THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY: ONE CHARISM, THREE ORDERS | KAIROS GLOBAL | SEPTEMBER 2026

Author: Ankitha Robin Poothavelil

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Intro: Ankitha Robin Poothavelil writes about the three Franciscan orders.

What do St Maximilian Kolbe, St Bonaventure, Dante Alighieri, Christopher Columbus, Michelangelo, and St Catherine of Bologna have in common? 

While the obvious answer is their shared Catholic faith, there is another that may not immediately come to mind. These figures, along with thousands of others throughout history, belonged to the Franciscan family. St Bonaventure, often called the second founder of the Franciscan Order, was a Friar Minor. St Maximilian Kolbe was a Conventual Franciscan. St Catherine of Bologna helped establish a Poor Clare monastery in her hometown. Dante Alighieri and Michelangelo are traditionally regarded as members of the Franciscan Third Order, while Christopher Columbus has also long been associated with the Franciscan spiritual family. 

To understand the shared spirituality and charism that united these remarkable figures, one must first look to their spiritual father, St Francis of Assisi, whose desire to live the Gospel gave rise to one of the largest spiritual families in the Church. 

Humble Beginnings 

In 1209, Francis of Assisi and a small band of companions travelled to Rome seeking papal approval for a new way of life. Clothed in simple tunics, they presented Pope Innocent III with a brief rule drawn largely from the Gospel, centred on poverty, penance, fraternity, and faithful observance of Christ's teachings.

Though they appeared to be little more than wandering penitents, Francis and his companions were introduced to the Pope through Bishop Guido of Assisi and Cardinal John of San Paolo. Pope Innocent III granted his verbal approval and sent them forth with a mission: ‘Go with the Lord, brothers, and, as the Lord inspires you, preach penance to all.’¹ 

What began as a small fraternity soon grew beyond Francis' imagination. Men embraced his way of life as Friars Minor, women followed under the leadership of St Clare of Assisi, and lay men and women sought to live the Franciscan spirit while remaining in the world. These developments gave rise to the three Franciscan Orders: the First Order of Friars Minor, the Second Order of Poor Clares, and the Third Order. 

The First Order 

The Order of Friars Minor (Ordo Fratrum Minorum) traces its origins to the papal approval granted in 1209. Although the original rule has been lost, St Francis later revised it, and Pope Honorius III formally approved the Rule in 1223. It remains the foundation for all branches of the First Order, calling the friars to lives of prayer, fraternity, humble service, missionary zeal, ongoing conversion, and fidelity to the Gospel. 

Not every friar is a priest. The word friar comes from the Latin frater, meaning ‘brother,’ reflecting the fraternity that lies at the heart of Franciscan life. All friars profess the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, but only some are ordained priests; others remain religious brothers. Even St Francis himself never became a priest, remaining a deacon throughout his life.

Today, the First Order consists of three autonomous branches: the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv.), and the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.). While all profess the same Rule of St Francis and share the same Gospel charism, they differ in their constitutions and in certain aspects of their observance, particularly regarding the practice of poverty. 

The Second Order 

The friars' radical embrace of poverty and joyful witness quickly attracted others, including women who desired to follow the same evangelical life. The first was Clare of Assisi, an eighteen-year-old noblewoman who left her family in 1212 to join Francis' movement. 

After a brief stay in a Benedictine convent, Clare and her companions established a community at San Damiano. Unlike the friars, they lived in enclosure, embracing a life of poverty, silence, prayer, and contemplation. 

Although inspired by St Francis, the sisters followed a rule written by St Clare herself. Approved by Pope Innocent IV on 9 August 1253, only days before her death, it became the first monastic rule written by a woman to receive papal approval, establishing the distinctive way of life of the Order of St Clare, better known as the Poor Clares. 

Over the centuries, several reforms gave rise to four principal branches: the Order of St Clare (OSC), the Poor Clare Colettines (PCC), the Capuchin Poor Clares (OSC Cap), and the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration (PCPA). Though each follows its own constitutions, all share the same commitment to evangelical poverty, contemplative prayer, and joyful simplicity. 

Living apart from the world, the Poor Clares devote themselves to prayer, work, study, and community life, gathering throughout the day to celebrate the Divine Office. Their hidden life remains a powerful witness to the primacy of God, offering a striking contrast to the restlessness and materialism of modern society. 

The Third Order 

St Francis never intended to found a religious order, much less three. His only desire was to follow Christ according to the Gospel. Yet Divine Providence transformed his personal conversion into a movement that continues to renew the Church. 

Traditionally dating to 1221, the Third Order of St Francis was established for lay men and women who wished to embrace the Franciscan charism while remaining in ordinary life. 

Today, the Third Order consists primarily of two branches. Members of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) live the Gospel in their families, workplaces, and communities through prayer, simplicity, ongoing conversion, fraternity, and works of charity, following the Rule approved by Pope St Paul VI in 1978. 

Some members of the Third Order eventually formed religious communities dedicated to common life and apostolic service. From these the Third Order Regular (TOR) developed, whose members profess the evangelical counsels while serving the Church through ministries such as education, healthcare, missionary work, parish ministry, and care for the poor. 

On the occasion of the seventh centenary of the birth of St Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIII wrote, ‘When the evils we have spoken of arise, as soon as the providentially appointed hour of help has struck, God raises a man, not one of the common herd, but eminent and unique, to whom he assigns the salvation of all. Such is what came to pass at the end of the twelfth century and in the few subsequent years; St Francis was the agent in this great work.’² 

The greatness of St Francis' work is perhaps best measured by the countless saints his charism has produced. From Doctors of the Church such as St Bonaventure and St Lawrence of Brindisi, to martyrs like St Maximilian Kolbe and St Thomas More, to holy women such as St Clare of Assisi and St Elizabeth of Hungary, the Franciscan family has formed generations of men and women who faithfully embodied the Gospel. 

For more than eight centuries, Franciscans have witnessed Christ through lives of poverty, humility, charity, and fidelity to the Church. Their example continues to call all Christians to ongoing conversion and holiness, proving that the simple Gospel life first embraced by St Francis remains as relevant today as it was eight hundred years ago. 

Reference

1. Thompson, Augustine. Francis of Assisi: A New Biography. Cornell University Press, 2012. 

2. Leo XIII, Auspicato Concessum, On St. Francis of Assisi (1882).On St. Francis of Assisi - Papal Encyclicals

Ankitha Robin Poothavelil is a theology student at the Chicago Theological Union, where she is pursuing her master’s degree. She lives in Chicago, USA, with her husband. She dreams of starting a Catholic podcast for young adults one day.