GENERAL CONSTITUTIONS GENERAL STATUTES OF THE ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR OFM General Curia Rome 2016 THE RULE THE GENERAL CONSTITUTIONS THE GENERAL STATUTES OF THE ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR OFM GENERAL CURIA Rome 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE RULE OF THE FRIARS MINOR ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 THE TESTAMENT OF OUR HOLY FATHER ST. FRANCIS ..................................................................................................................... 9 THE EXHORTATION OF ST. FRANCIS .................................................................................................................................................... 10 THE TESTAMENT OF SIENA .................................................................................................................................................................... 10 GENERAL CONSTITUTIONS DECREES ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER I “TO OBSERVE THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Artt. 1-18) ......................................... 21 TITLE I The foundations of our Order (Artt. 1-4) ........................................................................................................................... 21 TITLE II Profession (Artt. 5-9) .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 TITLE III Laws of the Order (Artt. 10-18) ......................................................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER II THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER AND DEVOTION (Artt. 19-37) ....................................................................................... 26 TITLE I The life of prayer (Artt. 19-31) ........................................................................................................................................... 26 TITLE II Life of penance (Artt. 32-37) .............................................................................................................................................. 28 CHAPTER III “YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS” (Artt. 38-63) ................................................................................................................ 30 TITLE I Fraternal fellowship (Artt. 38-54) ..................................................................................................................................... 30 TITLE II Relations with the entire Franciscan Family (Artt. 55-63) ................................................................................................. 32 CHAPTER IV “PILGRIMS AND STRANGERS IN THIS WORLD” (Artt. 64-82) .......................................................................... 34 TITLE I Peaceful and humble (Artt. 64-71) ..................................................................................................................................... 34 TITLE II They shall not acquire anything as their own (Artt. 72-75) ............................................................................................... 35 TITLE III “They should do their work faithfully and devotedly” (Artt.76-82) .................................................................................. 36 CHAPTER V GOD HAS SENT YOU INTO THE ENTIRE WORLD FOR THIS REASON (Artt. 83-125) ................................. 38 TITLE I The friars have been called to evangelize (Artt. 83-88) ..................................................................................................... 38 TITLE II Methods of evangelisation (Artt. 89-110) .......................................................................................................................... 39 TITLE III Organizing the task of evangelization (Artt. 111-115) ....................................................................................................... 43 TITLE IV Missionary evangelization (Artt. 116-121) ........................................................................................................................ 44 TITLE V The Holy Land (Artt. 122-125) .......................................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER VI “THEY MUST DESIRE TO HAVE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD AND HIS HOLY MANNER OF WORKING WITHIN THEM” (Artt. 126-167) .............................................................................................................................................................. 46 TITLE I Principles of education (Artt. 126-134) .............................................................................................................................. 46 TITLE II On-going formation (Artt. 135-137)................................................................................................................................... 47 TITLE III Formation personnel (Artt. 138-143) ................................................................................................................................. 48 TITLE IV Pastoral care of vocations (Artt. 144-147) ......................................................................................................................... 49 TITLE V Initial formation (Artt. 148-149) ........................................................................................................................................ 49 TITLE VI Other aspects of formation (Artt. 160-165) ........................................................................................................................ 51 TITLE VII Promotion of studies in the Order (Artt. 166-167) ............................................................................................................. 52 CHAPTER VII “THE FRIARS ARE BOUND TO OBEY BROTHER FRANCIS AND HIS SUCCESSORS” (Artt. 168-250) ... 53 Part I THE STRUCTURES OF THE ORDER AND GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL (Artt. 168-187) ................................... 53 TITLE I The structures of the Order (Artt. 168-172) ....................................................................................................................... 53 TITLE II Authorities of the Order and offices in general (Artt. 173-180) ......................................................................................... 54 TITLE III The conferring, exercise and loss of offices (Artt. 181-187) ............................................................................................. 55 Part II GENERAL GOVERNMENT (Artt. 188-214) ................................................................................................................... 56 TITLE IV The General Chapter (Artt. 188-192) .................................................................................................................................. 56 TITLE V The Plenary Council of the Order (Artt. 193-195) ............................................................................................................. 57 TITLE VI The Minister General (Artt. 196-201) ................................................................................................................................ 57 TITLE VII The General Definitory (Artt. 202-205) ............................................................................................................................. 58 TITLE VIII The Vicar General (Artt. 206-208) ..................................................................................................................................... 59 TITLE IX The Definitors General (Artt. 209-210) .............................................................................................................................. 59 TITLE X The Secretary General and Offices of the General Curia (Artt. 211-212) ......................................................................... 59 TITLE XI Visitators and Delegates General (Artt. 213-214) .............................................................................................................. 59 Part III PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT (Artt. 215-231) ............................................................................................................. 60 TITLE XII The Provincial Chapter, the Capitular Congressus and the Plenary Council of the Province (Artt. 215-218) .................. 60 TITLE XIII The Minister Provincial (Artt. 219-221) ............................................................................................................................ 60 TITLE XIV The Provincial Definitory (Artt. 222-226) ......................................................................................................................... 61 TITLE XV Conferences of Minister Provincial (Art. 227) ................................................................................................................... 61 TITLE XVI The Vicar Provincial (Artt. 228-229) ................................................................................................................................. 62 TITLE XVII The Secretary of the Province and others offices (Artt. 230-231) ....................................................................................