A Franciscan is a member of a Christian religious order founded in the early 13th century, the
founding of the Franciscans has of three orders, the First Order includes three branches: the
earliest branch, dating back to Francis himself, and are known as “Franciscans” or “Observants,”
who are a religious order of men; the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, or simply “Capuchins;” and
the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, or simply “Conventuals.”
The Second Order is the Order of St. Clare, or the Poor Clares, which is a group of religious
women.Also, the Third Order includes two branches: the Secular Franciscans and the Third Order
Franciscans. Secular Franciscans live out the Franciscan charisms within their vocations, and these
people are not consecrated as religious brothers, sisters, or ordained as priests. Third Order
Franciscans live in religious communities and live under traditional religious vows.
Around 1525, a group of Franciscans wanted to live a stricter rule than the original Order of
Friars Minor that St. Francis of Assisi founded. They believed it was actually Francis’ intention for
them to live more austere vows of poverty and prayer than what was recorded at the time. The
Capuchins received their name because of their long brown hoods that has become their signature
habit.
The Conventuals are a newer order, based on the life and spirituality of St. Maximilian Kolbe and
have the largest concentration of friars in Poland (but are located worldwide).
St. Francis founded the Secular Franciscans in 1212 for those who do not live in a religious
community, yet desired to follow the Franciscan way of life.
The Third Order Franciscans do take religious vows and live in a community, and they are
challenged to live an integrated life through prayer, community, and their ministry to serve the poor,
neglected and disadvantaged youth, the powerless, people in need, and the elderly.
Other associated groups include the Minims, who are a group of hermits that include mendicant
friars, contemplative nuns, and lay tertiaries, founded by St. Francis of Paola. Other tertiaries
include the Society of the Atonement, Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, Franciscan Friars of the
Renewal, Franciscans International, and Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word – famously founded
by Mother The first visit is from Francis of Assisi and eleven of his companions. They are laymen
who have given up their worldly possessions. They want to live among the poor, particularly in the
rapidly growing towns, preaching and bearing witness to a Christian life. The pope encourages
them.
Five years later Innocent's visitor is a Spaniard, Dominic de Guzman, who has much experience
of preaching (to the Cathars) and a specific interest in correcting doctrinal error. Like Francis, he and
his fellows have embraced poverty. They work amid the bustle and argument of the towns. They too
are given Innocent's blessing.
From these encounters are born the two great orders of mendicant (or begging) friars, the
Franciscans and the Dominicans. Western monasticism rediscovers a truth more often remembered
in the east, in Hinduism and Buddhism – that the holy man's only possession is his begging bowl.
But neither mendicant order, growing in power, will find the ideal of poverty easy.
The formal foundation of each order falls within the pontificate of Innocent's successor, Honorius III.
He establishes the Dominicans in 1216 and the Franciscans in 1223. .
A sister order for nuns, headed by St Clare, is founded at Assisi in 1212 under the aegis of St
Francis. The status of the Poor Clares as the second Franciscan order is authorized just two days
before Clare's death, in 1253, when the pope allows them to follow Francis's rule of 'perfect
poverty' rather than the rule of St Benedict.
Perfect poverty proves an unattainable ideal even for the mendicant friars following the example
of St Francis. The Latin name given to their order (Ordo Fratrum Minorum, Order of the Friars Minor)
emphasizes that humility is supposed to be their main characteristic – just as preaching is that of
the Dominicans.
But within twenty years of St Francis's death a Franciscan, Odo Rigaud, is archbishop of Rouen,
with three palaces and massive estates. When he is riding to Rome with a retinue of eighty
horsemen, an Italian bishop offers to pay his expenses. Odo replies, with devastating honesty but
not in the spirit of St Francis, that he has no need of charity.
The issue of poverty splits the Franciscan order into two camps, the Spirituals and the less strict
Conventuals. The drift of late medieval history is on the side of the Conventuals. In 1322 the pope
even condemns as heretical the doctrine of the poverty of Christ. A fat friar becomes a familiar
figure of satire; 'wanton and merry' is Chaucer's thumbnail sketch of the friar among the Canterbury
pilgrims.