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SFO CONSTITUTIONS
CHAPTER I
THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER
Article 1
1. All the faithful are called to holiness and
have a right to follow their own spiritual way in communion with the Church.[1]
2. Rule 1 There are many spiritual families
in the Church with different charisms. Among these families, the Franciscan
Family, which in its various branches recognizes St. Francis of Assisi as its
father, inspiration, and model, must be included.
3. Rule 2 From the beginning, the Secular
Franciscan Order[2] has
had its own proper place in the Franciscan Family. It is formed by the organic union of all the
Catholic fraternities whose members, moved by the Holy Spirit, commit
themselves through profession to live the Gospel in the manner of St. Francis,
in their secular state, following the Rule approved by the Church.[3]
4. The Holy See has entrusted the pastoral care
and spiritual assistance of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO), because it
belongs to the same spiritual family, to the Franciscan First Order and Third
Order Regular (TOR). These are the
"Institutes" who are responsible for the altius moderamen, referred to by Canon 303 of the Code of Canon Law.[4]
5. The Secular Franciscan Order is a public
association in the Church.[5] It
is divided into fraternities at various levels: local, regional, national, and
international. Each one has its own
juridical personality within the Church.
Article 2
1. The vocation to the SFO is a specific
vocation that gives form to the life and apostolic activity of its
members. Therefore, those who are bound
by a perpetual commitment to another religious family or institute of consecrated
life cannot belong to the SFO.
2. The SFO is open to the faithful of every
state of life. The following may belong
to it:
the laity (men and women);
the secular clergy (deacons, priests,
bishops).
Article
3
1. The
secular state characterizes the spirituality and the apostolic life of those
belonging to the SFO.
2. Their
secularity, with respect to vocation and to apostolic life, expresses itself
according to the respective state, that is:
for
the laity, contributing to building up the Kingdom of God by their presence in
their life-situations and in their temporal activities;[6]
for
the secular clergy, by offering to the people of God the service which is
properly theirs, in communion with the bishop and the presbytery.[7]
Both are inspired by the gospel options
of Saint Francis of Assisi, committing themselves to continue his mission with
the other components of the Franciscan Family.
3. The
vocation to the SFO is a vocation to live the Gospel in fraternal
communion. For this purpose, the members
of the SFO gather in ecclesial communities which are called fraternities.
Article
4
1. The
SFO is governed by the universal law of the Church, and by its own: the Rule,
the Constitutions, the Ritual, and the particular statutes.
2. The
Rule establishes the nature, purpose, and spirit of the SFO.
3. Rule 3 The Constitutions have as their purpose:
to apply the Rule;
to
indicate concretely the conditions for belonging to the SFO, its government,
the organization of life in fraternity, and its seat.[8]
Article
5
1. Rule 3 The authentic
interpretation of the Rule and of the Constitutions belongs to the Holy See.
2. The
practical interpretation of the Constitutions, with the purpose of harmonizing
its application in different areas and at the various levels of the Order,
belongs to the General Chapter of the SFO.
3. The
clarification of specific points which require a timely decision is the
competence of the Presidency of the International Council of the SFO
(CIOFS). Such a clarification is valid
until the next General Chapter.
Article
6
1. The
international fraternity of the SFO has its own statutes approved by the
General Chapter.
2. National
fraternities have their own statutes approved by the Presidency of the
International Council of the SFO.
3. The
regional and the local fraternities may have their own statutes approved by the
council of the higher level.
Article
7
All regulations not in accordance with
the present Constitutions are abrogated.
CHAPTER
II
FORM
OF LIFE AND APOSTOLIC ACTIVITY
Title
I
THE
FORM OF LIFE
Article
8
1. The
Secular Franciscans commit themselves by their profession to live the Gospel
according to Franciscan spirituality in their secular condition.
2. They
seek to deepen, in the light of faith, the values and choices of the
evangelical life according to the Rule of the SFO:
Rule 7 in a continually renewed journey of
conversion and of formation;
Rule 4,3 open to the
challenges that come from society and from the Church's life situation,
"going from Gospel to life and from life to Gospel;"
in the personal and communal dimensions of
this journey.
Article
9
1. Rule 5 The spirituality of the Secular
Franciscan is a plan of life centered on the person and on the following of
Christ,[9]
rather than a detailed program to be put into practice.
2. Rule 4,3 The Secular Franciscan, committed to following the example and
the teachings of Christ, must personally and assiduously study the Gospel and
Sacred Scripture. The fraternity and its
leaders should foster love for the word of the Gospel and help the brothers and
sisters to know and understand it as it is proclaimed by the Church with the
assistance of the Spirit[10].
Article
10
Rule 10 "Christ, poor and
crucified", victor over death and risen, the greatest manifestation of the
love of God for humanity, is the "book" in which the brothers and
sisters, in imitation of Francis, learn the purpose and the way of living,
loving, and suffering. They discover in
Him the value of contradictions for the sake of justice and the meaning of the
difficulties and the crosses of daily life.
With Him, they can accept the will of the Father even under the most
difficult circumstances and live the Franciscan spirit of peace, rejecting
every doctrine contrary to human dignity.
Article
11
Mindful
that the Holy Spirit is the source of their vocation and the animator of
fraternal life and mission, Secular Franciscans should seek to imitate the
faithfulness of Francis to His inspiration.
They should listen to the exhortation of the Saint to desire above all
things "the Spirit of God at work within them."[11]
Article
12
1. Gaining
inspiration from the example and the writings of Francis and, above all, filled
with the grace of the Holy Spirit, each day the brothers and sisters faithfully
live the great gift which Christ has given: the revelation of the Father. They should bear witness to this faith before
all:
in their family life;
in their work;
in their joys and sufferings;
in their associations with all men and women,
brothers and sisters of the same Father;
in their presence and participation in the
life of society;
in their fraternal relationships with all
creatures.
2. Rule 10 With Jesus, obedient even to death,
they should seek to know and do the will of the Father. They should give thanks to God for the gift
of freedom and for the revelation of the law of love. In order to carry out the will of the Father,
they should accept the help which is offered to them through the mediation of
the Church by those who are constituted as authority in her and by their
confreres. They should take on the risk
of courageous choices in their life in society with decisiveness and serenity.
3. Rule 8 The brothers and sisters should love
meeting God as His children and they should let prayer and contemplation be the
soul of all they are and do. They should seek to discover the presence of the
Father in their own heart, in nature, and in the history of humanity in which
His plan of salvation is fulfilled. The
contemplation of this mystery will dispose them to collaborate in this loving
plan.
Article 13
1. Rule 7 Secular Franciscans, called in earlier
times "the brothers and sisters of penance," propose to live in the
spirit of continual conversion. Some
means to cultivate this characteristic of the Franciscan vocation, individually
and in fraternity, are: listening to and celebrating the Word of God; review of
life; spiritual retreats; the help of a spiritual adviser, and penitential
celebrations. They should approach the
Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently and participate in the communal
celebration of it, whether in the fraternity, or with the whole people of God.[12]
2. In this spirit of conversion, they should
live out their love for the renewal of the Church, which should be accompanied
by personal and communal renewal. The
fruits of conversion, which is a response to the love of God, are the works of
charity in the interactions with the brothers and sisters.[13]
3. Traditional among Franciscan penitents,
penitential practices such as fasting and abstinence should be known,
appreciated, and lived out according to the general guidelines of the Church.
Article 14
1. Aware that God wanted to make of us all a
single people and that he made his Church the universal sacrament of salvation,
the brothers and sisters should commit themselves to a faith-inspired
reflection on the Church, its mission in today's world and the role of the
Franciscan laity within it. They should
take up the challenges and accept the responsibilities that this reflection
will lead them to discover.
2. Rule 8 The Eucharist is the center of the
life of the Church. Christ unites us to
himself and to one another as a single body in it. Therefore, the Eucharist should be the center
of the life of the fraternity. The
brothers and sisters should participate in the Eucharist as frequently as
possible, being mindful of the respect and love shown by Francis, who, in the
Eucharist, lived all the mysteries of the life of Christ.
3. They should participate in the sacraments of
the Church, attentive not only to personal sanctification, but also to
fostering the growth of the Church and the spreading of the Kingdom. They should collaborate in achieving living
and conscious celebrations in their own parishes, particularly in the
celebrations of baptism, confirmation, marriage, and the anointing of the sick.
4. The brothers and sisters, as well as the
fraternities, should adhere to the indications of the Ritual with respect to
the different forms of participating in the liturgical prayer of the Church,
giving priority to the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours[14].
5. In all places and at all times, it is
possible for true worshippers of the Father to give him adoration and to pray
to him. Nevertheless, the brothers and
sisters should try to find times of silence and recollection dedicated
exclusively to prayer.
Article 15
1. Rule 11 Secular Franciscans should pledge
themselves to live the spirit of the Beatitudes and, in a special way, the
spirit of poverty. Evangelical poverty
demonstrates confidence in the Father, creates interior freedom, and disposes
them to promote a more just distribution of wealth.
2. Secular Franciscans, who must provide for
their own families and serve society by means of their work and material goods,
have a particular manner of living evangelical poverty. To understand and achieve it requires a
strong personal commitment and the stimulation of the fraternity in prayer and
dialogue, communal review of life, and attentiveness to the instructions of the
Church, and the demands of society.
3. Secular Franciscans should pledge themselves
to reduce their own personal needs so as to be better able to share spiritual
and material goods with their brothers and sisters, especially those most in
need. They should give thanks to God for
the goods they have received, using them as good stewards and not as owners.
They
should take a firm position against consumerism and against ideologies and
practices which prefer riches over human and religious values and which permit
the exploitation of the human person.
4. They should love and practice purity of
heart, the source of true fraternity.
Article 16
1. Rule 9 Mary, Mother of Jesus, is the model of
listening to the Word and of faithfulness to vocation; we, like Francis, see
all the gospel virtues realized in her.[15]
The
brothers and sisters should cultivate intense love for the most holy virgin,
imitation, prayer, and filial abandonment.
They should manifest their own devotion with expressions of genuine
faith, in forms accepted by the Church.
2. Mary is the model of fruitful and faithful
love for the entire ecclesial community.
Secular Franciscans and their fraternities
should seek to live the experience of Francis, who made the Virgin the guide of
his activity. With her, like the
disciples at Pentecost, they should welcome the Spirit to create a community of
love.[16]
Title II
ACTIVE PRESENCE IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD
Article 17
1. Rule 6 Called to work together in building up
the Church as the sacrament of salvation for all and, through their baptism and
profession, made "witnesses and instruments of her mission," Secular
Franciscans proclaim Christ by their life and words. Their preferred apostolate is personal
witness[17] in
the environment in which they live and service for building up the Kingdom of
God within the situations of this world.
2. The preparation of the brothers and sisters
for spreading the Gospel message "in the ordinary circumstances of the
world"[18] and
for collaborating in the catechesis within the ecclesial communities should be
promoted in the fraternities.
3. Those who are called to carry out the
mission of catechists, presiders of ecclesial communities, or other ministries,
as well as the sacred ministers, should make the love of Francis for the Word
of God their own, as well as his faith in those who announce it, and the great
fervor with which he received the mission of preaching penance from the Pope.
4. Participation in the service of
sanctification, which the Church exercises through the liturgy, prayer, and
works of penance and charity, is put into practice by the brothers and sisters
above all in their own family, then in the fraternity and, finally, through
their active presence in the local Church and in society.
For a Just and
Fraternal Society
Article 18
1. Secular Franciscans are called to make their
own contribution, inspired by the person and message of Saint Francis of
Assisi, towards a civilization in which the dignity of the human person, shared
responsibility, and love may be living realities.[19]
2. Rule 13 They should deepen the true
foundations of universal kinship and create a spirit of welcome and an
atmosphere of fraternity everywhere.
They should firmly commit themselves to oppose every form of
exploitation, discrimination, and exclusion and against every attitude of
indifference in relation to others.
3. Rule 13 They should work together with
movements which promote the building of fraternity among peoples: they should
be committed to "create worthy conditions of life" for all and to
work for the freedom of all people.
4. Following the example of Francis, patron of
ecologists, they should actively put forward initiatives that care for creation
and should work with others in efforts that both put a stop to polluting and
degrading nature and also establish circumstances of living and environment
which would not be a threat to the human person.
Article 19
1. Rule 14 Secular Franciscans should always act
as a leaven in the environment in which they live through the witness of their
fraternal love and clear Christian motivations.
2. In the spirit of minority, they should opt
for relationships which give preference to the poor and to those on the fringe
of society, whether these be individuals or categories of persons or an entire
people; they should collaborate in overcoming the exclusion of others and those
forms of poverty that are the fruit of inefficiency and injustice.
Article 20
1. Rule 14 Secular Franciscans, committed by
their vocation to build the Kingdom of God in temporal situations and
activities, live their membership both in the Church and in society as an
inseparable reality.
2. As the primary and fundamental contribution
to building a more just and fraternal world, they should commit themselves both
to the generous fulfillment of the duties proper to their occupation and to the
professional training that pertains to it.
With the same spirit of service, they should assume their social and
civil responsibilities.
Article 21
1. Rule 16 For Francis, work is a gift and to
work is a grace. Daily work is not only
the means of livelihood, but the opportunity to serve God and neighbor as well
as a way to develop one's own personality.
In the conviction that work is a right and a duty and that every form of
occupation deserves respect, the brothers and sisters should commit themselves
to collaborate so that all persons may have the possibility to work and so that
working conditions may always be more humane.
2. Leisure and recreation have their own value
and are necessary for personal development.
Secular Franciscans should maintain a balance between work and rest and
should strive to create meaningful forms of using leisure time.[20]
Article 22
1. Rule 15 Secular Franciscans should "be in
the forefront ... in the field of public life." They should collaborate as
much as possible for the passage of just laws and ordinances.
2. The fraternities should engage themselves
through courageous initiatives, consistent with their Franciscan vocation and
with the directives of the Church, in the field of human development and
justice. They should take clear
positions whenever human dignity is attacked by any form of oppression or
indifference. They should offer their
fraternal service to the victims of injustice.
3. The renunciation of the use of violence,
characteristic of the followers of Francis, does not mean the renunciation of
action. However, the brothers and
sisters should take care that their interventions are always inspired by
Christian love.
Article 23
1. Rule 19 Peace is the work of justice and the
fruit of reconciliation and of fraternal love.[21] Secular
Franciscans are called to be bearers of peace in their families and in society:
they should see to the proposal and spreading
of peaceful ideas and attitudes;
they should develop their own initiatives and
should collaborate, individually and as a fraternity, with initiatives of the
Pope, the local Churches, and the Franciscan Family;
they should collaborate with those movements
and institutions which promote peace while respecting its authentic foundations.
2. While acknowledging both the personal and
national right to legitimate defense, they should respect the choice of those
who, because of conscientious objection, refuse to bear arms.
3. To preserve peace in the family, the
brothers and sisters should, in due time, make a last will and testament for
the disposition of their goods.
In the Family
Article 24
1. Rule 17 Secular Franciscans should consider
their own family to be the first place in which to live their Christian
commitment and Franciscan vocation. They
should make space within it for prayer, for the Word of God, and for Christian
catechesis. They should concern
themselves with respect for all life in every situation from conception until
death.
Married couples find in the Rule of the
SFO an effective aid in their own journey of Christian life, aware that, in the
sacrament of matrimony, their love shares in the love that Christ has for his
Church. The way spouses love each other
and affirm the value of fidelity is a profound witness for their own family,
the Church, and the world.
2. In the fraternity:
the spirituality of the family and of
marriage and the Christian attitude towards family problems should be a theme
for dialogue and for the sharing of experiences;
they
should share the important moments of the family life of their Franciscan
brothers and sisters and they should give fraternal attention to those
single, widows, single parents, separated, divorced who are living
difficult situations;
Rule 19 they should create conditions suitable
for dialogue between generations;
the formation of groups of married couples
and of family groups should be fostered.
3. The brothers and sisters should collaborate
with the efforts undertaken in the Church and in society to affirm both the
value of fidelity and respect for life and to provide answers to the social
problems of the family.
Article 25
Out of the conviction of the need to
educate children to take an interest in community, "bringing them the
awareness of being living, active members of the People of God"[22] and
because of the fascination which Francis can exercise on them, the formation of
groups of children should be encouraged.
With the help of a pedagogy and an organization suitable to their age,
these children should be initiated into a knowledge and love of the Franciscan
life. National statutes will give
appropriate orientation for the organization of these groups and their
relationship to the fraternity and to Franciscan youth groups.
Messengers of
Joy and Hope
Article 26
1. Even in suffering, Francis experienced
confidence and joy from:
the experience of the fatherhood of God;
the invincible faith of rising with Christ to
eternal life;
the
experience of being able to meet and praise the Creator in the universal
fraternity of all creatures.[23]
Rule 19 Following the Gospel,
Secular Franciscans, therefore, affirm their hope and their joy in living. They make a contribution to counter
widespread distress and pessimism, preparing a better future.
2. In the fraternity, the brothers and sisters
should promote mutual understanding and they should see to it that the
atmosphere of their meetings is welcoming and that it reflects joy. They should encourage one another for the
good.
Article 27
1. Rule 19 The brothers and sisters, progressing
in age, should learn to accept illness and increasing difficulties and to give
a deeper sense to their life. This
should be undertaken with increasing detachment as they set out for the
Promised Land. They should be firmly
convinced that the community of those who believe in Christ and who love one
another in Him will go forward into eternal life as the "communion of
saints."
2. Secular Franciscans should commit themselves
to create in their environment and, above all, in their fraternities, a climate
of faith and hope so that "Sister Death" may be regarded as a passage
to the Father, and all may prepare themselves with serenity.
CHAPTER III
LIFE IN FRATERNITY
Title I
GENERAL ORIENTATIONS
Article 28
1. The fraternity of the SFO finds its origin
in the inspiration of Saint Francis of Assisi to whom the Most High revealed
the essential gospel quality of life in fraternal communion.[24]
2. Rule 20 "The SFO is divided into
fraternities of various levels," the purpose being to promote, in an
orderly form, the union and mutual collaboration among the brothers and sisters
and their active and communal presence in both the local and the universal
Church. The SFO shall also support the
commitment of the fraternities in their service to the world, and specifically
to the life of society.
3. The brothers and sisters gather in local
fraternities established in connection with a church or a religious house, or
in personal fraternities, constituted for specific and valid reasons recognized
in the decree of establishment.[25]
Article 29
1. Local fraternities are grouped into
fraternities at various levels: regional, national and international according
to criteria that are ecclesial, territorial, or of another nature. They are co-ordinated and connected according
to the norm of the Rule and the Constitutions.
This is a requirement of the communion among the fraternities, of the
orderly collaboration among them, and of the unity of the SFO.
2. Rule 20 These fraternities, that each have
their own juridical personality in the Church, should acquire, if possible, a
civil juridical personality for the better fulfillment of their mission. It pertains to the national councils to give
guidelines concerning the motivations and the procedures to be followed.
3. National statutes should indicate the
criteria for the organization of the SFO in the nation. The application of these criteria is left to
the prudent judgement of the leaders of the fraternities concerned and of the
national council.
Article 30
1. The brothers and sisters are co-responsible
for the life of the fraternity to which they belong and for the SFO as the
organic union of all fraternities throughout the world.
2. The sense of co-responsibility of the
members requires personal presence, witness, prayer, and active collaboration,
in accordance with each one's situation and possible obligations for the
animation of the fraternity.
3. Rule 25 In a family spirit,
each brother and sister should make a contribution to the fraternity fund,
according to each one's means, to provide the financial means needed for the
life of the fraternity and for its religious, apostolic, and charitable works. The brothers and sisters ought to provide the
means necessary for supporting the activities and the operations of the
fraternities at higher levels, both by their financial assistance and by their
contributions in other areas as well.
Article 31
1. Rule 21 On various levels,
each fraternity is animated and guided by a council and minister (or
president). These offices are conferred
through elections, in accordance with the Rule, the Constitutions, and their
own Statutes. Only by way of exception
or in the first phase of their establishment may fraternities exist without a
regular council. The council of the
higher level will make the arrangements necessary for this inadequate situation
only for the specific amount of time it takes to get a fraternity back on sure
footing or to establish a new fraternity; to give its leaders the proper
formation and to carry out the elections.
2. The office of minister or councilor is a
fraternal service, a commitment to hold oneself available and responsible in
relation to each brother and sister and to the fraternity so that each one will
realize his or her own vocation and each fraternity will be a true community,
ecclesial and Franciscan, actively present in the Church and in society.
3. The leaders of the SFO at every level should
be perpetually professed, convinced of the validity of the Franciscan
evangelical way of life, attentive to the life of the Church and of society
with a broad and encompassing vision, open to dialogue, and ready to give and
receive help and collaboration.
4. The leaders should see to the spiritual and
technical preparation and animation of the meetings, both of the fraternities
and of the councils. They should seek to
inspire life and soul into the fraternities by their own witness, suggesting
appropriate means for the development of the life of the fraternity and of
apostolic activities in the light of the fundamental Franciscan options. They should see to it that the decisions made
are carried out and they should promote collaboration among the brothers and
sisters.
Article 32
1. The ministers and councilors should live and
foster the spirit and reality of communion among the brothers and sisters,
among the various fraternities, and between them and the Franciscan
family. They should, above all, cherish
peace and reconciliation in and around the fraternity.
2. Rule 21 The ministers' and councilors' task to
lead is temporary. The brothers and
sisters, rejecting all ambition, should show love for the fraternity with a
spirit of service, prepared both to accept and to relinquish the office.
Article 33
1. In the guidance and co-ordination of the
fraternities and of the Order, the personality and capacity of the individual
brothers and sisters and of the individual fraternities should be
promoted. The plurality of expressions
of the Franciscan ideal and cultural variety must be respected.
2. The councils of higher levels should not do
what can be adequately carried out either by the local fraternities or by a
council of a lower level. They should
respect and promote their vitality so that they fulfil their duties properly. The local fraternities and councils concerned
should commit themselves to carry out the decisions of the international
council and of the other councils of higher levels, and to implement their
programs, adapting them when necessary to their own situation.
Article 34
Where the
situation and the needs of the members require it, sections or groups which
gather members sharing particular needs, common interests, or the same choices,
may be established within the fraternity under the guidance of the one council.
Such
groups can give themselves specific norms relative to their meetings and
activities, firmly remaining faithful, however, to the requirements which arise
from membership in the one fraternity.
National statutes may establish criteria suitable for the formation and
functioning of these sections or groups.
Article 35
1. Secular priests who recognize that they are
called by the Spirit to participate in the charism of Saint Francis of Assisi
within the secular fraternity should find in it specific attention in
conformity with their mission among the People of God.
2. Secular Franciscan priests may also gather
in personal fraternities in order to pursue the ascetical and pastoral
incentives which the life and doctrine of Francis and the Rule of the SFO offer
them to live their vocation in the Church better. It is proper that these fraternities have
their own statutes which envision concrete forms for their composition, their
fraternal meetings and for spiritual formation as well as for making their
communion with the whole Order living and functional.
Article 36
1. The brothers and sisters who commit
themselves with private vows to live in the spirit of the beatitudes and to
make themselves more disposed to contemplation and to the service of the
fraternities, can be a great help in the spiritual and apostolic development of
the SFO.
2. These brothers and sisters may gather in
groups according to statutes approved by the national council, or when these
groups spread beyond the borders of a nation, by the Presidency of the
International Council of the SFO.
3. Such statutes should be in harmony with the
present Constitutions.
Title II
ENTRANCE INTO THE ORDER AND FORMATION
Article 37
1. Rule 23 Membership in the Order is attained
through a time of initiation, a time of formation, and the profession of the
Rule.
2. The journey of formation, which should
develop throughout life, begins with entrance into the fraternity. Mindful that the Holy Spirit is the principal
agent of formation and always attentive to collaboration with Him, those
responsible for formation are: the candidate, the entire fraternity, the
council with the minister, the master of formation, and the assistant.
3. The brothers and sisters are responsible for
their own formation, developing in an ever more perfect way the vocation
received from the Lord. The fraternity
is called to help the brothers and sisters in this journey by means of a warm
welcome, prayer, and example.
4. The elaboration and adoption of means of
formation, adapted to the local situations and offered as a help to those responsible
for formation in the individual fraternities, belong to the national and
regional councils in common agreement.
The Time of
Initiation
Article 38
1. Rule 23 The time of initiation is a phase
preparatory to the true and proper time of formation and is intended for the
discernment of the vocation and for the reciprocal acquaintance between the
fraternity and the aspiring member. It
should guarantee the freedom and the seriousness of entrance into the SFO.
2. The duration of the time of initiation and
the forms employed in its development are established by the national statutes.
3. It belongs to the fraternity council to
decide possible exemptions to this time of initiation, keeping in mind the
guidelines of the national council.
Admission to
the Order
Article 39
1. Rule 23 The request for admission to the Order
is presented by the aspirant to the minister of a local or personal fraternity
by a formal act, in writing if possible.
2. Conditions for admission are: to profess the
Catholic faith, to live in communion with the Church, to be of good moral
standing, and to show clear signs of a vocation.[26]
3. The council of the fraternity decides
collegially on the request, gives a formal answer to the aspirant, and communicates
this to the fraternity.
4. The rite of admission is performed according
to the Ritual.[27] The act is to be registered and preserved in
the records of the fraternity.
The Time of
Formation
Article 40
1. Rule 23 The time of formation lasts at least
one year. The national statutes can
establish a longer period. The purpose
of this period is the maturation of the vocation, the experience of the
evangelical life in fraternity, and a better knowledge of the Order. This formation should be carried out with
frequent meetings for study and prayer and with concrete experiences of service
and of apostolate. These meetings should
be held, as far as possible and opportune, in common with the candidates of other
fraternities.
2. The candidates are guided to read and
meditate on Sacred Scripture, to come to know the person and writings of
Francis and of Franciscan spirituality, and to study the Rule and
Constitutions. They are trained in a love
for the Church and acceptance of her teaching.
The laity practice living their secular commitment in the world in an
evangelical way.
3. Participation in the meetings of the local
fraternity is an indispensable presupposition for initiation into community
prayer and into fraternity life.
4. A style of teaching which is Franciscan in
character and which fits the mentality of the persons concerned should be
adopted.
The Profession or Promise of Evangelical Life
Article 41
1. Rule 23 Having completed the time of initial
formation, the candidate submits to the minister of the local fraternity a
request to make his or her profession.
Having heard the master of formation and the assistant, the fraternity
council decides by secret ballot on the admission to profession, gives its
reply to the candidate, and informs the fraternity.
2. The conditions for the profession or promise
of evangelical life are:
attainment of the age established by the
national statutes;
active participation in the time of formation
for at least one year;
the consent of the council of the local
fraternity.
3. Where it is held to be opportune to lengthen
the time of formation, it must not be extended to more than a year beyond the
time established by the national statutes.
Article 42
1. Profession is the solemn ecclesial act by
which the candidate, remembering the call received from Christ, renews the
baptismal promises and publicly affirms his or her personal commitment to live
the Gospel in the world according to the example of Francis and following the
Rule of the SFO.
2. Rule 23
Profession incorporates the candidate
into the Order and is by its nature a perpetual commitment. Perpetual profession, because of objective
and specific pedagogical reasons, may be preceded by a temporary profession,
renewable annually. The total time of
temporary profession may not be longer than three years.[28]
3. Profession is accepted by the minister of
the local fraternity or by his or her delegate in the name of the Church and of
the SFO. The rite is carried out
according to the norms of the Ritual.[29]
4. Profession does not only commit those
professed to the fraternity, but also, in the same way, it commits the
fraternity to be concerned with their human and religious well-being.
5. The act of profession is registered and
preserved in the records of the fraternity.
Article 43
The
national statutes establish:
Rule 23 the minimum age for profession which,
however, may not be less than eighteen years completed;
the distinctive sign of membership in the
Order (the "Tau" or other Franciscan symbol).
Continuing
Formation
Article 44
1. Begun by the preceding stages, the formation
of the brothers and sisters takes place in a permanent and continuous way. It should be understood as an aid in the
conversion of each[30] and
everyone and in the fulfillment of their proper mission in the Church and in
society.
2. The Fraternity has the duty to give special
attention to the formation of the newly professed and of the temporarily
professed, to help them become fully mature in their vocation and develop a
true sense of belonging.
3. Ongoing formation accomplished by means of
courses, gatherings, and the sharing of experience aims to assist the
brothers and sisters:
Rule 4 in listening to and meditating on the
Word of God, "going from Gospel to life and from life to Gospel;"
in
reflecting on events in the Church and in society in the light of faith, and
with the help of the documents of the teaching Church, consequently taking
consistent positions;
in
discerning and deepening the Franciscan vocation by studying the writings of
Saint Francis, Saint Clare and Franciscan authors.
Promotion of
Vocations
Article 45
1. The promotion of vocations to the Order is a
duty of all the brothers and sisters and is a sign of the vitality of the
fraternities themselves.
The
brothers and sisters, convinced of the validity of the Franciscan way of life,
should pray that God may give the grace of the Franciscan vocation to new
members.
2. Although nothing can substitute for the
witness of each member and of the fraternity, the councils must adopt
appropriate means to promote the Secular Franciscan vocation.
Title III
THE FRATERNITY AT THE VARIOUS LEVELS
The Local
Fraternity
Article 46
1. Rule 22 The canonical establishment of the
local fraternity belongs to the competent religious major superior at the
request of the brothers and sisters concerned and with the prior consultation
and collaboration of the council of the higher level to which the new
fraternity will be related according to the national statutes.
The written consent of the local Ordinary
is necessary for the canonical establishment of a fraternity outside the houses
or churches of the Franciscan religious of the First Order or the TOR.[31]
2. For the valid establishment of a local
fraternity, at least five perpetually professed members are required. The admission and profession of these first
brothers and sisters will be received by the council of another local
fraternity or by the council of a higher level which will have provided for
their formation in appropriate ways. The
acts of admission and profession and the decree of establishment are preserved
in the records of the fraternity. Copies
are sent to the council of the higher level.
3. If there is not yet a fraternity of the SFO
in a nation, it belongs to the Presidency of the International Council of the
SFO to make provision in this regard.
Article 47
1. Rule 22 Each local fraternity, the primary
cell of the one SFO, is entrusted to the pastoral care of the religious
Franciscan Order that canonically established it.
2. A local fraternity may pass to the pastoral
care of another religious Franciscan Order in the ways determined by the
national statutes.
Article 48
1. In the case of cessation of a fraternity,
the patrimonial goods of the same, the library and the records are acquired by
the fraternity of the immediately higher level.
2. In the case of revival according to the
canonical laws, the fraternity will repossess any remaining goods, its own
library, and records.
The Fraternity
Council
Article 49
1. The council of the local fraternity is
composed of the following offices: minister, vice‑minister, secretary,
treasurer, and master of formation.
Other offices may be added according to the needs of each
fraternity. The spiritual assistant of
the fraternity forms part of the council by right.[32]
2. The fraternity, meeting in an assembly or
chapter, discusses questions regarding its own life and organization. Every three years, in an elective assembly or
chapter, the fraternity elects the minister and the council in the way
established by the Constitutions and statutes.
Article 50
1. It is the duty of the council of the local
fraternity:
to promote the initiatives necessary for
fostering fraternal life, for improving the human, Christian, and Franciscan
formation of its members and for sustaining their witness and commitment in the
world;
to make concrete and courageous choices,
appropriate for the situation of the fraternity, from among the numerous
activities possible in the field of the apostolate.
2. The duties of the council are also:
a. to
decide on the acceptance and admission to profession of new brothers and
sisters;[33]
b. to establish a fraternal dialogue with
members in particular difficulties and to adopt consequent measures;
c. to receive the request for withdrawal and to
decide on the suspension of a member from the fraternity;
d. to decide on the establishment of sections
or groups in conformity with the Constitutions and the statutes;
e. to decide on the destination of available funds
and, in general, to deliberate on matters concerning financial management and
the economic affairs of the fraternity;
f. to assign duties to the councilors and to
the other professed members;
g. to request from the competent superiors of
the First Order and the TOR suitable and prepared religious as assistants;
h. to perform such other duties as are required
by these Constitutions or which are necessary to carry out its proper purposes.
The Offices in
the Fraternity
Article 51
1. While firmly upholding the co-responsibility
of the council to animate and guide the fraternity, the minister, as the
primary person responsible for the fraternity, is expected to make sure that
the directions and the decisions of the council are put into practice and will keep
the council informed about what he or she is doing.
2. The minister also has the following duties:
a. to call, to preside at, and to direct the
meetings of the fraternity and council; to convoke, every three years, the
elective chapter of the fraternity, having heard the council on the formalities
of the convocation;
b. to prepare the annual report to be sent to
the council of the higher level after it has been approved by the council of
the fraternity;
c. to represent the fraternity in all its
relations with ecclesiastical and civil authorities. When the fraternity acquires a juridical
personality in the civil order, the minister becomes, when possible, its legal
representative;
d. to request, with the consent of the council,
the pastoral and fraternal visits, at least once every three years.
e. to put into effect those acts which the
Constitutions refer to his or her competence.
Article 52
1. The vice‑minister has the following
duties:
a. to collaborate in a fraternal spirit and to
support the minister in carrying out his or her specific duties;
b. to exercise the functions entrusted by the
council and/or by the assembly or chapter;
c. to take the place of the minister in both
duties and responsibilities in case of absence or temporary impediment;
d. to
assume the functions of the minister when the office remains vacant.[34]
2. The secretary has the following duties:
a. to compile the official acts of the
fraternity and of the council and to assure that they are sent to their
respective proper recipients;
b. to
see to the updating and preservation of the records and the registers, noting
admissions, professions, deaths, withdrawals, and transfers from the
fraternity;[35]
c. to provide for the communication of the more
important facts to the various levels and, if appropriate, to provide for their
dissemination through the mass media.
3. The master of formation has the following
duties:
a. to co-ordinate, with the help of the other
members of the council, the formative activities of the fraternity;
b. to
instruct and enliven the inquirers during the time of initiation, the
candidates during the period of initiation formation, and the newly professed;
c. to
inform the council of the fraternity prior to profession, concerning the
suitability of the candidate for a commitment to live according to the Rule.
4. The treasurer, or bursar, has the following
duties:
a. to guard diligently the contributions
received, recording each receipt in the appropriate register, with the date on
which it was given, the name of the contributor, or the one from whom it was
collected;
b. to record in the same register the items of
expense, specifying the date and the purpose, in conformity with the directions
of the fraternity council;
c. to render an account of his or her
administration to the assembly and to the council of the fraternity according
to the norms of the national statutes.
5. The provisions regarding the rights and
duties of the vice‑minister, the secretary and the treasurer apply, with
the appropriate adaptations, to all levels.
Participation in the Life of the Fraternity
Article 53
1. Rule 24 The fraternity must offer to its
members opportunities for coming together and collaborating through meetings to
be held with as great a frequency as allowed by the situation and with the
involvement of all its members.
2. Rule 6; 8 The fraternity should come together
periodically, also as an ecclesial community to celebrate the Eucharist in a
climate which strengthens the fraternal bond and characterizes the identity of
the Franciscan family. Where, for
whatever reason, this particular celebration may not be possible, they should participate
in the celebration of the larger ecclesial community.
3. Insertion into a local fraternity and
participation in fraternity life is essential for belonging to the SFO. Appropriate initiatives should be adopted
according to the directives of the national statutes, to keep those brothers
and sisters united to the fraternity who for valid reasons of health, family,
work, or distance cannot actively participate in community life.
4. The fraternity remembers with gratitude its
brothers and sisters who have passed away and continues its communion with them
by prayer and in the Eucharist.
5. The national statutes can indicate special
forms of association with the fraternity for those who, without becoming a
member of the SFO, want to participate in its life and activities.
Article 54
1. In cases where the fraternity of whatever
level has property or real estate at its disposal, the procedures necessary for
that fraternity to acquire a juridical personality in the civil order must be
followed in conformity with the national statutes.
2. Based on the respective civil legislation,
the national statutes must establish precise criteria regarding the purpose of
the juridical person, the administration of its material goods and the relevant
internal controls. They must also
contain instructions so that the establishing document may provide for the disposal
of its property in case the juridical person ceases to exist.
3. The
national statutes must also set up precise criteria for local fraternities that
possess or administer property or real estate, so that the respective council,
before its term of office is finished, has the fraternitys financial and real
estate situation audited either by an expert who is not a member of the council
or by the fraternitys board of examiners.
Transfer
Article 55
If a
brother or sister, for any reasonable cause, desires transfer to another
fraternity, he or she first informs the council of the fraternity to which he
or she belongs and then makes the request, including the reasons for the
transfer, to the minister of the fraternity to which he or she wishes to belong. The council makes its decision after having
received the necessary information in writing from the fraternity of origin.
Temporary
Provisions
Article 56
1. Rule 23 Members
who find themselves in difficulty may ask, with a formal act, temporary withdrawal
from the fraternity. The council will
evaluate the request with love and prudence, after a fraternal dialogue between
the minister and the assistant with the person concerned. If the reasons appear to be well founded,
after the brother or sister in difficulty has been given time to reconsider,
the council agrees to the request.
2. The repeated and prolonged default in the
obligations of the life of the fraternity and other conduct in serious
opposition to the Rule have to be discussed by the council in dialogue with the
person at fault. Only in the case of
obstinacy or relapse may the council decide, with a secret vote, to suspend
someone. It communicates its decision in
writing to the person concerned.
3.