Our Way Of Life: to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience, in poverty and in chastity.

(Make selections on the left Chapters 1-9)

Introduction to:

THE RULE AND LIFE OF
THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS
OF THE THIRD ORDER REGULAR

THE RULE & CONSTITUTIONS

POPE JOHN PAUL II
as a Perpetual Memorial

Much as in past centuries, the Franciscan ideal of life even in our times continually draws many men and women desirous of evangelical perfection and thirsting for the kingdom of God. Inspired by the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, the members of the Third Order Regular set forth to follow Jesus Christ by living in fraternal communion, professing the observance of the evangelical counsels of obedience, poverty and chastity in public vows, and by giving themselves to innumerable expressions of apostolic activity. To actualize in the best way possible their chosen way of life, they dedicate themselves unreservedly to prayer, strive to grow in fraternal love, live true penance and cultivate Christian self-denial.

    Since these very elements and motives for living the Franciscan ideal are clearly present in "The Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis" and since they are clearly in accord with the genuine Franciscan spirit, We, in the fullness of our apostolic authority, determine, declare and order that the present Rule have the force and importance to illustrate to the Brothers and Sisters this authentic meaning of the Franciscan life, while bearing in mind what Our Predecessors Leo X and Pius XI with the Apostolic Constitutions "Inter cetera" and "Rerum conditio" presented on this matter in their own times.

    Since We know how diligently and assiduously this "Rule and Life" has traveled its path of "aggiornamento" and how fortuitously it arrived at the desired convergence of different points of view through collegial discussion and consultation, proposals and studied amendments, for this very reason with well founded hope We trust that the longed for fruits of renewal will be brought on and be effectively binding both in the present and in the future, everything to the contrary not withstanding.

Given at Rome, at Saint Peter's under the ring of the Fisherman, on the 8th of December, 1982, the fifth year of our pontificate

2. LETTER OF THE MINISTER GENERAL

Dear Brothers:

Our Constitutions have been the object of a broad and profound study on the part of the friars of the Order, during the period of renewal mandated by the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council.

This long period culminated in the Extraordinary General Chapter which took place in Rome on the 2nd of January to the 6th of March, 1969. As a result, we received the updated text of the Constitutions which took effect on the 30th day of April, 1969.

As Father Louis Secondo, T.O.R., my predecessor, notes in the edition of 1969, the new text had as its base the Conciliar documents and the teachings of the Church which followed.

Far from being anything definitive, the updated Constitutions contained the dynamic quality of a continual renewal according to the general principles contained in the Decree "Perfectae Caritatis": the return to the sources, the restoration of healthy traditions, the effort to rediscover the proper identity and the characteristic mission of each institute in the Church and in the world.

This new mentality awoke an interest for study, for investigation and reflection regarding our specific charism, sincerely searching for our identity, our historical and spiritual patrimony as well as our place in the arena of the larger Franciscan Family.

In this sense, the International Historical Commission (CSI-TOR) and the "Analecta", the official periodical of the Order, have given light to the treasures contained in our franciscan-penitential charism and have contributed towards showing us our particular characteristics acquired over many centuries of history. Deepening the knowledge of the values of our roots opens new horizons and perspectives for our Order as a response to the challenges of our age and circumstances.

Aside from this, there has been a significant contribution made through the preparatory work for the renewal of the T.O.R. Rule, which was done in collaboration with numerous Congregations of the Third Order Regular. In this sense the fourth interobediential congress which took place in Madrid in 1974 is of special importance. The "Madrid Document" which was the result of that congress continues to be valid as an expression of our franciscan-penitential life.

The pontifical approbation of the new text of the "Rule and Life", on 8 December, 1982, places in our hands an essential and updated document containing legislative and inspirational value.

Once the Code of Canon Law was approved in January of 1983, it was also necessary that our Constitutions be in line with the new ecclesiastical norms.

Keeping in mind all of these circumstances, the General Chapter of 1983 issued a mandate to the new General Curia to proceed with the work of bringing up to date the Constitutions.

An international commission was thus established in which all the Provinces and Vice-Provinces of the Order were represented. Their first task was to create an interest in the friars as well as to listen to them. Meetings were held on various levels: according to provinces, nations and even continents. Two international plenary meetings took place, one in Rome (1986) and the other in Washington (1988). All of these efforts produced, as its fruit, the present text of the Constitutions and the text of the General Statutes which were presented, discussed, modified and finally approved by the General Chapter of 1989. On the 2nd day of February, 1991, the new Constitutions were approved by the Holy See and took effect on that very date.

Since the Constitutions of 1969, with their solid conciliar foundation and very much in line with the principles involved for the renewal of the religious life, we have come to the present text of our Constitutions and General Statutes. It has been a long process, rich in discoveries, but not lacking in difficulties.

We have also kept in mind the new configuration of the Order which has changed notably since 1968, given the growth of vocations in the traditional mission fields as well as the incorporation of some groups of Regular Tertiaries present in lands not previously known to us.

I am therefore presenting to you, dear brothers, our new Constitutions and General Statues. They represent the fruits of shared efforts, of sincere searching together and of remaining open to the Spirit and to apostolic demands.

These are "our" Constitutions because all of us have had a part in their redaction and because they reflect our image: what we have been, what we are today as well as what our project for the future will be. In these Constitutions the feelings and the thoughts of our diverse provinces are summarized, united by the force of the same charism, capable of becoming a part of local churches and becoming one with very different cultures in order to remain always close to the People of God and to serve them in franciscan simplicity.

Such a complex task of updating, carried out by individuals who are so diverse one from the other and with such different possibilities to act in a world which is continually changing, cannot be entirely perfect nor complete. But the important thing is that the Constitutions are "our" work. The Rule is our inspirational code. The Constitutions represent our fundamental code, that is to say, our essential and stable law. The General Statutes are our complementary code, that is, they contain the common directives which can be modified, referring to non essential aspects, but which assist us to put in practice what the Constitutions specify. The Provincial Statues serve the same purpose in each of the province and vice-provinces.

We now have a new duty: that the Constitutions truly become the force which gives impulse, animation, dynamism and stimulates the permanent renewal of each of us as well as all of the fraternities in our Order.

For this task, the direct participation of all the brothers is absolutely necessary. The Constitutions, together with the Rule, form the book of our evangelical life and we therefore have the obligation to read them assiduously, to meditate on them and to pray with them. We should assimilate them so that they will lead us to fruitful creativity in the Spirit and towards a continuous and sincere conversion, allowing the printed word to become spirit and life.

Fray Jose Angulo Quilis, T.O.R.
Minister General

Rome,
Convento dei Ss. Cosma e Damiano
24 June, 1992
Birth of Saint John the Baptist.

3. LETTER OF ENGLISH SPEAKING FRIARS

October 6, 1992

Dear Brothers:

After the approval of the Constitutions by the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life, the official text which was in Latin was forwarded to the Provincials of the Province of the Immaculate Conception and the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The respective Provincials appointed a committee composed of four friars who served on the Commission for the revision of the Constitutions, namely, Fr. Giles Schinelli, T.O.R., Fr. Bonaventure Midili, T.O.R., Fr. Aidan Mullaney, T.O.R. and Fr. Jordan Hite, T.O.R. This group revised the English to conform to the Latin of the official text. Fr. Christopher Dobson, T. O.R., who also served as the secretary for the Commission computerized the text and did the design and format. Later in the process, we received an analytical index of the Constitutions composed by Fr. Lino Temperini, T.O.R. The index was translated for our use by Fr. Thomas Edwards, T.O.R. Several friars of both Provinces reviewed and proofread the text for grammar and clarity.

Speaking on behalf of all the english speaking friars, it is with hearts full of gratitude that we express our appreciation for the friars who worked on the english speaking edition of the Constitutions.

We are most grateful to all who brought this project to a conclusion.

Fraternally,

(Very Rev.) Giles Schinelli, T.O.R
(Very Rev.) Jordan Hite, T.O.R.