Who we are
Documents
The texts the Order lives by, and the sources that record how it began.
The texts we live by
Four documents: the Rule St. Francis wrote, the Testament he left, the Constitutions that govern the Order today, and the sources that record its first century.
The Rule of St. Francis
The Rule and Life of the Friars Minor, confirmed by Pope Honorius III in 1223.
The Testament of St. Francis
Written in the last months of his life, and read at every chapter alongside the Rule.
Franciscan General Statutes
The General Constitutions and Statutes that guide the life of every friar in the Order.
Franciscan Sources
The early writings and biographies of St. Francis, St. Clare and the first fraternity.