CONVENTUAL TRADiTION

- The Franciscan charism, entirely a gift of the Holy Spirit, is that gospel form of life and witness begun by Francis of Assisi within the heart of the Church handed down to the Order he founded, developed dynamically by it through the course of its history, accomplished and still coming to fulfillment today in a faithful and creative way. Almost from the beginning of its historical evolution, the specific note "conventual" was added to the Franciscan Charism. Characterizing this "conventuality” in the course of history have been:

 

* Community life- in the strict sense of the word, where fraternal life was strengthened through the exercise of the friary
    (Conventual) chapter;

* An attentive response to particular requests for help on the part of the Church – understood as the people of God and as
    hierarchy, with particular fidelity to the Pope;

* Urban life- in the midst of which the friars dedicate themselves to pastoral, liturgical, cultural, charitable, and social apostolic
    works, the result of being actively involved in the problems and expectations of their contemporaries;

* Special attention to cultural efforts- requiring suitable intellectual preparation both in theology and in other fields of knowledge
    and human activities.

                                                                                        (Franciscan Discipleship no. 12)

After the death of St. Francis, the burgeoning community struggled to keep a united focus. It became increasingly clear that the charism given to Francis and his community could not possibly be contained within one singular expression of gospel life. In 1517, the Franciscan Order was divided into autonomous branches, each following a valid, yet different, observance of St. Francis' Rule.

From the 13th century onward, the friars of the "conventual" tradition have been ministering primarily in urban centers. They banded together in the heart of the European cities where they could touch all levels of society with the Good News of Christ Incarnate. Many of the large churches and ministry centers that were constructed in the earliest years of the Franciscan movement are still administered by the Conventual friars. Our Franciscan heritage in Italy includes everything from the humble sanctuary housing the site of the first friary at Rivotorto to the world renowed basilica of Santa Croce in Florence.

Large shrines have been the hallmark of the Conventual friars. Beginning with the Assisi basilica and tomb of our founder St. Francis, our friars have built and continue to minister at Franciscan sanctuaries that include the basilica and tomb of St. Anthony in Padua, and the basilica and tomb of St. Joseph of Cupertino (in Osimo). At our international headquarters in Rome, the friars also have care of the basilica of Santi Apostoli, which houses the tomb of the apostles Philip and James. Another significant pilgrimage site where we minister in Italy is the Eucharistic Miracle Sanctuary at Lanciano.



                            

                                        




                                      


"Then they may be given the clothing of probation, namely,
two tunics without a capuche, a cord, short trousers, and a cape reaching to the cord, unless these
same ministers sometimes decide otherwise before God....And those who have already promised obedience may have one tunic with a capuche and, if they
wish, another without a capuche. And those who are forced by necessity may wear shoes. And all
the friars should wear poor clothes and mend them with sacking and other bits of cloth with the
blessing of God."
                                                                                                                                                                -Rule of 1223
In the Middle Ages most people wore basically the same style of clothing: a simple tunic, a small shoulder cape and perhaps a hood to keep off the rain. Depending on one's class in society, the cloth would have been either rich or simple. Because pockets had not been invented, the wealthy wore a leather belt fastened around their waist on which was suspended a money bag, dagger and sword. After his conversion, Francis decided to throw off his adorned belt and instead tied an ordinary rope around his waist as all the peasants wore. He eventually tied three knots in the rope as a reminder of his three promises to God: poverty, chastity and obedience. The word "habit" is derived from the Latin, habitus, "to put on a way of a life." The external garment represents an interior change. In traditional imagery the religious habit is appreciated as the armour of salvation and a mantle of justice. Within the Franciscan fraternity the habit acts as both the wedding garment and the burial shroud; it is the sign of unity and the visible link between brothers long since in heaven and those yet to be born.




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