Rule of St. Francis
The Regula Bullata
Of all the rules of religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church the Rule of St. Francis has been the subject of the most controversies and the most Papal interventions and declarations. Indeed Pope Nicholas III went so far as to censure its detractors. The reason for this lies in the Rule's perfect conformity to the highest standards of the Gospel. Yet the demands it places on the one who promises to observe it in this life are nothing in comparison to the glory to be won by him from Christ in the life to come.
The official text of the Rule of St. Francis was approved on November 29, 1223 A.D. by Pope Honorius III in the Bull Solet Annuere. Hence it is customary to present the text of the Rule within that of the papal decree (as is done below within square brackets). The original of the Bull is kept at the Sacro Convento in Assisi. K. Esser holds that, in all probability, St. Francis wrote the text of the Rule, which it requotes, in his own hand, sometime between Pentecost and November of 1223 A.D..
[ Honorius, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to (Our) beloved sons, Friar Francis and the other friars from the Order of Friars Minor, health and apostolic benediction. The Apostolic See is accustomed to agree to grant (Her) benevolent favour according to the pious wishes and upright desires of those asking to share in it. On that account, beloved (dilectio) sons in the Lord, having yielded to your pious prayers, We confirm for you, by (Our) apostolic authority, the Rule of your Order, approved by Our predecessor, Pope Innocent, of good memory, quoted herein, and We thoroughly fortify it with the patronage of (this) present writing. Which is such:]
Chapter I
In the Name of the Lord! begins the life of the Friars Minor.
The Rule and life of the Friars Minor is this, namely, to observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience, without anything of one's own, and in chastity. Friar Francis promises obedience and reverence to the lord Pope Honorius and to his canonically elected successors and to the Roman Church. And the other friars are bound to obey Friar Francis and his successors.
Chapter II
On those who want to adopt this life, and how they ought to be received.
If any want to adopt this life and have come to our friars, let them send them to their Ministers provincial, to whom alone, and not to others, is the permission to receive friars conceded. Let the ministers indeed examine them diligently concerning the Catholic Faith and the Sacraments of the Church. And if they believe all these things and want to observe them faithfully and firmly until the end, and they have no wives or, if they do have them, their wives have already entered a monastery, or they have given them permission (to do so) by authority of the diocesan bishop, a vow of continence already having been promised, and the wives are of that age, that suspicion cannot arise concerning them, let them say unto these the word of the Holy Gospel (cf. Mt 19:21), that they are to go and sell all their things and strive to pay them out to the poor. Which if they could not do, a good will suffices for them. And let the friars and their ministers beware, lest they be solicitous concerning their temporal things, so that they may freely do with their own things, whatever the Lord has inspired them. Nevertheless if counsel is required, let the ministers have permission to send them to other God fearing (men), by whose counsel their goods may be paid out to the poor. Afterwards let them grant them the clothes of probation, that is, two tunics without a capuche, and a cord, and breeches, and a caparone (extending down) to the cord, unless at any time something else seems to the same ministers (to be) according to God. With the year of probation truly finished, let them be received to obedience, promising to observe always this life and Rule. And in no manner shall it be licit for them to go forth from this religion, by the mandate of the lord Pope, because according to the Holy Gospel "No one putting a hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God" (Lk 9:62). And let those who have already promised obedience have one tunic with a capuche, and those, who want to have it, another (tunic) without a capuche. And let those who are driven by necessity be able to wear footwear. And let all the friars wear cheep clothing and let them be able to patch these with sacks and other pieces (of cloth) with the blessing of God. Which (friars) I warn and exhort, not to despise nor judge men, whom they see clothed with soft and coloured clothes, using dainty food and drink, but rather let each one judge and despise his very self.
Chapter III
Concerning the divine office and fasting, and in what manner the friars ought to go through the world.
Let the clerics perform the Divine Office according to the Ordo of the Roman Church, except for the Psalter, for which they can have breviaries. Let the lay (brothers) indeed say twenty-four Pater Nosters for Matins; for Lauds five; for Prime, Terce, Sext and Nones, for each of these seven, however for Vespers twelve; for Compline seven; and let them pray on behalf of the dead. And let them fast from the Feast of All Saints until the Nativity of the Lord. Indeed the holy lent, which begins from Epiphany throughout the forty following days, which the Lord consecrated by His own holy fast (Mt 4:2), let those who voluntarily fast it be blest by the Lord, and let those who do not want (to do so) not be constrained. But let them fast the other (lent) until the Resurrection of the Lord. However at other times let them not be bound to fast, except on Fridays. Indeed in time of manifest necessity let the friars not be bound to the corporal fast. Indeed, I counsel, warn and exhort my friars in the Lord Jesus Christ, that when they go about through the world, they not quarrel nor contend in words (cf. 2 Tim 2:14), nor judge others, but be mild, peaceable and modest, meek and humble, speaking uprightly to all, as is fitting. And that they ought not ride (horseback), unless they are driven (to do so) by manifest necessity or infirmity. "Into whatever house" they have entered, let them "first" say: "Peace to this house" (cf. Lk 10:5). And according to the Holy Gospel let it be licit to eat of all the foods, which are placed before them (cf. Lk 10:8).
Chapter IV
That the brothers are not to receive money.
I firmly precept all the friars, that in no manner are they to receive coins or money through themselves or through an interposed person. Nevertheless on behalf of the necessities of the infirm and the clothing of the other friars, let only the ministers and the custodes conduct a solicitous care, by means of spiritual friends, according to places and seasons and cold regions, as they have seen expedites necessity; with this always preserved, that, as has been said, they do not receive coins nor money.
Chapter V
On the manner of working.
Let those friars, to whom the Lord has given the grace to work, work faithfully and devoutly, in such a way that, having excluded idleness, the enemy of the soul, they do not extinguish the spirit of holy prayer and devotion, which all other temporal things must serve zealously. Indeed concerning the wages of labour, let them receive on their (own) behalf and that of their brothers the things necessary for the body, excepting coins or money, and this humbly, as befits the servants of God and the followers of most holy poverty.
Chapter VI
That the friars are to appropriate nothing for themselves, and on the begging of alms, and on sick friars.
Let the friars appropriate nothing for themselves, neither house nor place nor any thing. And as pilgrims and exiles (cf. 1 Pt 2:11) in this age, as ones serving the Lord in poverty and humility, let them go about for alms confidently, nor is it proper that they be ashamed, because the Lord made Himself poor in this world on our behalf (cf. 2 Cor 8:9). This is that loftiness of the highest poverty, which has established you, my most dear friars, as heirs and kings of the Kingdom of Heaven, has made you poor in things, (and) has raised you high in virtues (cf. Jm 2:5). Let this be your "portion", which leads (you) through "to the land of the living" (cf. Ps 141,6). Cleaving totally to this, most beloved (dilectio) friars, may you want to have nothing else under heaven in perpetuity, on behalf of the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. · And, wherever the friars are and have come upon one another, let them mutually show themselves (to be) members of each other's family. And let one without fear manifest to the another his own need, since, if a mother nourishes and loves her own son (cf. 1 Th 2:7) according to the flesh, how much more diligently ought he love and nourish his own spiritual brother? And, if any of them has fallen into infirmity, the other friars ought to serve him, as they would want to be served themselves.
Chapter VII
On the penance to be imposed on friars who are sinning.
If any of the friars, at the instigation of the enemy, has sinned mortally, for those sins, concerning which it had be ordained among the friars, that one have recourse to the Ministers provincial alone, the aforesaid friars are bound to have recourse to them as soon as they can, without delay. Indeed let the Ministers themselves, if they are priests, with mercy enjoin upon them a penance; if indeed they are not priests, let them have it enjoined by other priests of the order, as it will seem to them to better expedite (the matter) according to God. And they ought to beware, not to grow angry and be distressed on account of the sin of anyone, since anger and distress impede charity in themselves and in others.
Chapter VIII
On the election of the Minister General of this fraternity; and on the Chapter at Pentecost.
Let all the friars be bound to always have one of the friars of this religion as Minister General and servant of the whole fraternity and let them be bound firmly to obey him. When he dies, let the election of a successor be made by the Ministers provincial and the custodes in the Chapter at Pentecost, in which the Ministers provincial are always bound to convene at once, wherever it had been determined by the Minister general; and this once every three years or at another interval greater or less, as had been ordained by the aforesaid Minister. And if at any time it appears to the whole body of the Ministers provincial and custodes, that the aforesaid Minister is not sufficient for the service and common utility of the friars, the aforesaid friars, to whom the election has been given, are bound in the Name of the Lord to choose another as their guard. Indeed, after the Chapter at Pentecost, let the ministers and custodes each be able, if they will have wanted and if it will seem to them to be expedient, to convoke their friars to a chapter in their own custodies once in the same year.
Chapter IX
On preachers.
Let the friars not preach within the jurisdiction of any bishop, when (their preaching) has been contradicted by him. And let no friar at all dare preach to the people, unless he has been examined by the Minister general of this fraternity and approved, and there has been conceded to him by the same the office of preaching. I also warn and exhort these same friars, that in the preaching, that they do, their "expressions" be "considered" and "chaste" (cf. Ps 11:7; 17:31), for the utility and edification of the people, by announcing to them vices and virtues, punishment and glory with brevity of speech; "since a brief word" did "the Lord speak upon the Earth" (cf. Rm 9:28).
Chapter X
On the admonition and correction of the friars.
Let the friars, who are the ministers and servants of the other friars, visit and warn their friars and humbly and charitably correct them, not precepting them anything, which may be contrary to their soul and our Rule. Indeed let the friars, who are subjects, remember, that for the sake of God they have denied their own wills. Whence I firmly precept them, to obey their ministers in all the things which they have promised the Lord to observe and which are not contrary to their soul or to our Rule. And that wherever the friars are, who know and understand, that they themselves are not able to observe the Rule spiritually, they ought to and can have recourse to their ministers. Indeed let the ministers receive them charitably and kindly and regard them with so much familiarity, that (these) can speak to them and act as lords with their servants; for so it ought to be, because the ministers are to be the servants of all the friars. Indeed I warn and exhort the friars in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they beware "of all" pride, vain glory, envy, "avarice" (cf. Lk 12:15), care and solicitude for this world (saeculum) (cf. Mt 13:22), detraction and murmuring, and that those ignorant of letters not care to learn letters; but let them attend to that which they ought to desire to have above all, 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 and reprehend and accuse us, because the Lord says, "Love your enemies, pray on behalf of those who are persecuting and calumniating you" (Mt 5:44). "Blessed (are) those who suffer persecution on account of justice, since theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5:10). "However he who will have persevered until the end, this one shall be saved" (Mt 10:22).
Chapter XI
That the friars are not to enter the monasteries of nuns.
I firmly precept all the friars not to have suspicious partnerships or consultations with women, and not to enter the monasteries of nuns, except those (friars) to whom special permission has been conceded by the Apostolic See; nor are they to become godfathers of men or women nor is scandal to arise on this account among the friars or concerning the friars.
Chapter XII
On those going among the Saracens and other infidels.
Let whoever of the friars who, by divine inspiration, wants to go among the Saracens and other infidels, seek permission for that reason from their Ministers provincial. Indeed let the ministers grant permission to go to none, except those whom they see to be fit to be sent. For which I enjoin the ministers through obedience, to ask from the lord Pope one of the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, to be the governor, protector, and corrector of this fraternity, so that always subject and prostrate at the feet of the same Holy Church, stable in the Catholic Faith (cf. Col 1:23) we may observe, what we have firmly promised: the poverty and humility and the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
[ Therefore let it be licit to entirely no man to infringe upon this page of our confirmation or by temarious daring to contravene the same. However, if anyone has presumed to attempt this, let him know that he shall incur the indignation of the Omnipotent God and of His blessed Apostles Peter and Paul. Given at the Lateran on the third day before the Calends of December, in the eighth year of Our Pontificate. ]
May the Lord give you peace...
