FRIARS
291
FRIARS
Tuscany and Northern Italy and contains S provinces,
138 convents, and 2038 religious. (3) The third com-
prises Southern Italy and Naples (except Calabria),
with 4 provinces, 93 convents, and 1063 religious. (4)
The fourth includes Sicily, Calabria, and Malta, and
has 7 provinces, 85 convents, and 1045 religious. (5)
The fifth embraces the Tyrol, Carinthia, Dalrnatia,
Bosnia, Albania, and the Holy Land, with 9 provinces,
2S2 convents, and 1792 religious. (6) The sixth corn-
prises Vienna, Hungary, Transylvania, Croatia, Gali-
cia, and Bohemia, with 7 provinces, 100 convents, and
1458 friars. (7) The seventh, which is numerically
the strongest, includes Germany, Holland, and Bel-
gium, with 7 provinces, 129 convents, and 2553 mem-
bers. (8) The eighth comprises France, Corsica,
Great Britain, and Canada, with 7 provinces, 63 con-
vents, and 975 religious. (9) The ninth comprises
Portugal and Nortliern Spain with 5 provinces, 39
convents, and 1124 religious. (10) The tenth em-
braces Southern Spain and the Philippines, with 4
provinces, 48 houses, and 910 religious. (11) The
eleventh includes Central and South America, with 12
provinces, 97 convents, and 1298 members. (12) The
twelfth comprises Mexico and the United States, with
7 provinces (including the Polish commissariate at
Pulaski, Wisconsin), 167 convents, and 1195 religious.
The total figures for the order are consequently (4
October, 19(38), 81 provinces, 1413 convents and 16,-
894 Franciscans. In 1905 the Franciscans numbered
16,842 and their convents 1373. For the second last
decade of the nineteenth century the lowest figures
are recorded, the figures announced at the general
chapter of 1889 being: Observants 6228, Reformati
5733, Recollects 1621, Discalced 858— that is a total
of 14,440 Franciscans. That only the Recollects had
increased since 1862 may be seen from the figures for
that year: Observants 10,200, Reformati 9889, Recol-
lects and Discalced together 1813 — a total of 21,902
Minorites. The year 1768 gives the highest figures —
about 77,000 in 167 provinces. In 1762, the Observ-
ants had 87 provinces, 2330 convents, and 39,900
members; the Reformati 19,000 members with 37
provinces and 800 convents; the Recollects 11,000
members, 490 convents, 22 provinces; the Discalced
7000 members, 430 convents, 20 provinces. Total,
76,900 Mmorites, 4050 cloisters, 166 provinces. In
1700 the total was 63,400 Minorites, 3880 convents,
and 154 provinces ; about 1680, 60,000 Minorites, 3420
convents, and 151 provinces.
IV. The V.\rious N.\mes of the Fri.\rs Minor. — The official name, Fratres Minores {Ordo Fralrum Minorum) (O.F.M.), or Friars Minor, was variously translated into the popular speech of the Middle Ages. In England the Friars Minor were commonly known as "the Grey Friars" from the colour of their habit. This name corresponds to the Grabr(^drene of Denmark and Scandinavia. In Germany they were usually known as the Baarfiisser (Baarfuozzen, Barvuzen, Barvoten, Barjiizzen, etc.), that is, "Barefooted" (wearing only sandals). In France they were usually called the Cordeliers from their rope-girdle (corde, cordelle) but were also known as the Frcres Menours (from Fratres Minores). After the fifteenth centurj' tlie term Cordeliers was applied to both the Conven- tuals and the Observants, but more seldom to the Recollets (Recollects). Their popular name in Italy was the Frati Minori, or simply the Frati. The Observants were long known in that country as the Zoccolanti, from their foot-wear.
V. The H.\bit. — The habit has been gradually changed in colour and certain other details. Its colour, which was at first grey or a medium brown, is now a dark brown. The dress, which consists of a loose- sleeved gown, is confined about the loins by a white cord, from which is hung, since the fifteenth century, the Seraphic rosary with its seven decades (see Crow^n, Franciscan). A long or short under-habit of the
same or a different colour and trousers are also worn.
Shoes are forbidden by the rule, and may be worn
only in case of necessity; for these sandals are sub-
stituted, and the feet are bare. Around the neck and
over the shoulders hangs the cowl, quite separate from
the habit, and under it is the shoulder-cape or mozetta,
which is round in front and terminates in a point at
the back. The Franciscans wear no head-dress, and
have the great tonsure, so that only about three finger-
breadths of hair remain, the rest of the scalp being
shaved. In winter they w-ear about their necks be-
tween the cowl and the habit the round mantle which
almost reaches the knees.
VI. The Constitution of the Order (see Francis, Rule of St.). — During the hfetime of St. Francis of Assisi, everything was directed and in- fluenced by his transcendent personality. The dura- tion of offices was not defined, and consequently the constitution was at first juridically speaking, absolute. From 1239, that is after the experiences of the order under Elias of Cortona, the order gradualh' developed a monarchical constitution. The chapter of definitors for the whole order (thirteenth centurj-), the chapter of custodies in each province, the discretus sent by the subordinate convents to the provincial chapter, etc. are institutions which have long ceased to e.xist. To the past also belongs the custody in the sense of a union of several convents within a pro\nnce. To-day a custody signifies a few cloisters constituting a province which has not yet been canonicaUy erected.
The present constitution is as follows: The whole order is directed by the minister general, elected by the provincial ministers at the general chapter, which meets every twelve years. At first his term of office was indefinite, that is, it was for fife; in 1517 it was fi.xed at six years; in 1571, at eight; in 1587, again at six; and finally the twelve-year period of office was settled on by Pius IX in 1862. The general resides at the CoUegio S. Antonio, Via Merulana, Rome. The order is di^ded into provinces (that is, asso- ciations of the convents in one country or district), which prescribe and define the sphere of activity of the various friars within their sphere of jurisdiction. Several provinces together form a circumscription, of which there are twelve in the order. Each circum- scription sends one definitor general, taken in turn from each province, to Rome as one of the counsellors to the minister general. These definitors are elected for six years at the general chapter and at the congre- gatio intermedia (also called frequently, by an abuse of the term, a general chapter), summoned by the general six years after his election. The general chapter and the congregalio intermedia may be con- vened by the general in anj' place. The provinces of the order are governed by the provincials (ministri provinciales\ who are elected every three years at the Provincial chapter and constitute the general chapter. Their term of office, Uke that of the general, was at first undefined; from 1517 to 1547 it was three years; from 1547 to 1571, six years; from 1571 to 1587, four years; since 1587, three years. While in office, the provincial holds every year (or every year and a half) the intermediate chapter {capitidwn intermedium), at which the heads of all the convents of the province are chosen for a year or a year and a half. The local superiors of houses (conventus) which contain at least si.x religious, are called guardians (earher wardens); otherwise they receive the title prieses or superior. The provincial has to \-isit his own province and watch over the observance of the rule; the general has to visit the whole order, either personally or by means of visitors specially appointed by him {visitatores generales). The individual convents consist of the Fathers (Patres), i.e. the regular priests, the clerics studying for the priesthood (jratres clerici) and the lay brothers engaged in the regular service of the house (Jratres laici). Newly received candidates must first
