40TH ANNIVERSARY

Letter of Minister General

Letter of Ministers General Circular letter of the Conference of General Ministers of the Franciscan First Order and Third Order Regular to all the friars and the brothers and sisters of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) and Franciscan Youth (YouFra) on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the promulgation of the OFS Rule.

40 Years of the Rule

On March 24, 2019 in Rome at the “Seraphicum” (Pontifical Theological University of St. Bonaventure), organized by the Presidency of the International Council of the Secular Franciscan Order (CIOFS), a conference was held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, approved by Pope St. Paul VI on June 24, 1978, with his letter “Seraphicus Patriarcha”.

The reports of the speakers:

• Encarnación del Pozo, OFS: Implementation of the Pauline Rule, current challenges.
• Benedetto Lino, OFS: The Pauline Rule of the Order of Franciscan Penitents.
• Michèle Altmeyer, OFS: Spiritual features of the new OFS Rule.
• Padre Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap: The Secular Franciscan Order living memory of the early Franciscan preaching.

CIOFS has prepared a 12-minute video, entitled, “Forty years of the ‘New’ Rule, A Treasure for the OFS” which provides a historical perspective on the rule of 1978 and a beautiful summary.Please share this video with your brothers and sisters. View the video and celebrate the rule together. Take some time to discuss and contemplate its message.

Celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the OFS Rule around the world.