160. In his Testament our Seraphic Father Francis reminded us that it was the Lord Who gave him brothers (cf. Testament 3), a brotherhood born not of the flesh but of the Spirit (cf. Jn. 3:6), men called by God to follow Christ in oneness of mind and heart. It was in the light of this truth that Saint Francis called his Order a fraternity, a brotherhood, born of the same Mother.

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161. The fraternal life of a Franciscan Brother Minor is one of common prayer, meals, apostolate and form of life. The Rule and life given to us by Saint Francis, these Constitutions, and Norms lay out for us our path to unity, peace, mutual respect, humble service and loving obedience. These goals can only be obtained through each Franciscan Brother Minor’s total, complete and loving surrender to all that God has placed before him. Let us ever strive to have the bond of peace as a driving force.

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162. In order to safeguard the pure observance of the Rule, as well as to ensure the proper performance of the divine services, and at the same time to observe most high poverty, we ordain that in our Friaries, excepting Friaries of formation, there shall not be less than six and no more than twelve Friars, who, united in the sweet name of Jesus, shall be of one heart and one soul ever striving to arrive at greater perfection. (Norm VII:1) And if they be true disciples of Christ, let them cordially love one another, bearing with each other’s defects, exercising themselves in divine love and fraternal charity, studying to give a good example to one another and to everyone, doing constant violence to their own passions and evil inclinations, because as Our Savior says: “The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent”, that is those, who do violence to themselves, “bear it away” (Lk. 16:16).

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163. As a true fraternity the Friars spend all holidays in community. Each Friary shall make all necessary preparations so as to enjoy a true fraternal event.

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164. Let the Friars remember that we have forsaken the world and left behind all attachments to family and friends. Because of this we do not take vacations or home visits. However, we are constantly aware of our family’s needs be it physical, moral, spiritual or emotional. Friars may attend to the needs of family within boundaries of obedience. When feasible, and with permission, the Friars may also attend Sacramental events.

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165. Particular Friaries may set aside one day out of a season for the families of all Friars to visit. The Guardian shall arrange for the sharing of prayer, meals and fellowship. They shall do this without overburdening our common life.

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166. Saint Francis was always concerned for the brothers that fell ill. He served them with great tenderness and commanded the brothers to do the same. In the true spirit of fraternal charity, we embrace our sick brothers with the greatest kindness. Let the Friars see to their every need and care for them as a mother would her son (cf. R.B. 9). Let us see in our sick brothers the suffering Christ.

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167. Let the sick Friars remember the exhortation of Saint Paul who rejoiced in the measure that he was given to share in the sufferings of Christ (cf. Col. 1:24). Let them bear their sufferings with great joy and offer them in union with the sufferings of Christ knowing that their illness is a ministry in itself.

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168. To relieve the wants of the sick, as reason dictates, and as the Rule commands (cf. R.B. 9), and fraternal charity requires, we ordain that when any Friar falls sick, the Father Guardian shall immediately appoint a Friar qualified to attend to him in all his needs. Should the sick Friar require a change of climate or assignment, this shall be immediately provided for. Let each Friar consider what he would have done for himself in case of sickness. No mother, as our affectionate Father expresses it in the Rule, is so tender and devoted to her only son as each of us ought to be to our spiritual brother.

 

169. “Blessed that Friar who loves his brother as much when he is sick and can be of no use to him as when he is well and can be of use to him. Blessed that Friar who loves and respects his brother as much as when he is absent as when he is present and who would not say anything behind his back that he could not say charitably to his face” (Admonitions 25).

 

170. The Marian Vow not only transubstantiates us into the Immaculate, but binds us perfectly to her Son and, at the same time, unites us ever more closely as brothers. As sons of the same Mother, we see in each brother, like Saint Francis, a gift from God (cf. Testament 3). Our fraternity is continually strengthened by the recognition of our brother’s Total Consecration to the Immaculate. We, therefore, give that respect due each Friar, honoring his consecration and, in effect, honoring Our Lady.

 

171. In our fraternal living there is bound to be differences, personality conflicts and other interpersonal struggles between Friars. Unity will only be achieved through growth in the virtue humility and charity. The Friars must always and honestly strive to overcome all conflicts that arise between themselves and another Friar. They must work at communicating and settling their differences in peace. Let them listen honestly, admit their faults humbly, accept apologies and explanations charitably and forgive each other with the forgiveness of Christ Jesus, Our Lord (cf. Mt. 18:22).

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172. If a Friar is offended by another Friar, let him follow the command of the Gospel and go to his brother. Only after this, having no resolution, should they involve the appropriate Guardian or Minister. Let the Guardian and Ministers treat them with due respect and gently assist them in reconciling the conflict (cf. Mt. 18:15).

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173. “Our Lord says in the Gospel: ‘Love your enemies’ (Mt. 5:44). A man really loves his enemy when he is offended by the injury done to himself, and for the love of God feels burning sorrow for the sin his enemy has brought on his own soul, and proves his love in a practical way.” (Admonitions 9)

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174. “We can never tell how patient or humble a man is when everything is going well with him. But when those who should cooperate with him do the exact opposite then we can tell. A man has as much patience and humility as he has then, and no more”. (Admonitions 13)

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175. “Blessed is the man who is patient with his neighbor’s short-comings as he would like him to be if he were in a similar position”. (Admonitions 18)

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176. Saint Francis warned us in the Rule to beware of all jealousy, envy, detraction, murmuring, judging or negative humor (cf. R.B. 5). These are poisons to religious life and fraternal charity. They are to be avoided at all costs, and Ministers and Guardians are to see to it that all slight expressions of this evil behavior be corrected. Never can it be allowed or to be tolerated in our Friaries or in the heart of any Friar. The Friars shall be careful to examine their consciences and always question their own dubious motives. Let them extract this poison from their own hearts.

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177. “Saint Paul tells us: ‘No one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit’ (1 Cor. 12:3) and : ‘There is none who does good, no, not even one’ (Rom. 3:12). And so when a man envies his brother and what the good God says or does through him, it is like committing the sin of blasphemy, because he is really envying God, who is the only source of every good”. (Admonitions 8)

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178. The Friars shall seek to build each other up by recognizing the gifts of their brothers and complimenting the gifts that God has bestowed upon them. The Ministers and Guardians shall put to use those gifts of the Friars that are in keeping with our way of life.

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179. In order to avoid scandal the Friars are strongly advised to keep all internal affairs of the Friars private. Their personal struggles or those of the community are to be discussed with their Ministers, Spiritual Directors, Confessors or other Friars. For a just cause all the Friars may have recourse to our Benevolent Ordinary and his Vicar. Let the Friars uphold the good name of all, seeking always those things that are to the praise and glory of God, and to the peace and edification of our neighbors. (Norm VII: 2) Having the already first followed the appropriate order of recourse: i.e. the Guardian, (one’s formator), the Definitors, and/or Minister General, the Bishop’s Vicar then our Benevolent Ordinary.

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180. If for some reason a Friar leaves the Order or takes a leave of absence, he is to be treated with all respect and fraternal love. The Friars, no matter for what reason, will follow all the proper Canons of Law that direct and protect Friars who leave or take a leave of absence (Norms VII:1) (C.I.C. 684-704). The Ministers shall treat them with charitable discretion according to the ancient practices of our Order. (Norm VII:3d,e)

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181. In serious cases of transgressions against our Rule, Constitutions or the Catholic Faith, the transgressors shall have recourse, with all humility, to their Minister General, depending on the seriousness of the case. If the Ministers see that they are truly contrite and humble, have a firm purpose to amend, and are ready to submit to a suitable correction, then they shall receive the offenders with tenderness, after the example of Christ, our true Father and Shepherd, even as the prodigal son was received by his most compassionate father (cf. Lk. 5:11-32). Like Christ, let them with joy carry back on their own shoulders the lost sheep to the evangelical sheepfold (cf. Lk. 15:4-7).

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182. Let the Minister General and Guardians bear in mind what our Father, St. Francis, used to say: that if we would raise up one who was fallen, we must bend down to him with compassion, as Christ our most merciful Savior did when the adulteress was brought before Him (cf. Jn. 8:1-4), and not treat the accused with rigid justice and cruelty. Christ, the Son of God descended from heaven and died on the cross for our salvation. He always shows, every possible tenderness to repentant sinners. The Ministers and Guardians shall bear in mind that if God were to judge us rigidly, few or none would be saved. When they impose a penance let their whole aim be to save and not lose the soul and the good name of the erring Friar. Let no Friar be scandalized on account of the sin of a brother, nor avoid him or regard him with repugnance. On the contrary, they should feel compassion for him and love him all the more, as he has greater need of it, always remembering that, as our Seraphic Father says, each one of us would certainly be far worse if God did not prevent us by His grace. When Christ left St. Peter to the world as its universal Pastor, He told him to forgive the sinner even seventy times seven (cf. Mt. 18:22). Our Seraphic Father has left recorded in one of his letters that it was his wish, that when a Friar, no matter how great the sinner he had been, appeared before his superior and humbly asked for mercy, he should not depart unpardoned. He even wished that the Minister offer him forgiveness though he did not ask for it. And if a sinner came to him a thousand times, it was his wish that the Minister should never become angry or show themselves mindful of his sin, but the better to win him to Christ, Our Most Merciful Lord, should love him in all truth and sincerity, knowing that a contrite and humble heart together with a firm purpose to amend and to lead a virtuous life is sufficient before God. Christ used to say when imposing a penance: “Go in peace and sin no more” (Jn. 8:11).

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183. Nevertheless, since to allow transgressions to go uncorrected is to open wide the doors to all vices and weakness in observance, the Ministers and Guardians, in accordance with the Rule (cf. R.B. 10), shall with mercy correct all transgressions of our Rule and these Constitutions.

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184. In being corrected, let us remember that we have not entered the religious life to wrangle, but to weep over our sins and amend our lives, to obey, and carry the cross of penance after Christ.

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185. Since all Christians, and much more, we Friars Minor of St. Francis, must keep the Apostolic faith of the Holy Roman Church in its integrity and purity, steadfastly hold to it and sincerely preach it, nay, be ready to shed our life’s blood in defense thereof, we ordain that if any Friar be found, by the temptation of the devil, which God forbid, to be imbued with any error contrary to the Catholic faith, he shall be immediately confronted by his Minister and/or Guardian. After presenting the correct faith to the transgressor, the Minister or Guardian shall give the Friar several opportunities to recant. If he refuses then the matter must be brought before the Benevolent Ordinary who will judge the matter. If the erring Friar still does not recant, even after having been corrected by the Bishop, the Minister General shall petition our Ordinary to dispense the erring Friar’s vows. Even in that most extreme and unlikely case, the Friars shall always seek to bring him back to the true faith and welcome him back to the Fraternity. Notwithstanding, canons 694-704 shall be scrupulously followed.

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186. Finally, Let us continually beseech Our Lady to increase our numbers. We pray that she may send us brothers so that there might be more souls consecrated to Her, growing in personal sanctification, making reparation to her Immaculate Heart and furthering the reign of Christ and Mary.