FRANCISCAN FAMILY - IV
COMPONENTS OF THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY
Diagram slow to appear
(Treated in greater detail in the Course for Novices)
A. CLERICAL RELIGIOUS
1. FIRST ORDER - OFM
“The rule and life of the Friars Minor is this: to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, without anything of their own, and in chastity.” ( Honorius III)
Priests and deacons of the three branches of the First Order:
Order of Friars Minor Conventual - OFMConv: 4,577 in 2003
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin - OFMCap: 11,000 approx.
Order of Friars Minor - OFM : 15,795 in 2005
2. THIRD ORDER REGULAR FRIARS - TOR
“This is the form of life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St Francis: to observe the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience, in poverty and in chastity.” (John Paul II)
Priests and deacons of the TOR:
About 1,000 worldwide.
Not present in Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, East Malaysia).
3. THIRD ORDER REGULAR MEN
Some Congregations of Franciscan Brothers include priests.
None in Oceania.
B. SECULAR CLERGY
2. SECULAR FRANCISCAN BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND DEACONS:
Some popes: Leo XIII, John XXIII, Paul VI. Cardinals: Jaime Sin, Manila. Archbishops: Anthony Soter Fernandez, Kuala Lumpur.
Some bishops and about three hundred diocesan priests in the world who profess the Secular Franciscan Rule. Three priests in Australia.
C. LAY RELIGIOUS
1. FIRST ORDER FRIARS
Friars of the three branches of the First Order who are not clerics. “Lay Brothers” is not current terminology. They profess the Rule of honourius III.
2. THIRD ORDER REGULAR FRIARS - TOR
Friars of the TOR who are not clerics. They profess the Rule of John Paul II.
3. SECOND ORDER
“The form of life of the Order of the Poor Sisters, which the Blessed Francis founded, is this: to observe the holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience, without property and in chastity.” (Innocent IV)
Order of St Clare, Campbelltown and Aitape - OSC: about 17,000 worldwide.
Order of St Clare, Bendigo - PCC (Colletines)
Sisters of St Clare, Waverley - OSC: about 25 in Australia.
4. THIRD ORDER REGULAR WOMEN - FRANCISCAN SISTERS
Many Congregations of Franciscan Sisters who profess the Rule of John Paul II. Each Institute has its own General Constitutions. About 200,000 worldwide.
Franciscan Missionaries of Mary - FMM
Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood - FMDM
Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception - MFIC
Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus - FCJ (Maltese)
Franciscan Sisters of St Anthony - FSSA (Italian)
Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Sabah -FSIC
Sisters of St Francis of Sarawak - SSFS
5. THIRD ORDER REGULAR MEN
Congregations of Franciscan Brothers, some including priests.
They profess the Rule of John Paul II, but each Institute has its proper General Constitutions.
Not present in Oceania.
D. SECULAR LAITY
1. SECULAR INSTITUTES
“A secular institute is an institute of consecrated life in which the Christian faithful living in the world strive for the perfection of charity and work for the sanctification of the world especially from within” (Canon 710).
Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ: men and women. Only women in Oceania.
2. SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER
“In the Church there are associations distinct from institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, in which the Christian faithful, either clergy or laity, or clergy and laity together, strive by common effort to promote a more perfect life ... and to animate the temporal order with the Christian spirit” (Canon 298)
“Associations whose members live in the world but share in the spirit of some religious institute, under the overall direction of the same institute, and who lead an apostolic life and strive for Christian perfection, are known as third orders, or are called by some other suitable title”
(Canon 303).
“By their profession [Secular Franciscans] pledge themselves to live the gospel in the manner of Saint Francis by means of this rule approved by the Church.” (Paul VI)
National Fraternity of Oceania: (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, East Malaysia).
Eight Regional Fraternities (Australia, 6; New Zealand, 1; Singapore-Sabah, 1).
3. FRANCISCAN YOUTH:
“The Franciscan Youth ... is formed by those young people who feel called by the Holy Spirit to share the experience of the Christian life in fraternity, in the light of the message of Saint Francis of Assisi, deepening their own vocation within the context of the Secular Franciscan Order”
(General Constitutions SFO, Art. 96.2)
“The Franciscan Youth, as a component of the Franciscan family, requests from the competent secular leaders and religious superiors, respectively, fraternal animation and spiritual assistance.”
(General Constitutions SFO, Art. 96.6)
St Johns Park, NSW: FRAMA: One group of Croatian background, in formation.
4. FRANCISCAN CHILDREN:
“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.” (General Constitutions SFO, Art. 25)
“Franciscan Children is the initiation into the Franciscan experience adapted to children and to pre-adolescents so that they may aim at the ideal of the perfect man realised in Jesus Christ, the Word made man, and lived by St Francis of Assisi.” (SFO National Council, Italy)
No groups in Oceania.