The Sins of St. Francis’s Father

This passage has concerned me since my parochial-school days. It was contrary to the fourth commandment to honor thy father and mother. And, moreover, I had no plans to hate my parents. Could I then be a good follower of Jesus? As an adult, when I puzzled over Francis’s extreme behavior, I figured that Francis was taking these words from Luke literally. But perhaps we need to look deeper at this fraught father-son relationship and this gospel verse. Might there be reason to have some sympathy for Peter Bernadone? More importantly, could Francis have shown more loving compassion toward him than he has been given credit for?