Now is a Very Good Time to be a Secular Franciscan

This is a very good time to be a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. A lot has happened since the Second Vatican Council. Here are what I believe are the major milestones for the Secular Franciscan Order. All are very positive developments and bode well for the Order.

The Second Vatican Council encouraged religious communities to explore the founder's charism. The Degree on The Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life Perfectae Caritatis Proclaimed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965 is the first major milestone in the renewal of the Franciscan Movement. It said "The spirit and aims of each founder should be faithfully accepted and retained." As a result, among Franciscans there was a renewed interest in Sts. Francis and Clare and their earlier followers.

After Perfectae Caritatis, the next major milestone is the publishing of St. Francis of Assisi: Writing and Early Biographies: English Omnibus of the Sources for the Life of St. Francis in 1972 by Marion A. Habig and Raphael Brown, et al. In its day, the Omnibus, as it was affectionately referred to, was the "gold standard" of sources for information about the life of St. Francis. The Omnibus gave Franciscans and scholars access to the early Franciscan sources.

The next important milestone is the development and approval of new SFO Rule in 1978. Amazingly, the new rule for Secular Franciscans incorporates Francis of Assisi's "First Letter to the Faithful," which had been misplaced for 750 years. The 1978 rule is perfect for our time. Secular Franciscans are encouraged to devote themselves to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to gospel.

The next important milestone is the publishing of Studying The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi - A Beginner's Workbook (1st Edition) in 1996 by William R. Hugo, OFM Cap.  I highly recommend Hugo's method for studying Franciscan documents. Simply put, you have a mind and Hugo shows you how to use it.

The 2nd Edition of Hugo's book is coordinated with the Francis of Assisi: Early Documents Volume I, II and III, which is the next important milestone. The three volume set, published in 1999, is in widespread use by scholars, academics, and the laity.

The next important milestone occurred in 2001. That is when "The Commission on the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition (CFIT) was established in 2001 by the English-Speaking Conference of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) to promote a contemporary retrieval of the distinctive theological and spiritual vision that animates the Franciscan movement." Around 2007, CFIT established an internet presence allowing scholars, academics and laity to have access to an array of digital documents, including the three volume set of Franciscan documents published in 1999.

In 2010, during a General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI offered the world a catechesis on St. Francis of Assisi and two more on St. Bonaventure.

The Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) published For Up to Now: Foundational Topics for Initial Formation in 2011, which is the next important milestone for the Order. The FUN Manual is an absolutely outstanding resource that is widely available on the internet as a digital document.

Finally, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013, a papal conclave elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as his successor in March 2013. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. The first pope to do so.

Yes, this is a very good time to be a member of the Secular Franciscan Order.