Transcript Slide 1

Comparison of Rules
Secular
Franciscan
Order
&
Third Order
Regular
Presented by
Joseph Koh, OFM
Maryfields 2005
Contents



Brief History
Origins
Comparison
Overview
 Chapters
 Articles


Conclusion
Brief History…
• Initial ‘nucleus group’ of “Penitents” formed
•
•
•
around St Francis
12th 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…

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…

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 8th December 1982 in the
brief Franciscanum vitae propositum.
Comparison Overview
SFO (1978)
TOR (1982)
Document
Name
Seraphicus
Patriarcha
Date of Issue
24 June 1978
Franciscanum
Vitae
Propositum
Papal Approval Paul IV
8 December
1982
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:
SFO Rule
 Many aspects taken
from the Vatican II
vision, especially from
Lumen Gentium,
Gaudium et Spes &
Apostolicam
Actuositatem

TOR Rule
 RnB & RB
 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
 SFO
Prologue
Chapter
1 – The Secular
Franciscan Order
2 – The Way of Life
3 – Life in Fraternity
 TOR
Prologue
Chapter
1 – Our Identity
2 – Reception into
the Way of life
3 – Spirit of Prayer
4 – Life of Chastity
for the sake of the
Kingdom of God
Chapters Comparison
 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
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Rule and Life
Fraternity
Poverty
Obedience
Chastity
Work & Service
Rule and Life…

SFO
–
To observe the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ by
following the example of
St Francis of Assisi (#4)

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…

SFO
–
Devoted to careful
reading of the gospel,
going from gospel to life
and life to gospel (#4)

TOR
–
Keep in mind and
meditate on the words of
the Lord Jesus Christ,
which are spirit and life
(#11)
Rule and Life…
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

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)

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)

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)



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…

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)

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…

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…

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…

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…

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)

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…
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

Different understanding of obedience:
SFO through union with Christ
TOR has elements of renunciation of self-will
and minority
An Undivided Pure Heart…

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)

TOR
–
“with undivided hearts,
they grow in allembracing love, as they
turn without ceasing
towards God and their
neighbor” (#8)
An Undivided Pure Heart…

SFO
–
“acquire purity of heart”
(#12)

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…

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

SFO
–
“let them exercise their
responsibilities
competently in the
Christian spirit of service”
(#14)

TOR
–
“should serve and work
faithfully and devotedly”
(#18)
Work & Service

SFO
–
“esteem work both as a
gift and as a sharing in
the creation, redemption
and service of the
human community” (#16)

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

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




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
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

Similarities in spiritualities in both SFO and
TOR
Seek to follow Christ in the footsteps of Saint
Francis of Assisi
Dissimilar in approaches in certain focuses
That’s All Folks
Thank You