In 2021, during the course of her doctoral research dissertation entitled “The Nationality of Francisca Alejandra,” dissertation scholar Marina Baldo points out that the Franciscan community in Argentina has been divided into three distinct groups based on their religion, profession, and national origin. The “arna” or lower class category included people born in Argentina and of immigrant parents, such as Italian immigrants. The second category, which comprises the “salvadoran” or middle class, consists of people of native descent who were encouraged to migrate and settle in Argentina, but later returned to preserve their nationality (along with their religion) by practicing a profession or serving the state. The third category, which is the highest ranked, comprises those who have chosen Argentina’s traditional Latin identity and have hence remained true to their religious and cultural values despite both their position in society and their adoption of Western ways.
While looking into the backgrounds of Frisca Alejandra and her family, Baldo suggests that the marriage of Frisca to a man of higher profession may have been motivated more by power and wealth than by true love or a desire for a commitment to the faith. Frisca’s husband, Ben, was a member of the nobility and a member of the Order of Sanivalry which, according to tradition, never accepted a non-royal marriage. Baldo speculates that Frisca’s motive for marrying Beni may have been related to a need to join a prestigious order, which would have required certain dowries. If this is true, then it is further evidence that attitudes towards marriage outside the Catholic Church are changing. However, some priests were not always willing to accept the idea of female priests. Even so, it remains the case that a majority of priests throughout the world still adhere to the fundamentals of the Church: marriage is only between a man and a woman, no man and woman.
In concluding, it appears that there is more to the life of Francisca Della Licciardi than meets the eye. She had a powerful intellect, a devout life, and a love of humanity, yet was also deeply involved in politics, medicine, religion and literature. Her most famous work is the biography of St Francis of Assissi, wherein she muses on the contrasts between his good life and the terrible one he experienced when his monastery was burnt down by the marauding Muslims. The length and depth of Francisca Della Licciardi’s mind are revealed at length in her essays and stories. As a result of her many works, many of which can be found in her own beloved library, she remains popular even today.