The Enduring Call to Penance

The great Franciscan family, a spiritual tree with many branches, springs from a single, powerful seed: the call to do penance. This was the life St. Francis of Assisi embraced after his conversion, a life of turning completely from sin and self to follow the poor and crucified Christ in the Gospel. This fundamental call to metanoia—a radical, ongoing conversion of heart—is the shared spiritual DNA of every man and woman who follows the Poverello. From this common root, two major branches of the Third Order grew, each a distinct and beautiful expression of the same charism. The Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) represents the original vision for lay men and women to live the Gospel in the heart of the world, while the many congregations of the Third Order Regular (TOR) represent the desire for a vowed, communal expression of the same penitential spirit.

The two modern Rules that govern these Orders—the Rule of the OFS, Seraphicus Patriarcha, approved by Pope St. Paul VI in 1978, and the Rule of the TOR, Franciscanum Vitae Propositum, approved by Pope St. John Paul II in 1982—are not competing documents but spiritual siblings. They are parallel flowerings from the same root, each updated after the Second Vatican Council to speak with fresh clarity to the modern world. For a professed Secular Franciscan, the TOR Rule is not a foreign text. It is a family heirloom, a mirror reflecting the radical heart of the Franciscan vocation in its most concentrated form. This article serves as a comprehensive guide for the Secular Franciscan who wishes to explore this shared heritage. It will trace the historical and juridical journey that led to two distinct paths and conduct a deep comparative analysis of the two Rules. This exploration is an invitation to see the two Rules not as a division, but as a dialogue that reveals the immense breadth and depth of the one call to observe the Holy Gospel in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi.

1: A Shared Root, Two Distinct Branches: The Historical and Juridical Journey

To understand the relationship between the Secular Franciscan Order and the Third Order Regular, one must first grasp their shared history. Their divergence was not a schism over doctrine but an organic development responding to the varied ways the Holy Spirit called people to live the Franciscan charism. The OFS is not a “lesser” version of the TOR; it is the original lay expression of the penitential life, from which the TOR later branched off to form a new mode of consecrated religious life. This historical reality affirms the equal dignity and distinct purpose of each vocation within the one Franciscan family.

1.1 The Common Genesis: The Brothers and Sisters of Penance

The Franciscan movement began with St. Francis himself, but it quickly attracted followers from every state of life. Around the year 1221, Francis established what was originally called the “Brothers and Sisters of Penance”. This was his answer for the many married men and women, diocesan priests, and other laypeople who were inspired by his radical living of the Gospel but who, because of their existing commitments, could not join the Friars Minor (the First Order) or the Poor Ladies (the Second Order).

The “primitive rule” for this lay movement was Francis’s own Letter to All the Faithful (also known as the Earlier Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance). This document was not a legal code but a powerful spiritual exhortation, a “form of life” calling the laity to a profound interior conversion. Its core tenets were simple and drawn directly from the Gospel: to love God with one’s whole being and one’s neighbor as oneself; to turn away from sin; to receive the Body and Blood of Christ; and to produce “worthy fruits of penance” through acts of charity and forgiveness. The inclusion of this very letter as the Prologue to the modern OFS Rule, and its partial inclusion in the TOR Rule, serves as a testament to the direct lineage both Orders trace back to the founder’s original inspiration.

This burgeoning lay movement soon required a more formal structure. With the help of Cardinal Ugolino (the future Pope Gregory IX), a formal Rule known as the Memoriale Propositi was approved by Pope Honorius III in 1221, giving canonical status to the Order of Penance. This marked the official birth of what would become the Third Order.

1.2 The Fork in the Road: Community Life and the Birth of the Third Order Regular

Within the widespread Order of Penance, a new spiritual desire began to emerge. Some tertiaries, both men and women, felt called to a more intense and structured form of penitential life. Organically, without a single founder, they began to gather into small groups, living in common either as hermits or in communities dedicated to prayer and works of mercy. This development created a natural “fork in the road.” While the majority of tertiaries continued to live the Franciscan charism in their homes and workplaces, these new communities began to move toward a more formal, consecrated life.

This new expression of Franciscan life eventually adopted the traditional religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. For over two centuries, these communities grew and developed in various regions, particularly in Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, often in isolation from one another. The Church recognized the authenticity of this new form of life and, in 1447, Pope Nicholas V issued the apostolic letter Pastoralis officii. This landmark document effectively organized these disparate communities of vowed tertiaries into a new, independent mendicant order: the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance. This moment marks the official juridical separation of the TOR from its secular counterpart, establishing two distinct but related branches from the same trunk.

1.3 Parallel Paths of Renewal: The Evolution of the Rules to the Modern Era

Following their formal separation, the two branches continued on parallel paths of development and renewal, with the Church periodically updating their respective Rules to meet the needs of the times.

The Rule for the secular branch was revised and confirmed by Pope Nicholas IV in 1289 with the bull Supra montem and again by Pope Leo XIII in 1883 with Misericors Dei Filius, which adapted the Order to the challenges of the 19th century. The most recent and current Rule is Seraphicus Patriarcha, promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI in 1978.

The Third Order Regular also saw its Rule evolve. Pope Leo X provided a significant unifying Rule in 1521 with the bull Inter cetera to bring uniformity to the many congregations. This and other statutes guided the TOR for centuries until, like the OFS, it underwent a period of post-Vatican II renewal. This process culminated in the approval of the current Rule, Franciscanum Vitae Propositum, by Pope St. John Paul II in 1982.

It is crucial to recognize that both modern Rules—1978 for the OFS and 1982 for the TOR—were born from the same spirit of aggiornamento (updating) that swept the Church after the Second Vatican Council. Both sought to return to the primitive inspiration and authentic charism of St. Francis while courageously adapting their way of life to the realities of the contemporary world.

1.4 A Family Reunited: Understanding Autonomy and “Vital Reciprocity”

The modern era has brought a mature and clear definition of the relationship between the Franciscan Orders. The 1978 Rule established the Secular Franciscan Order as a fully autonomous Order within the Church. It is not a subsidiary or “third-class” part of the Franciscan family, but an equal member, alongside the First and Second Orders, with its own international governance.

This autonomy, however, does not imply isolation. The Church, recognizing the profound family bond, has formally codified the relationship under the principle of “vital reciprocity” (vitalis reciprocatio). The Holy See has entrusted the spiritual and pastoral assistance of the OFS to the friars of the First Order and the Third Order Regular. This is not a relationship of juridical control but of fraternal service and spiritual animation. The friars are tasked with guaranteeing the fidelity of the OFS to the Franciscan charism and fostering communion within the entire family. This arrangement is a beautiful expression of the Church’s wisdom. After centuries of varied and sometimes inconsistent levels of engagement between the branches, “vital reciprocity” establishes a relationship of equals who are spiritually interdependent. For a Secular Franciscan, this means the TOR is not just another religious order; it is a designated spiritual resource, an elder sibling in the faith, and a living witness to the same charism.

2: The Rules in Dialogue: A Comparative Spiritual Analysis

While rooted in a common history, the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) and the Rule of the Third Order Regular (TOR) are distinct documents tailored to different ways of life. A careful comparison reveals a shared heart but different modes of expression, reflecting their unique roles within the Church. The TOR Rule, steeped in the founder’s own words, aims to form the religious by direct immersion in the source. The OFS Rule, integrating the language of Vatican II, aims to form the laity by connecting the Franciscan charism to their universal call to holiness and mission in the world. Understanding these differences in pedagogy and focus is key to appreciating the unique gift of each Rule.

2.1 Foundational Principle: To Observe the Holy Gospel

The bedrock of both Rules is identical: a life dedicated to observing the Holy Gospel in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. This shared foundation is the source of their profound spiritual unity.

• OFS Rule, Article 4: “The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people”.
• TOR Rule, Chapter I, Article 1: “The form of life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis is this: to observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, in poverty and in chastity”.

Both Orders see St. Francis not as the end, but as the model, the one who shows them how to make Christ the center of everything. This Christocentric, Gospel-driven life is the non-negotiable core of their shared identity.

2.2 The Nature of Commitment: Profession in the World vs. Vows in Community

The most significant and defining difference between the two Orders lies in the nature of their public commitment and the state of life it entails.

• Members of the Third Order Regular are consecrated religious. They profess the three public, evangelical vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and live a common life in a fraternal community, such as a friary or convent. Their life is structurally set apart from the world to be a specific sign within the Church.
• Members of the Secular Franciscan Order, by contrast, live their vocation in their own secular state. They make a public profession—a solemn promise, not a canonical vow—to live according to their Rule for their entire life. They can be married or single, laypeople or diocesan clergy, and they live in their own homes, work in secular jobs, and raise families.

This fundamental distinction shapes the entire content and structure of each Rule. The TOR Rule must necessarily legislate for the practicalities of a common life, while the OFS Rule provides guiding principles for living the Franciscan charism within the vast and varied circumstances of secular life.

2.3 The Arena of Life: The World as Cloister

Flowing directly from the nature of their commitment is the difference in their primary “arena” of life and apostolate.

• For the TOR, life is centered in and flows from the religious house. Their apostolic works, whether in education, parish ministry, or social justice, are typically undertaken as a community and are an extension of their common life.
• For the OFS, the world itself is their cloister. As Pope St. John Paul II affirmed, their vocation is to live the Gospel in saeculo—in the world. Their family, their workplace, their neighborhood, and their parish are the primary fields where they are called to plant the seeds of the Gospel. The OFS Rule is explicitly designed to be adaptable, meeting the “needs and expectations of the Holy Church in the conditions of changing times”, recognizing that the secular context is not an obstacle to their vocation but the very place it is meant to be lived.

2.4 A Tale of Two Texts: Spiritual Tone and Guiding Influences

While both Rules are deeply spiritual, they have a different texture and draw from different primary sources, revealing their distinct pedagogical aims.

• The TOR Rule is almost entirely spiritual and ascetical in its tone. It is a beautiful mosaic composed largely of direct quotations from the writings of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. A comparative analysis shows it contains 92 references to Francis’s writings and 12 to Clare’s. Reading it feels like receiving a direct exhortation from the founders themselves.
• The OFS Rule is rooted in Franciscan sources, with 21 references to Francis’s writings. However, it is profoundly shaped by the theology of the laity that emerged from the Second Vatican Council. It contains 18 references to Vatican II documents. It specifically highlights Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church). It also emphasizes Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World). Its language about the lay apostolate promotes justice. It speaks about building a more fraternal world and emphasizes the dignity of the family. These points echo the council’s vision for the mission of the laity.

This difference in source material is not accidental. It reveals a specific intention for the formation of the members. The TOR Rule aims to form the religious by immersing them directly in the founders’ teachings. This immersion is suitable for a life lived in a dedicated Franciscan environment. The OFS Rule seeks to form the laity by explicitly connecting the Franciscan charism to the universal call to holiness. It connects this charism to the specific mission of the laity in the Church and the world. This connection is defined by the most recent ecumenical council. The OFS Rule, thus, acts as a bridge. It links the specific Franciscan path to the great highway of the Church’s life in the modern age.

Conclusion: One Family, One Charism, Many Paths

The journey through the Rules of the Secular Franciscan Order and the Third Order Regular reveals a profound and beautiful truth: the Franciscan charism is a single, vibrant reality expressed in a plurality of forms. The OFS and the TOR are not rival systems but complementary vocations, two authentic paths for living the one Gospel life revealed to St. Francis of Assisi. They share a common origin in the penitential movement, a common goal of conformity to Christ, and a common mission to rebuild the Church from within.

The differences between them are not of essence but of application. The TOR, with its public vows and community life, offers a concentrated, prophetic witness to the evangelical counsels. Its Rule, steeped in the very words of Francis and Clare, is a powerful call to radical self-renunciation for the sake of the kingdom. The OFS, with its profession made in the world, offers a leavening witness, demonstrating that a life of deep conversion and apostolic love is possible within the ordinary circumstances of family, work, and society. Its Rule, in dialogue with the modern Church, provides a bridge between the Franciscan ideal and the universal call to holiness for all the baptized.

Ultimately, to study the two Rules in parallel is to listen to a conversation within one’s own spiritual family. It is to see the same fire of love for Christ burning in a different hearth, revealing the immense breadth and depth of the one call to observe the Holy Gospel in the footsteps of their common Seraphic Father, St. Francis.

Peace, Mike