Different Kinds of Franciscans

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Hi there. I went to a celebration for the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi once; it was a huge thing with lots and lots of Franciscans there. I talked to one, and he told me how you can tell which kinds of Franciscans they are based on their habits.

Would anyone here be able to teach me which different sorts of Franciscans wear which habits? First off, how can you tell when it’s a Franciscan and not someone of some other order? There are some other ones who wear robes too. Would the three knots be the indicator? Second, which Franciscans wear brown, which ones wear grey, etc.? I just mean with the bigger Franciscan orders; I know there are lots of them and it’s impossible to know them all, but what do the capuchins wear, or what do the conventuals wear?

Also, are there any substantial differences between the major Franciscan orders, or are the differences just historical? Do some Franciscans practise things other ones don’t?
 
Dear JesuXPIPassio,

I am not an expert on the Franciscans, but I will try to answer your questions.
Would anyone here be able to teach me which different sorts of Franciscans wear which habits?
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There are no hard set rules in terms of habits and their style. But generally speaking;
  1. Black Habits: Conventual Franciscans
  2. Brown Habit: Order of Friars Minor (OFM) or OFM Capuchin
  3. Grey Habit: Capuchin reform (ex. CFR)
There are exceptions, of course. For example, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are from the Conventual branch, but they wear light blue/grey habits.
First off, how can you tell when it’s a Franciscan and not someone of some other order? There are some other ones who wear robes too. Would the three knots be the indicator?
Click to expand...
Yes the three knots would be an indicator.
Also, are there any substantial differences between the major Franciscan orders, or are the differences just historical? Do some Franciscans practice things other ones don’t?
Click to expand...
Yes, there are differences between the three main branches of Franciscans. For a quick overview on their history and charism, you may visit the following site;religious-vocation.com/differences_religious_orders.html Here is an exert;
**FRANCISCANS: **The Franciscans were founded in the 13th century by Saint Francis, who, in a vision, was told by God to “rebuild My Church, which as you see is falling into ruin”. Franciscans are typically characterized by their lives of simplicity, penance, poverty, and love for the poor. Like the Benedictines, the Franciscans also underwent a number of reforms throughout history, but were consolidated in 1897 into three main bodies; Friars Minor, the Conventuals, and the Capuchins. Some Franciscan communities may be more contemplative in nature, such as the Franciscan Sisters of Nazareth.
  • Friars Minor: The Friars Minor were the result of a large consolidation of various groups (Observants, Discalced, Recollects, Riformati, etc.) by Pope Leo XII in 1897. Today the Friars Minor compose the largest body of the Franciscans order, and are criticized as being the most lenient.
  • Friars Minor Conventual: The Conventual Franciscans were one of the first reforms of the Franciscan order. They desired to apply the Franciscan spirit to new applications (such as urban city apostolates, rather than remaining in rural areas). As such, they were granted various dispensations to relax certain rules in order to carry out specific apostolates. Today, the Conventuals have taken on a more academic and Marian spirit, influenced by Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who also was a Conventual. The most notable Conventuals, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (who have a sister branch as well), take a fourth vow of total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary and have a very active media apostolate.
  • Friars Minor Capuchin. The Capuchin reform desired a return to a stricter observance of the Franciscan rule. As such, Capuchin franciscans tend to be the most “active”, with a stronger emphasis on corporal works of mercy. A Capuchin Franciscan would be more likely to be seen feeding the poor or street evangelizing, rather than writing a book on the liturgy or studying Patristics. The most notable Capuchins today are the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.
    Like many religious communities, the Franciscans have suffered from a marked decline in vocations over the past forty years; many of which have become more secularized, deemphasizing certain traditions of Franciscan heritage (penance and mortification, fasting on bread and water, use of the Discipline, etc.). It is not uncommon today to see friars watching television, or going to the movies and ice cream on a Saturday night. However, like the Benedictines, the communities of lax traditions seem to be diminishing, slowly being replaced by young communities devoted to living a more radical and counter-cultural way of life (see; Sisters of Nazareth, Friars of the Immaculate, Sisters of the Immaculate, Friars of the Renewal, Sisters of the Renewal, and the Franciscan Friars of the Primitive Observance).
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Hope this helps!

Blessings.
 
Some of the Sisters don’t wear Habits i. e. The sorrowful Mothers (we call them the sorry moms).
If they wear a habit they will have a rope around their waist with 3 knots.
The Secular Franciscan wear a Tau.

The 3 questions only God knows the Answer are:

How many different Franciscan orders are there?

What is a Jesuit realy thinking?

What is the net worth of the Church?

Pax Et Bonum
 
Seculars, who are professed, are allow to be buried in a habit called the Franciscan Shroud.
 
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