Q. How do the Friars live their vocations in the Roman Catholic Church?

A. According to the C.F.R. Constitutions,

"153. The friars shall consider it an essential part of our life and reform to be completely loyal to the Roman Catholic Church and its Supreme Shepherd, the Bishop of Rome. This loyalty of mind and heart should be modeled after the filial obedience and love of St. Francis for the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ and for the office and person of the pope. The friars will also be obedient to the bishop who is our ordinary and to the diocesan bishops where we live and work. Following the admonition of St. Francis, the friars will respectfully withdraw from the diocese of any bishop who indicates that he does not desire our service and witness (cf. Rule of St. Francis, Ch. IX).

154. Since the Church is not an abstract idea, but a living reality of God’s grace in human life, the friars will love and serve the Church in all its members. The friars will earnestly strive not only to follow the teachings of the Church, but also to defend and promote them as the way that leads to eternal life. They should show respect and deference to all prelates, priests and deacons, and to the religious and laity of the Church. An appropriate and cheerful welcome and hospitality will be extended to all, but always in accord with our limited resources and the demands of prayer and the apostolate.

155. The friars will exemplify in their lives the pilgrim aspect of the Christian life and shall work for the up-building of the life of the Church. This is not to minimize in any way the important work of the maintenance of the life of the Catholic people in parishes and formal education; rather we choose to concentrate on other aspects of the life of the Church, namely, evangelization, the physical and spiritual care of the poor and destitute, the preaching of personal reform and foreign missions.

156. An essential part of the work of evangelization and care of the poor is the friars’ public and prayerful witness to the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. This witness is in opposition to the moral relativism and paganism of our times which undermines and attacks the fundamental human right to life, which is the foundation of a just and peaceful society.

157. By our loyal dedication to the Church, we will insure that our work of outreach and building up is always harmoniously linked to the equally important work of maintenance and establishment of the Christian life.

158. The friars shall be concerned about all people as children of God and beloved of Christ. They should encourage warm and creative dialogue with all our separated Christian brothers and sisters of East and West. They shall also show special deference and concern for the Jewish people who have given us our Lady with her Divine Son, and Sacred Scriptures. They shall be especially attentive to Moslems, about whom St. Francis was most concerned in his prayer and preaching. They should respect the sincere attempts of all world religions to find God and to do His Will and should reflect to their members the respect which Christ Himself showed to those coming from East and West to take their place at the Heavenly Banquet. The friars should pray and work for the salvation of all human beings, especially for those who choose to be our enemies, considering always that Christ, Our Lord, drew all things to Himself when He was lifted up on the Cross. As representatives of the gentle Savior, the friars shall not only strive to avoid all rudeness, lack of consideration and impatience, but as St. Francis teaches us, strive to behave as servants of all.

159. Finally, we acclaim the universal primacy of Christ, the New Adam and the King of creation. Our Seraphic Father Francis, speaking of the sun and moon, the wind, fire and water, the flowers, birds and beasts called them his brothers and sisters. All of creation by its very existence reflects God’s glory and sings its own song of praise. Aware that creation, by God’s design, has entered into a deep intimacy with Him through the Incarnation, let us not only protect and cherish this beautiful but broken earth, which is good, but let us reverence those made in God’s own image and likeness for they are very good."