SECOND RULE OF THE FRIARS MINOR.
1.—In the Name of the Lord begins the life of the Minor Brothers.
The
Rule and life of the Minor Brothers is this, namely, to observe the holy Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience, without property and in
chastity. Brother Francis promises obedience and reverence to the Lord Pope
Honorius and to his successors canonically elected and to the Roman Church. And
let the other brothers be bound to obey Brother Francis and his successors.
2.—Of those who wish to embrace this Life and how they ought to be
received.
If
any wish to embrace this life and come to our brothers, let them send them to
their provincial ministers, to whom alone and not to others is accorded the
power of receiving brothers. But let the ministers diligently examine them
regarding the Catholic faith and the Sacraments of the Church. And if they
believe all these things, and if they will confess them faithfully and observe
them firmly to the end, and if they have no wives, or, if they have and their
wives have already entered a monastery, or have, with the authority of the
diocesan bishop, given them permission after having made a vow of continence,
and if the wives be of such an age that no suspicion may arise concerning them,
let them [the ministers] say to them the word of the holy Gospel, that they go and sell all their goods and strive to
distribute them to the poor. If they should not be able to do this, their good
will suffices. And the brothers and their ministers must take care not to be
solicitous about their temporal affairs, that they may freely do with their
affairs whatsoever the Lord may inspire them. If, however, counsel should be
required, the ministers shall have power of sending them to some God-fearing
men by whose advice their goods may be distributed to the poor. Afterwards, let
them give them clothes of probation, to wit, two tunics without a hood and a
cord and breeches and a chaperon reaching to the cord, unless at some time the
same ministers may decide otherwise according to God. The year of probation
being finished, they shall be received to obedience, promising to observe
always this life and rule. And according to the command of the Lord Pope in no wise shall it be allowed them to go out of
this religion, because, according to the holy Gospel: "No man putting his
hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." And let those who have already promised obedience
have one tunic with a hood, and if they wish it another without a hood. And
those who are obliged by necessity may wear shoes. And let all the brothers be
clothed in poor garments and they may patch them with pieces of sackcloth and
other things, with the blessing of God. I admonish and exhort them not to
despise or judge men whom they see clothed in fine and showy garments using
dainty meats and drinks, but rather let each one judge and despise himself.
3.—Of the Divine Office, and of Fasting; and how the Brothers must go
through the world.
Let
the clerics perform the Divine Office according to the order of the holy Roman
Church, with the exception of the Psalter; wherefore they may have breviaries. But let the laics say twenty-four Paternosters for
Matins; five for Lauds; for Prime, Tierce, Sext and Nones,—for each of these,
seven; for Vespers, however, twelve, for Compline seven; and let them pray for
the dead.
And
let them fast from the feast of All Saints until the Nativity of the Lord. But
the holy Lent which begins from Epiphany and continues for forty days, which
the Lord has consecrated by His holy fast, —may
those who keep it voluntarily be blessed by the Lord and those who do not wish
may not be constrained. But they must fast during the other one until the
Resurrection of the Lord. At other times, however, they shall not be obliged to
fast, except on Fridays. But in time of manifest necessity the brothers shall
not be bound to corporal fasting.
I
indeed counsel, warn, and exhort my brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ that when
they go through the world they be not litigious nor contend in words, nor judge others; but that they be gentle, peaceful,
and modest, meek and humble, speaking honestly to all as is fitting. And they
must not ride on horseback unless compelled by manifest necessity or infirmity.
Into whatsoever house they may enter let them first say: Peace be to this
house! And, according to the holy Gospel, it is lawful to eat of all foods
which are set before them.
4.—That the Brothers must not receive money.
I
strictly enjoin on all the brothers that in no wise they receive coins or
money, either themselves or through an interposed person. Nevertheless, for the
necessities of the sick and for clothing the other brothers, let the ministers
and custodes alone take watchful care through spiritual friends, according to
places and times and cold climates, as they shall see expedient in the
necessity, saving always' that, as has been said, they shall not receive coins
or money.
5.—Of the manner of working.
Let
those brothers to whom the Lord has given the grace of working labor faithfully
and devoutly, so that in banishing idleness, the enemy of the soul, they do not
extinguish the spirit of holy prayer and devotion, to which all temporal things
must be subservient. They may, however, receive as the reward of their labor,
the things needful for the body for themselves and their brothers, with the
exception of coins or money, and that humbly, as befits the servants of God and
the followers of most holy poverty.
6.—That the Brothers shall appropriate nothing to themselves: and of
seeking Alms and of the Sick
Brothers.
The
brothers shall appropriate nothing to themselves, neither a house nor place nor
anything. And as pilgrims and strangers in
this world, serving the Lord in poverty and humility, let them go confidently
in quest of alms, nor ought they to be ashamed, because the Lord made Himself
poor for us in this world. This, my dearest brothers, is the height of the most
sublime poverty which has made you heirs and kings of the kingdom of heaven:
poor in goods, but exalted in virtue. Let that be your portion, for it leads to
the land of the living; cleaving to it unreservedly,
my best beloved brothers, for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, never desire
to possess anything else under heaven.
And
wheresoever the brothers are and may find themselves, let them mutually show
among themselves that they are of one household. And let one make known his
needs with confidence to the other, for, if a mother nourishes and loves her
carnal son, how much more earnestly ought one to love and nourish his spiritual
brother! And if any of them should fall into illness, the other brothers must
serve him as they would wish to be served themselves.
7.—Of the Penance to be imposed on Brothers who sin.
If
any of the brothers, at the instigation of the enemy, sin mortally by those
sins for which it has been ordained among the brothers that recourse should be
had to the provincial ministers alone, the aforesaid brothers are bound to have
recourse to them as soon as possible, without delay. But let the ministers
themselves, if they are priests, impose penance on them with mercy; if however they
are not priests, let them have it imposed by other priests of the Order, as it
may seem to them most expedient, according to God. And they must beware lest
they be angry or troubled on account of the sins of others, because anger and
trouble impede charity themselves and in others.
8.—Of the Election of the Minister General of this Brotherhood, and of
the Whitsun Chapter.
All
the brothers are bound always to have one of the brothers of this religion as
minister general and servant of the whole brotherhood, and they are strictly
bound to obey him. At his death the election of a successor must be made by the
provincial ministers and custodes in the Whitsun Chapter, in which the
provincial ministers are always bound to convene at the same time, wheresoever
it may be appointed by the minister general, and that once in three years or at
a longer or shorter interval as may be ordained by the said minister. And if at
any time it should be apparent to the whole of the provincial ministers that
the aforesaid minister general is not sufficient for the service and the common
welfare of the brothers, let the aforesaid ministers, to whom the election has
been committed, be bound to elect for themselves another as custos in the name
of the Lord. But after the Whitsun Chapter the ministers and custodes may each,
if they wish and it seem expedient to them, convoke their brothers to a chapter
in their custodies once in the same
year.
9.—Of Preachers.
The
brothers must not preach in the diocese of any bishop when their doing so may
be opposed by him. And let no one of the brothers dare to preach in any way to
the people, unless he has been examined and approved by the minister general of
this brotherhood, and the office of preaching conceded to him by the latter. I
also warn and exhort the same brothers that in the preaching they do their
words be fire-tried and pure for the utility
and edification of the people, announcing to them vices and virtues, punishment
and glory, with brevity of speech because the Lord made His word short upon
earth.
10.—Of the Admonition and Correction of the Brothers.
Those
brothers who are ministers and servants of the other brothers, shall visit and
admonish their brothers, and shall humbly and charitably correct them, not commanding
them anything against their souls and our Rule. The brothers however who are
subject must remember that, for God, they have renounced their own will. Wherefore
I order them strictly to obey their ministers in all things which they have promised
the Lord to observe and are not against their souls and our Rule. And wheresoever
there are brothers who see and know that they are not able to observe the rule
spiritually, they ought to and can recur to their ministers. And let the
ministers receive them charitably and kindly and show so great familiarity
toward them that they [the culprits] may speak and act with them as masters
with their servants, for thus it ought to be, since the ministers are the
servants of all the brothers.
I
also warn and exhort the brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ that they beware of
all pride, vainglory, envy, covetousness, the
cares and solicitudes of this world, of detraction and murmuring. Let not those
who are ignorant of letters care to learn letters, but let them consider that,
beyond all, they should desire to possess the spirit of the Lord and His holy
operation, to pray always to Him with a pure heart and to have humility,
patience in persecution and in infirmity and to love those who persecute, reprove,
and accuse us, because the Lord has said: "Love your enemies . . . and
pray for them that persecute and calumniate you." "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven." "But he
that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved."
11.—That the Brothers must not enter the Monasteries of Nuns.
I
strictly command all the brothers not to have suspicious intimacy, or conferences
with women, and let none enter the monasteries of nuns except those to whom
special permission has been granted by the Apostolic See. And let them not be
godfathers of men or women, that scandal may
not arise on this account among the brothers or concerning the brothers.
12.—Of those who go among the Saracens and other Infidels.
Let
all of the brothers who by divine inspiration desire to go amongst the Saracens
or other infidels, ask leave therefor from their provincial ministers. But the
ministers must give permission to go to none except to those whom they see are
fitted to be sent.
Moreover,
I enjoin on the ministers, by obedience, that they ask of the Lord Pope one of
the Cardinals of the holy Roman Church to be governor, protector, and corrector
of this brotherhood, so that being always subject and submissive at the feet of
the same holy Church, grounded in the Catholic faith, we may observe poverty and humility and the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which we have firmly promised.
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Ba.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bb.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bc.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bd.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Be.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bf.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bg.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bh.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bi.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bj.jpg)
%2B%E2%80%93%2Bart%2Bby%2BReed%2BCrandall%2B-%2BThe%2BTwilight%2BZone%2B%2314%2B%E2%80%93%2BGolden%2BKey%2C%2B%2BFeb.%2B1966%2Bk.jpg)