Franciscan brothers. "templars" and "dogs of God"

Along with the Dominicans, the Franciscans carried out the functions of the Inquisition, which was founded in the 13th century. The Franciscans were entrusted with the Inquisition in Vincennes, Provence, Forcalque, Arles, Embrun, central Italy, Dalmatia and Bohemia.

Branches of the Franciscan Order

There are currently three branches within the First (male) Franciscan Order:

Order of Friars Minor, O.F.M.
Order of Friars Minor Conventual, O.F.M.Conv.
Order of Capuchin Friars Minor, O.F.M.Cap. (1525)

In 2014, the Order of Friars Minor numbered 14,046 monks, the Order of Conventual Friars Minor - 4,294, and the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor - 10,629. The total number of Franciscans at present is therefore about 30 thousand people.

At the end of the 19th century, Pope Leo XIII united all observant groups into one Order - the Order of Friars Minor. The union named after the pope was called the Leonian Union.

Second (female) Order of St. Francis - called the Order of the Poor Clarisses, founded in the city of St. Clara, companion of St. Francis.

Third Order of St. Francis (so-called tertiary) - established by St. Francis around, the city received its own charter and name Third Order of the Charter of St. Franziska. In addition to the tertiaries who are guided by this charter, there are a significant number of tertiaries living in the world and called The third order of the laity of St. Franziska(the charter was first given in the 13th century, the modern one was drawn up in 1978). They were, for example, Dante, King Louis IX the Saint, Michelangelo and others.

Famous Franciscans

St. Francis of Assisi (1181/1182-1226) - founder of the order
St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Roger Bacon (c.1214 - after 1294) - English philosopher and natural scientist
St. Berthold of Regensburg (c. 1220-1272)
St. Bonaventure (1221-1274) - general of the order, theologian
Guillaume de Rubruck (1220-1293) - missionary, traveler
Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306) - Italian poet, author of the hymn Stabat Mater
Raymond Lull (1235-1315) - Catalan writer
Alexandre of Gaels - Parisian professor
Giovanni Montecorvino (1246-1328) - first Archbishop of Beijing
Blessed Duns Scotus (1265-1308) - scholastic philosopher
William of Ockham (1280-1347) - scholastic philosopher
Odorico Pordenone (1286-1331) - traveler to India, Indonesia and China
Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) - Italian poet
Berthold Schwartz (14th century), considered the inventor of gunpowder
St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) - missionary, preacher
Bartholomew of Pisa - (XV century) - author Liber conformitatum sancti Francisci cum Christo, ed. in Venice in folio, one of the rarest inicunabula
Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) - theologian
Francois Rabelais (1494-1553) - French writer who joined the Benedictine Order due to the hostility of the Franciscans to the study of the Greek language
Bartholomew Cambi - famous preacher
Bernardino de Sahagún - author of the General History of the Affairs of New Spain, the first comprehensive encyclopedia of Aztec culture
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Clement XIV
John Capistrian (-) - saint, preacher of the crusade against heretics and Turks.
Pedro de Cieza de Leon (-) - priest who described the conquest of South America and brought potatoes to Europe.
Bernardino de Cardenas (-) - bishop and governor of Paraguay, researcher of the history and customs of the Indians of the Central Andes.
Blessed Seferino (-) - official patron saint of the Roma
Maximilian Maria Kolbe (-), Polish Franciscan priest and martyr who died in Auschwitz in 1941, voluntarily going to his death to save another person.
Antonio Ciudad Real (-) - Spanish missionary and linguist, compiler of a six-volume dictionary of the Mayan language.
St. Padre Pio (-) - Capuchin friar, stigmatic
Boguslav Matej Montenegrin (-) is a Czech composer and organist.
Liszt, Ferenc ()-() - Hungarian composer, pianist and music critic

Franciscans in literature

brother William of Baskerville - the main character of the novel “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco
brother Tuck - friend and associate of Robin Hood
father Luis Velasco - one of the two main characters in the novel "Samurai" by Shusaku Endo
brother Lorenzo - monk of the Verona monastery of Saint Zeno, one of the heroes of Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", as well as the short stories of Bandello and da Porto

Franciscans in musical art

Antonio Vivaldi, Venetian abbot minor, composer, teacher, violinist

Franciscans in the visual arts

cycle of frescoes by Giotto from the life of St. Francis, (1300-1304) Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi
images of St. Francis's works by El Greco are not portraits, but rather collective images.

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing the Franciscans

“Yes, I’m sick,” she answered.
In response to the count's worried questions about why she was so killed and whether anything had happened to her fiancé, she assured him that nothing was wrong and asked him not to worry. Marya Dmitrievna confirmed Natasha’s assurances to the Count that nothing had happened. The count, judging by the imaginary illness, by the disorder of his daughter, by the embarrassed faces of Sonya and Marya Dmitrievna, clearly saw that something was going to happen in his absence: but he was so scared to think that something shameful had happened to his beloved daughter, he He loved his cheerful calm so much that he avoided asking questions and kept trying to assure himself that nothing special had happened and was only grieving that due to her ill health their departure to the village had been postponed.

From the day his wife arrived in Moscow, Pierre was preparing to go somewhere, just so as not to be with her. Soon after the Rostovs arrived in Moscow, the impression that Natasha made on him made him hasten to fulfill his intention. He went to Tver to see the widow of Joseph Alekseevich, who promised long ago to give him the papers of the deceased.
When Pierre returned to Moscow, he was given a letter from Marya Dmitrievna, who called him to her place on a very important matter concerning Andrei Bolkonsky and his fiancee. Pierre avoided Natasha. It seemed to him that he had a feeling for her stronger than that which a married man should have for the bride of his friend. And some kind of fate constantly brought him together with her.
"What happened? And what do they care about me? he thought as he got dressed to go to Marya Dmitrievna. Prince Andrei would come quickly and marry her!” thought Pierre on the way to Akhrosimova.
On Tverskoy Boulevard someone called out to him.
- Pierre! How long have you arrived? – a familiar voice shouted to him. Pierre raised his head. In a pair of sleighs, on two gray trotters throwing snow at the tops of the sleigh, Anatole flashed by with his constant companion Makarin. Anatole sat upright, in the classic pose of military dandies, covering the bottom of his face with a beaver collar and bending his head slightly. His face was ruddy and fresh, his hat with a white plume was put on one side, revealing his hair, curled, pomaded and sprinkled with fine snow.
“And rightly so, here is a real sage! thought Pierre, he sees nothing beyond the present moment of pleasure, nothing disturbs him, and that is why he is always cheerful, content and calm. What would I give to be like him!” Pierre thought with envy.
In Akhrosimova’s hallway, the footman, taking off Pierre’s fur coat, said that Marya Dmitrievna was being asked to come to her bedroom.
Opening the door to the hall, Pierre saw Natasha sitting by the window with a thin, pale and angry face. She looked back at him, frowned and with an expression of cold dignity left the room.
- What's happened? - asked Pierre, entering Marya Dmitrievna.
“Good deeds,” answered Marya Dmitrievna: “I’ve lived fifty-eight years in the world, I’ve never seen such shame.” - And taking Pierre’s word of honor to remain silent about everything that he learns, Marya Dmitrievna informed him that Natasha refused her fiancé without the knowledge of her parents, that the reason for this refusal was Anatole Kuragin, with whom her wife set Pierre up, and with whom she wanted to run away in the absence of his father, in order to get married secretly.
Pierre, with his shoulders raised and his mouth open, listened to what Marya Dmitrievna was telling him, not believing his ears. The bride of Prince Andrei, so deeply loved, this formerly sweet Natasha Rostova, should exchange Bolkonsky for the fool Anatole, already married (Pierre knew the secret of his marriage), and fall in love with him so much as to agree to run away with him! “Pierre couldn’t understand this and couldn’t imagine it.”
The sweet impression of Natasha, whom he had known since childhood, could not combine in his soul with the new idea of her baseness, stupidity and cruelty. He remembered his wife. “They are all the same,” he said to himself, thinking that he was not the only one who had the sad fate of being associated with a nasty woman. But he still felt sorry for Prince Andrey to the point of tears, he felt sorry for his pride. And the more he pitied his friend, the more contempt and even disgust he thought about this Natasha, who was now walking past him in the hall with such an expression of cold dignity. He did not know that Natasha’s soul was filled with despair, shame, humiliation, and that it was not her fault that her face accidentally expressed calm dignity and severity.
- Yes, how to get married! - Pierre said in response to Marya Dmitrievna’s words. - He couldn’t get married: he’s married.
“It’s not getting any easier hour by hour,” said Marya Dmitrievna. - Good boy! That's a bastard! And she waits, she waits for the second day. At least he will stop waiting, I must tell her.
Having learned from Pierre the details of Anatole's marriage, pouring out her anger on him with abusive words, Marya Dmitrievna told him what she had called him for. Marya Dmitrievna was afraid that the count or Bolkonsky, who could arrive at any moment, having learned the matter that she intended to hide from them, would challenge Kuragin to a duel, and therefore asked him to order his brother-in-law on her behalf to leave Moscow and not dare show himself to her on the eyes. Pierre promised her to fulfill her wish, only now realizing the danger that threatened the old count, Nikolai, and Prince Andrei. Having briefly and precisely stated her requirements to him, she released him into the living room. - Look, the count doesn’t know anything. “You act like you don’t know anything,” she told him. - And I’ll go tell her that there’s nothing to wait for! “Yes, stay for dinner if you want,” Marya Dmitrievna shouted to Pierre.
Pierre met the old count. He was confused and upset. That morning Natasha told him that she had refused Bolkonsky.
“Trouble, trouble, mon cher,” he said to Pierre, “trouble with these motherless girls; I'm so anxious that I came. I'll be honest with you. We heard that she refused the groom without asking anyone anything. Let’s face it, I was never very happy about this marriage. Let's say he is a good person, but well, against his father's will there would be no happiness, and Natasha will not be left without suitors. Yes, after all, this has been going on for a long time, and how can it be without a father, without a mother, such a step! And now she’s sick, and God knows what! It’s bad, Count, it’s bad with daughters without a mother... - Pierre saw that the Count was very upset, he tried to shift the conversation to another subject, but the Count again returned to his grief.
Sonya entered the living room with a worried face.
– Natasha is not entirely healthy; she is in her room and would like to see you. Marya Dmitrievna is with her and asks you too.
“But you are very friendly with Bolkonsky, he probably wants to convey something,” said the count. - Oh, my God, my God! How good everything was! - And taking hold of the sparse temples of his gray hair, the count left the room.
Marya Dmitrievna announced to Natasha that Anatol was married. Natasha did not want to believe her and demanded confirmation of this from Pierre himself. Sonya told Pierre this as she escorted him through the corridor to Natasha’s room.
Natasha, pale, stern, sat next to Marya Dmitrievna and from the very door met Pierre with a feverishly shining, questioning gaze. She did not smile, did not nod her head to him, she just looked stubbornly at him, and her gaze asked him only about whether he was a friend or an enemy like everyone else in relation to Anatole. Pierre himself obviously did not exist for her.
“He knows everything,” said Marya Dmitrievna, pointing at Pierre and turning to Natasha. “Let him tell you whether I was telling the truth.”
Natasha, like a shot, hunted animal looking at the approaching dogs and hunters, looked first at one and then at the other.
“Natalya Ilyinichna,” Pierre began, lowering his eyes and feeling a feeling of pity for her and disgust for the operation that he had to perform, “whether it’s true or not, it shouldn’t matter to you, because...
- So it’s not true that he is married!
- No, its true.
– Was he married for a long time? - she asked, - honestly?
Pierre gave her his word of honor.
– Is he still here? – she asked quickly.
- Yes, I saw him just now.
She was obviously unable to speak and made signs with her hands to leave her.

Pierre did not stay for dinner, but immediately left the room and left. He went around the city to look for Anatoly Kuragin, at the thought of whom all the blood now rushed to his heart and he had difficulty catching his breath. In the mountains, among the gypsies, among the Comoneno, it was not there. Pierre went to the club.
In the club everything went on as usual: the guests who had come to dine sat in groups and greeted Pierre and talked about city news. The footman, having greeted him, reported to him, knowing his acquaintance and habits, that a place had been left for him in the small dining room, that Prince Mikhail Zakharych was in the library, and Pavel Timofeich had not arrived yet. One of Pierre's acquaintances, between talking about the weather, asked him if he had heard about Kuragin's kidnapping of Rostova, which they talk about in the city, is it true? Pierre laughed and said that this was nonsense, because he was now only from the Rostovs. He asked everyone about Anatole; one told him that he had not come yet, the other that he would dine today. It was strange for Pierre to look at this calm, indifferent crowd of people who did not know what was going on in his soul. He walked around the hall, waited until everyone had arrived, and without waiting for Anatole, he did not have lunch and went home.

The Franciscan Order was one of the most influential and powerful in the history of the Christian Church. His followers exist to this day. The order was named after its founder, Saint Francis. The Franciscans played a huge role in world history, especially in

The goals of creating monastic orders

The emergence of religious orders arose out of the need for priests who would not be affected by secular affairs and were able to demonstrate the purity of faith by their own example. The Church needed dogmatists to fight heresy in all its manifestations. At first, the orders corresponded to the assigned tasks, but gradually, over the years, everything began to change. But first things first.

Background of the Order

Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of Italy. In the world he was called Giovanni Bernardone. Saint Francis of Assisi is the founder of the Franciscan order. Giovanni Bernardone was born approximately between 1181 and 1182. The exact date of his birth is unknown. Initially, Francis was a womanizer, but after a series of events in his life he changed a lot.

He became very pious, helped the poor, looked after the sick in the leper colony, was content with poor clothes, giving good things to the needy. Gradually a circle of followers gathered around Francis. In the period from 1207 to 1208. The Minorite Confraternity was founded by Giovanni Bernardone. On its basis, the Franciscan Order later arose.

Creation of the order

The Minority Confraternity existed until 1209. The organization was new to the church. The Minorites tried to imitate Christ and the apostles and reproduce their lives. The Charter of the Brotherhood was written. In April 1209 it received verbal approval from Pope Saint Innocent III, who welcomed the community's activities. As a result, the official foundation of the Franciscan Order was finally established. From that time on, the ranks of the Minorites began to be replenished with women, for whom a second brotherhood was established.

The third order of Franciscans was founded in 1212. It was called the “brotherhood of the tertiaries.” Its members had to observe an ascetic rule, but could still live among ordinary people and even have a family. The monastic robe was worn by the tertiaries at will.

Written confirmation of the existence of the order took place in 1223 by Pope Honorius III. During the approval of the brotherhood by the saints, only twelve people stood before him. When St. died Francis, the community numbered almost 10 thousand followers. Every year there were more and more of them.

Charter of the Order of St. Franziska

The Charter of the Franciscan Order, approved in 1223, was divided into seven chapters. The first called for gospel obedience, obedience, and purity. The second explained the conditions that must be met by those wishing to join the order. To do this, the new novices were obliged to sell their property and distribute everything to the poor. After this, walk for a year in a cassock, belted with a rope. Subsequent clothing was allowed to be worn only old and simple ones. Shoes were worn only when necessary.

Chapter three talked about fasting and how to bring faith to the world. Before the morning, the Franciscans read the “Our Father” 24 times, a few hours later - 5. At one of the four hours a day - 7 more times, in the evening - 12, at night - 7. The first fast was observed from the celebration of All Saints' Day until Christmas . A 40-day fast and many others were obligatory. According to the Charter, condemnation, quarrels and verbal fights were prohibited. Franciscans were supposed to cultivate humility, submission, peacefulness, modesty and other positive qualities that did not diminish the dignity and rights of other people.

The fourth chapter dealt with money. Members of the order were prohibited from taking coins for themselves or others. Chapter five talked about work. All healthy members of the brotherhood could work, but subject to the number of prayers read and the time that was clearly scheduled for this. For work, instead of money, members of the order could take only what was necessary for their own or fraternal needs. Moreover, he undertook to accept what he earned humbly and with gratitude, even in the smallest quantities.

The sixth chapter talked about the prohibition of theft and the rules for collecting alms. Members of the order were supposed to accept alms without embarrassment or shame and provide assistance to other members of the fraternity, especially the sick and infirm.

The seventh chapter talked about the punishments that were applied to those who sinned. For this there was penance.

The eighth chapter described the leading brothers to whom it was necessary to turn in solving serious issues. Also obey the ministers of the order unquestioningly. The procedure for succession after the death of a high-ranking brother or his re-election for serious reasons was described.

The ninth chapter talked about the ban on preaching in the bishop's diocese (without his permission). It was forbidden to do this without a preliminary exam, which was taken by the order. The sermons of the brotherhood members had to be simple, understandable and thoughtful. The phrases are short, but filled with deep content about vices and virtues, about glory and punishment.

Chapter ten explained how to correct and admonish brothers who have violated the Rule. One should turn to superior monks at the slightest hesitation in faith, bad conscience, etc. The brothers were urged to beware of pride, vanity, envy, etc. Members of the order were not allowed to learn to read and write, but were charged with the duty of reflection, as well as loving enemies and pray for those who offend.

A separate chapter (eleventh) was about visiting nunneries. This was prohibited without special permission. Franciscans had no right to be godfathers. The last, twelfth chapter spoke about the permission that the brothers of the order had to obtain in order to try to convert Saracens and infidels to the Christian faith.

At the end of the Charter, it was specifically noted that it is prohibited to cancel or change the established rules.

Franciscan clothing

The clothing of the Franciscans also began with St. Francis. According to legend, he specifically exchanged clothes with a beggar. Francis took his plain dress and, abandoning the sash, girded himself with a simple rope. Since then, every monk of the Franciscan order began to dress the same way.

Franciscan names

In England they were called “gray brothers”, after the color of their dresses. In France, the members of the order had the name "cordiers" because of the simple rope that surrounded them. In Germany, the Franciscans were called “barefoot” because of the sandals they wore on their bare feet. In Italy, Francis' followers were called "brothers."

Development of the Franciscan Order

The Franciscan Order, a photo of whose representatives is in this article, after the death of the founder, was first led by John Parenti, then by General Elijah of Cortona, a disciple of St. Francis. His connections and closeness with the teacher during his lifetime helped strengthen the position of the fraternity. Elijah created a clear management system, dividing the order into provinces. Franciscan schools were opened, and the construction of churches and monasteries began.

Construction began on the majestic Gothic basilica in Assisi, in honor of St. Francis. Elijah's authority grew stronger every year. Large sums of money were required for construction and other projects. As a result, provincial contributions were increased. Their resistance began. This led to Elijah being removed from leadership of the brotherhood in 1239.

Gradually, instead of a wandering order, the Franciscan order became more and more hierarchical and sedentary. This disgusted St. even during his lifetime. Francis, and he not only abandoned the head of the brotherhood, but also in 1220 completely withdrew from the leadership of the community. But since St. Francis took a vow of obedience, but he did not oppose the changes taking place in the order. St. Francis finally retired from leadership of the brotherhood after his trip to the East.

Transformation of the order into a monastic structure

During the reign of Cortona, the mendicant order of the Franciscans began to differentiate into two main movements, in which the precepts of St. Francis and his attitude towards the observance of the Rule and poverty have been understood in different ways. Some members of the brotherhood tried to follow the rules of the founder of the order, living in poverty and humility. Others began to interpret the Charter in their own way.

In 1517, Pope Leo the Tenth officially distinguished two different groups within the Franciscan order. Both directions became independent. The first group was called Observants, that is, Minorite brothers who strictly observed all the rules of St. Francis. The second group began to be called conventuals. They interpreted the Order's Charter somewhat differently. In 1525, a new branch was formed from the Franciscan brotherhood - the Capuchins. They became a reformist movement among the Observant Minorites. In 1528, Clement the Fifth recognized the new branch as a separate fraternity. At the end of the 19th century. all groups of observants were united into one, which became known as the Order of Friars Minor. Pope Leo the Eighth gave the name to this brotherhood "Leonian Union".

The church used the sermons of St. Francis for her own purposes. As a result, the brotherhood was supported by different segments of the population. It turned out that the order was heading in the direction the church needed. As a result, the initially founded organization turned into a monastic order. The Franciscans received the right of inquisition over heretics. In the political field, they began to fight the opponents of the popes.

Dominicans and Franciscans: the field of education

The Franciscan and Dominican orders were classified as mendicants. The brotherhoods were founded almost simultaneously. But their goals were slightly different. The main task was a deep study of theology. The goal is to train competent preachers. The second task is the fight against heresy, bringing Divine truth into the world.

In 1256, the Franciscans were granted the right to teach at universities. As a result, the order created an entire system of theological education. This gave birth to many thinkers during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. During the New Age, missionary and research activities intensified. Many Franciscans began to work in the Spanish possessions and in the East.

One of the areas of Franciscan philosophy was associated with the natural and exact sciences. And even more so than with theology and mathematics. The new direction was presented at Oxford University. The first Franciscan professor was Robert Grosseteste. He subsequently became a bishop.

Robert Grosseteste was an outstanding scientist of the time. He became one of the first to draw attention to the need to use mathematics during the study of nature. The concept of creating the world with light brought the professor the greatest fame.

Franciscan Order in the 18th-19th centuries

In the eighteenth century, the Franciscan order had approximately 1,700 monasteries and almost twenty-five thousand monks. The Brotherhood (and similar ones) was liquidated in many European states during the Great and Bourgeois Revolutions of the nineteenth century. By its end, the order was restored in Spain, and then in Italy. France followed their example, and then other countries.

Characteristics of the Franciscan Order before 1220

The Order complied with all the rules of the Charter until 1220. During this period, the followers of Francis, dressed in woolen brown tunics and girded with simple ropes, with sandals on their bare feet, traveled around the world preaching.

The Brotherhood tried not only to spread Christian ideals, but also to observe them and put them into practice. While preaching beggary, the Franciscans themselves ate the staleest bread, talking about humility, humbly listening to swearing, etc. The followers of the order themselves set a shining example of keeping their vows and were fanatically devoted to the Christian faith.

Franciscans in modern times

The Franciscan Order today exists in many Russian and European cities. They are engaged in pastoral, publishing and charitable activities. Franciscans teach in educational institutions and visit prisons and nursing homes.

Nowadays, a special program of monastic training is provided for priests and brothers of the order. First, candidates undergo spiritual and scientific training. It consists of several stages:

The first stage is Postulate. This is one probationary year, during which a general acquaintance with the order takes place. For this purpose, candidates live in a monastic community.
The second stage is Novitiate. This is a period of one year when the candidate is introduced to monastic life. Preparations for temporary vows are underway.
The third stage lasts six years. During this period, candidates receive higher education in philosophy and theology. There is also daily spiritual preparation. Perpetual vows are taken in the fifth year of study, and ordination in the sixth.

Branches of the order in modern times

Initially, there was only the first Franciscan order, which included only men. is now divided into three main branches:

Minor Brothers (in 2010 there were almost 15,000 monks).
Conventual (4231 monks of the Franciscan order).
Capuchins (the number of people in this branch is almost 11 thousand).

Conclusion on the activities of the Franciscan Order

The Franciscan Order has existed for eight centuries. Over this rather long period, the brotherhood made a huge contribution not only to church development, but also to world culture. The contemplative side of the order is perfectly combined with active activity. The order, together with its branches, numbers almost 30,000 monks and thousands of lay tertiaries who live in Germany, Italy, the USA and many other countries.

Franciscan monks strove for asceticism from the very beginning. During the existence of the order, they experienced disunity and the founding of separate communities. Many had increasingly strict rules. In the 19th century, the opposite trend occurred. Disparate communities began to unite. Pope Leo the Third contributed a lot to this. It was he who united all the groups into one - the Order of Friars Minor.

The first mendicant orders, which served as a model for others, were the Franciscan and Dominican orders. (In the 12th century, the orders of the Carmelites and the Augustinian hermits also arose, both founded in 1156, but transformed into mendicant orders only a century later: the Carmelite - by Pope Innocent IV in 1254, the Augustinian - by Alexander IV in 1256)

The Franciscan and Dominican orders were founded almost simultaneously, and if St. Francis of Assisi had wished, they would have formed one whole. They owe their appearance primarily to two reasons.

On the one hand, the Western European flock needed leaders truly filled with the spirit of the Gospel. Meanwhile, at the beginning of the 13th century. the white clergy, having enriched themselves more than was useful, were still, despite the reform, more occupied with secular interests than with spiritual affairs. The black clergy, concentrated in monasteries, which were always located outside the cities, in very remote areas, were too isolated from secular society and, in addition, also lost the purity of morals due to the growth of their wealth. Thus, neither the white clergy nor monasticism could provide the people with the necessary leaders. For this, people were needed who would treat worldly goods with complete contempt, who would lead a strict lifestyle among their brothers and who would tirelessly preach repentance and self-denial, both by word and by personal example. This was the main idea that inspired the creation of the mendicant Order of St. Francis.

On the other hand, the Catholic faith was shaken by the dangerous heresies of the Cathars and Waldensians, which crept into minds, giving themselves the appearance of a higher form of Christianity, and which threatened to distort the purity of dogma. Meanwhile, the secular clergy in the era when universities were just beginning to form often lacked the education necessary to fight heretics. As for the monastic clergy, even if they were not deprived of education, their remoteness from cities and their tendency to engage more in divine services than in theology allowed them to act only in exceptional cases. To combat the danger, people were needed who, by virtue of their rank, would be obliged to study and preach dogma. This was the main idea that inspired the creation of the mendicant order Saint Dominic. But if these two new orders were somewhat different from each other in their tasks, since the Franciscans sought more to correct morals, and the Dominicans - the faith, then, in general, they pursued the same goal: to transform secular society. Both Franciscans and Dominicans used the same means for this: renunciation of worldly goods in order to be more independent of the conditions of their time; life in the city to be in closer relationship with the flock; constant preaching to impart religious education; finally - the foundation "third order" (tertiary), in order to acquire assistants in the midst of secular society itself, imbued with their spirit.

Founding of the Franciscan Order

In 1209, Giovanni, nicknamed Francis for his penchant for using French, began to implement this plan. Born in 1182, the son of a wealthy merchant in Assisi (in Italy), Peter Bernardone, was initially destined for trading activities and until the age of 23 led a rather absent-minded lifestyle. Then, suddenly renouncing the world and driven away by his father, he began to wander through the East and West, feeding on alms, preaching repentance everywhere and meeting either honor or ridicule. When several people, carried away by his fiery speech, joined him, he drew up a charter based on obedience, chastity and complete beggary (1209); such was his humble origin Order of Minorites (Franciscans). In 1212, Francis, by his example and advice, persuaded his compatriot Clara of Assisi to take monastic vows; Clara soon gathered around her several pious women, who formed the core of the order. Poor Clarisses (Clarisses). For several years, the number of followers of St. Francis and followers of St. Clara increased so much that two Franciscan orders were formed - male and female, and St. Francis was forced to draw up more detailed rules for them. The charter of the mendicant order of minorities was approved in 1223 by the pope HonoriusIII, who granted this order, as before the Dominicans, the right to preach and confess everywhere; The charter of the Clarissas, drawn up in 1224, was approved in 1251 by Pope Innocent IV. In addition, in 1221, Saint Francis, seeing the desire of the masses to come under his leadership, and fearing, as he said, to deprive the province of population by opening his monasteries to them, added the so-called third order (ordo tertius de poenitentia) – tertiary, intended for secular persons who would like, without leaving the world and their usual activities, to lead a purer lifestyle and in some way find a monastery in their own home. Soon after the organization of these three orders was completed, on October 4, 1226, Francis of Assisi died prostrate on the platform of the Church of the Porciuncula, his favorite seat, near Assisi. Two years later, Gregory IX canonized the founder of the Franciscan order.

Lifetime image of Francis of Assisi. XIII century

Founding of the Dominican Order

Under completely different circumstances, the Dominican Order arose. Dominic Guzman, born in 1170 in Calagorra, in the diocese of Osma in Spain, from childhood showed great zeal in prayer and a desire for an ascetic life, which should have led him to clergy. After spending 4 years at the University of Valencia, he was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Osma Diego and became a canon-monk of that city. Arriving in France in 1206 with his bishop, he was overcome with sadness at the sight of success Albigensian heresy in Languedoc and decided from that time on to devote his life to the conversion of heretics. For ten years he remained in southern France, almost alone and without much success fighting heresy; but his peaceful crusade provided a comforting contrast to the bloody crusade, which was undertaken at the same time by the knights of Northern France. In 1215, after much deliberation, he went to Rome and presented to the pope InnocentIII his project for founding a society of preachers who, subject to the monastic rules, would perform the same duties as the white clergy. Innocent III approved the project and subordinated the new mendicant order of the Dominicans to the charter of St. Augustine. The following year, the new Pope Honorius III granted Dominic and his followers the title of Brothers Preachers and the right to preach and confess everywhere. Around this time, Dominic's famous meeting with Francis of Assisi took place, at which the former proposed merging both of their orders into one. St. Francis chose to leave them separated, but St. Dominic did not give up his plan. At the first general chapter, which he assembled at Bologna in 1220, he abandoned the Augustinian rite and adopted the Franciscan rite in its main features. He died the following year (August 6, 1221), leaving the second mendicant order fully organized and with it the same women's order and a third order for the laity. But in its final form, the Dominican charter was drawn up only in 1238 by the third general of the order, Saint Raymond of Pennafort.

Saint Dominic. 14th century fresco in the Basilica of St. Dominic, Bologna

Further history of the mendicant orders

By this time, both mendicant orders - the Franciscans and the Dominicans - had already achieved great popularity. They were met with undisguised sympathy by the masses, who felt in them greater closeness to themselves than in Benedictine orders, and became more aware of their beneficial influence, they spread throughout Europe. In 1264, 8 thousand monasteries and 200 thousand monks were subordinated to the Franciscan general. The general of the Dominican Order also commanded a real army, always ready to accept a mission even to the most distant countries; in 1280 there was a monastery of the Friars Preachers in Greenland. This astonishing success of the mendicant orders, at first encouraged by the papacy, soon pushed into the background the old monastic orders and was not slow in bringing about a clash with the secular clergy and the universities. On the one hand, the secular clergy was extremely dissatisfied with the extensive privileges that the minor mendicants and preachers received, and sometimes - as, for example, Guillaume de Saint-Amour in 1255 - complained bitterly about the illegal conduct of church services in their parishes. On the other hand, the Franciscans and Dominicans, considering teaching a private form of preaching, laid claim to the right to teach at universities and began a memorable struggle against them, which ended in favor of the penniless monks. Supported by public opinion and the enormous fame of some of their members, such as the Dominican Thomas Aquinas and the Franciscan Bonaventure(both died in 1274), they eventually concentrated in their hands almost all branches of public education.

But this extraordinary flourishing could not last. At the end of the 13th century. the Dominicans and Franciscans, forgetting the friendship that united their founders, begin to fight with each other; Moreover, discord arises among the Franciscans themselves. Even during the life of Saint Francis, two trends could be distinguished among his followers, differing in the degree of readiness to implement the idea of beggary: the rigoristic, whose representative was Saint Francis himself, and the more moderate, led by Elijah of Cortona, his vicar and first successor. These two trends in the course of time gave rise to two hostile parties, which Bonaventure managed to reconcile during his abbotship, but after his death the antagonism between them was renewed. In 1279, Pope Nicholas III made a fruitless attempt to intervene in these discords, issuing the bull “Exiit quiseminat”, favorable to conventionalists , that is, for monks who are moderate in relation to the idea of begging. Then the rigorist party, which bore the name spiritualists , rebelled against St. throne and seemed close to falling away from the church. Celestine V immediately separated it from the Franciscan Order and united it with the Order of Celestine Hermits that he had just founded; but his successor Boniface VIII, on the contrary, tirelessly pursued it and forced it to disband (1302).

In the middle of the 13th century, two more orders took a vow of absolute poverty: the Carmelite order, which spread throughout Western Europe from Palestine, and the congregation of Augustinian hermits, whose monasteries did not have common governance until then. The new mendicant orders acquired the same privileges as the first two, which remained, however, more powerful than them.

The role of the mendicant orders in the Catholic world

The mendicant Franciscans and Dominicans were the most zealous servants of papal power, through them the people learned to recognize the pope as the unconditional ruler of the church. For this, the Roman high priests rewarded them with great privileges and freed them from subordination to the bishops, so that they were subordinate only directly to the pope. Those monks of the past who wanted to observe apostolic poverty lived as hermits in the forests, mountains or among the sandy steppes. Mendicant monks of the Franciscan and Dominican orders took an active part in public life; they walked around cities and villages, actively carrying out all sorts of instructions from the pope. They were missionaries, preachers of the Crusades; they informed the people of those bulls of excommunication that the local Catholic bishops did not want to make public; they were selling indulgences, collecting money for the papal treasury; they were collectors of Peter's denarius and other taxes going into the papal treasury; they begged for donations in favor of the pope, and were his spies and secret ambassadors. In particular, the Dominicans were inquisitors, the Franciscans moved among the common people and acted mainly as confessors. Sinners and sinners revealed their souls to a strange monk more easily than to a parish priest, because the strange monk would soon leave, and his own priest would meet with them constantly. Mendicant monks interfered in family affairs; The Franciscans were intermediaries in all sorts of matters for the common people, with whom most of them were close in their low level of education. The Dominicans behaved more proudly, boasted of their learning, and took professorships in universities; famous Catholic theologians of the Middle Ages, Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas, were Dominicans; but the Franciscans also had great theologians. With the emergence of the mendicant orders, the attitude of the Catholic Church towards the people changed significantly: with their poverty, they gave it popularity and made it look close to the ideal of pious people. Among their fellow members, the mendicant orders made no difference between noble and ignorant people; they gave talented commoners a path to achieving the highest levels of the Catholic hierarchy.

Franciscans, members of a monastic order founded by St. Francis of Assisi. F.'s charter, which proclaimed strict observance of the vow of poverty, was approved by Pope Innocent III in 1209-10. and confirmed in 1223. F. quickly gained popularity thanks to his sermons among the poor and sick. As the numbers grow. Two directions emerged in the order: “confessors” who insisted on the letters and adherence to the charter, and “moderates” whose views prevailed, which allowed the order to acquire collective property. In the 16th century The Order of F. was reformed. This resulted in the creation of the Capuchin Order, which received the blessing of Pope Clement VII in 1528, and a women's order known as the Order of the Clarisses; there was also an order operating among the laity.

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Franciscans

ordo fratrum minorum", "minorites", "lesser brothers") - a Catholic mendicant monastic order founded by St. Francis of Assisi near Spoleto in 1208 with the aim of preaching apostolic poverty, asceticism, and love for one's neighbor among the people.

In 1223, Pope Honorius III approved the order's charter in the bull Solet annuere. The founding of the Franciscan Order marked the beginning of the mendicant orders.

In the early period the Franciscans were known in England as the "gray brothers" (from the color of their vestments), in France as the "cordilleras" (from the fact that they girded themselves with rope), in Germany as the "barefoot" (from their sandals). , which they wore on their bare feet), in Italy as “brothers”.

The order's charter prescribed complete poverty, preaching, caring for the sick physically and mentally, and strict obedience to the pope. The Franciscans were rivals and, in many dogmatic matters, opponents of the Dominicans. As confessors to the sovereigns of the 13th - 16th centuries, they enjoyed great influence in secular affairs until they were ousted by the Jesuits. Along with the Dominicans, the Franciscans carried out the functions of the Inquisition, which was founded in the 13th century. The Franciscans were entrusted with the Inquisition in Vincennes, Provence, Forcalque, Arles, E, Embrun, central Italy, Dalmatia and Bohemia. In 1256 the papacy granted Franciscans the right to teach at universities. They created their own system of theological education, giving rise to a whole galaxy of great thinkers of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. During the New Age, Franciscans were actively engaged in missionary and research activities, working in Spanish possessions in the New World and in the countries of the East.

In the 18th century the order had 1,700 monasteries and about 25 thousand monks. In many European countries during the Great French Revolution and the bourgeois revolutions of the 19th century, the order, among others, was liquidated; by the end of the 19th century it was restored (first in Spain and Italy, then in France and other countries). Currently, the order with its branches has more than 4.5 thousand monks and more than a million lay people: in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the USA, Turkey, Brazil, Paraguay and other countries. The Franciscans control a number of universities, colleges, and have their own publishing houses.

The order's attire is a dark brown woolen cassock, belted with a rope, to which a rosary is tied, a round short hood and sandals.

Branches of the Franciscan Order

Second (female) Order of St. Francis - called the Order of the Poor Clarissa, founded in 1224 by St. Clara, companion of St. Francis. Third Order of St. Francis (so-called tertiary) - established by St. Francis around 1221, received his own charter in 1401 and the name of the Third Order of the Charter of St. Francis. In addition to the tertiaries who are guided by this charter, there is a significant number of tertiaries living in the world and called the Third Order of Laity of St. Francis (the charter was first given in the 13th century, the modern one was drawn up in 1978). They were, for example, Dante, King Louis IX the Saint, Michelangelo and others.

In 1517, Pope Leo X officially recognized the existence in the Franciscan order itself of two independent groups, called the Minor Brothers of Strict Observance of the Rule (the so-called “Observants”) and the Minor Conventual Brothers. The Capuchin Order was founded in 1525 by Matthew Bassi as a reformist movement within the Observant Minorite Order. It was recognized as an independent order by Pope Clement VII in 1528.

Famous Franciscans

* St. Francis of Assisi (1181/1182-1226) - founder of the order

* St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

* Roger Bacon (c.1214 - after 1294) - famous English philosopher and naturalist

* St. Berthold of Regensburg (c. 1220-1272)

* St. Bonaventure (1221-1274) - general of the order, famous theologian

* William de Rubruk (1225-1291) - missionary, traveler

* Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306) - Italian poet, author of the hymn Stabat Mater

* Raymond Lull (1235-1315) - Catalan writer

* Alexander from Gaels - Parisian professor

* Giovanni Montecorvino (1246-1328) - first Archbishop of Beijing

* Blessed Duns Scotus (1265-1308) - famous scholastic philosopher

* William of Ockham (1280-1347) - great scholastic philosopher

* Odorico Pordenone (1286-1331) - traveler to India, Indonesia and China

* Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) - great Italian poet

* Berthold Schwartz (XIV century), considered the inventor of gunpowder

* Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) - famous theologian

* Francois Rabelais (1494-1553) - a great French writer who joined the Benedictine Order due to the hostility of the Franciscans to the study of the Greek language

* Bartholomew Kambi - famous preacher

* Pope Sixtus V - famous statesman

* Pope Clement XIV

* John Capistrian (1386-1456) - saint, preacher of the crusade against heretics and Turks.

* Blessed Seferino (1861-1936) - official patron saint of the Roma

* Maximilian Maria Kolbe (1894-1941), Polish Franciscan priest and martyr who died at Auschwitz in 1941, voluntarily going to his death to save another person.

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"TEMPLE" AND "DOGS OF THE LORD". HISTORY OF THE MOST FAMOUS ORDERS OF THE CHURCH

On September 26, 1181, Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the mendicant Franciscan order, was born. Ironically, outside the Catholic world he is known precisely because of this order - one of the most famous in history.

In the history of Christianity, a special place is occupied by orders - communities of individuals united by a common goal and special rules of life.

When it comes to orders, people most often remember the “crusaders,” or the knights of the Livonian Order, defeated by Alexander Nevsky on Lake Peipsi.

In fact, the “crusaders” are representatives of not one, but several spiritual knightly orders that arose during the Crusades.

In addition to spiritual knightly orders, there were monastic orders, that is, communities of monks whose members observed the general rules of the monastery and took solemn vows. Unlike the militant knightly orders, the monastic orders devoted their free time to prayer, charity, and helping those in need.

Orders began to appear during the early Middle Ages and continued to form until the 20th century, and their total number is in the dozens. The names of some say little to our contemporaries, while others have gained, without exaggeration, worldwide fame.

Order of the Knights Templar

For what purpose did it appear: After the end of the First Crusade, a group of knights led by the French knight Hugh de Payns established a military monastic order, the purpose of which was declared to be the protection of pilgrims during their pilgrimage to holy places in the Middle East.

When created: The Order, founded in 1119 and originally called the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, was officially recognized by the church in 1128.

What is known for: The ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Baldwin II, allocated a place for the knights in the southeastern wing of the Jerusalem Temple, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, for headquarters. Since then, the order began to be called the Order of the Temple, and the knights - the Templars (Templars).

Thanks to the order’s successful recruitment in Europe, the Templars, who initially did not have large financial resources, became the owners of a lot of money and lands donated by recruits. In March 1139, the Pope even issued a bull in which the Templars were allowed to freely cross any borders, not pay taxes, and obey only the Pope and no one else. Such easy conditions contributed to the rapid development of the “crusader business.”

When created: Pope Clement III, with his bull of February 6, 1191, proclaimed the hospital as the “Teutonic Brotherhood of the Church of St. Mary of Jerusalem.” The position of the “liberators of the Holy Sepulcher” in the Middle East has always been unstable. That is why military functions were also assigned to hospital monasteries. On March 5, 1196, a ceremony took place in the temple of Acre to transform the hospital into a spiritual order. At the end of the same year, Pope Celestine issues a bull, which recognizes the existence of the monastic Order of St. Mary of the German Jerusalem. The transformation of the hospital into a military monastic order was finally completed in 1199, when Pope Innocent III secured this status with his bull.

What is known for: The Order very quickly acquired its own regular army, and military functions in its activities became the main ones. The order, unlike other crusaders, found an unexpected “direction of development” in the 13th century in Europe. The pagan (and Christian, but not Catholic) populations of Eastern Europe proved a convenient target for the “crusaders.” The order founded its castles on the conquered lands, consolidating itself in these territories “forever.” In 1255, Königsberg Castle was founded on Prussian lands.

Based on the edict of the Holy Roman Emperor and the bull of the Pope, Prussia became the possession of the Teutonic Order. So the military monastic order turned into a whole state. This unique formation remained an influential player on the map of Europe until 1410, when the knights were defeated by Polish-Lithuanian troops at the Battle of Grunwald. From that moment on, the decline of the order began.

End of the story: Formally, the order, having lost its territorial possessions and influence, existed until 1809 and was dissolved during the Napoleonic Wars. The restoration of the order took place in 1834, but without political and military ambitions, it was only about charity and helping the sick. Today the Teutonic Order operates several hospitals and private sanatoriums in Austria and Germany. An interesting point is that the basis of the modern Teutonic Order is not brothers, but sisters.

Jesuit Order

For what purpose did it appear: The monastic order of the Jesuits arose during the period of the so-called Counter-Reformation - reforms within the Catholic Church caused by the fight against the Reformation. In fact, he was the “response” of supporters of Catholicism to the active spread of Protestant teachings.

When created: In 1534, Ignatius de Loyola and several of his like-minded people decided to create the “Society of Jesus”, the task of which was declared to be active missionary activity. The order's charter was approved by the Pope in 1540.

Emblem of the Jesuit Order. Photo: flickr.com/Lawrence OP

What is known for: The Order was famous for its strict military discipline: unquestioning obedience of the younger ones to the elders. The authority of the head was absolute - an elected general for life, subordinate directly to the Pope. The Jesuits sought to convert to the Catholic faith the masses who had previously gone to the Reformation or otherwise abandoned Catholicism. Missionary activity was also carried out among Jews, Muslims and pagans.

In just the first decade and a half of activity, the Jesuits acquired missions in the territory from Japan to Brazil. Educational activities helped them promote their ideas - members of the order also acted as teachers who taught various scientific disciplines. At the same time, they defended the principle of the supremacy of the power of the Pope in all spheres, up to the deposition of monarchs who dared to contradict the pontiff. This radicalism became one of the reasons for the subsequent persecution of the Jesuits.

By the middle of the 18th century, the Jesuit Order had achieved great political influence in various European countries, as well as possessing great financial capabilities. Constant attempts by the Jesuits to influence the political course of European monarchs led to the fact that almost all European countries called for the cessation of the order.

End of story: On July 21, 1773, Pope Clement XIV, seeking to normalize relations with European monarchs, issued a papal letter abolishing the Jesuit order. Property was subject to confiscation in favor of secular authorities. True, in the territory of some countries, including Prussia and Russia (until 1820), the missions of the order continued to exist.

In 1814, Pope Pius VII restored the Society of Jesus with all its rights and privileges. Currently, the Jesuits continue their activities in 112 states.

On March 13, 2013, Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the new Pope. The new pontiff, who took the name Francis, became the first representative of the Jesuit order to become a Roman pontiff.

Franciscan Order

For what purpose did it appear: The emergence of the so-called mendicant orders, which includes the Franciscan Order, occurred at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. The reason for their appearance was the need for priests who were not involved in secular affairs, who despised secular goods and were able to demonstrate the purity of faith to their flock by personal example. In addition, the church needed dogmatists capable of waging an irreconcilable struggle against various heresies.

When created: In 1209, Giovanni, the son of a wealthy merchant from Assisi, Peter Bernardone, who became a traveling preacher, united followers around himself and created the charter of a new order based on obedience, chastity and complete mendicancy. Giovanni's plan, nicknamed Francis for his penchant for using French, was approved by Pope Innocent III.

What is known for: Complete renunciation of earthly goods and strictness in faith contributed to the rapid growth of the authority of the Franciscans. Already by 1264, 8 thousand monasteries and 200 thousand monks were subordinated to the Franciscan general. By the 18th century, the Franciscan Order united 1,700 monasteries and 25 thousand monks. From the 13th to the 16th centuries, representatives of the order were the confessors of most European monarchs, which helped them influence the policies of entire states.

There was also a “secular” branch of the Franciscans - the order of the Terzari, intended for secular persons who would like, without leaving the world and their usual activities, to lead a purer lifestyle and in some way find a monastery in their own home.

Franciscan symbol. Photo: flickr.com / Alwyn Ladell

In 1256, the papacy granted Franciscans the right to teach in universities. They created their own system of theological education, giving rise to a whole galaxy of thinkers of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. During the New Age, Franciscans were actively engaged in missionary and research activities, working in Spanish possessions in the New World and in the countries of the East. Along with their opponents in dogmatic matters, the Dominicans, the Franciscans were endowed with the functions of the Inquisition, which they carried out in central Italy, Dalmatia and Bohemia, as well as in a number of provinces of France.

End of story: Currently, the order with its branches has about 30 thousand monks and several hundred thousand lay tertiaries: in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the USA, Turkey, Brazil, Paraguay and other countries. The Franciscans control a number of universities, colleges, and have their own publishing houses.

Dominican Order

For what purpose did it appear: The mendicant order of the Dominicans, which arose at the same time as the Franciscan Order, had a slightly different direction of activity. The Spaniard Domingo Guzman, who received the rank of archdeacon in Castile, was outraged by the growing number of heretics in southern France. Thus, the founder of the order became one of the ideologists of the campaign against the Albigensians, which lasted for two decades and led to the destruction of hundreds of thousands of people accused of heresy.

When created: In 1214, Domingo Guzman, later called Saint Dominic, founded the first community of like-minded people in Toulouse. In 1216, Pope Honorius III approved the charter of the order.

What is known for: The most important activity of the Dominicans was an in-depth study of theology with the aim of preparing competent preachers. The centers of the order were Paris and Bologna, the two largest university cities in Europe.

Over time, the main and main task of the Dominican Order became the fight against heresies. The main functions of the Inquisition were concentrated in their hands. The coat of arms of the order depicts a dog carrying a burning torch in its mouth to express the dual purpose of the order: to faithfully protect the faith of the Church from heresy and to enlighten the world with the preaching of Divine Truth.

This coat of arms, as well as a peculiar play on words, contributed to the emergence of another unofficial name for the Dominicans. Dominic's followers were also called in Latin Domini Canes, which means "Dogs of the Lord."

Stained glass window with the symbol of the Dominican Order (“Dogs of the Lord”). Photo: flickr.com/Lawrence OP

Representatives of the Dominican Order were the philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, the legendary Grand Inquisitor of Spain Thomas Torquemada and the creator of the “Hammer of the Witches” Jacob Sprenger. At its peak, the Dominican Order had up to 150,000 members in 45 provinces (11 of them outside Europe). Later, the Dominicans were pushed back by the Jesuits from schools and preaching at courts, and partly from missionary activities.

End of story: The modern Dominican Order continues to preach the Gospel, study the sciences, educate and fight heresies. True, the Dominicans, of course, do not use the methods of their medieval predecessors.

The male branch of the order today numbers about 6,000 monks, the female branch - about 3,700.

Women's portal Fleurot

Franciscan brothers. "templars" and "dogs of God"

Branches of the Franciscan Order