The Franciscans

Monastic Orders · Updated August 15, 2026

Overview

The original Franciscan rule forbade all property ownership, requiring friars to beg for food while preaching, a radical austerity meant to directly emulate the life of Jesus Christ. This was a startling proposition in thirteenth-century Italy, where the Church had grown wealthy and powerful. A former soldier's son from the town of Assisi drove this movement. He insisted that true Christian devotion required absolute poverty and direct service to the poorest people in society.

Francis of Assisi began preaching around 1207 after abandoning a life of luxury. He gathered followers who shared his commitment to owning nothing and living entirely on charity. In 1209, Francis traveled to Rome to seek formal recognition from Pope Innocent III. The pope approved the new religious order, giving Francis and his friars official sanction to live and preach as beggars. The movement expanded rapidly. Around 1212, a young noblewoman named Clare of Assisi joined Francis's movement under his guidance. She established a cloistered community of nuns that became known as the Poor Clares. The Franciscan structure eventually grew into three distinct branches. The Order of Friars Minor became the largest male order. The Poor Clares served as the enclosed female order. A Third Order of Saint Francis opened membership to both men and women who wanted to live Franciscan ideals while remaining in the secular world.

Franciscan influence outlasted the medieval era and crossed denominational boundaries. Since the late nineteenth century, several Protestant Franciscan orders have been established, primarily in Lutheran and Anglican traditions. Some modern Franciscan communities are entirely ecumenical, drawing members from multiple Christian denominations into shared life and service.

The original Franciscan rule forbade all property ownership, requiring friars to beg for food while preaching, a radical austerity meant to directly emulate the life of Jesus Christ.

Source: Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Key facts

Francis of Assisi began preaching around 1207.: He traveled to Rome in 1209 to seek Pope Innocent III's approval to form a religious order.
The original Rule of Saint Francis did not allow ownership of property.: Members were required to beg for food while preaching, emulating the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Franciscans include three independent religious orders for men.: The Order of Friars Minor is the largest contemporary male Franciscan order.
Clare of Assisi founded the Poor Clares under Francis's guidance.: The Poor Clares, formally the Order of Saint Clare, are the Franciscan order for nuns.
The Third Order of Saint Francis is open to both male and female members.: It is a religious and secular group, unlike the strictly cloistered first and second orders.
Several Protestant Franciscan orders have been established since the late 19th century.: These are primarily in the Lutheran and Anglican traditions, and some Franciscan communities are ecumenical, with members from multiple Christian denominations.

Context

The Franciscans are a group of related Catholic organizations founded by Francis of Assisi, dedicated to apostolic poverty, street preaching, and emulation of Christ's life. The movement quickly expanded beyond friars to include a cloistered order of nuns founded by Clare of Assisi and a third order for laypeople. Over centuries, Franciscan influence spread into Protestant traditions as well, with ecumenical communities emerging in the modern era.