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The
Origins of the Order
The
First Missionnaries
Our
Characteristics
A
Variety Of Apostolates
Inter-religious
Dialogue
Important
writings
The
Origins Of The Secular Franciscan Order
The
Holy Land and the Missions
Important
Franciscans in history
To
join us
Legend
of St Francis:
12. Ecstasy of St Francis
Giotto di Bondone, 1297-1300
Fresco, 270 x 230 cm
Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi
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The
Origins of the Order
In
the winter of 1206-1207, Francis Bernardone, an Assisi youth,
publicly renounced his own father so as to belong only to God.
He abandoned the parties of his companions in order to help lepers,
derelicts and society's rejects. Francis spent the next two years
as a mendicant, hermit and restorer of three dilapidated churches
in the area of Assisi: San Damiano, San Pietro and Santa Maria
degli Angeli.
His lifestyle
initially attracted two of his fellow citizens: the rich Bernard
of Quintavale and the canonist-jurist Peter Catani. To these were
added another nine. They became 12 "penitents" and pilgrims,
without a home or fixed dwelling place. In the beginning Francis
gave some rules of life that were orally approved by Innocent
III; eventually he wrote the Rule of the Order of Friars Minor,
which was confirmed by a Papal Bull of Honorius III in 1223.
Their example
was contagious even to the 18 year old noble woman, Clare who
on Palm Sunday, 1212, fled her father's house. Francis cut her
hair as a sign of her consecration to God in the little chapel
of the Portiuncula. Many other sisters followed Clare. In 1218-19
Clare and the Sisters received pontifical approval to live in
cloistered poverty. Thus was born the Second Order of San Francis,
which he called the Poor Ladies.
Between 1210
and 1221, we have an immense development of the work of St. Francis,
who sent his companions throughout the world in order to preach
the poor, humble and crucified Christ and to bring reconciliation
and peace to everyone.
In 1221,
a Florentine merchant, Lucchesio, and his wife Buonadonna, were
attracted by the example of Francis and asked to be able to live
the life of the Minors while remaining in their married state.
Thus the Secular Franciscan Order was born.
The identity
of Franciscanism is found in the living out of the Gospel in the
Church according to the model proposed and observed by Saint Francis
of Assisi and preach it to every creature.
The First
Franciscan Order has undergone a profound restructuring. From
it has arisen three tendencies, which have given birth to three
juridically independent branches, but with the same Rule of Life.
The three branches have their own governments and structures:
Friars Minor, Friars Minor Conventuals, and Friars Minor Capuchin.
These three
families have developed as branches on a single giant tree, with
very many works, missions, martyrs and merits. The configuration
of Saints and Beatified belonging to the three branches attest
to this.
At the present
time the Minors number 17,224, of which 104 are bishops; more
than 586 are novices. The Capuchins number 11,343, of which 68
are bishops; the Conventuals number 4,514, of which 11 are bishops.
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