Franciscan Third Order

Franciscan Third Order
Name	Third Order of Saint Francis
Established	13th century
Founder	Saint Francis of Assisi
Type	Lay religious order
Headquarters	Various
Membership	Lay people, religious
Notable members	Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Saint Louis IX, Saint Bonaventure, Blessed Angela of Foligno

Franciscan Third Order

The Third Order associated with Saint Francis of Assisi emerged in the 13th century as a movement allowing lay people and clergy to live according to the spirit of Francis of Assisi without entering a cloistered monasticism or joining the First Order of Saint Francis or the Second Order of Saint Francis. Over centuries the Third Order diversified into distinct forms, influenced papal legislation, regional devotions, and ecclesiastical reforms linked to figures such as Pope Gregory IX, Pope Nicholas IV, and Pope Pius V. Its network intersected with European courts, missionary enterprises, and charitable institutions shaped by patrons like Saint Louis IX and reformers like Saint Teresa of Ávila.

History

The origins trace to encounters between Francis of Assisi and lay followers such as Saint Clare of Assisi and early companions in Assisi, leading to informal fraternities approved in documents like the Regula non bullata and later the papal Regula tertia endorsed by Pope Gregory IX. Expansion occurred during the High Middle Ages alongside the growth of mendicant movements including the Dominican Order and in contexts like the Fourth Lateran Council and the cultural milieu of medieval Italy. The 13th–15th centuries saw prominent patrons such as Louis IX of France and mystics like Saint Bonaventure shape Franciscan spirituality. Reforms and schisms during the Renaissance and Reformation involved figures like Giovanni di Capestrano and events such as the Council of Trent, which influenced the development of Third Order regular communities and secular fraternities across Europe and into the Americas via missionaries connected to the Spanish Empire and Portuguese Empire.

Types and Branches

The Third Order evolved into multiple branches: the secular Third Order (lay fraternities), the Third Order Regular (religious congregations), and reform movements that produced congregations under various papal approvals. Notable formations include congregations tied to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, communities established by members inspired by Saint Angela of Foligno, and 19th-century foundations influenced by figures such as Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII. The Third Order Regular produced nursing and teaching congregations engaged in missions alongside orders like the Jesuits and Missionaries of Charity, and diocesan adaptations appeared under bishops like Cardinal Manning and Cardinal Newman.

Rule and Spirituality

Adherents follow a rule deriving from texts associated with Francis of Assisi and papal confirmations such as the rule of Pope Nicholas IV; expressions of the rule vary between secular tertiaries and regular communities. Spiritual emphases include the Rule of Saint Francis, vows of poverty or simpler commitments, devotion to the Crucifix, Eucharistic piety fostered by encounters with Saint Clare of Assisi and later Franciscan theologians like Duns Scotus. Mystical currents linked to Blessed Angela of Foligno, Saint Bonaventure, and the Vernacular devotional movement informed lay practices, while liturgical reforms from bodies like the Congregation for Divine Worship affected communal prayer.

Membership and Formation

Membership pathways include enrollment in secular fraternities, profession in Third Order Regular congregations, or private promises within diocesan structures. Formation stages commonly mirror broader religious formation: postulancy, novitiate, and profession, adapted for lay life and approved by ecclesiastical authorities such as local bishops and, historically, by papal nuncios or apostolic delegates. Prominent tertiaries included monarchs like Saint Louis IX, mystics like Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, and civic leaders in cities like Florence, where confraternities intersected with civic institutions including guilds and charitable hospitals such as those inspired by Saint Catherine of Siena.

Charitable Works and Apostolates

Third Order members historically engaged in hospitals, schools, relief for the poor, and missionary outreach tied to colonial projects of Spain and Portugal. Apostolates included education founded alongside congregations like the Sisters of St. Francis and healthcare ministries paralleling work by Saint John of God and later congregations during epidemics and wars involving events like the Napoleonic Wars. Lay fraternities ran confraternities that organized processions, charitable distributions, and burial societies similar to practices found in Seville, Rome, and Antwerp.

Organization and Governance

Governance varies: secular tertiaries are often organized into local fraternities overseen by provincial or diocesan structures, while Third Order Regular congregations follow constitutions approved by the Holy See and are subject to canonical norms enforced by bodies such as the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life. Historic governance involved papal bulls, episcopal visitations, and synods; modern structures include federations, chapters, and elected ministers akin to governance in orders like the Capuchins and Conventual Franciscans.

Influence and Legacy

The Third Order influenced European religious life, lay piety, and social welfare systems, leaving legacies in literature, art, and civic institutions across cities like Assisi, Rome, and Paris. Its members contributed to theological debates alongside scholars such as Duns Scotus and engaged in missionary expansion that affected indigenous societies in the Americas and Asia. Cultural traces persist in confraternities, patronage of churches named for Saint Francis, and in modern congregations active in education and healthcare, reflecting interactions with movements led by figures like Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Category:Franciscan spirituality