Statement of Charism

 

1. The Charism of the Franciscan Brothers Minor is to observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Rule, Testament and the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. We observe the Rule of 1223 strictly and “without gloss” (Testament 9). The distinctive character of our Fraternity is the strict observance of the Rule combined with and joined to the Marian Vow of Total Consecration to the Immaculate. The Marian Vow is the crowning jewel of our vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.

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2. As Franciscan Brothers Minor, we always strive to be true and faithful sons of our Seraphic Father Saint Francis. In order to recapture his original ideal and the strict observance of the Rule, we accept the Testament of Saint Francis to be the pure commentary of the Rule. In order to secure our understanding of the life, and for the purpose of discernment, we turn to the life and writings of Saint Francis, the Capuchin Reform and the Capuchin Constitution of 1536. The early Capuchins, whose reform endured unstained for two and a half centuries, are our models, guides and examples. Our life is essentially Capuchin.

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3. By our Marian Vow, we intimately unite ourselves to Our Lady so that she might

mediate to us the grace of personal sanctification. The Vow compels us to participate more fully in her mission of Universal Salvation. It is our special task to promote devotion to her Immaculate Heart. As “Penitents from Assisi”, a name once used by Saint Francis, we make reparation for sins committed against her Immaculate Heart.

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4. Like our Holy Father Saint Francis, we are faithful sons of the Holy Catholic

Church and profess complete and unswerving loyalty to the Magisterium, the

Holy Father the Pope, all Papal Teachings, our Benevolent Ordinary and our Local Ordinaries. In our Fraternity, there is absolutely no room for dissent from any Church teachings. The interior of our life is governed by traditional religious obedience.

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5. Our strict observance of the Rule, after the manner of Saint Francis and the early  

Capuchin Reform requires us to adhere to strict mendicant poverty. We desire to  

be the poorest in this world, ever dependent upon Our Lord and Our Lady for all that we need. Our Friaries are to be located in areas noted for poverty or in remote rustic places of prayer.

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6. Saint Francis, when he established the model Friary at the Portziuncula, willed that our Friaries be primarily places of prayer and the Friars to be contemplatives. In accordance with his will, we are men of prayer before we are men of action. Our life includes periods of solitude spent in remote hermitages, devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and Marian devotion.

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7. Our Apostolate is evangelization in any form that is in keeping with our Rule and Constitutions. All apostolic work and activity must always be subservient to our life of prayer, penance, poverty, minority and fraternity. In accordance with our Marian Vow, we promote devotion to Our Lady in all we do.

 

Introduction

 

8. The Constitutions of the Franciscan Brothers Minor are written so as to create a uniformity of life among the Friars. This document clearly spells out the life of the Friars and the reasons for our actions. It fleshes out our Charism and enables us to draw ever closer to following the Rule of Saint Francis as we have vowed.

 

9. These present Constitutions are a reconstruction of the original Capuchin Constitutions of 1536. By carefully examining this early document and its place in time and culture, we have successfully reworked it to address the present world and Church in which we live. All contemporary papal documents and Canon Law were used as guides to updating the 1536 Constitutions. While some things needed to be addressed for our modern culture, most of the original document has remained intact. For this reason some language structure may appear odd. It was our decision to leave the wording as found in the original document. The original spirit and life of our early brothers are both captured and retained by the present document.

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10. In keeping with an ancient Franciscan custom, each chapter of these Constitutions is an explanation of the Rule of 1223. The Constitutions are meant to facilitate the living out of the Rule. If ever there appears to be a conflict between the two, the Rule is to always take precedence. All ordinances, statutes and norms given in this document are given as a means to facilitate the living of the Rule.

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11. In order to maintain the spiritual nature of the 1536 Constitutions, we have many times sacrificed brevity for clarity. In this way, the Friars will have a deeper and more meaningful reason to live, in a more perfect manner, the Rule given to us by Saint Francis. Certain particulars of the life can be found in the Norms that govern the more day-to-day specifics of our living out of these Constitutions.

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Preamble

 

12. In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ here begins the Constitutions of the Franciscan Brothers Minor.

 

13. To the end that our Order, as the vineyard of the Most High Son of God, may the better stand fast in the spiritual observance of the Evangelical and Seraphic Rule, the Church deems it advisable that we draw up certain statutes which might serve as a fence for our Holy Rule (cf. C.I.C. 587-662), in order that, like the unconquerable tower of David, it might have a means of protection from whatever might injure the spirit of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to keep out all relaxations opposed to the fervent and Seraphic zeal bequeathed to us by our Father Saint Francis.

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14. The distinctive character of our Charism is the strict observance of the Rule combined with and joined to the Marian Vow of Total Consecration to the Immaculate which finds its meaning in the complete, total, unlimited and unreserved gift of oneself to Mary Immaculate. The Rule of Saint Francis, which calls for perfect poverty, is lived most perfectly by the Marian Vow that places the totality of ones person into the loving arms of the Immaculate. This witness of total dependence on Our Lady for all things is in itself a sermon, a book or a program regarding the truthfulness of God and His loving care for His creatures. Total dependence on Mary’s love and providence for all our needs of life is greater than any apostolic work or ministry. As these Constitutions are to be the fence around the Rule, The Marian Vow is Our Lady’s mantle that, if we are faithful to our consecration, will always protect our strict observance.

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15. The Marian Vow is not an addition to the Franciscan life, but the natural development of the seed planted by Saint Francis and watered by the Saints throughout the centuries. Saint Francis founded the community in the small church of Our Lady of the Angels. He himself consecrated the Order to her. And such Friars as Saint Bonaventure, BL. Don Scotus, and Saint Lawrence of Brindisi have always been defenders and promoters of Marian doctrine. The Marian Vow was revealed and given to the Franciscan Order through Saint Maximillian Mary Kolbe. He defined and explained this vow as the “Marianization” of the Franciscan Order, the climax of Franciscan devotion to the Immaculate.

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16. When we are faithful to our consecration and truly seek to imitate all of the Immaculate’s virtues, all twelve chapters of the Rule will be lived in their perfection. Each chapter will be as one of the twelve stars in Our Lady’s crown. Each Friar should spend time reflecting on each chapter of the Rule in light of the Immaculate and our consecration.