127. Our Seraphic Father Saint Francis, contemplating the most high poverty of Christ the King of Heaven and earth, who at His birth could not find a little place at the inn (cf. Lk. 2:7), who during His life lodged like a pilgrim in the houses of others (cf. Lk. 9:58), and Who, at His death, had no-where to lay His head (cf. Jn. 19:41), reflecting moreover, that in all other things He was most poor, and wishing to imitate Him, commanded the Friars in the Rule not to possess anything of their own (cf. R.B. 8), so that, unencumbered, like pilgrims of earth and citizens of heaven, they might run with alacrity of spirit in the way of God. Desiring to imitate in truth this lofty example of Christ, and really to put into practice the Seraphic precepts of celestial poverty, we wish it to be understood that we have neither personally nor communally, in fact, no jurisdiction, ownership, juridical possession, usufruct nor legal use of anything, even of the things we use through necessity. Nor shall the Friars create or have created for them corporations to hold anything for them; thereby avoiding all forms of legal fiction.

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128. It is firmly ordained that the Friars shall not own any Friary. Nor shall they create or have created for them, companies to own property for them. Our Friaries shall be owned by the diocese in which we live, by a private benefactor or by our spiritual friends.

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129. We ordain that every year within the octave of the Feast of our Seraphic Father, every Guardian shall go to the owner of the Friary, thank him for the use of the property during the past year, and humbly beg him to grant the Friars use of it for another year. Should he consent, then the Friars may dwell there with a quiet conscience. Should he refuse, then, without any sign of sadness, nay, with a joyful heart, accompanied by divine poverty, let them depart, feeling themselves indebted to their benefactor for the time they were permitted to dwell there, and not be offended because it is his property and he is not obliged to offer it to them.

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130. Twice yearly, at Pentecost and the octave of Saint Francis, the Guardian, Vicar and all the Friars are to make a careful examination of all the areas of the Friary, including Friars’ cells, and diligently, honestly and carefully evaluate the need for items held by the Friars or Friary. Any item discovered to be unnecessary, costly or superfluous or a created need in anyway, shall be given to the poor. All the Friars shall do their best to participate joyfully, weighing in truth, what is a need and what is not. Let them call to mind the principle and admonition; “the minimum necessary, not the maximum allowed”.

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131. We also ordain that when the Friars wish to establish a new Friary, they shall first go to the Ordinary of that Diocese and ask to open a house. When permission has been obtained, with his benediction, they shall go through the proper channels and /or benefactors, and ask for a most suitable place.

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132. Let the Friars guard against accepting any place with the obligation of retaining it. Should this be demanded, they shall not accept the place without express protest that they are free to leave whenever this should prove to be expedient for the pure observance of the Rule.

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133. As we ought, like pilgrims and after the example of the patriarchs of old, live in humble dwellings and quiet places, we exhort the Friars to remember the words of our Seraphic Father in his Testament where he forbids them to accept on any account Friaries built for them, unless they are in keeping with the most high poverty (cf. Testament 5). Still less the Friars themselves erect, or consent to the construction of sumptuous buildings. Nor should the Friars in order to please the great ones of this world, displease God, violate the Rule, or scandalize their neighbor, and offend against the evangelical poverty they profess. There should be a wide distinction between the palatial palaces of the rich and the mean dwelling of poor mendicants, pilgrims and penitents. It is therefore ordained that no place built for us or for others shall be accepted, nor shall the Friars build, or permit to be built, any house, unless it be in keeping with most holy poverty.

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134. When having Friaries constructed for us, in order to proceed more securely, the Friars shall agree on a small model building according to which they shall build. The cells shall not be larger than what is necessary for a small desk and a sleeping space. The ceilings shall not be too high and all other rooms shall be small, humble, poor and unpretending, so that everything may preach humility, poverty and contempt of the world. The Chapels shall be small, poor and devotional. (Norms VI:1) The preachers shall not desire that our Chapels be spacious for, as St. Francis says, we give a better example by preaching in other Churches than in our own, especially if thereby we offend against holy poverty.

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135. To avoid whatever might transgress poverty the Friars are expressly forbidden to interfere with the building except it be to draw attention of those charged with the management of the simple form of the model, or to offer them manual aid. Let the Friars strive, as far as possible, to use the most poor and common material, after the example of our Father, and as a mark of humility and poverty. Let them take as their models the humble dwellings of the poor and not modern mansions.

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136. To avoid every disorder, it is ordained that no place be accepted or abandoned, built or destroyed without the permission of the Definitory and the Minister General. No Guardian shall make additions or pull down without the permission of the Minister General who, with the General Definitory, shall determine the plans of our Friaries. (Norms VI: 7a,b)

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137. It is ordained that, if in the places the Friars have accepted, there are any kind of fruit trees and vines, they shall not cut them down. With consent of the owners of the property, let them give the fruit to the poor. The trees should be cultivated, and if they bear fruit, they shall be planted in other places, or be given to the poor.

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138. It is enjoined on preachers not to carry with them many books, so that they may attentively study the most excellent book, the Cross. As it was always the intention of our beloved Father that the Friars have the necessary books in common and not individually, and the better to observe poverty and to remove from the hearts of the brethren all feelings of attachment, it is ordained that in each house the Friars may have a small library where books for our use may be kept. The amount of books shall be small in number but sufficient for the spiritual and intellectual needs of the Friars. There shall be well developed Franciscan, Magisterial and Marian sections (Norms VI: 3). Books that are really useless and make a man worldly rather than Christian, shall not be kept in our houses. Let such as are found be disposed of according to the injunction of the Minister General.

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139. In order that the laity, local clergy and parishes may avail themselves of our spiritual service, and that they may assist us in our temporal needs, we ordain that our Friaries shall not be located too far removed from towns and cities nor yet too near them, lest we suffer from too frequent interaction with the laity. The Friary shall be, as a rule, a mile and a half or so distant, always preferring after the example of our venerable Fathers and especially of our own holy Father, to dwell in solitary and unfrequented places, rather than in pleasurable cities.

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140. Every Friary should have established areas considered cloistered, semi–cloistered and public. The Friary is not to be a center of apostolic activity.

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141. It is also prescribed that in our Friaries there shall be guest parlors so that, as charity demands and as poverty will allow we can receive whomever may come to our door. As some of the ancient patriarchs merited by their hospitality the privilege of entertaining angels (cf. Gn. 18:1-15), we ordain that Friars shall be careful to receive all persons with the greatest of charity.

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142. To foster charity, the mother of every virtue, it is ordained that, with every possible Christian charity and as our Father exhorts us in his first Rule (cf. R.B. 9), the Friars shall receive any poor pilgrim or stranger, especially religious, devoted to the service of God.

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143. Wherever it is possible there should be some rustic and austere hermitages located in remote areas, in solitary places, so that four times a year, for a span of three to five days, each Friar may, in peaceful seclusion, and like the angels, surrender himself entirely to God, as the spirit of God may inspire him. If the Friar desires to spend longer periods in hidden seclusion, his responsibilities permitting, and he be judged fit, the Guardian shall allow and encourage this. (Norm VI:9a)

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144. If any Friar desires to lead an eremitical life, when judged fit by the Minister General, he may in peaceful seclusion, and like the angels, surrender himself entirely to God, as the Spirit of God may inspire him (Norm VI:11). In order that the Friars who are thus in retirement may enjoy God in quiet, it is ordained that the other Friars shall not speak with him except their Spiritual Fathers who shall provide for them as a mother, according to the pious wish of our Seraphic Father (cf. R.B. 9) and as we read in The Book of Conformity.

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145. In order that our beds may resemble somewhat that on which He died, Who said: “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Mt. 8:20), and also that we might be more watchful and solicitous in prayer and be the more like our Father Saint Francis, whose bed was often the bare ground, and even like Christ, the Saint of Saints, especially in the desert (cf. Mt. 4:1-2), it is ordained that all the Friars, except the sick, elderly and the very weak, shall sleep on a bare board. Those who are seriously ill or elderly may have a small mat. (Norm VI:12)

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146. In order that we may run more expeditiously in the way of the divine precepts, and in a way to embrace more fully the Rule where Saint Francis decreed: “The Friars shall not ride” (R.B. 5), we ordain that no vehicle be owned or kept by the Friars. We shall depend on public transportation, borrowing a vehicle and other means of travel. The Friars may accept train and bus tickets from our spiritual friends or benefactors. Travel by plane is normally not permitted. The Minister General may give permission for air travel only for particular serious needs (Norms VI: 4a).

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147. Unlike Saint Francis and our Capuchin Forefathers, we, in our modern culture, must face the reality and struggle with modern technologies and contemporary conveniences. (Norm VI: 6f) Although these advances are good and have an indefinable amount of uses, we are firm in our conviction that these goods are inconsistent with our poor, austere and mendicant way of life. Without rejecting their value, we renounce the use of, and ownership of all modern appliances, conveniences, vehicles and technology. (For a list of items permitted see Norm VI: 5). Friars may borrow, for a specific period of time, certain devices permitted by the community Norms (Norms VI: 6, cf. VI:7).

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148. We also live in a society of instant communication. This is a great good but could be for us a distraction from prayer and an imposition on our cloister. Therefore, at the request of our Benevolent Ordinary, so as not to place an undue burden upon his Excellency or the local clergy, the friars are permitted the use of only one telephone in each friary and only for limited use. The Friars may not use the phone without the permission of the Guardian, or the Vicar in his absence (Norms VI: 8).

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149. Because the modern media presents a distraction from prayer, fraternity and our focus on the Lord as the one true good (cf. Lk. 10: 42), the Friars shall not have or watch television, radio or other means of modern media. Remaining poor men, we do not go to the movies. If the Guardian deems it spiritually fruitful for the Friars, the Friars may on rare and special occasions watch a religious movie. (Norm VI: 10a)

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150. Although we don’t own media players, the guardian may borrow a media player for educational use of the Friars. The player shall be returned immediately after the need is over.

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151. In order to have our minds raised to God and kept from distraction we ordain that most holy poverty and austerity shall be expressly manifested in our Friaries by the starkness and emptiness of our places. Therefore, all Friaries are forbidden to have carpets, wallpaper, and curtains, etc..(For list of items see Norms VI:5a-e). All furnishings shall be poor, plain and austere. Each room, including Friar’s cells, may have only a crucifix, image of Our Lady and a Saint. In this way our houses will proclaim Christ and Him Crucified and remind us of those who have achieved the Glory of the Kingdom.

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152. According to the doctrine of the Gospel (cf. Mt. 6:25-34), Christians and therefore much more the Friars Minor who have chosen to follow more closely Christ, Supreme Ruler and Spotless Mirror, in the path of most high poverty, are bound to remember that their heavenly Father is able and willing to govern and provide for them. Trusting in Divine providence, they shall not seek with anxious and excessive solicitude to procure the things of this world which the all bountiful God bestows with generous hand, even on irrational creatures (cf. Mt. 6:25-34); but as children of the eternal Father, putting aside all carnal solicitude, they shall trust for everything to that Divine Liberty and abandon themselves to His Infinite goodness. We, therefore, ordain that no provisions shall be made in our houses even of such necessities of life as can be obtained from day to day by begging, except for two or three days, or at the most one week, according to the need of times and places (for a list of items that may be kept longer see Norm III: 15).

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153. Lest our poverty be rich and delicate, lest it be poverty in name and not in deed, we ordain that, except for the sick, the Friars shall not ask alms of any food beyond the needs of our humble state. When food is offered to the Friars, they may accept it provided they do not violate holy poverty.

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154. Let the Friars beware above of all things, lest through the abundance of alms bestowed on them through the favors of the rich, the faith of the people and the devotion of the world, they should become illegitimate sons of Saint Francis, and forsake their most holy mother poverty. Let them call to mind those beautiful words our Seraphic Father who was wont to repeat in transports of love: “I give thanks to God that through His goodness I have always been faithful to my beloved spouse, poverty; nor was I ever a robber of alms, because I always accepted less than I needed, so that other poor might not be deprived of their share. To have done otherwise would have been theft before God”.

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155. The Friars are to ask permission from the Guardian to beg for any item. In doing so, the Friars shall be careful to discern between want and need, needs and created needs. The Guardian may ask the Friars to beg for certain items or make known to the Friars the needs of the community so that the Friars may respond to unsolicited offers.

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156. The Friars shall always have great concern for the poor. And when receiving alms they shall always set aside that which can be distributed to the poor. In case of necessity, the Friars may beg on behalf of the poor for direct needs. In fact, Friars shall always have the concern for the poor in their hearts and be ever ready to serve them, remembering that when alms were given to Saint Francis for love of God he would not accept it save on condition, that he be allowed to give it to the poor, should he find one poorer than himself. We read that often times, lest he be found without the nuptial and evangelical garment of charity (cf. Mt. 22:12-13), he would divest himself of his own clothes and give them to the poor rather than be deprived of the ardent flame of divine love.

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157. As we possess nothing in this world, no Friar is allowed to give anything away without permission of the Guardian except small things kept for the specific purpose of being given away. Friars may have a small supply of Rosaries, Scapulars, Miraculous Medals, Holy Cards and the like, kept in a common area, for distribution to those whom we serve.

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158. Since voluntary poverty possesses nothing, and yet is rich in all things, is joyful, has no fear, no desire, and can lose nothing, because its treasure is in the safest keeping, we determine, in order to root out verily and effectively all occasions of proprietorship, the Friars shall keep nothing under lock and key, neither in their cells nor anything in Friary common rooms.

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159. We forgo health insurance and make use of free care provided by the state in which we serve. This way we may be assimilated to the true poor who must depend on God in all areas of their life, including their health.