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When asked by curious people, "Where are you from? ... What Order do you belong to?" St. Francis and his early companions answered with simplicity, "We are penitents from Assisi."

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The Mosaic dates from 527-530 AD.


BASILICA OF STS. COSMAS & DAMIAN

Via dei Fori Imperiali, 1 - Roma, Italia
Convent & General Curia Residence
of the Friars of the Third Order Regular

www.francescanitor.org

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General Curia - Provincials - Delegates from Provinces

Francis the Evangelist


Saint Francis of Assisi and his first companions were inspired by the Holy Spirit to live the gospel as a fraternity group, and following the example of Jesus and his apostles, they traveled through cities and countryside to preach the holy gospel and ask the people to live a Christian life more in keeping with the message of salvation.

Many people were moved by the living testimony of Francis, the �Poverello� (the Poor Man) and wanted to follow him. They wanted to behave as he did faithful to Christ and to the word of life in the gospels.

Popular Enthusiasm and Followers

Francis welcomed everyone as a gift from God. The men who followed him became Minor Friars; young ladies became the Poor Ladies or Poor Clares. Francis also inspired many men and women who did not enter into religious service.

They remained in the outside world and continued their normal activities. This movement evolved into the Franciscan Third Order of Penance.

Origins of the Third Order


The Third Order movement began in the autumn of 1211, expanding during the spring of 1212 and enjoying a prodigious growth in both area and numbers over the next ten years.

The Rule of Evangelical Life

Francis offered his followers a Rule of evangelical life, giving the Tertiaries three precious documents: The First Letter to the Faithful Penitents in 1215; the Second Letter to the Faithful Penitents in 1221 and the �Memoriale Propositi� in 1221.

In 1289 the First Franciscan pope, Niccol� IV, wanted to recognize the Third Order of San Francis in an official way. He gave explicit approval to the Order of Penance, which had already been commended by many Popes, and reissued the �Memoriale Propositi�, the Rule of 1221 in a more juridic form.� Those Penitent Franciscans who remained in their homes (marrying or not) and who held a professional post constituted the Secular Third Order (TOS), which since 1978 has been called the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS).

Towards a more Perfect Life


Not to be forgotten is the fact that, at the same time, a particular phenomenon was developing.� From the time of St. Francis onwards there were some Tertiaries, men and women, who manifested the desire of a greater commitment towards a life of Christian perfection. They began to live in communities and in time decided to profess the gospel or evangelical counsels, that is, the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Some Tertiaries had a preference for the contemplative life, which they expressed by living in hermitages or in voluntary seclusion, far from earthly distractions, their hearts focused entirely on the mystery of God.

Many began helping in hospitals and caring for the sick and aged. Some provided shelter for pilgrims or other travelers. Others established reception centres for homeless women and school for the education of young people.

Soon the friars began working in the parishes and offered the ministries of teaching, preaching, catechesis, as well as scientific and religious publications. Later a commitment to missionary work arose and developed with great intensity both in the past and in recent times.

The fraternities of Tertiary Regulars, which had been founded spontaneously and all over Italy, increased in number and diffusion, especially during the 14th Century.� Soon they began to unite, both in order to be more effective and also to better cope with the many difficulties they faced.

Approval


The devotion to a life in community was demonstrated over the centuries by the numerous autonomous congregations of monks and nuns.

Towards the end of the 13th century the Tertiary Regulars had many friaries in different cities. On July 11, 1295, Pope Boniface VIII promulgated the "Cupientes Cultum" Bull which granted to the Tertiary Regulars the right to have a proper place for worship. In so doing he approved the style of community life of the Tertiaries and the pastoral ministry they offered to the people.

Now let us concentrate on the male Third Order (TOR), which dates back to the time of St. Francis of Assisi and gas continued without interruption ever since.

Pope John XXII by the "Altissimo in divinis" Bull dated November 18, 1323, renewed the Church's approval. He praised the community life that the Tertiary Franciscans were living and declared that it was in accordance with the intentions of Saint Francis.

Centralization and Organization


On July 20, 1447, by means of the "Pastoralis officii" Bull, Pope Niccol� V � approved the union of the Tertiary Fraternities of Italy and established it as an independent Order under one general ministry and council.� In Italy, the Order spread out and developed in 15 Provinces with a total of 256 convents and about 2000 friars. (The Italian Congregation exists without interruption from St. Francis of Assisi to this day).

In several countries there was a gradual development of national Tertiary Orders. Today, the Third Order is present in 16 countries:� Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Germany, USA, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, Per�, Sweden, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

Some Orders disappeared due to government suppression or war, while others amalgamated with the Italian Congregation in one single entity which today is called the Regular Third Order of Saint Francis.

In the World Today


Pope Innocenzo X closed all the convents and monasteries with fewer than six members. � And since the orders of the Tertiary Regulars were predominantly hermetic, small or poor, many were closed down.� This was gravely damaging to the order and more or less destroyed a society which has always been of a �hermitic nature�.� To this were added the continuing difficulties caused within the Franciscan Order, and the repeated civil suppressions which rained down upon the already substantially weakened order.

After repeated civil suppressions and a satisfactory recovery the Regular Third Order of Saint Francis is still around today, and present in the following countries: Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Germany, America, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, Peru, Sweden, Bangladesh, the Philippines.� In total, the number of convents is 208.

At this point you may well ask, �But when was the Third Order founded, and by whom?�.

As with the other ancient Franciscan families, the Regular Third Order has its origins in the very same Saint Francis of Assisi, and developed with and because of multiple historical circumstances.

The Apostolic Activities

The apostolic activities ministered by the Regular Third Order are many: pastoral care within the parishes, acts of kindness for the needy, schools for the young, teaching and preaching, and missionary work. But the main apostolic aim is to live the gift of a consecrated life as a continual offering upon the altar of the world, for and to the glory of God, and the salvation of our fellow men.

The Spirituality


The traditional spirituality of the Regular Third Order derives from the Franciscan Penitence Movement and can be synthesized in the following theoretical-practical definition:� the duty of constant conversion to a living God in the biblical sense, and to perform acts of kindness according to time and place.� For this reason, the specification �de poenitentia� is always added beside the name of the Order.

Teenagers and Young People


Jesus travels the world and seeks assistants to help spread the Word of the Gospel. � In the same way that he called forth Saint Francis of Assisi and performed wondrous works together with him, so Jesus calls you to spread the message of salvation throughout the world of today.

Jesus appeals to each one of you, full of faith and love: �Come, leave everything and I will make you fishers of men, and you will see extraordinary things. You can make your own existence more precious by proclaiming peace, justice and the mutual need for live, by easing the suffering of the needy, and by becoming a missionary. Don�t be afraid, come�.

The Third Order Regular has its international headquarters in Rome. Its offices are attached to the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian near the Roman Forum (Via dei Fori Imperiali 1, 00186 Rome, Italy).

Note:

In 1447 Pope Nicholas V united the eremitical communities in Umbria and the Marches which followed the Third Order rule into a single community under a Minister General.� This community of men is one part of the Third Order Regular which, together with the more than 448 congregations profess the "Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis." There are 18 male congregations of Tertiary Franciscans, 370 congregations of Franciscan Sisters and 60 monasteries of cloistered nuns. The Third Order congregations of men and women number over� 200,000 male and female religious.


The Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance, identified by the initials TOR, is one of many branches known collectively as "Franciscans." The Basilica of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Rome, is the location of the central government of the Order under the direction of the Minister General, Friar Ilija (Elia) Zivkovic, TOR. The Order is divided into several units throughout the world. The largest of these is called a "Province," which is composed of friars, (brothers). Many of the friars are ordained priests or are students preparing for ordination, but ordination is not necessary to be a member of the Order. Every six years elected representatives from the Provinces meet in General Chapter to elect the Minister General and his Council and to make decisions for the whole Order.

Since 1503 the Basilica and Convent of Sts. Cosmas & Damian has been the locale for the General Curia of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. Presently there are a number of friars from various nations in residence here, dedicated to the administration of the Order.

The Friars Of The Order Serve In The Following Countries

* Italy * France * Spain * Germany *Austria * Croatia * India *
Sri Lanka�* Bangladesh * Sweden * United States * Mexico * Brazil * Peru * Paraguay * Republic of South Africa * Philippines

( Countries break down into independent Provinces of which there are two in the United States. The Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Loretto, Pennsylvania and the Province of the Immaculate Conception, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania )

Today the Third Order Regular of Penance of St. Francis is a worldwide fraternity dedicated to a life of communal living and service to the Universal Church.

The friars continue to respond to the contemporary needs of the Church by remaining faithful to their original charism of living the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in community according to the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.

They also are engaged in the corporal works of mercy and support their local diocesan churches.

As penitents, the friars are especially called to witness to a message of conversion (turning to God) to those who frequently feel alienated or abandoned by God. This vision has led our men into ministries working with youth, the divorced, those suffering from HIV, the poor, the elderly, people persecuted for their race, prisoners, mentally handicapped and the un-churched.

We serve the people of God as parish priests, teachers, retreat directors, health care professionals, family councilors, spiritual directors, social workers and missionaries.

THE CALL OF GOD TO "REBUILD HIS CHURCH" IS STILL
HEARD BY THE FRANCISCANS IN THE T.O.R. TRADITION.

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