I tried to research this and came up with nothing so I am asking here. I thought I read somewhere that the Franciscans of the Immaculate are now part of the Franciscan 1st order and no longer a congregation. Is this true? If so then there is a part of the Franciscan order that celebrates the TLM
No. They are not part of any of the three Franciscan Orders. However, they follow the Rule of the Friars Minor, which is the rule that Francis wrote for the first order that he founded, hence the label, first order.
They are not an order. They are a congregation. The last religious order founded in the Catholic Church was the Society of Jesus. Everyone who came after that belongs either to a congregation, secular institute, society of apostolic life, or society of secular priests.
They do have permission to celebrate the EF in public. Any major superior who is not impaired by his constitutions can grant this permission, per Summorum Pontificum.
When they begin wearing brown robes you’ll know the answer.
These guys wear brown robes though and they up to date with the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
youtu.be/LMEemJnF4ds
LOL Not quite my friend. The first order that Francis founded is called the Order of Friars Minor.
The Order of Friars Minor has three branches, which we call obediences.
- The Friars Minor Conventual – wear grey or black, it’s up to the individual friar, whatever he likes.
- The Friars Minor of the Leonine Union (aka The Franciscans) - wear brown tunic with a collared cowl.
- The Friars Minor Capuchin - wear a brown tunic without a collar, but with a long cowl.
The second order that Francis founded is the Order of Poor Sisters (aka Poor Clares)
There are 20,000 of them in about 5,000 independent monasteries. They have no habit. St. Clare wrote that each house could design its own habit according to the climate, culture, customs, resources and the preferences of the sisters. The abbess has to approve it. Some houses wear brown, grey, black, white, blue, tan, kahki or secular clothes. Clare could care less.
The third order that Francis founded is the Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance - this order sub-divided into two obediences, one of friars (TOR) and one of seculars (OFS) formerly SFO.
The TOR - wear black
The TOR have given birth to many Franciscan communities as have the OFS. Most of them are congregations of sisters. Again, they were black, brown, grey, tan, or no habit. Francis did not specify a habit for any of his orders.
The grey habit is alleged to be the original color. Franciscan historians have proved that it’s not the original color. The legend came about because when Francis’ tomb was opened the bones were wearing a grey tunic.
However, there are paintings and other writings that show the friars in black, grey, brown, tan, and other earth colors. They wore whatever they could afford and what was available in the region where they lived. The brown was the most common color, because they would get wool and dye it brown using tree bark. Most Franciscans wear brown. The grey is because of the legend which has been proven to be false. The black was because Brother Elias, who succeeded Francis until he was excommunicated for disagreeing with Francis (a whole other story) moved the friars into houses called convents like those of the Augustinians. He borrowed the Augustinian habit, instead of a belt, they wore a cord. Today those friars are known as Conventuals and wear either black, white or grey.
There are many communities that are not part of the first order, but follow the rule of the first order. The difference between them and the friars of the first order is that the Church will not grant them the graces of solemn vows. They are allowed to make simple vows, not solemn vows. Solemn vows has the same grace as baptism. Your sins are blotted away on the day that you make solemn vows, because solemn vows are an extension of Baptism. The Church reserves this privilege only for religious who belong to an order and who are exempt.
The FI are exempt. But they are not an order.
The Franciscans of the Immaculate were founded by the two Franciscan friars, Fr. Stefano Maria Manelli and Fr. Gabriel Maria Pellettieri. Together they outlined a form of life for the friars, sisters and the laity after the example of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, giving the fullest expression to the Marian dimension of St. Francis’ ideal and Rule. The Franciscans of the Immaculate was established by Pope John Paul II in 1990 as a diocesan institute. The Institute was erected as a pontifical institute of religious life by His Holiness John Paul II in January 1, 1998, Solemnity of the Mother of God.
marymediatrix.com/religious-life/friars-of-the-immaculate
They have Franciscan succession, because they were founded by Franciscans.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
). It is grey. It is what Francis was buried in (right?). So is that not proof that it was grey? I am confused.