The Traditional Form of Life of a Friar Minor

To observe the Rule of St. Francis without mitigations
in Consecration to the Immaculate Virgin Mary

HEEDING the counsel of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, “Do whatever He tells you,” (Jn 2:5) a Franciscan friar undertakes the Apostolic Life which Our Lord Jesus Christ taught to the Apostles (Lk 9:3 ff.; 10:4 ff.), in the manner in which They inspired St. Francis of Assisi to hand it down to his sons in the Regula Bullata, as explained by the decrees of the Roman Pontiffs, (e.g. Pope Nicholas III, Clement V, and St. Innocent XI). The vows of evangelical obedience, poverty, and chastity constitute the religious life of each member.

THIS form of life is primarily and essentially contemplative, and includes the obligation of a life of prayer and fasting, and the recitation of the divine office. Following the example the Redeemer, who became poor for our sake, and who taught and counseled the highest poverty, the life is constituted by personal and communal poverty, and the observance of that which Pope St. Innocent XI called “the chief precept” of the Rule of St. Francis: the non-use of money.

THE apostolate of this form of life is to seek the conversion of sinners by means of good example, by calling to mind the four last things, the necessity of penance, the danger and punishment for vice, the honor and reward of virtue. In accord with the Rule of St. Francis, the liturgical norm of this form of life is the Ancient Roman Ordo, which St. Francis received from Pope Innocent III (c. 1215), and propagated through his Order throughout Christendom.

THE program of formation is based on a life of meditation on and practice of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The study of Latin, the Rule and the writings of the Saints is required. Philosophy and theology are studied according to St. Bonaventure, Bl. John Duns Scotus and St. Thomas Aquinas. Moral theology is studied according to St. Alphonsus dei Liguori.

THE Apostolic Life which Christ taught to the Apostles, and which was undertaken in the most perfect form by St. Francis of Assisi, is a most wonderful and efficacious means for the sanctification of the soul and the conversion of sinners. It is just as valid, and observable, and useful today at the beginning of the Third Millenium, as it ever was. Although there are no Franciscan communities which observe the Rule of St. Francis without mitigations today, that is no reason why there cannot be, or shouldn’t be. Indeed, it is the very best form of Franciscan life that was lived by such great saints as St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bernardine of Siena, Bl. Padre Pio, St. Peter of Alcantara, Bl. Junipero Serra, etc.. For the Love of Christ and His Immaculate Mother it is most wonderful thing to dedicate oneself to such a life. May God grant many such a grace!

THE TRADITIONAL FORM OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE FRIARS MINOR

A Short Explanation of The unmitigated Observance of the Rule of St. Francis

The traditional form of the observance of the Rule of St. Francis is that which was perpetuated faithfully from St. Francis to the recent times by the Order of Friars Minor of the Observance.

It consists in the observance of the Rule of St. Francis; not according to human prudence nor personal inspiration, but according to the declarations of the Supreme Roman Pontiffs, especially those of Popes Nicholas III, Clement V, and St. Innocent XI.

The Rule of St. Francis is distinguished from all others rules by its obligation to fulfill the counsels of Christ regarding personal and communal poverty, the non-use of money, coins and all financial instruments, and the obedience of members to superiors in all things which are not contrary to the Rule, to right doctrine and to right morals.

The Goal of the Rule of St. Francis is the perfect love, imitation and service of Jesus and Mary.

To those who would want to perfectly accomplish the will of the Blessed Virgin Mary, She Herself said at Cana, “Do whatever He tells you.” The Rule of St. Francis obliges the actual undertaking of the same Apostolic Life which Christ taught to the Apostles after the miracle of Cana.

To those who would love God perfectly, Our Lord Himself said, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all your goods, and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.” St. Francis did this at the beginning of his religious life; and the Rule of St. Francis obliges the same communal and personal poverty.

To those who would believe in God perfectly, Our Lord Himself said, “Thou art Rock and upon this rock I shall build My Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against Her.” The Rule of St. Francis obliges obedience and reverence to the Pope, and an unspotted Catholic faith.

To those who would trust in God perfectly, Lord Himself said, “Take nothing with you on the way, neither gold, nor silver, nor two tunics ….” The Rule of St. Francis obliges communal poverty, the non use of money and the simple clothing of a tunic and sandals, and traveling in poverty.

To those who would keep perfect chastity of mind and body, Our Lord Himself said, “If a man looks at a woman with desire, he commits adultery with her in his heart.” The Rule of St. Francis obliges perfect interior and exterior chastity and the abandonment of all suspicious familiarity with women, even nuns.

To those who would dedicate themselves to the greater glory of God, Our Lord Himself said, “Go make disciples of all nations …”. The Rule of St. Francis obliges the community to undertake the apostolic work of seeking the conversion of sinners and going to the missions.

To those who would seek the perfection of humility, Our Lord Himself said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” And again: “If you wish to be My disciple, take up your cross and follow Me.” The Rule of St. Francis obliges the primacy of prayer and devotion, fasting and penance.

The Classical Form of the religious life of the Friars Minor is thus a perfect conformity to the mind and hearts of Jesus and Mary.

To profess the Rule of St. Francis in this manner is to consecrate oneself perfectly to the Immaculate Virgin, by actually doing what She counseled at Cana. It is to perfectly consecrate and imitate the poverty and humility and self sacrifice of Christ Crucified. And for this reason, Our Lord Himself testified to St. Margaret Mary Alaquoque, that of all the Saints after His own Blessed Mother, St. Francis was the most perfect imitator of His Most Sacred Heart.

The excellency of the Rule of St. Francis is that it obliges nothing but what Jesus and Mary taught; adds nothing to the Gospel and imposes only those things which lead to one’s personal salvation and that of one’s neighbor.

The wisdom of the Rule of St. Francis is that it humbly accepts at face value the superiority and supremacy of the Mind of Christ and Mary as to the quickest, surest, and most effective path to holiness of life and the salvation of one’s neighbor. It contains no admixture of private opinion, whatsoever. As such it is perennially and perfectly Catholic.

St. Francis’s dedication to the Classical Roman Liturgy

The Rule of St. Francis obliges all clerics to fulfill their duties secundum ordinem sanctae Ecclesiae Romanae (according to the Ordo of the Holy Roman Church). In St. Francis’ day the classical Roman Rite was not celebrated anywhere, except in the Papal Chapel and then only one or two feasts, such as that of the Chair of St. Peter. Out of devotion to the Apostle Peter, recognizing that the Roman Rite could be traced directly back to the Prince of the Church, who was the Rock of Stability and Orthodoxy and a model of penitence, St. Francis asked and received permission to impose its celebration on his Order. Faithful to his will, the Friars Minor propagated the Roman Rite throughout the world and with such success that at the time of Pope St. Pius V, it was gladly received by the whole Western Church as the liturgical norm. Nowadays, it is often forgotten that without the Friars Minor the Tridentine Rite may have passed away centuries ago. As such it is the mission of those who observe the Rule of St. Francis, without mitigations, to preserve and propagate this Rite.

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