new Augustinian religious order from the wide-flowing sleeves, the very broad cincture (waist belt) and the wooden staff.
(The staff was the sign of the wandering hermit, assigned to the Tuscan hermits by the papal bull Pia desideria of 31st March 1244 that confirmed the decisions of the Little Union.)
They succeeded in having the bull, Recordamur liquido renewed. It demanded these things and, armed with this document, they attempted to have bishops proceed against the Augustinians and force them even to carry the staff.
Three months later the Augustinians appealed to Pope Alexander IV, who in response wrote Litteras nostras to instruct the bishops that they should only demand the wearing of the black habit by the Augustinians, but should not do that before allowing a period of grace extending until All Saints Day.
The Augustinian opposition to the black habit had originated, no doubt, from the preference of the mendicant movement for the cheapest-possible material, which was grey sackcloth, while the dyed black material was associated with the older monastic orders.
It is not surprising that the bishops did not wish to spend much energy enforcing the will of one mendicant religious order over another.
(Continued on the next page.)
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