Saint Francis of Assisi wrote three Rules for the three religious communities he founded. He wrote the first Rule for the Friars in 1209. The Rule for Saint Clare and her sisters was written in 1212. In 1221 Saint Francis wrote a Rule for the Third Order, known today as Secular Franciscans. 

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The Rule of 1221 written for the Third Order was intended for married persons, single persons living in the world, diocesan priests and hermits to live the Franciscan charism. Almost immediately after it was written many laywomen came together to live the Third Order Rule as regular religious. This is why they received the name "Third Order Regular". These woman were primarily contemplative communities.

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Most female Franciscan communities were Poor Clare nuns. Saint Clare, the first born daughter of Saint Francis and his most faithful disciple gave birth to the feminine expression of Saint Francis' charism. 

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In the sixteenth century many laywomen came together to found new forms of Third Order Regular Franciscan life. They began to embrace the Third Order Rule of 1221 and engage in the active apostolate. In the nineteenth century these communities exploded and gained many vocations.

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Following the Second Vatican Council there was yet another development in the Franciscan charism. For the first time in Franciscan history women had begun to embrace and profess the Rule of 1223, which Saint Francis wrote as the final Rule for the Friars. Although the Church has readily accepted these communities and approved their forms of life, it remains a question as to whether or not it is appropriate for women to attempt to live a Rule written for men. Some of these communities have grown and are flourishing while others continue to struggle. It is difficult to determine if the struggles of these communities is due to women attempting to live a Rule written for men or is it is due to the present day difficulties of culture affecting all religious.

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To live the 24 precepts of the Rule written for the Friars is rare among the Friars themselves. Most, if not all the women's communities are not so much governed by the 24 precepts of the Rule of Saint Francis as much as they are governed by their own particular constitutions that seem to have no other option but to mitigate the Rule of Saint Francis. This does not mean that these communities are not "Franciscan". It merely raises the Franciscan question of whether or not it is possible or appropriate. 

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This contemporary Franciscan question could be approached from another angle. We can rephrase the question to ask if it is appropriate for a group of men to found a community that binds itself to embrace the Rule of Saint Clare? Should or could men call themselves "Poor Clare's" embracing the enclosure and contemplative form of the life as given by Saint Clare?

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We take no side on this debate. However we put forward the question for further debate, thought and discussion. Are we diverting from the original form of the charism or is the Holy Spirit doing something new in our Franciscan world?