Third Order Franciscans vs the Secular Franciscans Order

[Luigi_Daniele]

Your terms are a little skewed. First order is friars. Second order is Poor Clare nuns. Third order regular are friars, plus there are a zillion groups of third order sisters (distinct from nuns). Third Order Secular, the Secular Franciscans, are secular but not necessarily lay. Diocesan clergy can be OFS, and we have lots of deacons, priests, bishops, and even popes in our order

First and third order regular friars can be priests, or not.

The habit of the OFS is the Tau cross. The robe-style habit, in various shades of brown, grey, or black depending on the community, is proper to the friars. Nuns wear brown dress-ish robes and veils, and the various sisters wear various habits or not, depending on the community/congregation.

Secular a do not wear a robe habit because we are secular, living in the world in our families with our jobs. We don’t dress like Religious because we are not Religious.

We don’t say “brothers,” but “friars.” Being a friar is a Religious vocation, which would mean first order (OFM, Capuchin, and Conventual friars) or third order regular, which is TOR friars.

I hope that clarifies things. It’s a complicated family

They do, however, both mean brother