PROLOGUE: The Exhortation of St Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance.
 

CHAPTER ONE: THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER

1: THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY - the one great Family of St Francis, all his followers.

2: THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER - its special place in the Family.

3: THE RULE - approved in 1978; previous Rules: 1221, 1289, 1883.
 

CHAPTER TWO: THE WAY OF LIFE

4: GOSPEL - basis of the Rule.

5: CHRIST - in brothers and sisters, in Scripture, in Church, in Eucharist.

6: CHURCH - by Baptism, by Profession; rebuild Church; loyalty to Pope.

7: PENANCE - conversion; Sacrament of Penance.

8: PRAYER - private, liturgical, eucharistic.

9: MARY - imitate her self-giving and pray earnestly.

10: OBEDIENCE - fulfilling duties of vocation in life; obedience of Christ

11: POVERTY - detachment from material goods; the poor Christ.

12: PURITY OF HEART - unselfish love for all, an open heart.

13: CHARITY - see Christ in others; others as "gift" from God.

14: KINGDOM OF GOD - build up Kingdom; spiritual values; spirit of service.

15: JUSTICE - promote justice; decisions according to one's faith.

16: WORK - as gift, as service to others.

17: FAMILY - peace in family; fidelity and respect for life; caring for children.

18: CREATION - respect for all God's creation; no exploitation of nature.

19: PEACE - be instruments of peace, like St Francis.
 

CHAPTER THREE: LIFE IN FRATERNITY

20: LEVELS OF FRATERNITY - international, national, regional and local.

21: PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL - at each level, to animate and guide.

22: LOCAL FRATERNITY - members have "sense of Church" and Franciscan vocation.

23: ADMISSION OF NEW MEMBERS - distinctive sign.

24: MEETINGS OF FRATERNITY - to encourage life in fraternity.

25: COMMON FUND - for needs of worship, apostolate and charity.

26: SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE - as sign of unity within Franciscan Family; pastoral and fraternal visitation.

O Lord, our God, we intend to make present the charism of our Seraphic Father Francis in the life and mission of the Church, in various ways and forms but in life-giving union with one another. By our profession, we pledge ourselves to live the Gospel in the manner of St Francis by means of our Rule approved by the Church (Arts. 1-3). Help us, we pray, so that daily we may:

• observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St Francis, going from gospel to life and from life to the gospel (Art. 4);
   

•  seek to encounter the living and active person of Jesus Christ in our brothers and sisters, in sacred scripture, in the Church and in the Eucharist (Art. 5);
  

•  go forth as witnesses and instruments of the Church's mission among people, proclaiming Christ by our life and words (Art. 6);
  

•  conform our thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by the radical interior change which the Gospel calls "conversion", making use of the sacrament of reconciliation on the way to renewal (Art. 7);
  

•  let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all we are and do (Art. 8);
  

•  imitate the Virgin Mary's complete self-giving in her openness to your every word and call (Art. 9);
  

•  faithfully fulfil the duties proper to our various circumstances in life (Art. 10);
  

•  seek the proper spirit of detachment and purify our hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power (Art. 11);
  

•  acquire the purity of heart needed to set ourselves free to love God and our brothers and sisters (Art. 12);
  

•  accept all people as your gift, Lord, and an image of Christ (Art. 13);
  

•  exercise our responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service (Art. 14);
  

•  be in the forefront of promoting justice by the testimony of our human lives and by courageous initiatives (Art. 15);
  

•  esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption and service of the human community (Art. 16);
  

•  cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity and respect for life in our families, striving to make it a sign of a world already renewed in Christ (Art. 17);
  

•  respect all creatures, animate and inanimate "as bearing the imprint of the Most High" (Art. 18);
  

•  be bearers of peace and messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, as immersed in the resurrection of Christ, we serenely tend towards Sister Death and our ultimate encounter with you, our Father (19).
  
  All this we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Brother. Amen.
  

Source: CIOFS 1998-4:17