Order of Saint Francis

This article is about an American Anglican dispersed religious community. For the other Anglican Orders, see Franciscan orders in the Anglican Communion. For the Roman Catholic Orders, see Franciscan. For the Lutheran Orders, see Franciscan orders in Lutheranism.

The Order of Saint Francis (OSF) is a contemporary religious order in the Franciscan tradition, admitting members of the Anglican church (and churches in full communion). The Order of Saint Francis is an Apostolic religious order. Rather than living in an enclosed communal setting, OSF Brothers live independently in different parts of the world, with ministries based on the needs of their local communities. Members are baptized men who have been confirmed within the Anglican Communion, and who voluntarily commit to live by a set of professed vows for a term of years or for life. In 2004, Br. Nicholas Kis received permission from the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, Washington to establish the order. The Order of Saint Francis is a dispersed order, which welcomes men with dual vocations (clergy as well as lay). Brothers may also be married or single and can be found in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

Official status[1]

The Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, Washington is the Bishop Visitor of the Order. The Order has resolved not to seek recognition at the present time from the broader church.[2]

Interpretation of vows[3]

Unique among First Order Anglican Franciscans, married men may be admitted to membership of the Order of Saint Francis. This has necessitated changes to the traditional vows, particularly those of chastity and poverty. The vows are still taken, but with a broader interpretation.[4] The admission of married men would be problematic to official recognition as an Anglican religious order in some Provinces.

References

  1. "Order of Saint Francis". Order of Saint Francis. Retrieved 2016-06-23.
  2. See "Is your Order seeking canonical recognition by the Episcopal Church?" in this" FAQ list.
  3. "Order of Saint Francis". Order of Saint Francis. Retrieved 2016-06-23.
  4. The Order's understanding of vows is explained here.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.