Comparison of Rules Secular Franciscan Order Third Order

Comparison of Rules Secular Franciscan Order & Third Order Regular Presented by Joseph Koh, OFM Maryfields 2005

Contents Brief History n Origins n Comparison n Overview l Chapters l Articles l n Conclusion

Brief History… • Initial ‘nucleus group’ of “Penitents” formed • • • around St Francis 12 th Century, Order of Monks & Order of Clerics joined by Order of Penitents Francis and Companions known as “Penitents of Assisi” before Papal approval of Rule Existing groups placed under the direction of monasteries or new institutes e. g Humiliati forming “Third Order” of married and celibate laity

Brief History… • Lay Penitential movements revitalized by Francis • and Companions Letter to St Agnes of Bohemia (1238): – Three orders founded by Francis – Friars Minor, Enclosed Sisters, Penitents • Francis the Founder?

Brief History… • 1957 – Third Order's General Constitutions by decree of the Sacred Congregation for Religious – Stressed Secular nature of vocations • Vatican Council – Emphasized lay person's vocation in the Church – set lay organizations committed to the Christian apostolate on the road to gradual independence – necessary to recognize the autonomous nature of the Franciscan Third Order.

Brief History… • 1973 – World Council of the Franciscan Third Order was established

How it came about… n SFO ¨ Known as the "Third Order of Saint Francis. " (TOSF) ¨ Holy See’s approval of the revised Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order by means of Apostolic Letter Seraphicus Patriarcha, dated June 24, 1978

How it came about… ¨ Abrogates and takes the place of the preceding rule of Pope Leo XIII. ¨ Renames TOSF to be the Secular Franciscan Order by Pope Paul VI.

How it came about… n TOR ¨ International Franciscan Conference of the Institutes of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis ¨ Established in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council which called for all religious families to renew and update themselves by returning to the source of their foundation.

How it came about… ¨ New draft of the text of the Rule was approved and presented to Pope John Paul II ¨ Promulgated on 8 th December 1982 in the brief Franciscanum vitae propositum.

Comparison Overview SFO (1978) Document Name Seraphicus TOR (1982) Patriarcha Franciscanum Vitae Propositum Date of Issue 24 June 1978 8 December 1982 Papal Approval Paul IV John-Paul II

Comparison Overview SFO (1978) TOR (1982) Number of Chapters 3 9 Number of Articles 26 32

Comparison Overview Origin of Quotations & Indirect References: n SFO Rule n Many aspects taken from the Vatican II vision, especially from Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes & Apostolicam Actuositatem n TOR Rule n Rn. B & RB n Includes writings of Clare

Comparison Overview SFO TOR Vatican Document 18 Nil Francis’ Writings 21 92 Clare’s Writings Nil 12 Papal Letters 3 Nil Canon Law 6 Nil Scriptures 5 42 Previous Rules 3 Nil

Chapters Comparison l SFO ¡ ¡ Prologue Chapter l 1 – The Secular Franciscan Order 2 – The Way of Life l 3 – Life in Fraternity l l TOR ¡ ¡ Prologue Chapter l 1 – Our Identity 2 – Reception into the Way of life l 3 – Spirit of Prayer l 4 – Life of Chastity for the sake of the Kingdom of God l

Chapters Comparison l TOR ¡ ¡ ¡ 5 – Way to Serve and Work 6 – Life of Poverty 7 – Fraternal Life 8 – Obedience of Love 9 – Apostolic Life

A closer look…

Articles Comparison l l l Rule and Life Fraternity Poverty Obedience Chastity Work & Service

Rule and Life… l SFO – To observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St Francis of Assisi (#4) l TOR – – To observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience, in poverty and in chastity…by following the example of St Francis of Assisi Promised God to deny themselves (#1)

Rule and Life… l SFO – Devoted to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to gospel (#4) l TOR – Keep in mind and meditate on the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, which are spirit and life (#11)

Rule and Life… l l l Striking similarities in term of observing the Rule of Gospel. TOR included the three vows and are bound to deny themselves. Both stressed the reading and meditation on the Word

Fraternity (Family) l SFO – – – Brings love into family life. “in their family, they should cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity and respect for life” (#17) “by living the grace of matrimony…joyfully accompany their children on their human and Christian journey” (#17) l TOR – – Through love show that they are family. “whenever they meet each other, they should show that they are members of the same family”. (#23)

Fraternity (Family) l l l Fraternity is a sign of love for both TOR elaborates on showing how to love, which includes caring for the sick within the fraternity. TOR also includes admonition as a form of fraternal love

The Spirit of Lady Poverty… l SFO – “Christ chose for himself and his mother a poor and humble life… let (them) seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs” (#11) l TOR – “All must strive to follow the humility and poverty of our Lord Jesus Christ… choose poverty in this world as did his mother… we are to have nothing of this world except food and clothing… they should be profoundly suspicious of money” (#21)

The Spirit of Lady Poverty… l Both SFO and TOR seek to follow Jesus in choosing a poor and humble way of life, adopting the spirit of detachment.

The Spirit of Lady Poverty… l TOR – – “as a sign of conversion and consecration to the gospel life, they are to wear poor clothes and lead a simple life” (#6) “the truly poor in spirit…neither possess nor defend anything as their own. They live in this world as pilgrims and strangers… which makes us heirs of the kingdom of heaven. ” (#22)

The Spirit of Lady Poverty… l TOR has an approach of deprecating money, thus promotes simple life as a sign of conversion and a consecration to the gospel life.

Holy Obedience… l SFO – “unite themselves to the redemptive obedience of Jesus, who placed His will into the Father’s hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life” (#10) l TOR – “remember that they have renounced their own wills for God’s sake…no one is to have power or dominate over others…through love all should serve and obey another willingly. This is the true and holy obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ” (#25)

Holy Obedience… l l l Different understanding of obedience: SFO through union with Christ TOR has elements of renunciation of self-will and minority

An Undivided Pure Heart… l SFO – “obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters” (#12) l TOR – “with undivided hearts, they grow in allembracing love, as they turn without ceasing towards God and their neighbor” (#8)

An Undivided Pure Heart… l SFO – “acquire purity of heart” (#12) l TOR – “professing chastity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, they should be solicitous for the things of the Lord… so that love for God and everyone in the world may shine forth in all that they do” (#15)

An Undivided Pure Heart… l Though different in the profession of chastity, (which only the TOR professes) the purpose is similar, i. e. freedom to love God and neighbor.

Work & Service l SFO – “let them exercise their responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service” (#14) l TOR – “should serve and work faithfully and devotedly” (#18)

Work & Service l SFO – “esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption and service of the human community” (#16) l TOR – “should serve and work faithfully and devotedly. Let them beware of idleness…should not extinguish the spirit of holy prayer and devotion” (#18)

Work & Service l TOR – “in return for their work they may accept what is necessary for their material needs…what they have over they should give it to the poor…” (#19)

Work & Service l l Both see work as a gift and a sharing. SFO adds the attribute of competence in service. TOR includes that work is the opposite of idleness, thus must not be a hindrance to prayer life. TOR mentions that wages in excess must be given to the poor.

Conclusion Similarities in spiritualities in both SFO and TOR n Seek to follow Christ in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi n Dissimilar in approaches in certain focuses n

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