St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) suffered from a severe eye disease, likely trachoma, which caused intense pain and near blindness. He endured crude medical treatments, including cauterization, yet embraced suffering joyfully. Some historians believe he may have also had leprosy, as he cared for lepers and later developed symptoms himself. Despite his declining health, he composed the Canticle of the Sun and remained devoted to God. Nearly blind and frail, he died in 1226 but left a legacy…
