Franciscan Studies

The theme which Pope John Paul II has chosen for the XI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is: Eucharistia fons et culmen vitae et missionis Ecclesiae (The Eucharist, source and summit of the life and mission of the Church). This Synod is going to be celebrated within the context of the year dedicated to the Eucharist.

St Francis and the Eucharist (pdf)

During the year in which we celebrated the 750th anniversary of the approval of the Rule of Saint Clare by Pope Innocent IV (9 August 1253) and of the death of Saint Clare (11 August 1253), we had the occasion to go deeper into the study of Saint Clare and her specific charism, particularly regarding her relationship with Saint Francis.

St. Clare Foundress? (pdf)

NEW PAPER ON THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE APOSTOLIC LETTER «SEPTIMO IAM» OF POPE ST. PIUS X REGARDING THE NAME «FRIARS MINOR OF THE LEONINE UNION»

Noel Muscat ofmOn 4th October 1897, solemnity of Saint Francis, Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) had published the Constitution Felicitate quadam, which marked the unification of the four branches of the Order of Friars Minor of the Regular Observance (Observants, Reformed, Recollects, Alcantarines) into one family, henceforth to be known simply as Ordo Fratrum Minorum, Order of Friars Minor. This unification had not been easy and was bound to find resistance from within the inner ranks of the Order, particularly by the group of ex-Reformed friars. The other Franciscan families of the First Order, namely the Friars Minor Conventuals and the Friars Minor Capuchins, were not at all happy with the turn of events, since they regarded the name Order of Friars Minor without any further additions as a usurpation by one particular religious family of the official name of the Order founded by Saint Francis.

Although the strong will of Leo XIII and of the general government of the Friars Minor succeeded in getting the unification through, problems cropped up once more during the pontificate of Saint Pius X (1903-1914). This time the protests regarding the name Order of Friars Minor arrived at the proper channels in the Roman Curia, and particularly in the Congregation for Regulars, headed by the Capuchin Cardinal José de Calasanz Vives y Tutò.

The year 1909 marked the 700th anniversary of the approval of the first Franciscan Rule by Pope Innocent III in 1209. For the occasion the German Franciscan historian Hebert Holzapfel OFM presented his Handbuch der Geschichte des Franziskanerordens, published with the permission of the Minister General Dionysius Schüler OFM on 23rd March 1909 and the imprimatur of the ecclesiastical authorities on 16th April of the same year. The volume was a milestone in presenting a comprehensive history of the Franciscan family, but it was met with criticism, probably within the framework of the turn of events at that particular moment.

In fact, it was exactly on 4th October 1909 that Pope Pius X published the Apostolic Letter Septimo iam, in order to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the approval of the Franciscan Forma Vitae, but also to state that, since it was becoming clear that there were protests regarding the name Order of Friars Minor being given to one Franciscan family, he henceforth willed that the Order would be known as Order of Friars Minor “of the Leonine Union”. This name was hardly ever used in official Church documents, but it left a legacy of bitterness and a polemical atmosphere among the three families of the First Franciscan Order.

This paper provides an overall historical view of the circumstances of composition of Septimo iam as well as a presentation of its contents, exactly 100 years after the crucial events that shaped the more recent history of the Order of Friars Minor.

Copyright 2009 – NOEL MUSCAT
Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.

Click for Paper (pdf)

Il-Beatu John Duns Scotus (1265/66 – 8 ta’ Novembru 1308) hu meqjus bħala d-Duttur ta’ l-Immakulata. Kien hu li ipprovda tejoloġija sistematika dwar dan il-privileġġ marjan, li l-Knisja għamlitha tagħha fil-proklamazzjoni tad-Domma ta’ Fidi dwar l-Immakulata Kunċizzjoni, permezz tal-Bulla «Ineffabilis Deus» tal-Beatu Papa Piju IX (8 ta’ Diċembru 1854), li din is-sena qegħdin niċċelebraw għeluq il-150 anniversarju tagħha.

Scotus u l-Immakulata (pdf)

Blessed John Duns Scotus (1265/66 – 8th November 1308), besides being known as the “Subtle Doctor”, is also referred to as the “Marian Doctor”. It was he who presented a systematic theology of the Marian privilege of the Immaculate Conception, which the Catholic Church officially proclaimed as a Dogma of Faith in the Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of Pope Pius IX (8th December 1854), of which we are this year celebrating the 150th anniversary.

Scotus and the Immaculate Conception (pdf)

Mhux darba u tnejn li staqsewna dwar it-tifsira ta’ dan it-titlu. F’Malta llum g?andna biss ?ew? knejjes u kunventi iddedikati għal dan it-titlu marjan. It-tweġiba ma tistax tkun waħda sempliċi. Tiġbor flimkien ħafna truf, li fuq kollox huma lkoll interessanti.

Santa Marija ta’ Gesu (pdf)

Il tema scelto da Giovanni Paolo II per la XI Assemblea generale ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi è: Eucharistia fons et culmen vitae et missionis Ecclesiae (L’Eucaristia fonte e culmine della vita e della missione della Chiesa). Questo Sinodo viene celebrato nel contesto dell’anno dedicato all’Eucaristia. Come preparazione al Sinodo sono state pubblicate i Lineamenta dalla Segreteria Generale del Sinodo (25 febbraio 2004).

San Francesco e l’Eucaristia (pdf)

The document entitled “The Grace of our Origins”, which lays down the preparatory stages for the celebration of the 8th centenary of the foundation of the Order of Friars Minor, dedicates the year 2006 to the identity of our Franciscan calling. It invites us to meditate upon Saint Fancis’ words during his dream in Spoleto: “Lord, what do you want me to do?”

San Damiano (pdf)

This new paper by Noel Muscat ofm focuses upon the significance of the 800th anniversary of Francis’ visit to Pope Innocent III in the Lateran palace, in order to request the pope’s approval of his “Forma vitae”, or the Gospel way of life he wrote for the first brothers.

Saint Francis in front of Pope Innocent III (1209) (pdf)

Fis-sena li fiha qegħdin niċċelebraw għeluq is-750 sena mill-approvazzjoni tar-Regola ta’ Santa Klara mill-Papa Innoċenz IV (9 ta’ Awissu 1253) u mill-mewt ta’ Santa Klara (11 ta’ Awissu 1253), qed jerġa’ jkollna okkażjoni biex napprofondixxu l-istudji tagħna dwar Klara t’Assisi u l-kariżma speċifiku tagħha, f’relazzjoni ma’ San Franġisk.

Relazzjoni S. Klara ma’ S. Frangisk (pdf)NS05 Klara u Frangisku