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| Br. Bill Short, OFM |
"We're so
diverse…and beautiful."
That was one of
Br. Bill Short's opening comments during his plenary talk about the Franciscan Family July 6 on Day 4 of the Q. The theology
professor tried to put the Secular Franciscan Order, originally called Third
Order, in the context of the family's history, which, he noted, one historian
referred to as chaotic, but nonetheless showing vitality because it has
flourished for 800 years.
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| Br. Bill Short, OFM |
"If we were
doing the history of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), this would be quick
and clear," Brother Bill quipped to peels of laughter.
Despite the
tensions among branches in the early years, and later oppression and
suppression by secular states in Europe in later centuries, the Franciscan
movement is a model of inclusivity. And it's all based on a far-reaching
innovation that Francis and Clare introduced to society and the church -- to
live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's an indelible mark on all the branches and
orders -- the first, the second, the third orders, whether religious or secular
or something in-between.
The Third Order
history is replete with a combination of religious, secular and
something-in-between; and the secular and something-in-between had profound
impact on society through their front-line apostolic works (especially among
the poor and sick). Seculars (known as brothers and sisters of penance) tried to live the Gospel while living at home
with their families and going to work. Some, especially women, tried living in
lay communities, and were independent, which brought suspicion because they
were not under male authority, so many adopted the Third Order Rule to stave
off persecution.
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| Br. Bill receives t-shirt gift from Nat'l Min. Tom Bello |
Brother Bill, an
OFM Franciscan who has taught at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley,
CA, since 1983, pointed to major examples of women lay communities that
eventually evolved into religious communities still in existence today. They
took their inspiration from Francis and Clare and saintly Third Order members
like St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Male religious communities rose similarly. A
major player was what was to become known as the Third Order Regular (TOR)
friars.
The Third Order
tertiaries (which today comprise the Secular Franciscan Order) went through
periods of growth and decline over the centuries. The Great Plague decimated
fraternities, whose members were usually in the forefront of caring for the
sick and burying the dead. Later, several popes encouraged the spread of the
Third Order, thinking it would help revitalize the church. While membership
swelled, formation wasn't always what it should have been, Brother Bill pointed
out.
Despite its
seemingly fractured structure, the Franciscan Family has strength in its
diversity, inclusiveness, and in a common charge to live the "holy Gospel
of Jesus Christ" in the footsteps of St. Francis.
