The Family of St. Francis Fraternity
The Region of the Five Franciscan Martyrs

Preface to the Rule | Structure

Prologue: Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of
Penance (circa 1210-1215)

Concerning Those Who Do Penance

All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with all their strength, and love their neighbors as themselves and hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.

Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them, because the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them and he will makehis home and dwelling among them, and they are the sons of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brothers to him when we
fulfillthe will of the Father who is in heaven.We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body through divine love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a holy life which must give light to others by example.

Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh how glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable
Spouse, the Holy Paraclete.

Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved, beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable
above all: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep and prayed to the Father saying:

"Oh holy Father, protect them with your name whom you gave me out of the world. I entrusted to them the message
you entrusted to me and they received it. They have known that in truth I came from you, they have believed that it
was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the world. Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their
sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will belive in me through their word that they may be
holy by being one as we are. And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see this glory of mine in
your kingdom."

For the rule in its entirety click here

THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER

The Secular Franciscan Order belongs to the Franciscan Family and 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 after the manner of St. Francis in their secular state following the Rule approved by the Church" ( Const. 1,3).

"The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the centre of his life with God and people. ... They should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel." ( Rule Article 4).

According to the latest Statistics (1-7-1996), the SFO has about 435.000 professed members.

STRUCTURE OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER

The Secular Franciscan Order is divided into Fraternities at various levels:local, regional,national and international. Each of
these Fraternities is animated and guided by its Minister or President, with the Council.

THE LOCAL FRATERNITY

The local Fraternity is "the basic unit of the whole Order and is a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation and for enlivening the apostolic life of its members" (Rule Article 22).

"The Fraternity must offer to its members opportunities for coming together and collaborating through meetingsto be held with as great a frequenc as allowed by the situation and with the involvement of all its members" (Constitutions 53,1)

"The local Fraternity is animated and guided by a Minister and a Council elected by the professed members of the Fraternity. It
is composed of the following offices: Minister, Vice-minister, Secretary, Treasurer, and the person responsible for formation.
The spiritual Assistant of the Fraternity forms part of the Council by right." ( Constitutions 49,1-2)

THE REGIONAL FRATERNITY

The regional Fraternity "assures the link between the local Fraternities and the national Fraternity" ( Constitutions 61).

"The regional Fraternity is animated and guided by a Minister, or President, and by a Council who are duly elected" (Constitutions 61,3).

THE NATIONAL FRATERNITY

"The national Fraternity is the organic union of local Fraternities existing within the territory of States or of national entitities" ( Constitutions 65,1).

"The national Fraternity ... is animated and guided by a Minister or President and by a Council who are duly elected"
(Constitutions 65,3).

THE INTERNATIONAL FRATERNITY

"The international Fraternity is constituted by the organic union of alll the Catholic Secular Franciscan Fraternities in the world. It is identical with the SFO ( Constitutions 69,1).

"The international Fraternity is guided and animated by the Minister or President with the International Council (CIOFS), that has its seat in Rome (Italy)" (Constitutions 69,2).

"The International Council meets in the SFO General Chapter with legislative, deliberative and elective powers" (Constitutions 70,3).

For the SFO structure in its entirety click here

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