St. Francis, portrait of Sacro Speco Subiaco.

"Why you? Why you? Why everybody runs it after you and why everyone seems he desired to see you and hear you and obey you? That is the question posed by the brother Masseo, a little sarcastic at St. Francis of Assisi (see Fior 10). Is that the person of Francis has fascinated generations, and perhaps the saint on whom one has written the most. However, if Francis is so popular, what about his brothers, his spiritual family? We always talk about Francis of Assisi , the better: we quote an example, but his son and daughters, who are they? The Franciscan spirit is there today? That is what this story: find out who the Franciscans , in our time and in history .

Historical background

The "movement of poverty"

A first feature of the feudal era is the "movement of Poverty", current Christian in response to enrichment and the politicization of the Church .. On one side the religious orders reformed or new ( Cistercians , Premonstratensian ) and many other Protestant movements, soon suspected and persecuted by the Church and State ( Waldensians , Albigenses , Cathars ...). As for the Church, in addition to the harm caused by these new groups, it is mired in a feudal immobility .

The beginnings of scholasticism

A second feature of this century, are the beginnings of scholasticism. After a decline of intellectual life, the ^twelfth century began a revival. Anselm of Canterbury , Bernard of Clairvaux , Peter Lombard are the actors, and this will lead to the great scholastic St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas.

The changes in society

A third characteristic is that the company passes a structure to a purely rural early urban organization and communal. The advent of Commons and the birth of the bourgeoisie. It is also the end of the dominance of barter and money. "The new company brings with it the best and worst: momentum toward greater freedom and brotherhood, is at the same time worked by forces and daunting problems that may turn against it and rip it. "

We move from a stable, earthbound, a world in motion, a world based on the vassalage to a world founded on the spirit of association, but this spirit of partnership will be accompanied by the spirit of gain, love of money and power, where new social inequalities and oppression .

The first order: the Friars Minor

Francis of Assisi and the beginnings of the order

Francis was born at Assisi in 1182. It belongs to the urban bourgeoisie (his father, Pierre Bernardone, is a wealthy merchant, commoner) a city of secondary importance, where there are rivalries between nobles and bourgeois, Catholic and Cathar. He received a traditional education ill-adapted to this new world. It finds its way, dreams of chivalry, from 20 years at war with its rival city against Perugia , was taken prisoner (Assisi is defeated, 1202 ), remains in captivity a year and then falls ill ... and gradually converts.

He ended by despising fame and wealth and at the same time as its growing thirst for God, it nears the destitute, lepers, beggars. Then the crucifix of San Damiano church speaks to him: "Francis, go and repair my house which is falling apart. He takes these words literally, is a mason and repairing ruined churches.

Giotto's Life of St. Francis

In 1208 (or 1209 ?) hear the Gospel of sending the disciples on mission (probably Mt 10.9 and ff). Three points stand out from the text: the sending of the disciples, the requirement of poverty, the message of peace. "This is what I want, that's what I want, what the depths of my heart, I long to accomplish! "(1 C 21) is the encounter between the Gospel and a man full of his day, who carried in his heart all the bubbling of his time (hopes, and troubles of the poor). It is finally fixed on the direction of his life. This is the birth of the Franciscan order ! (This is actually the time when everyone agrees to fix the birth of the Franciscan order

Then comes the unexpected for Francis companions appear to him to share his lifestyle. These are young people of Assisi or the surrounding area, especially the laity. They then go to Rome for approval by Pope Innocent III lifestyle. It was around this time that Francis chose the name as "lesser brothers", that is to say the small, the subject at all, the last of all.

Characteristics of the order in its infancy

The foundation of the Franciscan spirit is this: please the Christ and be like him. The Franciscan is first one who looks and listens to the Lord Jesus, who follows his life and his word. The Franciscan Order is an order of more imitators of Christ preachers: "The rule of life of the brothers is: live in obedience, in chastity and without any property that belongs to them, and follow the doctrine and traces of our Lord Jesus Christ. "(1 Reg 1.1) and" rule of life of the Friars Minor is: observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. "(2 Reg 1.1)

But concretely, what does the first brothers to observe the holy gospel? We can draw some important points .

The missionary aspect

This form of life offers a model life of the disciples on mission by Christ. The community members have no fixed abode. The mission, announcing the Good News requires freedom of movement, she dedicates to a nomadic lifestyle. Actually the first companions of Francis of Assisi is often on the road. When the number of brothers will be bigger, Francis will send in Germany , Spain , France , Hungary , Syria , and Morocco. He himself wants to go to France (but Cardinal Ugolino will prevent him) and in Egypt , with the Crusaders (but not to wage war, he deplored the bloodshed and attempt to convert the sultan Melek el-Kamel ). All the brothers do not preach, but all were sent as witnesses to the Good News.

The Rule of 1221 , then that of 1223 , devoted an entire chapter on "how to travel around the world." This means if the trip and the mission are part of the lives of brothers.

Poverty

Giotto: St. Francis renounced worldly goods.

Franciscan poverty is not primarily ascetic ("The less I have, the more I have.") Nor First Apostolic ("The more I detach myself from worldly goods, the more I am free to go to others. "), which is essentially mystical: if Francis is poor, that he loves Christ and that Christ was poor (cf. 1 C 2 C 7 and 55). The brothers refused ecclesiastical benefices. They live for their work among the people of the region where they go, or almsgiving. However they are obliged to refuse any money. Francis is definite on this point, it will only exception that the sick (cf. 1 Reg 8.1 to 12). He had seen the money in this new society perverted human relationships, driving too fast to the temptation of power. The brothers live this poverty not as a burden but as an honor, pride, in communion with Christ who was not a stone to lay his head.

See 2 C 55: "Never was a man more generous with his money that he (Francis) to its poverty. Fraternity

The brothers' group rejects all rule and all precedence relations between them. The general chapters will be democratic, unlike the other chapters of the monastic day. Even Francis of Assisi will not have a casting vote, he will not decide when to make decisions. "On any man, but also on any other brother, no brother ever prevail no power of domination. "(Cf. 1 Reg 5.9) Francis denies the precedence of the Father, he created the brotherhood. The term "Order" will come later, as the vocabulary of the time. This new style of human relations is releasing, and this will probably the most rapid and huge success of the Franciscan fraternity, to its increase. This was what the common aspiration to achieve, but in vain due to the rule of money .

Friars Minor

"If my brothers were given the name of small (minor) is that they do not aspire to become great, their purpose is to stay down and follow the footsteps of the humility of Christ. "(2 C 148) At the time, the word has a social meaning minores (little people). Also has the humility also a social dimension: no power to dominate them brothers and society. In the first rule , we ask the brothers who work for others not to accept a job that would give them power over other men and to equate the ruling class and dominant treasurer, chancellor, superintendent ... And it adds: "

Obedience to the Church

Cimabue : St. Francis next to the Virgin and Child.

It's not just in civil society that the brothers want to be "minor", but also at the heart of the Church. It is precisely this obedience to the Church any subsidiary that distinguishes sects of the time. Francis had no monopoly on the idea of returning to the gospel (with what it meant poverty, fellowship, mission). Others have had before him. But he does not set itself up as a censor of the Church. He sees the abuse and suffering, but he and his companions do not take themselves for "pure" or "authentic." In fact, they do not even think. Nothing in the writings of Francis of Assisi expresses an attitude of judges toward the Church, no dispute, but have great respect for the institution and a clearly expressed intention of filial submission .

Conclusion

The great feature of Francis and his companions, that they have managed to enter in the "movement of poverty" and in the aspirations of the laity without rebelling against the prelates. Moreover, they preferred to substitute crusades evangelism, and are thus the first missionary order (with the Dominicans ). Francis of Assisi and Clare of Assisi have also done much to restore the secular clergy by the example of worship for the Eucharist.

You can still make a few characteristics:

Joy

Joy to imitate Christ (see 2 C 17); joy is the best defense against the devil (2 C 125); teaching brother Leon on perfect joy (Fior 8), although the joy of the Lord works in others, and especially the peaceful joy of those who know "son of the Most High"; of duty finally be joyful community: "The brothers have good care not to affect an air of dark, a hypocritical sorrow, but they show joyful in the Lord, gays, kind and gracious as appropriate. "(Cf. 1 Reg 7.16, and also 2 C 128)

The polymath

It's a little summary of all previous points. The fraternity eventually extends to the whole creation, not just the poor. Cf Mk 16:15: "Go into the world. Proclaim the Good News to all creation. "See also two of the most famous episodes in the life of Francis of Assisi : The Canticle of the Creatures and conversion Wolf Gubbio (Fior 21). In the Bible there is already a Song of Three Children (Dn 3): all creation is invited to praise God. But Francis took the sacred author at face value. When he completes the Song at the end of his life, he addresses the creatures by naming siblings. It fraternize with all Creation, implementation of the Creator. All his life and his teachings are only intended to adhere to Christ and to lead all of creation in the accession. That's the whole meaning of the word "catholic" means universal. The Church, in liturgy, has named Francis "virtual catholicus" Catholic man, that is to say universal.

The medieval Franciscan

Vincenzo Foppa : St. Francis receiving the stigmata.

Soon there are internal problems in the organization of the Order. Its growth has been too fast: parties to a dozen in 1209 to approve Rome lifestyle, the brothers find themselves in 5000 in 1220. And " Order of Friars Minor "stretches far and fast: in 1217 the provinces are based in Germany , Spain , France , Hungary , Syria , in 1224 in England. Upon the death of the founder, the difficulties that had arisen during his life on the observance of the rule (the second rule of the Friars Minor, approved by the pope in 1223) become more important, especially in regard to poverty. Supervisors make decisions, challenged by the companions of the first hour, and the pope intervened: the bubble elongata Quo (1230) is a first test solution, but it also opened the first breach in the ideal of poverty .

At this stage, there are two tendencies in the Order: a first facing the past, ready to deny the reality of evolution to maintain fidelity to the ideal static primitive rejects any interpretation of the Rule. These are the first companions of Francis and their followers. They are called zelanti. The other tendency, more future-oriented, is willing to accept interpretations of the Rule that will cope with new situations in a dynamic fidelity to the ideal primitive. That the majority of the College. The first trend is resolutely opted for life in small hermitages, the second favors large communities - we call these brothers and the Community.

Other problems arise because of the extension order and new situations not covered by the Rule and the bubble. The trends are reinforced, and zelanti organized (especially Provence and Tuscany ) to form a party, the party of the Spiritual. What defines the spiritual is that they not only reject any interpretation of the Rule, but they deny even the pope any power to do so. One can also say they give more value to poverty and obedience, and even to charity. Community accepts the lives of students and clerics of preaching doctrine, where the Spiritual want to keep the ideal of a brotherhood of monks and beggars. It must be said that since 1220 there is a mass influx of clerics in the Order. The chapter of 1239 will see the triumph of the party of clerics.

In 1257 , Bonaventure Bagnorea becomes the minister general. Master at the University of Paris, the sanctity of life leaves no doubt about his loyalty Franciscan wisdom places it in the ranks of moderates. However, not having known Francis of Assisi , not having been trained by him, he leaves out much of the great maverick of it. It aggravates the "clericalization" by aligning the Order on the traditional monastic practices (what Francis has always denied, cf. LP 114), by the Constitutions of Narbonne (1260), commentary to the Rule. But even if we regret that it has done so little room for the essential elements of the intuition of Francis of Assisi, we must recognize that the action of Bonaventure was beneficial.

Anyway, the Franciscan Order pass a beggar in an Order where the intellectual masters abound Bagnorea Bonaventure , John Duns Scotus , William of Occam , Anthony of Padua , Roger Bacon ... They are the ones who 's require and it upset many people.

Another reality is the struggle of the secular clergy against the mendicant orders. The secular clergy resented the privileges they enjoy, as well as the growing influence they have on the faithful. Moreover, the fact that the Friars Minor became an ordo Studens, rivalries emerge between them and the Preachers .

At the end of the thirteenth ^century, the College reorganized, emerged as the most imposing religious bodies of Christendom. The Holy See draws plenty to fill the Church cardinals , bishops , legates, prisons , and even inquisitors. Yet the first half of the fourteenth ^century could have been fatal to the "family" Franciscan. Firstly because of the abuse: it becomes a fad for the brothers to claim benefits and prelatures. In a hundred years, there are 568 bishops Franciscans, almost without real diocese. Bullaires abound in the names of Minors exempted by the Holy See of the duties of holy poverty. In addition to this release, which lowers the quality, wars and epidemics reduce the quantity (Italy alone lost more than 30 000 Friars Minor).

Within the Order, the old companions of Francis and their followers feel great sadness at seeing evolve - die, they say - the primitive ideal. Lengthy procedures, where justice will not always respected, are undertaken by the Community against the Spirituals. These fall themselves gradually in the rebelliousness and heresy to the pope. Finally John XXII condemns this move definitely in 1317 .

The time had come for, however what was best in the Spiritual movement would flourish again in the reform of the Observance. Indeed, while the church suffered the Great Western Schism (1378-1417), the return to the primitive observance of the Rule of St. Francis emerges. This raises again a quarrel between the bulk of the Order (the Conventual) and those that will soon call Observant. But the movement of the Observance asserts, lies and binding, under the leadership of people like Colette of Corbie (1381-1447) and Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444). In 1517 , Leo X , by the bubble and your Ite, united under the name "Friars Minor of the regular observance of S. Francis "all Protestants, and separates the Conventual observances, while removing the Conventual the general jurisdiction of the College and by entrusting to the Minister General of the Observance.

Despite all these difficulties, the College has continued to expand: The Netherlands (1228), Dalmatia (1235), Poland (1237), Albania and Montenegro (1240), Scandinavia (before 1250) ... not to mention foundations purely missionaries in Persia , Chaldea , India , China , Guinea ... It is the Franciscans, in yards, in town, the countryside, on roads of China and the caravels to the New World. In 1316 there were over 1,400 monasteries and 35,000 religious.

In addition, they take a considerable place in the teaching and spiritual experience of the Church. Francis of Assisi the first to show a true master of spiritual life, Bonaventure Bagnorea launched a scholastic ...

Finally, there's considerable yal'apport Order to the liturgy. Amon Faversham , minister general of 1239 to 1244 , compiling liturgical books to be used by the Roman liturgy until the reform of Vatican II , seven centuries later ( 1965 ). John of Parma , minister general of 1247 to 1257 fixed the rites of the church. Pope Pius V , a Dominican, definitely gives the church the Franciscan breviary ( 1568 ) and the Franciscan Missal ( 1570 ). We must also celebrate the Friars Minor of the Visitation , the Nativity scene (the idea comes from Francis of Assisi, three years before his death !), the Angelus , the Stabat Mater ...

Modern times and our time

The submissions

Florence , Santa Trinita, Sassetti Chapel: Confirmation of the Franciscan rule.

Fresco Convent of Montefalco.

Francis discusses the Dalmatian coast (Franciscan Monastery of Zagreb )

The bubble and your Ite of 1517 theoretically provides the unity of the Order. But the submission of the Minister General of the Conventual than the observer becomes quickly obsolete, and behave as a Conventual Order autonomous. Moreover, many movements reformed Franciscans resent being reunited Observances, losing their minds, their habits, their independence. Among these reforms, some insist to form convents of recollection (the bubble explicitly allowed). And this leads to new reform movements.

The observer is therefore diversified into different groups, getting "vicars general" to ensure their autonomy and to represent the general chapters of the Observance. The main ones are:

• Reformed (founded in 1532 in Italy, they will spread in Austria , Bavaria and Poland )

• the Alcantarins ( Spain , 1480 , they will spread a bit in Italy , then in Latin America )

• the Recollects (France, 1570 , they will spread in Germany , the Netherlands , Belgium , Portugal , Austria , Italy / A>). These three groups are a very rigorous application of the Rule, particularly as regards poverty, and add requirements such as prayer mandatory.

The existence of these autonomous groups within the Observance does not destroy its unity, despite some controversies from time to time. Although constitutions are specified, these groups obey the minister general of the Observance. In the late eighteenth ^century, the Observance over 77,000 members.

However, the College experienced a general weakening of religious life in the Enlightenment and undergoes the French Revolution (it will be true also for the Conventual Franciscans and Capuchins ). But he is recovering slowly in the nineteenth ^century.

In 1897 , the bubble Felicitats quadam, Leo XIII removes the names of Alcantarins, Riformati ... and meets all the congregations of the Observance by the name of the Order of Friars Minor OFM (known as Franciscans in France).

Because of their religious ideal counting total, the reforms have often forsaken the Observance studies. But there will still study centers, based in Rome ( 1625 and 1884 ), Antwerp ( 1768 ), Jerusalem ( 1925 ) and more recently in the United States in New York , in Spain , in Colombia , in Germany.

Franciscan Mission in Chimayo.

The missions of the College have flourished mainly in Latin America , with the support of the kings of Spain and Portugal ; the Rcollets were called in Canada ( 1619 and 1679 ) is an observer, who founded the city of San Francisco in honor of the founder of the order, and another, Blessed Junipero Serra who in the eighteenth ^century, organized missions California (then Spanish), have since become the main towns of the West Coast of the United States. The observers have gone to Japan , in Tonkin , in China. Among the first six Chinese bishops consecrated by Pius XI (1926), four were Franciscans ^{The Conventual}

They are historically the continuity of the former Community hosted by St. Bonaventure.

When Pope Leo X published the bubble and your Ite (1517), he envisaged the survival of conventionality than a temporary tolerance, thinking it was later removed, when most of the Conventual have embraced reform. With the bubble he reorganized and encouraged them as much as possible to reform. Pius V even plans (1568) to unite with the observations, but strongly opposed the fact abandon this project. But Sixtus V (elected 1585), former general of the Conventual, working on internal reform of the Order. Ultimately, the Conventual stabilize and reform themselves, without going into ongoing reforms and diversification as observations. They also suffer the blow-cons of the French Revolution. Disappeared from France in the late eighteenth ^century, they fail to relocate there, from the ^nineteenth century as observations and capuchins. However they are present in both communities, and at Narbonne in Cholet last few years.

They are known today under the name of Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM. Conv.).

Their intellectual influence is marked by the founding of eight faculties of theology of the sixteenth ^to the nineteenth ^century.

The convent held a good rank in popular piety. Their influence in safeguarding against the heresies was great, until our time with the "Militia of Mary Immaculate founded in 1917 by Maximilian Kolbe in Poland. Currently, they serve a lot of pastoral care in parishes.

In 1953 there were Conventual missionaries in Africa, China, Japan, Indonesia, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Denmark and in five Latin American countries. They are the ones who manage the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi (Lateran Treaty 1929).

In 1954 , the College had 3,650 members, and 512 houses. They returned to France in 1949 where they have four houses.

The Capuchins

The Father Joseph du Tremblay , famous eminence grise

Padre Pio young.

Returning again in 1517. Some find that the forms of life (the conventionality, inherited from St. Bonaventure , Observance and inherited from S. Bernardin - which is obviously far from being the sole author but who is the chief representative) deviate from that adopted by Francis and his first companions. They want to return to origins, in particular on three issues: abandonment of the great urban convents for small hermitages, suppression of theological studies, transformation of coat-imposed Bonaventure. In 1525, Matthew Basci, young looking, obtained papal permission to implement this program. The followers flock.

The first Capuchin (so named because of the long, pointed hood they wore to the example of Mr. Basci) are both hermits, beggars and popular preachers. Manhandled by the observers because of their separatist ideas, they ask the Pope to be removed from their jurisdiction: Clement VII , the bubble religionis Zelus (1528) accedes to the request but submits to the General of the Conventual and puts some obstacles in recruiting : prohibition to receive comments and found outside Italy. Despite this the College is growing and the Capuchins are widely known and appreciated at the Council of Trent (1545-1563). The College is still a victim of many attacks by other miners and Paul V must declare that the Capuchins are true son of S. Francis (1608). Then the same pope finally give them their full independence (1619, almost a century after the bubble Zelus religion). They now have their own minister general, equal rights to those in other friars.

In France the expansion of the Capuchins is prodigious; they look in the noblest families, while being very popular. In 1761 they have a total of 1,730 monasteries and 34,029 religious. With the French Revolution there will be virtually no one Capuchin convent in France. They settled there gradually.

They are always designated today under the name of Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.). In France, the most famous among them is the Abbe Pierre.

Their intellectual influence was particularly evident in Scripture.

The first orientation missionary Capuchins was the Mediterranean and East (Egypt, Greece, Levant) and the opposition to Protestantism. The Capuchins went to Brazil (1612), Canada (1632), the West Indies (1636), Senegal (1637), Ethiopia (1638), Dahomey (now Benin) (1643), Congo (1645) in Saint-Domingue (1659), India ( Pondicherry , 1632, Madras 1642, Lhasa 1707) ...

Preaching and organizing parish missions has always been and remains the major activity of the Capuchins. Less known is their role in the fight against scourges: many leper missionary organization to fight against fires in Paris, contribution to the care of lepers. The Capuchins have gradually abandoned the privileges that had motivated their secession: they have taken over the community, libraries and studies theology , they form priests and even scholars. Basically, their status is that of the Franciscans, except that they observe in the material of the convents, the proportion of churches, the dining utensils, greater poverty.

In 1955, the College had 1,136 monasteries and 14,839 religious. Two capuchins were famous in our time: the Padre Pio and Father Peter.

And now?

Today, the Second Vatican Council made the three levels required to adapt, both in their private lives and in their collective or multiple ministries. Since 1967 , special chapters have renovated the constitutions of each Order. The basic orientation of this renewal is looking for a life of brotherhood, instead of "monasticisation" traditional, but not very faithful to the origins of 1209-1220. Franciscans, and Capuchins especially, tend to abandon large monasteries in the world to live in small mixed groups.

Note also that in seven centuries, the family of Francis of Assisi gave to the Church 2500 bishops, 90 cardinals and popes 5. In this era when the secular clergy gained so much value, such a service seems much less useful.

The brothers of St. Francis (minors, and Capuchin convent) now form the family of the largest religious within the Catholic Church (in terms of number of siblings). No other religious family has many members ( Jesuits , Benedictines , Dominicans , Salesians of Don Bosco , Christian Brothers , Redemptorists , Vincentians , Cistercians , Carthusians , Carmelites , Premonstratensian , priests of the Holy Spirit ).

The second order: the poor ladies

St. Clair and the beginnings of the order

Simone Martini : St. Clare of Assisi

Claire Offreduccio di Favarone was born in Assisi in 1193 , into a noble family, which brings the little St. Francis. Her parents want her to marry twice, but she refuses. Affected by the conversion of Francis, she manages to see him several times in secret. On the evening of Palm Sunday 1212 , Claire left the family castle in secret and joined Francis and the brothers at the Portiuncula and enter into religion. That's when we fix the beginning of the Order of Poor Ladies. The choice of Claire is very badly by his family. Yet, a fortnight later, her sister Agnes joined her.

Francis sets in the church of San Damiano and wrote a "Life Form" very short (eight lines!) Where he gives them instructions as to "adopt a life consistent with the perfection of the holy Gospel "(poverty is obviously one), and promised his spiritual welfare and that of brothers . In its earliest days, Francis wrote to the sisters: "I am the little brother Francois, I want to imitate life and the poverty of our most high Lord Jesus Christ and to Blessed Mother , and I want to persevere the end. You too, ladies, please advise and always live this holy life and poverty. Characteristics of the order in its infancy

The Basilica of St. Clair at Assisi.

In truth, it's the same inspiration that guides St. Clare and St. Francis .. So Claire and her sisters share the Gospel ideal of truly Francis, they are willing to follow the same path: poverty, brotherhood, humility, obedience to the Church.

But the sisters are going to live it differently brothers. Indeed, Claire and Francis felt she had to realize the same ideal, but in different forms and complementary. In Francis and his brothers, he belongs to live this ideal on the roads in announcing the Good News as he is for Claire and her sisters to do the experiment, as the Virgin Mary , in the reception and silent prayer.

So the sisters remain in abject poverty and seclusion. They live work and alms brought by locals or by the brothers. Some friars are responsible to give alms for them, since it can not get out of the fence (except a few sisters .

Claire is also very concerned about the spiritual lineage of the Order of Poor Ladies to that of the Friars Minor . It promises more for herself and her sisters, obedience to Francis and his successors. His writings are proof positive of that determination to obey the Pope (first) and Francis and his successors then .

From the Middle Ages to today

St. Clare received in the order of the Poor Ladies of St. Francis ( Illumination ).

Tunic of St. Colette of Corbie

As noted earlier, the expansion of the Order is fast, also in France. But St. Clare of Assisi will experience many difficulties. In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council prohibited the drafting of new rules for religious life. Apply to Claire to adopt the rule of St. Benedict , Francis and must insist that she take the title of abbess (she refused out of humility). But Innocent III in 1216 granted him the "privilege of poverty" (ie d. the right to live in poverty, without legal properties with no income) she asked.

Nevertheless, in 1218, Cardinal Ugolino himself written constitutions for the Poor Ladies : it places great emphasis on strict observations, for fencing, silence, fasting and mortification, nothing is said about evangelical poverty and belonging to the family of Francis. Claire and the monastery of San Damiano remain faithful to the Beauty of Life of Francis, despite official pressure. Monasteries where the influence is more direct Claire do the same.

Ugolino, who became Pope Gregory IX , realizes one of the greatest desires of Claire confirming the spiritual assistance of the second order by the first (1227). In 1228 he tries to get Claire to give up the privilege of poverty. But holiness manifest Claire, whom he reveres, wins, and it confirms the privilege.

However, in other monasteries, Gregory IX and Innocent IV require Poor Ladies to receive property and assets. In 1247, Innocent IV issues a new rule: it maintains the common ownership and exemptions granted sanctions against the high poverty. In his heroic attachment to Francis, Claire then prepares itself a rule. On August 9, 1253, Innocent IV came to visit him and finally approved his Rule (bubble Solet annuere). August 11, St. Clare, who was very ill, dies, the bubble in hand. This is the first time a woman writes a rule for an order.

There will be changes, and changes in the Order. But it will never take the same dramatic than among brothers. There will be struggles, but not this rivalry that can exist for centuries between two or three fractions of the same Order. It's not so surprising: in the active order, highly centralized, any local change is a threat to the union and the collective functioning, rather, in a contemplative institute, the autonomy of the monasteries can achieve without disorders reforms or the original foundations.

The life of the first Clare is very austere. Some young women more sensitive to health, seeking to enter the Franciscan family, statutes require more compatible with their physical constitution. Claire's lifetime and with his blessing, Blessed Isabella, sister of St. Louis , founded a monastery at Longchamp with a rule more moderate, partly due to St. Bonaventure. Urban IV in 1263 and approves other monasteries are the adopt (in France and England).

During this time, the expansion continues. In 1234, Blessed Agnes opened a convent in Prague. At the end of the thirteenth ^century, fifty convents of Poor Clares in Spain there are Clare Bruges (1240) and Ypres (before 1256), Poland (1255), England (1295), Cyprus (before 1290 ). In 1384, there will be 404 15 000 convents and nuns.

In the early thirteenth ^century the Order endorsed the reform movements in the brothers. It is true that many convents of Poor Clares were released, because of the Great Western Schism and foundations princely opposed to the spirit of poverty. The minister general of the Friars Minor and the Pope promote reform the Poor Clares. The great saints of the Observance ( Bernardine of Siena , John of Capistrano , Bernardino of Feltre ...) caregivers. At that time most monasteries following the Rule approved by Urban IV. The Observance Returns to the Rule of St. Clare, sometimes adding more austerity.

At the same time, St. Colette of Corbie (1381-1447) founded his particular reform in France and Belgium. Benedict XIII gave it his approval. In the monasteries it melts, it introduces the strict observance of the Rule of St. Clare Constitutions more specific. Pius II in 1458 approved its constitutions. Reform Colettines will also be introduced in Spain and then in the Spanish colonies of the New World. Colette's action on the second order has been considerable and continues today.

Finally, the Ven. Marie-Laurence Longo (1463-1542) founded in Naples the Poor Clares. They observe the Rule of St. Clare, with the constitutions of St. Colette and those of Jerome Castelferretti (general Capuchin 1599-1602). Paul III approved the founding in 1538.

As for the brothers, the Poor Clares are everywhere: Madeira Islands (1436), Mexico (1579), Panama, Peru, Bolivia (1639), Philippines (Manila, 1621), China (1634).

In the seventeenth ^century, the College reached its zenith. Adherence is austere. In 1680, there were 925 monasteries and 34,000 nuns. But the French Revolution will be a true "tidal wave", all the convents of France will disappear. Napoleon suppresses religious institutes in Italy (1810). The Order in Europe is on the brink of ruin. He notes, however, in the nineteenth ^century. The College is also spreading in mission countries: Philippines, Australia (1883), Morocco, Algeria, the Holy Land.

The Order of Poor Ladies had on the Church a profound spiritual influence. In the monasteries, much of the royal and princely nobility of Europe was doomed to poverty. The Poor Clares have also played a significant role in educating youth and missionary work of the New World.

In 1949, there were 512 monasteries and 12,457 nuns. (For the Poor Clares: 91 convents.) Each monastery was independent, that is to say that there is in the Order or central government or province. The monasteries were connected by spiritual affiliation to the Order of Friars Minor (that is to say, the Franciscans) - the Poor Clares are to the Friars Minor Capuchin. The current monasteries follow either the rule approved by Urban IV ( Urban Poor Clares ) is that of St. Clair , with the Constitutions of St. Colette ( Clares Colettines ). Most of the convents in France belong to the branch colettine. Finally, we can count as belonging to the second order religious Conceptionists , based in the fifteenth century by the Blessed Beatrix de Silva and, to some extent, the Sisters of the Annunciation , founded by St. Jeanne de France , daughter of Louis XI.

The Secular Franciscan Order (SFO)

(Under the new Rule 1978) (formerly The Third Order Secular)

From the ^eleventh century appear in the Church of lay brotherhoods that apply to lead an evangelical life while remaining in the world, but that Francis returns as the foundation of the first Third Order itself (1221?) , for all those who, although requiring to stay in the world aspire to live a perfect life, like brothers or Poor Clares.

The Order of Penance (named for its beginnings) includes clergy and laity, men and women, married people and singles who live in the world and retain their property. They should avoid luxury clothing and table any unnecessary expense, all pride of blood or status, the rich should treat the poor as their equals. The tertiary fast twice a week, must recite the offices, visit their sick brothers and attend their funerals, they agree to pay the tithe and do not carry weapons. This last clause will disrupt communal militias in Italy and scarcer local wars.

The movement spread rapidly, especially in cities, and soon has a great influence, even on the political and social - that we think of St. Louis , Franciscan tertiary and King of France.

In the fifteenth ^century, the high interest demanded by the bankers indebtedness or ruined so many humble people that enough is becoming a scourge. The Franciscan Barnabas of Terni founded the pawnshop, lending institutions pledge on interest.

Some tertiary famous: St. Elizabeth of Hungary , St. Vincent de Paul , St. John Bosco , Blessed Frederic Ozanam , all the contemporary popes Leo XIII to John XXIII , Marthe , but also: Dante , Petrarch , Cervantes , Columbus , Michael angel , Raphael , Palestrina , Liszt , Gounod.

Once the trend of third orders was more or less mimic the religious orders. We talked about prior, father of minister, a novice, novice master, profession. In some countries (especially Italy and Spain), the tertiary for religious ceremonies wore a distinctive costume, which was similar to the first or second order.

Today the trend is to integrate into the world to let in the Gospel , rather than separate them. Many observances have become obsolete and have disappeared given way to more flexible forms. The vocabulary has rejuvenated: the Rule became "life project", the novitiate a "time of probation," the profession a "commitment". In French-speaking countries, it is preferred even say "fraternities" rather than the Third Order.

New constitutions (called Rule of Paul VI, 1978) seek to keep the unity of the movement in the world and its faithfulness to the spirit of St. Francis, but also give special status to enable a flexible adaptation to culture and living conditions of each country.

In 1993 there were 354,220 tertiary split in 5195 fraternities.

Analysis: intuition she survived the institution?

Zurbaran : St. Bonaventure receives envoys from the Eastern Roman Emperor in the second Council of Lyons.

A Franciscan friar

Breaking with the monastic tradition, the friar, even contemplative (thinking about the hermitages ), was modeling his life on that of the Apostles and spread the Good News everywhere. But the rule altogether lack of precision when it comes to defining the details of the city community and apostolic. And secondly it offers the ideal proved so high that it is practical. For these two reasons, the Franciscan Order appears both as one in which the spiritual life finds its greater freedom of expression but also as one where the requirements of the founder still leave between the goal and the reality an irritant interval. Hence the relative mediocrity in the Franciscan community which seems to fall each time, and sighs qu'lvent constantly fervent religious observance to a more rigorous rule. No religious family does in its history the spectacle of this longing for perfect compliance with paternal education, none (except that of St. Benedict ) has suffered in as many divisions within it and reform movements.

By examining some of the habits of Franciscan our time, we can measure the more or less of the first intuition.

• In Sacrum Commercium, brothers, who found Lady Poverty, returned with her to the place where they live. Just arrived, she asked to see the cloister, the chapel, the chapter house ... The brothers make it a characteristic response: "Noble Lady, our Queen, we are your servants, tired of this long road, and you too must be tired. Let's begin by restoring, if you really want it, then we will execute your desires. "(Com 59) So the behavior Franciscan ^XIII. In the early ^twentieth ., Jan Verkade , Dutch painter residing in several Capuchin Franciscan monasteries in Italy and then eventually became a Benedictine. In his autobiography, he describes his arrival at the Benedictine monastery as a postulant. "It was two o'clock in the afternoon, the hotelier father showed me my cell and told me that the Abbot ceremoniously give me hearing five hours. Nobody thought to ask me if I eat: this is the first thing we have done in a Franciscan monastery. " The brothers of the thirteenth century and those of the twentieth have the same attention to the humble realities of life and basic needs of those who cross their path, a behavior typically Franciscan.

• The group's organization in the legal form of the Brotherhood did not survive the institution. We may regret this loss, as St. Francis and his brothers had probably chosen a more flexible and better able to foster creativity. Behind this choice, there was probably the most important consequences of the first intuition: "follow the footsteps of Christ "was to begin, that all men are brothers, and first those with Francis wanted to follow in the footsteps of Christ. But if the fraternity is no longer the legal form of the Order, all members will feel full brothers, perhaps more than any other college. In particular, despite the clericalization in the first Order are all exactly the same clothes, they profess the same vows and are fit to the same charges.

• The joy is in the Franciscan ideal. This feature is part of the elements of this ideal that still remain. Franciscan joy: self-mockery and humor in the difficulties, although the happiness of the Lord works in others and above all peaceful gladness of those who know the son of the Most High.

Francis ultimately is truly a mystic , but he left no spiritual Treaty, apart from his writings and ministry of law and he has never made a didactic work. That he lived his joy and passion on a daily basis, without analyzing his spiritual experiences, without going back on his moods. God's love in the Franciscan is sensitive. It will not be afraid to let it overflow, but afterwards, it does not address in detail for the past, relying instead on practical chores of the heat which has engulfed his soul contemplation. And that spirit has remained: the Franciscan order remained the most numerous in the Church and has been full at all times of great contemplatives, but left a very small amount of mystical writings ( St. Bonaventure is of course an exception).

Finally, throughout history, we see how the Franciscans remained faithful to the missionary spirit. They went around the world. It is nevertheless true that the infighting has sometimes taken a lot of energy, which could have been better used, especially for missions.

There remains the issue of poverty. It, so present in all reforms, has created problems and divisions.

Poverty Christian

Franciscan convent Lopud in Croatia.

Crib in the Franciscan church in Krakow.

Is it necessary for a Christian, and therefore a Franciscan, to be poor? The reason for the poverty of Francis is difficult to challenge: he loves Christ and Christ was poor . A servant is not above his master (Mt 10,24). Moreover, Jesus asks who really wants to follow (this is the case of any Franciscan): "Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor

We must add that it is not necessary to be poor as objects for the poor in spirit. Franciscan tertiaries could keep their property. The pope lives in the midst of wealth. This does not mean they are doomed not to be saints. You can be surrounded by wealth and not to give importance. In fact, poverty is a requirement of Love. True poverty, it is this: give up yourself. "Giving of ourselves is our greatest poverty and beautiful. "

Finally, poverty is not the only Christian virtue. This is not the highest Christian virtue: "When I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, when I give my body to the flames, if I have not charity, it does me nothing. In conclusion

Franciscan convent Szcsny in Hungary.

The first intuition is still present in the Franciscan today? The best way to answer this question is yet to visit the Franciscan monastery, meet brothers and sisters. But here's the advice of a Capuchin Franciscan spirit of the present:

"Today, the Franciscan spirit tends to give priority to action on intellectual inquiry, but an action-driven, contemplation, itself informed by structured learning. He cultivates voluntary poverty, but does not despise indiscriminately everything that is created, and he knows the love of nature and life. He wants to reconcile obedience, good citizenship, with a sense of personal autonomy, the taste of freedom and the ideal of fraternity, a certain egalitarianism. " ^References