The Rule of Saint Francis of Assisi

Regula Bullata

Chapter 1:

The Rule and life of the Friars Minor, is to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience, without property and in chastity. Brother Francis promises obedience and reverence to our Lord Pope Honorius and his successors canonically elected, and to the Roman Church and the other Friars are bound to obey Brother Francis and his successors. 

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Chapter 2:

If anyone wishes to adopt this life and come to our Friars, let them send him to the Minister Provincial, to whom alone, and to no other is granted leave to receive the Friars. And the Minister shall examine him carefully concerning the Catholic Faith and the Sacraments of the Church. And if he believe all these things and will faithfully profess and steadfastly observe them to the end; and if he have no wife, or if having one, she has already entered a convent or has given him permission by the authority of the Bishop of the Diocese, she herself having previously made a vow of continence and being of such age that no suspicion can be raised against her, then the Minister shall address to him the words of the Holy Gospel - that he go and sell all that he has and take care to give it to the poor, but if he cannot do this, his good will shall suffice. And the Friars and the Minister shall take heed not to be solicitous about his temporal goods, so that he may dispose of his property freely as the Lord inspire him. If however, counsel be sought, the Minister may send him to some God fearing persons according to whose advice his goods shall be distributed to the poor.

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Then shall be given him the clothes of probation, namely, two tunics, without a hood, and the cord, unless it shall seem good to the same Minister, before God, to act otherwise. The year of his probation being finished, let him be received to obedience, promising to observe always this Rule of Life; and on no account shall it be lawful for him to leave this Order; as decreed by our Lord the Pope, for according to the Holy Gospel, no man putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God. Let those who have already promised obedience have one tunic with a hood, and another, if they wish, without a hood. And those who are compelled by necessity may wear shoes. And all the Friars shall wear coarse garments, and they may mend them with with sacking and other pieces of cloth, with the blessings of God. And I admonish and exhort them not to despise nor judge those whom they see dressed in soft or fine clothes and who use dainty food and drink, but rather let everyone judge and despise himself.

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Chapter 3:

The Clerics shall say the Divine Office according to the use of the Roman Church, excepting the Psalter; for which reason they may have Breviaries. But the Lay Friars hall say twenty-four Our Fathers for Matins, and five for Lauds; Seven for each of the hours of Prime, Terce, Sext and None; twelve for Vespers, and seven for Compline. They shall also pray for the dead. And the Friars shall fast from the Feast of All Saints until Christmas. But with regard to the Lent which begins at Epiphany and lasts during the forty days which Our Lord consecrated by His own fast, let those who keep it voluntarily be blessed by the Lord, but those who do not wish to keep it shall not be obliged. But they shall fast during the other Lent, which lasts until Our Lord's Resurrection. At other times they shall not be bound to fast except on Fridays. In cases, however, of manifest necessity, the Friars are not obliged to observe corporal fasts.

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I counsel, admonish and exhort my brothers in Jesus Christ, that that when they go out into the world, they neither quarrel nor dispute, nor judge others; but let them be meek, peaceful, modest, gentle and humble, speaking courteously to everyone, as is becoming. They shall not ride unless compelled by manifest necessity, or by infirmity. Into whatever house they enter, they shall first say "Peace to this house" and, according to the Holy Gospel, they  may partake of whatever food is set before them.

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Chapter 4:

I strictly command the Friars, that they by no means receive coin nor money, either by themselves or through the medium of others. Nevertheless, the Ministers and Custodes, and they only, shall take care to provide for the needs of the sick and the clothing of the other Friars, through their spiritual friends, according to places, seasons and cold climates, as they deem necessary, save always that, as before said they receive neither coin  nor money.

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Chapter 5:

Those Friars whom the Lord has granted the grace of working, shall work faithfully and devoutly, in such wise that avoiding all idleness, the enemy of the soul, they yet not extinguish the spirit of holy prayer and devotion to which all temporal things ought to be subservient. In payment for their work, let them receive whatever is necessary for their bodily support of themselves and their brothers, excepting coin or money. And this they should do so humbly as becomes the servants of God and followers of most holy poverty. 

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Chapter 6:

The Friars shall appropriate to themselves nothing, neither house, nor place, nor anything at all; but as pilgrims and strangers in this world, serving the Lord in poverty and humility, they should go seeking alms with confidence. Nor ought they be ashamed, since for our sake, our Lord made Himself poor in this world. This is the most sublime height of most exalted poverty, which has made you, my most beloved brothers, heirs and kings of the Kingdom of Heaven, which has made you poor in temporal things, but exalted in virtue. Let this be your portion, which leads into the land of the living. Giving yourselves up wholly to this, beloved brothers, never seek anything else under Heaven for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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And wherever any of the Friars may be, and meet one another, let them treat each other as members of one family, and confidently make known to each other their needs, for if a mother loves and cherishes her son according to the flesh, how much more diligently ought everyone to cherish and love him who is his brother according to the Spirit! And when any Friar falls sick, the other Friars shall serve him, as they would wish to served themselves.

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Chapter 7:

If any Friar, at the instigation of the enemy, sin mortally in regard to any of those sins concerning which it has been ordained among the Friars to have recourse only to the Minister Provincial, let them have recourse as soon as possible, and without delay. And, if the said Ministers are priests, they shall with mercy, impose on him a penance; but if the Minister is not a priest, they shall cause it to be imposed by others who are priests of the Order, as in the sight of God shall appear to them more expedient. And they shall take care not to get angry or disturbed by the sins of the others, for anger and trouble of spirit are hindrances to charity in themselves and in others. 

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Chapter 8:

The Friars are bound to have always, one of the Friars of this Order as Minister General and servant of the whole fraternity, and they shall be strictly obliged to obey him. When he dies, his successor shall be elected by the Ministers Provincial and Custodes in the Chapter of Pentecost. At the Chapter, all the Ministers Provincial shall assemble in whatever place the Minister General shall appoint. This they shall do once in every three years, or at other periods, longer or shorter, as the aforesaid Minister shall ordain. And, if at any time it should appear to the body of the Ministers Provincial and the Custodes that the aforesaid Minister General is not qualified for the service and general welfare of the Friars, the aforesaid Friars to whom the election is committed shall be bound to elect another as is custom in the Name of the Lord. Moreover, after the Chapter of Pentecost, the Ministers Provincial and Custodes may each, if they wish, and deem it expedient, convoke a Chapter in their own Custodies once in the same year.

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Chapter 9:

The Friars shall not preach in the diocese of any bishop, when the latter has opposed their doing so. And no Friar, shall by any means, dare to preach to the people, unless he has been examined and approved by the Minister General of this Fraternity, and the office of preacher has been conferred upon him. Moreover, I admonish and exhort these same Friars, that when they preach, their language be well considered and simple, for the benefit and edification of the people, discoursing to them of vices and virtues, punishment and glory, with brevity, because our Lord, when on earth made a short word.

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Chapter 10:

The Friars, who are Ministers and servants of the others, shall visit and admonish their brothers, and humbly and charitably correct them, not commanding them anything that is against their own soul or our Rule. But the Friars, who are subjects, shall remember that, for God's sake, they have renounced their own wills. Wherefore, I strictly command them to obey their Ministers, in all things they have promised the Lord to observe, and which are not against their soul or the Rule. And wherever those Friars may be who know and feel that they cannot observe the Rule spiritually, they can and should have recourse to their Ministers. And the Minsters shall receive them charitably and kindly, and show such familiarity that these same Friars may speak and treat with them as masters with their servants, for so it ought to be that the Ministers shall be servants of all the Friars.

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I also admonish and exhort the Friars of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be aware of all pride, vainglory, envy and avarice, of care and solicitude for the things of this world, of detraction and murmuring. And those who are illiterate shall not be anxious to learn, but let them endeavor to have, what is to be above all things desired, the Spirit of the Lord and His holy operation. Let them endeavor to pray always with a pure heart, and to have humility and patience in persecution and infirmity, and to love those who persecute, reprove and censure us. Because our Lord says: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute and calumniate you. Blessed are thy who suffer persecution for Justice's sake, since theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. He who perseveres to the end, shall be saved."

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Chapter 11:

I strictly command all the Friars not to have any suspicious dealings or conversations with women; nor shall they enter the convents of nuns, excepting those Friars to whom special leave is granted by the Holy See. Neither shall they be godfathers to men or women, less hereby scandal should arise either among the Friars or concerning them.

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Chapter 12:

Should any Friar moved by divine inspiration desire to go among the Saracens or other infidels, they shall ask leave to go from their Ministers Provincial. But the Ministers shall not grant leave except for those whom they deem fit to be sent. Finally, I command the Ministers by obedience, that they petition our Lord the Pope for one of the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, who shall be the governor, protector and corrector of this Fraternity, so that, being always submissive and subject at the feet of the same Holy Church, and steadfast in the Catholic Faith, we may observe poverty and humility and the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we have firmly promised.