Friar: Religious Brother
A religious brother is a lay friar (in the sense of not
being ordained) who commits himself to following Christ in the consecrated life
of the Church. He publicly professes the
evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. By practicing the evangelical counsels, his
life becomes dedicated to following Christ more closely under the action of the
Holy Spirit, a life dedicated to the building up of the Church (the People of
God) through perfect charity (love), while serving the Kingdom of God.
According to canon law, brothers are neither "lay nor
clerical" but instead belong to the religious state of life. Brothers use their natural talents, abilities,
and education to build up the Church and the Kingdom of God. Today you'll find religious brothers serving
as social workers, nurses, artist, musicians, teachers, carpenters, and
chefs. They journey with the People of
God as brothers.
Friar: Religious Priest
A religious priest is an ordained friar who commits himself
to following Christ in the consecrated life of the Church. He publicly professes the evangelical
counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
By practicing the evangelical counsels, his life becomes dedicated to
following Christ more closely under the action of the Holy Spirit, a life
dedicated to the building up of the Church (the People of God) through perfect
charity (love), while serving the Kingdom of God.
A friar-priest has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders and
is ordained to the ministerial priesthood.
As a friar-priest he builds up the Church by administering and presiding
over the sacramental life of the Church.
Friar-priests journey with the People of God as pastors.
Discernment and
Formation
Initial formation (postulancy and novitiate) is dedicated to
the human, Christian, and Franciscan development of the candidates to follow
Christ in the consecrated life of the Church.
The focus is on becoming a Franciscan friar of the Order of Friars Minor,
not on the priest or brother vocation.
During initial formation candidates discern a calling within the
consecrated life to either become a friar-brother or a friar-priest. This decision is made in conjunction with,
and only with the approval of their directors.
During post-novitiate, friars are later trained and educated
for their ministerial and/or professional occupations as either a religious
brother or a religious priest. Only
after profession of solemn vows can a friar be ordained to the ministerial
priesthood.
