LIFE GIVING RECIPROCAL COMMUNION
     WITH ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY

              Fr. Irudaya Samy, OFM Cap

Introduction

The Franciscan family, As one among many spiritual families Raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, Unites all members of the people of God -laity, religious, and priests- who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi.

In various ways and forms But in life-giving union with each other, They intend to make present The charism of their common seraphic father In the life and mission of the Church. [1]

The secular Franciscan Order holds a special place in this family circle. It is an organic union of all Catholic fraternities scattered throughout the world and open to every group of the faithful. In these fraternities, the brothers and sisters, led by the spirit, strive for
perfect charity in their own secular state. By their profession, they pledge themselves to live the gospel in the manner of Saint Francis by means of this rule approved by the Church. [2]

The first article of the Secular Franciscan Rule immediately establishes the relationship of the Secular Franciscans with the entire Franciscan family. This, of course, is of paramount importance to the very existence of the Secular Franciscans as a vital part of the Franciscan Family. The Secular Franciscans are not isolated members but are true and full members of St. Francis' Family. They were raised up by the Holy Sprit in the Church with other members of our Franciscan Family.

The Secular Franciscans are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis as laypersons in the world in life-giving union with all the other members of our Franciscan family. They, like the other dedicated members of our Franciscan family, make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church. [3]

Internalized Convictions Of Vital Union In The Franciscan Constitutions
 
1.  "All the faithful are called to holiness and have a right to follow their own spiritual way in communion with the Church." [4]

2.  "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." [5]

3. "From the beginning, the Secular Franciscan Order 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." [6]

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," [7] referred to by canon 303 of the Code of Canon Law.

In the Kingdom of God, relationship is an important ingredient. The dictionary speaks of relationship as a "connection" with one another. In the Constitutions these first articles define the relationship of the SFO to the Church and the rest of the Franciscan Order. They begin by pointing out that we are joined with all people who are called to holiness. Jesus has invited all people to be gospel people. He expects people to respond to his call. Not everyone responds. Those who do respond have a right to follow the path that fits them in their journey of wholeness, i.e. holiness. At the very beginning we are aware of a variety of ways to respond to the Gospel.

St. Francis of Assisi is the model on which we build our lifestyle. He is our father, inspiration and model. As father he offers us life.
Joined with the power of the Holy Spirit, Francis passes life to us. That life is his attraction and commitment to the Gospel. It is his
trust in Jesus. It is his openness to the word of God. When we look at the joy that Francis had, even in the midst of pain, we find
inspiration.  Our heart longs to be able to deal with the light and darkness that life brings. Francis offers a way and gives a hope that
joy is possible even when suffering touches our lives. Francis of Assisi becomes the model whose attitude to God and Gospel; to Jesus and gospel; to life and gospel, offers a pathway to life. Francis helps identify our role among the people of God and in the Body of Christ.  [8]

What relationships support such a way of life? Relationship with the rest of the Franciscan family is primary. We are not different Orders with varying charisms. We are one Order with one charism. We are related to each other by the very fact of our calling to the Franciscan way of life. We are related to other people who are Secular Franciscans throughout the world. The SFO Constitution says, "The unity comes from the Holy Spirit who gives us a common calling. No matter what language we speak, Francis is our Father, inspiration and model. We follow a common Rule of life approved by the Church. We are related to each other by our common Franciscan calling." [9]

Quite naturally we walk with Franciscans who are called "First Order," "Second Order" (Poor Clares) or "Third Order Regular." These men and women live together in community. They are joined to a common Franciscan life through the profession of vows. They are our Brothers and Sisters in the Franciscan Family. We assist one another in the pursuit of the Gospel. The SFO Constitutions tell us that the pastoral care and spiritual assistance of the SFO is in the hands of these family members. There is mutuality in the relationship rather than a role of power. As Jesus clearly taught: "Then if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."(Jn 13:13)  The relationship is one of service not domination. We share common insights and wisdom with the SFO. The SFO shares insights and wisdom with us. God is at work teaching and supporting us through one another. As the letter to the Hebrews puts it: "We ought to see how each of us may best arouse others to love and active goodness."(Heb.10: 24) Here I would like to bring out some of the internalized convictions of Franciscan Constitutions:

• "The SFO is "an integral part of the Franciscan Family." (SFO Constitutions art.85, 1)

• The SFO. "Are our partners in living, witnessing to and promoting the Franciscan charism? They make their own necessary and complementary contribution to the fullness of the Franciscan charism." (OFM. Constitutions Art. 60, 1)

• "Within the Franciscan Family the Secular Franciscan Order or Fraternity holds a special place. It shares in and promotes a genuine
Franciscan spirit and it must be regarded as necessary for the completeness of the Franciscan Charism."   (OFM Cap., Constitutions  Art 95, 1)

• "The Secular Franciscan Order is united to our Order." (OFM Cap., Constitutions Art. 95,3)

• "Care of the Secular Franciscan order is entrusted to the first Order." (OFM Constitutions art. 60, 1)

• However, the real foundation for spiritual assistance is the close bond that unites the religious and lay Franciscans. "The secular Franciscan Order is united to our Order by its origin, history and sharing of our life..."(OFM Cap., Constitutions Art. 95, 3)

• "The brothers shall also foster and spiritually assist all associations, above all of young people, which cultivate the spirit of Saint Francis. Our houses should become centres of fraternal gatherings and inspiration for all, whether clergy laity, who wish to follow
Christ's footsteps under the leadership of Saint Francis." (OFM Cap., Constitutions Art. 95,9)

• "By virtue of the vital reciprocity between the religious and the secular members of the Franciscan family and in regard to the
responsibilities of major superiors, spiritual assistance to the fraternities of the SFO at all levels must be assured as a fundamental
element of communion." (SFO Constitutions Art. 89, 1)

We grow to a point where our perception of life flows from attitudes we find in the Gospel. Our assessment of people, situations and daily relationships are in tune with the Gospel. Our commitment to the Franciscan way of life requires this of us. Fraternity is seen as an important ingredient of life. We need one another to achieve the call to follow the Gospel in everything.

The Charism of St. Francis - Unification of all Franciscans

Charism is word that has been used a great deal in recent years in the Church. It is important to understand what it really means: charism is a general term that indicates a personal gift of the Spirit used for the good of the Church. [10] When the Holy Father approves it, the charism is said to participate in the official mission of the Church to make Christ present in the world. St. Francis sought this approval for his charism as soon as he possibly could.

The first reaction of the Holy See was great hesitancy. The Pope and Cardinals thought he was seeking to do too much. What he desired was to live out the gospel life of Christ. But all finally realized that if they denied his request, they would be saying that the real life of Christ as brought out in the Gospel was impossible to imitate.

Actually almost all true charisms at first run into some opposition one way or the other. The Holy Spirit gives a faithful person a charism when he opens himself or herself to grace. A Charism is given to do a great work for the good of the whole Church. It is generally understood that the opportunity is given for a radical conversion and painful turning point in life. All saints had undergone this painful turning point in their lives. [11] At least, the spirit usually puts every founder to the hard test of anti-conformity, the majority have seemed strange or unusual to their contemporaries Simultaneously, there is a profound evangelical experience, full of light and confidence, and the call to leave everything to order one's life in conformity with the light that has been received. "The charism urges the chosen one to carry to others the benefits of his own discovery. He feels a vital need to communicate the gift he has so freely received" (1.Cor.9: 16). The kind of life begun by the converted one, his example, his action and, more than anything, the sincerity and inspiration that vibrate in his words, are for men and women of sincere heart a kind of new promulgation of the Gospel, a new vision of Gospel, perhaps, of an aspect particularly demanded by the historical moment.

The particular way in which people respond to God's call is called their "Charism." It is a quality that inspires allegiance and devotion.
People, personalities or visions that fit their person attract people. Professional educators might have been inspired by the intellectual
"charism" of St. Thomas Aquinas and his pursuit of truth. People who love stability and liturgical prayer might be attracted to the charism of St. Benedict's monastic lifestyle. People who seek service of the poor might follow the charism of St. Vincent de Paul. A Mother Theresa might attract individuals seeking to serve the sick and suffering. Each of these founders very much follow the Gospel. Yet each one expresses their commitment in a different and unique way. This individual focus is called "Charism". The more clearly people identify this charism, the sharper will be their identity in following the Gospel. In short, the variety of charisms reflects the universalism of the Gospel. [12] Each charism serves a portion of the kingdom's gifts to humankind. The Body of Christ finds expression in a variety of groups. Together they build the kingdom and make the Body of Christ present to our world.

Franciscans contribute their particular charism to the Body of Christ. It is a very high responsibility that is placed upon us to be clear
about our charism. We should determine what we bring to kingdom of God. No one can tell us what it is if we do not identify it for ourselves. Francis of Assisi gave us a direction when he said: "This is the rule and life of the Friars minor, to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." [13] The Secular Franciscan Order faces the same direction when their rule says, "The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi." [14]

St. Francis was very particular about keeping his charism intact. The charism of St. Francis was simply to live the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ Anyone called by grace to do this and admitted by the proper authority into any of three Orders of St. Francis belongs to our Franciscan Family.

Footnotes for Part I
[1] SFO Rule, 1.
[2] SFO Rule, 2.
[3] Philip Marquard, Called to Live the Dynamic Power of the Gospel: Commentary on The Rule of THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER (Quincy: Franciscan Press, 1998),  p. 8.
[4] cfr. SFO General Constitutions (= GG.CC.), 1.1
[5] GG.CC., 1. 2
[6] GG.CC., 1. 3
[7] GG.CC., 1. 4
[8] SFO Constitution Commentary, Art. 1.1, p. 2.
[9] SFO Constitution Commentary, Art. 1.1, p. 3.
[10] Marquard, p. 8.
[11] Marquard, p. 9.
[12] SFO Constitution Commentary, p. 4.
[13] OFM Cap Constitution I, 1.
[14] SFO Rule 4.

Part II from CIOFS-L, Year  10, N. 4, 2004, Weekly edition, From: Koinonia, 2003, N. 4


              LIFE GIVING RECIPROCAL COMMUNION
      WITH ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY

                 Fr. Irudaya Samy, OFM Cap

                         (Part II)

The Family Of Francis

Secular Franciscans are called by grace to embrace the charism of St. Francis. They are admitted and professed according to the Rule of St. Francis as approved by the proper authority. And so, Secular Franciscans share in the full Franciscan Family life.

St. Francis was very much interested in all people and in all creatures. It was his desire to bring the spirit of Christ into the Secular world. When people were attracted by his life they requested him to take them also into his Order and among the steps he took to realize this was the founding of his Third Order, the Secular Franciscan Order. He knew that men and women who improve the world and continue the work of creation would sanctify the universe as part of their service to God. He wished that people living in the world would be strong in faith, hope, and love so they would be effective instruments for Christ and his work.

The Secular Franciscans have understood this charism and participated fully in the Franciscan Family is readily seen from many who have been recognized by the Church as blessed and Saints. They have come from all social ranks, families and careers, royalty and peasants, martyrs and penitents, lawyers and businessmen, parents and youth, physicians and blacksmiths. They touched the lives of many people of the world and left a telling mark on the lives of many. Several founders and foundresses of  other religious institutes began as Secular Franciscans and then enriched the Church with their great ideals. [6]

Hence, besides participating in the charism of St. Francis, Secular Franciscans participate in the complete spirit of our Franciscan Family. This includes its spirituality, community, apostolic ministries and simple life style. Though they are not religious, they share Franciscan life as seculars, people living in the world but not of the world. They  complement and complete the expression of the Franciscan charism. Therefore, they are authentic members of our Franciscan Family.

Franciscans of the three Orders of St. Francis are commissioned to promote family life among the members of the various orders. This is done, first of all, by thoroughly understanding that we are all members of the one Franciscan Family. With our appreciation of our call to this Franciscan way of life, our enthusiasm grows, and we extend ourselves to one another in mutual charity, understanding, and patient service. At times, all can pray and worship together. On occasion, a meal or recreation can be shared. There has always been some participation in common apostolic undertakings. And, today, there are ministries that are on a more continuous basis as, for instance, the interaction of the first Order with committed lay volunteers of the Third Order in foreign and domestic undertakings for God's people.

Therefore, the first article of the Secular Franciscan Rule is on target when it states: "The Franciscan Family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all members of the people of God---laity, religious, and priests-who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi." [7]


Part II Footnotes. (Note some paragraphs from Part I were repeated verbatim in Part II, that's why the footnote numbers 1-5 do not appear here... Webservant)

[6] Marquard, p. 10.
[7] SFO Rule 1.

Part III from CIOFS-L, Year  10, N. 5, 2004, Weekly edition, From: Koinonia, 2003, N. 4


              LIFE GIVING RECIPROCAL COMMUNION
         WITH ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY

         Fr. Irudaya Samy, OFM Cap

      (Part III)

The SFO: An Integral Part of the Franciscan Family

The interconnectedness of the Franciscan Order is illustrated by the close relationship between the SFO and the First Order and the TOR. The entire Franciscan Family is called to live the charism of St. Francis.  We are brothers and sisters within this one large Franciscan family. It is important that the SFO not be presented as a poor substitute for those who really would like to be "Real Franciscans" but for one reason or another were not able to enter one of the regular Franciscan Orders.

Professor Mariano Bigi, SFO, (National Minister of the SFO in Italy) addressed a meeting of Third Order Regular friars in 1979 who were meeting in Assisi to discuss the role of formation in the Order. Apparently, and only apparently, clarifying the secular quality of
secular Franciscan Order has widened the gap between it and the First Order and Third Order Regular. To my way of thinking the following two points are fundamental: first, at its origin there is only one vocation to the Franciscan charism; and secondly, the co- responsibility for this charism before the Church and the world is one and the same for all its components. The differentiations, both legitimate and necessary, come later and in no way preclude or exclude one in relation to the other. In light of this, it can be said that the Franciscan charism is united and complementary and that it can and must be lived and actualised by  religious, priests and laymen. [1] What he said at that time is still valid today.

There is only one Franciscan Family made up of all those who have the same common mission to perpetuate, in the Church and in the world, the charism of Saint Francis. These comments help us clarify some important aspects of formation of our friars for work with the Secular Franciscan Order:

The genuine concern of a Franciscan is to be a Franciscan, not just by the way we dress but by our way of life, which ought to be recognizable and recognized as such. This holds true equally for religious men and women and for the laity.

The offices we hold: parishes, hospitals, schools and missions do not qualify us as Franciscan; rather our being Franciscan should qualify our being pastors, chaplains, educators and missionaries and guide us in the way we embrace and accomplish these tasks. The chief concern must be to present ourselves as FRANCISCAN pastors, educators, Chaplains and missionaries. [2]

The Church entrusts the spiritual and pastoral care of the SFO to the Franciscan First Order and the TOR. This duty of service to the SFO is the responsibility of the Ministers General and Provincial of the First Order and the TOR. The purpose of this assistance is to guarantee that the SFO is faithful to the Franciscan charism, remains united with the Church and is in union with the whole Franciscan Family. There is mutuality in our relationship that makes this a loving service rather than an imposed duty.

The Image of Formation in the Formation of the Friars

Franciscan life is not solely about information. It is about becoming more and more Christ like becoming more and more those people God has created us to be. In this sense, then, formation should be about providing opportunities and encouragement of the friars to grow into their own Christ-likeness. We are convinced, of course, that this can be accomplished as the members embrace the Rule, Constitutions and Statutes of our respective Orders as they are lived out in our fraternities.  Thus, we believe that as one embraces the fullness of the Franciscan charism and life style one enters into a way of life that leads to wholeness and holiness. To grow in our Franciscan identity is a means for us to become more those people God created us to be. In other word, the more Franciscan one becomes the more he grows into the image and likeness of Christ. This was the greatest and deepest experience of  Francis himself
The attitude of being with the seculars, of inviting them to live their own vocation, should enter also in the formation programmes of the Friars. The Assistants, at all levels, should promote the interest of the Friars for the SFO. In their relations with the religious Ministers, they should underline that the attention to the SFO is a communion determining our lives, is a must and not just an optional activity. To fail to recognise this life-giving union with one another means to risk losing our identity, not only the identity the SFO, but also of the First Order.

The SFO has to be seen as a task, not only of the Assistant, but also of the whole Family, of all Friars. It is a question of winning back
motivations, of recovering our fundamental identity. The General Ministers, Provincials and formation team of the First Order and the TOR should insist that there be room for the SFO in the formation of the Friars, in initial formation as well as in on-going formation. Once this attitude is integrated into the formation programme the basic question will be changed. The focus turns to one of identity and relationship. The more important questions in the formation are these: do you want to know Francis, his gift, his charism -are you ready to embrace the life based on the Gospel, nurtured by the fraternity, dedicated to the mission of the Church and enlivened by ongoing conversion of life. Our young student friars should be taught to know and live this particular dimension as their first commitment, and not as something added, secondary or incidental. Formation, after all, deals with the essential nature of identity, self-understanding and expression. In essence it is the way one becomes Human, Christian, Franciscan, Holy and Whole.

The Assistant has to call attention to the SFO during the visits of the Minister Generals and Provincials to their religious, to make the visit a moment where the religious Order can come into closer contact with the seculars. A letter of the General Ministers is not enough; the attitudes expressed in the documents should shape all aspects of the life of the Order. We should stress that no aspect of our life can escape from this communion with one another. It is not a question of talking about the SFO, but of talking with the SFO, to make the SFO speak to the Friars and with the Friars. The Assistants have the task to make this life-giving communion pass from words to facts. The preferential field for Assistance, at this moment in history, is the first Order and the TOR. The Assistants should invest their energies in getting the Friars interested, in developing among the Friars a mature, informed vision on the place of the SFO in the Franciscan Family. The Assistants of the various Orders should together animate their Friars, not each separately for his own Order, but together, collegially, so that the specific experiences can bear fruit for the others.

Conclusion

The General Election Chapter of SFO 2002 in Rome, took up the recommendations of the Round Table discussions on this theme and
expressed its deep awareness and conviction on the fact that we Franciscans, religious and lay, "exist as members of the same body." [3]  Therefore, we are all integral parts of a single project where each Franciscan, in different ways and expressions but in mutual life-giving communion, share the same mission of bringing the charism of the common seraphic father St. Francis in the life and mission of the Church. It is necessary to work intensely so as to let this mutual awareness grow and be lived in fullness. The General Chapter suggested the following initiatives:

1. Promoting a permanent and intensive dialogue between the various branches of the Franciscan Family at all levels;
2. Proposing and supporting common initiatives and formation programmes within the Franciscan Family;
3. Promoting a true and substantial equality among all the branches of the Franciscan Family, underlining the common mission in its
     various forms and expressions.
4. The Chapter reflected on the theme: "The mutual life-giving communion in the Franciscan Family". On the occasion of the 25th
     anniversary of the approval of the Pauline Rule, the Presidency recommends that all Secular Franciscans and all Fraternities at
     every level around the world celebrate this Jubilee of our charism. During this time, JUNE 2003 - JUNE 2004, all are invited to
     take appropriate initiatives and to find the most suitable ways to celebrate and to live more intensely the mutual life-giving
     communion in the Franciscan Family.

I conclude this article by emphasizing what PASCHAL RYWALSKI, General Minister of OFM Cap., (1976- 1988), had written in one of the circular letters to his Capuchin Brothers:

A revival of the Secular fraternities goes hand in hand with our progress. I would further add that the quality and the vitality of the
Secular Fraternities are the reflection of the vitality of your Provinces, because we advance and grow together.

The Lord has chosen us to be Franciscans by the power of the Holy Spirit, and he has given us a particular gift for the benefit of his
people, the Church. Our Franciscan way of life is a precious gift and an involving mission. Therefore, we always seek life-giving collaboration and unity with the entire Franciscan Family. Let us support, encourage and appreciate one another. By committing ourselves to the gospel way of life, we become a living sacrifice of praise and thanks and a vibrant witness of the Good News for all to see and hear.


Footnotes to Part III

[1] Mariano Bigi, National Minister of the SFO Italy, addressed a
meeting of The Third Order Regular Friars in 1979 at Assisi.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Conclusions of the SFO General Chapter Report November 2002.

[4] Conclusion of the SFO General Chapter Report November 2002

An older article comes from the OFM General Curia:

How are the Secular Franciscans, Franciscan Youth and their Assistants situated?
Conference given at the meeting
of regional Councilors of the Marches, at Fermo, 26 November 1995.
Carl Schafer OFM

The SFO, like the Church, is already in a certain sense united and, at the same time, it is not yet united. We can draw from history, particularly from recent developments after Vatican II, the reasons why the SFO is already united, and from theology those reasons why the SFO is not yet united and why it should achieve unity. The SFO at all levels, like the Church, is always on the way towards unity.

HISTORICAL REASONS

While searching for the historical reasons for the unity of the SFO, I found it easier to identify the obstacles to unity.
Without entering into the details of the troubled history of the Franciscan religious Orders, fragmented since the death of St Francis, we can state that every division introduced into the religious Orders has ended up creating a division among the Franciscan Tertiaries, who are closely linked to their friar-directors by canon law, also at times by loyalty and even by fraternal affection. However, the Brothers of Penance of the Third Order of St Francis had moments of acute awareness of their proper identity and autonomy. At the "General Chapter" of Bologna in 1289, thirty-two participants of the Lombard region met without any Friars Minor being present. They erected four Provinces, but did not succeed in having a Minister General recognized by the Apostolic See. The Acts of four chapters of this kind exist (Cf. Gabriele Andreozzi TOR, Storia delle Regole e delle Costituzioni dell'Ordine Francescano Secolare, pp. 99ss. Edizioni Guerra, Perugia, 1988). But the autonomy of the Tertiaries was terminated definitively in 1471, when Sixtus IV placed them under the direction of the Friars Minor, thus initiating obedientiality.


Secular Franciscan Order

We can speak properly about the Secular Franciscan Order only from the moment of the approval and confirmation of its Rule by Paul VI's Apostolic Letter Seraphicus Patriarcha, of 24 June, 1978. In the Apostolic Letter, the Pope refers to "a new Rule for the Franciscan Third Order Secular or, as it is now called, the Secular Franciscan Order" In the conclusion, the Pope says, "... we approve and confirm ... the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order ... we abrogate the previous Rule of what was formerly called the Franciscan Third Order."

Historically, the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) is the legitimate successor of the Third Order Secular of St Francis of Assisi, which, from 1883 to 1978, followed the Rule approved by Leo XIII with the Apostolic Constitution Misericors Dei Filius. That Third Order was the successor of the Order of Penance, which, from 1289 to 1883, followed the Rule which Nicholas IV approved with the Bull Supra montem. The Order of Penance was the successor of the Order of Continents or of Penance, "instituted by blessed Francis - says Nicholas IV - in the year of Our Lord 1221". In that year, the brothers and sisters of penance had received from the hand of Gregory IX a memorial of their way of life entitled Memoriale propositi. "Those who do penance" were the recipients also of an Exhortation, of unknown date, of St Francis himself.

So the present Rule, in Article 3, summarizes the genealogy of the Secular Franciscan Order, through the Rules: "The present rule, succeeding Memoriale propositi (1221) and the rules approved by the Supreme Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, adapts the Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Holy Church in the conditions of changing times."
The Exhortation of St Francis (cf. Epistola ad fideles, in Opuscula Sancti Patris Francisci Assisiensis, pp. 107-112. Edidit Caietanus Esser OFM. Editiones Collegii S.Bonaventurae ad Claras Aquas, Grottaferrata (Roma), 1978), which forms the prologue of the present Rule, is addressed to "All who love the Lord ... ". It refers to the prayer of Jesus "so that they may be holy by being one". But it makes no reference to a fraternity.

The Memoriale propositi (cf. Gabriele Andreozzi, op. cit., p.35-38) was written for persons "living in their own homes" and "who form part of this fraternity". It distinguished between "this fraternity" and "a religion" (cf. n.31). This means that at that time the members were not considered as religious. Although it did not speak explicitly of spiritual unity, it indicated the way of acting "in a case of discord ... to re-establish peace" (cf. n.26)

The Rule of 1289 (cf. op. cit., pp. 80-85) distinguishes between "this fraternity" and "another approved Religion" (cf. Chap. II). So the Order of Continents was considered then as a form of religious life. The Rule spoke of peace between the members and of avoiding disputes among them (cf. Chap. X e XVII).

The Sixteenth Century was characterized by the concern of the various obediences of Franciscan religious to create "their own" third order. The Constitutions arising from the Friars Minor Conventual, based on the Rule of Nicholas IV, were approved in 1628; those from the Observant Friars Minor in 1686. Such statutes had the force of law at least until the Rule of Leo XIII and in part until the Constitutions of 1957. From 1725 till 1729, Benedict XIII had to publish four different Constitutions of the Franciscan Tertiaries, one for each of the religious obediences.

The Rule of 1883 (cf. op. cit., pp. 236-240) never referred to the "fraternity", but to the "Franciscan Sodality of the Secular Third Order" (cf. Apostolic Constitution three times; Rule, Chap. I §III). It made a slight reference "to heal discord" (Chap. II §IX).
The General Constitutions of 1957, based on the Rule of 1883, remained in force until 1990. They make reference to spiritual unity within the local Fraternities, "in order to be more effectively drawn together in the bonds of fraternal charity" (Art. 53); they refer more often to charity towards others (cf. Art. 42,43).

These Constitutions codified in a single document the obediential structures of the Third Order: "The order is divided by common law, into fraternities (Latin: sodalitates). By its own particular law it is divided into regions, provinces, nations and obediences: divisions, that is, which are governed by the respective Franciscan Family" (Art. 91).

Seen in this light, the Franciscan Third Order, "the community of all members and fraternities, entrusted by the Church to the care of the four Regular Franciscan Families" (Art. 90), did not achieve unity either of structures or of spirit. There were four distinct obediential structures that aimed to cultivate the differentiated spirit of the Order of friar-directors.
Only with the Rule of 1978 (cf. op. cit., pp. 291-299) do we arrive at a deep and integral discourse about the unity of the Secular Franciscan Order, "an organic union of all Catholic fraternities scattered throughout the world" (Art. 2). The Rule deals with spiritual unity inside and outside the Order, saying, "they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters" (Art. 12) and "bearers of peace ... they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue" (Art. 19).

In Art. 20, we find the revolutionary contribution to the structural unity of the Order: "The Secular Franciscan Order is divided into fraternities of various levels - local, regional, national, and international... These various fraternities are coordinated and united according to the norm of this rule and of the constitutions."

The General Constitutions of 1990, based on this Rule, continue the revolution. The obediential Franciscan Third Orders disappear totally and we arrive at a single Secular Franciscan Order. "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 coordinated and connected according to the norm of the Constitutions" (Art. 29.1).

The criterion of belonging to the same obedience is no longer applicable, since there are no longer obediences in the Secular Franciscan Order. The Constitutions affirm this when they speak of the Regional Fraternity: "the organic union of all the local Fraternities existing in a territory or which can be integrated into a natural unity, either by geographic proximity, or by common problems and pastoral realities. While respecting the unity of the SFO and with the collegial integration of the various Franciscan Obediences which may provide spiritual assistance within the area ..." (Art. 61).

In 1973, the religious Ministers General constituted the Worldwide Interobediential Council of the Secular Third Order. An international Congress, recognized as the first General Chapter of the Third Order, was held at Rome in 1975. The first elective General Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order, in which an SFO Minister General was elected, was held in Madrid in 1984. Finally, in January 1995, the Statutes of the International Fraternity of the SFO were approved.

Since 1963, with the conclusion of Vatican II, the Franciscan Tertiaries began to work towards the unity of the Order in their own countries. Many have already succeeded in establishing the unitary structures (e.g., Australia in 1965). Some have not yet succeeded (e.g. Croatia, Italy, Rumania, Slovakia, Mexico, Korea). The most difficult path to unity has been that of Italy, which still suffers a difficult passage, begun in 1975 with the Statutes of the Secular Franciscan Fraternity of Italy, that speaks of interobedientiality "as long as the division into obediences continues".

The historical reasons for unity have become more pressing since the approval of the Rule of Paul VI. Some have thought that they could easily apply the new Rule to the structures of the obediential Third Order. In the period of great confusion, from 1978 till 1990, it was possible to deceive oneself. But, with the approval of the General Constitutions based on the Pauline Rule, we have become aware that neither the Constitutions nor the Rule could be applied to the obediential structures. All the national Statutes had to be rewritten. Also the Statutes for Spiritual and Pastoral Assistance to the SFO can be applied only to the unitary structure of the SFO, composed of Fraternities at the local, regional, national and international levels.

Even if the unitary structures of Council and Chapter have already been set up, and even the elective Chapter at the international level and at other levels, it would be a great mistake to think that the SFO has already arrived at unity. Structural unity must be built on spiritual unity of persons and of the various components involved. In fact, "the plurality of expressions of the Franciscan ideal and cultural variety must be respected" (Const. Art. 33.2).

We have seen that the unitary structures at all levels are being built and that there is more to be done, especially at the regional level, not only in Italy. In fact, the regional Fraternity is the key to national unity. Without the regional Fraternities solidly formed by the local Fraternities, national unity remains weak, if not a fiction.

We have stressed the necessity of spiritual unity as the indispensable base of structural unity. The spirit will surely find the structures that are suited to express itself.

THEOLOGICAL REASONS

Now we proceed to consider the theological reasons for the unity of the SFO, that it is not yet united and that it must find the motives to spur it on along the long road towards unity.

The first article of the Pauline Rule offers us the strongest theological reasons for the desired unity: "The Franciscan family .. unites all members of the people of God ... who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi ... they intend to make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father" (Art. 1).

It speaks of the one and only St Francis of Assisi, one secular Franciscan vocation, one Franciscan charism and one Franciscan Family.

Saint Francis

The diversity of the religious Franciscan Orders is the result of various human factors, including the different interpretations of the evangelical spirit of St Francis. In recent times, the Apostolic See recognizes three distinct Orders that comprise the Franciscan First Order and a fourth distinct Order of Franciscan friars, the Third Order Regular. At the same time, the Holy See, implicitly with the 1978 Rule and explicitly with the 1990 General Constitutions, recognizes a single Secular Franciscan Order inspired by the unique person of St Francis.

The Franciscan vocation

God calls every person into life at conception. God calls many to share the life of his Son Jesus in Christian baptism. God calls some Christians to the Franciscan life through Franciscan profession.

The specific call made to the person and to the Fraternity (whether religious or secular) comes from God. The Secular Franciscans receive their vocation from the Holy Spirit, through St Francis and the Catholic Church. Often the seculars receive their vocation through the instrumentality of a Franciscan religious, but not necessarily. The Obedience to which the Franciscan religious belongs should not be a determining factor of their secular vocation.

The call made to the Franciscans, whether religious or secular, is this: to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ after the manner of St Francis. All Christians are called, in baptism, to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ "following Christ". The specific thing about the Franciscan vocation is to live the Gospel in the manner of St Francis, "in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi" (Rule SFO, Art.1).

However, the religious Franciscan vocation and the secular Franciscan vocation are clearly distinct. Even though, in the Rule of Nicholas IV, the vocation of the brothers and sisters of the Order of Penance appeared as a religious vocation, the Secular Franciscans of today follow the Rule of Paul VI, which abrogated every preceding Rule of the Franciscan Tertiaries.

The Pauline Rule is based on the theology of secularity, developed by the Church since Vatican II.
I do not want to enter into the details of this theology now, even though they are most important in the initial and permanent formation of the seculars. We must ensure a substantial Franciscan formation, common to all, and not distorted by any religious Obedience.

The Franciscan charism

Every gift of human life comes from God the Father. God gives to certain persons a charism, that is, a personal gift, not only for the good of this person but for the good of others; especially, if the person is Christian, for building up the Church.
The Franciscan charism is the sum of the gifts that God gave to St Francis for building up the Church: the gospel life, contemplation, poverty, minority, fraternity, the minister-servant, the missionary mandate: "Go and restore my Church." God continues to give this Franciscan charism to certain persons, religious and secular, for the same reason: to build up the Church. These persons share the charism given to St Francis.

The Franciscan charism is unique. References to the "specific charisms" of the Franciscan Orders are not justified theologically and create unnecessary divisions among the Franciscans, both religious and secular.

Referring to the "various ways and forms" (Rule SFO, Art. 1), we can note that there exists among the Franciscans a great variety of spiritual emphases, customs, habits, history, legislation and states of life, which characterize an Order, an Institute or a Franciscan organization. But the religious, also the seculars, must be very careful that no way or form that belongs to a particular religious Obedience have a negative influence on the unity of the SFO.

The Franciscan Family

The Franciscan First Order, Second Order and Third Order (whether regular or secular) are equally members of the one Franciscan Family. The concept of the "four Franciscan Families", developed in the history of the friars and used until recently by the Conference of Ministers General, is outmoded because it divides into four camps the Franciscan religious and - worse - the seculars. Such a concept is not at all constructive. In fact, on 3 October 1995, a new structure was approved: the Conference of the Franciscan Family. The four Ministers General of the friars, the Minister General of the SFO and the President of the International Franciscan Conference of Sisters are its members. It is a progressive step.

Franciscan ecumenism

Given the obvious fact that the SFO, like the Church, is - and always will be - on the road to unity, a theological reason for the unity of the SFO is found in ecumenism.

By ecumenism we mean the sum of efforts and activities that aim to re-establish full communion among Christians. So, there is also the need for Franciscan ecumenism that aims to re-establish full communion among the followers of St Francis. In a particular way, the need is felt to establish the full unity of the Secular Franciscan Order.

Ecumenism is necessarily based on conversion and reconciliation, which is the very fulcrum of the experience of St Francis and of his way towards unity (cf. Tecle Vetrali OFM, "Franciscans and Ecumenism", in Letter to the Assistants, 1996, n.1, pp. 2-8).
Ecumenism requires and promotes dialogue, both within the SFO and in its external relations.

The obstacles in the way towards the unity of the SFO are inside the SFO itself, but not without the interference of the religious. We can find, in a careful study of the conciliar Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio, the theological reasons for the unity of the SFO.

For example, in n.4, the Decree places in the first place "every effort to avoid expressions, judgments and actions which do not represent the condition of our separated brethren with truth and fairness and so make mutual relations with them more difficult." In place of "separated brethren", we can read: "brothers and sisters assisted by other Obediences."

So, dear brothers and sisters, I wish you well in your progress along the SFO's path towards unity and I offer for that purpose my urgent prayers to God, the trinitarian principle of unity.

 

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