01201521 Rule TOR the Apostolic Constitution Inter cetera

English

January 20, 1521: Rule of the Third Regular Order, by the Apostolic Constitution Inter cetera by Pope Leo X

This is the first text of the Rule itself of the Third Regular or Religious Order of Saint Francis of Assisi, promulgated by Leo X in his Apostolic Constitution "Inter cetera", of January 20, 1521, and which was in force until 1927 , in which Pius XI, while repealing this, promulgated his own. The original Latin text can be seen in the work of Card. You live: Franciscan Institute, Romae, Typis Vaticanis, 1904; n. 556, pp. 425-430.

Leo X, Pope, to the beloved children, Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order of the blessed Francis, who live in congregations with the three essential vows.

Among the other things entrusted to Our government, we are made to be very particularly solicitous by those by which, the lusts of the world and the flesh being restrained, it is manifested that the peaceful state of innocence and first peace coming from heaven is restored to its original state. origin.

Precisely in view of this, Pope Nicholas IV, of happy memory, Our Predecessor, confirmed and approved, some time ago (VIII-18-1289), the Third Rule of the blessed Francis, which he called Penance, and by which The generous Confessor, filled with the Spirit of God, tried to save all the faithful of both sexes.

However, because with the passage of time, under the impulse of that same Holy Spirit, not only married people and citizens of this world, for whom Blessed Francis had given the Third Rule, but also choirs of innumerable Virgins, after having embraced the three essential vows, and some also that of cloister with Our approval, and having built many monasteries, not without multiplied fruit and edification of the Church militant.

And because said Third Rule contains some norms that, although they are appropriate for married people, are less convenient for those who embraced the celibate or virginal state, and are serving the Lord under this Third Rule, in attention to the pure affections of the chaste souls and, according to the will of the Lord, separating the precious from the vile, we again confirm and approve the same Third Rule, different from what will be seen below, and we transmit it to you and your loved ones. successors for its observance; The tenor of it is as follows.

Of the entry of the novices

Chapter I. The Brothers or Sisters to be received into this Third Order must be faithful Catholics, not suspected of heresy, firm in obedience to the Roman Church, not bound by marriage, free of debt, healthy in body, ready in spirit, not stained by no vulgar infamy, reconciled with their neighbors. And before they are received, they must be carefully examined concerning all these things by him whose duty it is to receive them.

Of what the Brothers and Sisters have to promise in the profession of this Third Rule

Chapter II. The Brothers and Sisters, after having worn the habit of the test for a full year (which must be of vile cloth, in the opinion of the visitor), if their behavior had been praiseworthy in the convent in which someone or someone has worn the habit of the test, is admitted to the profession of said Order, prior to the advice of the Discretes of said convent. In this profession he promised to observe the commandments of God and pay for any transgressions he may commit in the future against this Third Rule when required to do so by the Prelates, living in obedience, without anything of his own and in chastity.

From fasting

Chapter III. The Brothers and Sisters do not eat meat, without distinction of times, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (except the feast of the Lord's Christmas). And they are obliged to fast every Wednesday and Friday from the feast of All Saints until the Resurrection of the Lord. Likewise, fast every Friday of the year. Likewise, fast every day from the feast of Saint Martin until the Lord's Christmas; Furthermore, the Lent of the universal Church that lasts until the Resurrection of the Lord, which, however, must begin from fiftieth. But on the days when you do not fast, eat at most twice a day, except that, from the Easter festival until the month of October, those who are engaged in difficult or hard work may restore their strength three times a day. day, always excepting fast days. The itinerant, sick, weak, in case of need, will be free from fasting.

Of the Divine Office and prayer

Chapter IV. Brothers and Sisters remain silent in the Church, especially when mass is celebrated or the word of God is expounded. In other places, observe what your superiors have prescribed regarding silence. They must also every day, at night, reflect within themselves and before God what they did, said or thought. Every day equally (if they could easily) they should hear mass. And they must try to have a religious man who preaches to them on certain days the word of God and incites them to penitence and virtues. Those who know how to recite the canonical hours must complete these hours according to the usage of the Holy Roman Church. But those who do not know how to pray the canonical hours, say twelve Our Fathers for Matins, and seven for each of the other hours, adding a Glory to the Father at the end of each Our Father, having also heard the Creed and Miserere mei Deus at the beginning of Prima and of Compline. Whoever ignores what precedes must say the Lord's Prayer three times in penance. As many times as you eat or take food, you should give thanks to God. Regarding Sacramental Confession and the reception of Holy Communion, they will observe what is prescribed by Pope Nicholas IV, confessing and communing three times a year, or they will abide by what is ordered by their Superiors in this regard.

Of the distribution of Prelacies and offices

Chapter V. Each house, if it is a men's monastery, will have a Superior of that Fraternity, who will be called the local Minister. But if it belongs to women, it will be called Mother; and they will be elected by their own convents, or instituted by their respective Provincial Superiors or by the General Visitor. In such a way, however, that none of them is perpetual, except for a certain time. These Ministers and Mothers will obey in everything related to this Rule the Provincial Ministers of the Order of the Minors of Blessed Francis, and the Visitors designated by the same Ministers, while they remain in said offices. As for other offices within the house, they will keep their statutes.

The way of behaving internally and externally

Chapter VI. Since the Brothers and Sisters of this fraternity are called Penance, it is advisable that they abstain from all affectation, both in clothing and in anything else. And according to the salutary advice of the Prince of the Apostles, the blessed Peter, leaving behind certain vain ornaments of this world, they should wear no other bodily ornament than the only humble and necessary clothing for their body. They must also be careful not to enter the Palaces of Princes, Lords or Ladies, where the pleasure of this world resides (as the Lord testifies); and on no occasion should they ever attend dances, amusements, games and other vanities of comedians.

They must also be sparing in words and conversations, which rarely multiply without sin. And above all, they must abstain from every lie and every oath, according to the command of the Lord, unless it is to affirm peace, faith, a slander or a testimony. And every day at night, among other things, they must examine themselves to see if they have said or made any lie or oath, and for each transgression they must say the Lord's Prayer three times.

Visiting and caring for the sick

Chapter VII. If any Brother or Sister of this fraternity falls ill, the Minister or Mother of the house must visit him or her once a day by himself or another person, and carefully ensure that he is served, from the common goods, with everything necessary. . He is equally obliged to exhort the sick man or woman to accept penance, and to truly convert to God, bringing to their consideration the proximity of death and the severity of divine judgment, at the same time as divine mercy.

Of the Visit that the Prelates must make to the Brothers and Sisters

Chapter VIII. The Provincial Minister of the Minor Brothers, or the Visitor of the same Order whom he commissions, will make the visit every year, only once in each house, in the presence of the oldest. And, once the visit has been made, you should not enter the offices or other interior rooms of the Sisters. Said Visitor, in turn, never remains alone and separated with any Sister. The Ministers and Mothers must express to the Visitor the defects that require correction. And the other Brothers and Sisters must do the same. And if some are incorrigible in the judgment of the Discreet Men or Women of the house, they should be expelled from the congregation like unhealthy sheep.

From the service of the dead

Chapter IX. When a Brother or Sister dies, the Minister or Mother will ensure that their funeral is solemnly celebrated. All the Brothers or Sisters of the house where the death occurred must personally attend these funerals, and they must not leave until the body has been entrusted to the grave. And each priest must celebrate, within eight days, a mass for the soul of each deceased; those who know the psaltery, fifty psalms; and those who do not know the psaltery must recite fifty Our Fathers, adding the Requiem aeternam at the end of each one.

And at the end of each year, or after each year, every priest celebrates three masses for the dead; those who know the psaltery, recite the psaltery once; and those who do not know the psaltery, say a hundred Our Fathers, adding at the end of each one the Requiem aeternam. And the Ministers and Mothers are charged with the duty of ensuring that these offices for the deceased and other divine offices annexed to this series are faithfully fulfilled.

Of the obligatory nature of what is contained in the Rule

Chapter and none of them are obligatory under penalty of sin, mortal or venial, unless someone is already obligated to them by human or divine right. The Brothers and Sisters, however, are obliged to comply with the penances imposed by the Superiors, when required to do so. They are equally obliged to the three essential vows: to poverty, having nothing in particular; to chastity, because after the vow they cannot marry or, without transgression, engage in the vices of the flesh; and to obedience, as to those things without which this Fraternity cannot conveniently subsist. Those who have expressly wanted to keep it are also obliged to keep the cloister. What we grant to each and every one of the convents, provided that the hospitality and charity that they usually exercise with the sick does not suffer any detriment in honesty.

Given in Rome, next to Saint Peter, under the Fisherman's ring, on January 20, 1521, the eighth year of Our Pontificate.

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