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FAQ's
Q. Are the Penitent Brothers of St. Francis really considered religious brothers?
A. The answer is "yes" we are also friars who are part of a wider movement, namely, An Association of Christ Faithful...
Q. What makes the Penitent Brothers unique in comparison to other communities?
A. The answer to this question is seven fold:
- We live as seculars and have incorporated a religious way of life into our every day lives.
- We follow the Third Order Regular Rule of St. Francis which has been tailored to meet our specific needs both as individuals and as a community by our Constitution and Directory. TOR (Third Order Regular) religious vow the three Evangelical Counsels of "Poverty, Chastity and Obedience", which we do not. In lieu of vows we profess sacred promises before God which are binding before God.
Q. Is the rule you follow the same as the rule followed by the Secular Franciscan Order?
A. No. We follow the Third Order Regular Rule which makes our way of life different.
Q. Are married men allowed to become Penitent Brothers?
A. Yes they are! There are many men who have felt the calling to religious life and seek to pursue a higher level of spirituality. This is no longer a a setback to those who are married. Those brothers who are married have promised conjugal chastity to their way of life and upon the death of the spouse, to remain celibate.
Q. What gives the Penitent Brothers the "right and authority" to live the form they do, if not as an official part of a major religious order in the Roman Catholic Church?
A. Canon Law allows us to live the life what we have chosen. Canon 298 ß1 states, "In the Church there are associations which are distinct for institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life. In these associations, Christ's faithful, whether clerics or laity, or clerics and laity together, strive with a common effort to foster a more perfect life, or to promote public worship or Christian teaching. They may also devote themselves to other works of piety or charity, and those which animate the temporal order with the Christian spirit."
ß2 Christ's faithful are to join especially those associations which have been established, praised or recommended by the competent ecclesiastical authority.
- Canon 299 ß1 By private agreement among themselves, Christ's faithful have the right to constitute associations for the purposes mentioned in Canon 298 ß1, without prejudice to the provisions of Canon 301 ß1.
- ß2 Associations of this kind even though they may be praised or commended by ecclesiastical authority, are called private associations.
- ß3 No private association of Christ's faithful is recognized in the Church unless it s statutes have been reviewed by the competent authority.
Q. Is the community in the process of seeking canonical approbation by the Church?
A. Yes, the community has recently petitioned the Church that it be recognized as a “Private Association of the Faithful”.
Q. Do the brothers live in community and how do you support yourselves?
A. Our brothers live outside of community as part of the world's larger community. We are hold regular jobs as teachers, doctors, law enforcement officers, etc. We are self supporting and tithe a small amount which is divided between both the regional and general communities for administrative use.
Q. How is the community governed?
A. Each community is autonomous in its local governance. The regional ministers by virtue of their positions hold a seat on the general council which in turn govern the entire community. When issues pertinent to the entire community require attention, the issue(s) in question are put out to all the brothers in each of the regional communities...they in turn vote, with the vote being carried to the general council by each regional ministers for a final vote by the general council.
Q. Does the entire community meet in a general session?
A. At the moment, the community meets three times per year over the course of a weekend normally at a retreat center. One of the three meetings is a Chapter meeting in which issues pertaining to the governance of the community take place such as the election of the Guardian General and regional ministers and any changes that have to be made to the Constitution and Directory of the Penitent Brothers. The other two weekends are devoted exclusively to the spiritual needs of our brothers...and our being in fraternity.
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