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JReducation
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I went to that article. The friars in that article are not the Franciscan Friars (OFM). The Grey Friars were the original Friars Minor, which grew into four larger orders that were eventually separated into obediences with different habits and different colors from grey to blue and black and brown in the middle:
Order of Friars Minor Observants, also known as the Franciscan Friars (OFM)
Order of Friars Minor Conventual, or simply Conventuals (OFM, Conv)
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, also known as the Capuchins (OFM, Cap)
Order of Friars of Penance, also known as Third Order Regular (TOR)
From these obediences there are smaller provinces and obediences such as:
MFVA, OSF, CFR, FPO, FBE, FBP, LBSF, BC, FCK and others that follow the primitive rule.
The pope who allowed the mendicants to keep their customs was Pope Nicholas IV who was a Conventual Franciscan Friar and wanted to protect his order from the changes that were taking place in the Church at the time. He shielded them and the Dominicans, whom the Franciscans have always considered part of the family.
Later, Pius V, who was a Dominican, would return the favor by including the Franciscans in his protection of his order.
Leo XIII, who was a Secular Franciscan, would also extend his coverage of protection over the Franciscan family. Pope Pius X and Pius XII issued enclycals of praise for the Franciscans. They were both professed Secular Franciscans and very interested in protecting the traditions of the family.
In 2009 delegates from all of the Franciscans gathered in Assisi for the 800th anniversary of the family. At that chapter, Pope Benedict XVI gave them his blessing and urged them to continue toward the recovery of the ancient practices of the 13th century, because this was the theme of the Chapter of Mats of 2009.
The Franciscans do enjoy a litte more freedom in liturgical practices (mass and office) than do Diocesan clergy as a sign of respect from different popes through the ages.
The same has to be said for the Dominicans, Carmelites and Benedictines. The popes have always had a special affection for the mendicants and the monks.
But as I said above, not everything that applies to mendicants and monks, applies to the secular clergy and to the laity. We have to be careful with that. There are many rules and documents that are not in circulation among the laity, because they are not about the laity or applicable to the laity. When you visit a chapel, church or oratory run by one of these orders, you have to remember that it may be come under the jurisdiction of the order and in other places it may come under the jurisdiction of the local bishop. The lines are not always clear to the faithful, but they are to us.
For example, you cannot expect to see a mass at Franciscan University that you would see at your parish. Franciscan University does not belong to the diocese. It belongs to the Holy See and is under the direction of the Third Order Franciscans.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
Just kidding, seriously, I know of no one who would be upset if a person who can’t kneel would receive standing at the rail. I saw a woman with a walker helped to the rail by a younger woman, and the priest noticed, and instead of walking back to the end of the rail, stopped, and gave Communion to both of them standing, even gesturing to the younger woman to remain standing when she started to kneel. And it was appropriate imo, because the elderly woman with the walker was very frail and needed someone next to her in case she fell.
