About

My name is Brother Matthew of Versoix, O.F.M.Cap. I am a Swiss traditional Friar Minor Capuchin currently living in France. This site aims to promote the Third Order of Saint Francis.

The Third Order of Saint Francis is a full-fledged order, founded in 1221 by Saint Francis of Assisi himself to provide people living in the world with the means to secure their salvation more certainly, and to strive for perfection through the observance of the evangelical precepts and counsels, according to the spirit of Saint Francis.

The current Rule of the Third Order was promulgated by Pope Leo XIII in the Misericors Dei Filius Constitutions of 1883, and includes a period of novitiate, a profession and a habit.

However, it cannot properly be called a religious Order because it does not include the three essential vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity.

The Third Order of Saint Francis was the first Third Order ever established in the Church. It has included among its members more than ninety saints and blesseds, including Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Ferdinand III of Castile, Saint Bridget of Sweden, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Charles Borromeo, Saint John Vianney, Saint Pius X, and many others. The explorer Christopher Columbus was also a member.

It is divided into three distinct classes:

Regular Tertiaries, who live in the cloister according to the Rule of the Third Order.
Tertiaries living within the communities of the First or Second Order.
Tertiaries living in the world.

Profession in the Third Order, although different from religious Profession, is a powerful means of perfection, produces real effects in the eyes of the Church, imposes duties, and grants privileges.

The Rule itself does not obligate under the penalty of sin, even venial, when it does not concern the commandments of God or the Church. Therefore, one should not confess failings in observing the Rule during Confession. However, failing to follow its prescriptions is equivalent to depriving oneself of the graces of the Third Order.