What is the Ecumenical Franciscan Order

Why Francis?

Why choose to follow the example of a particular saint? Perhaps because the saint challenges us, or faced similar trials in his or her own life and, with the Lord’s help overcame them. Or perhaps their life in Christ was an exemplary one, one which we would emulate.

 When I first encountered St. Francis of Assisi, in 1994 or thereabouts, I was at a crossroads in my life and Francis seemed to be leading me towards my better self. At the time, I had recently been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and was not enjoying the experience of hearing and seeing things that were not there. Reading of the saint’s encounter with the San Damiano crucifix was especially comforting and actually provided a degree of ordinariness to my experiences.

I was enthralled and encouraged as I read the various lives of the saint to find that he was a weak human being like me. To find that he worked through some of the same issues as myself yet didn’t so much overcome them as accepted them and dealt with them as weaknesses which did not impinge on holiness.

The words of Jesus to Francis empowered me with the desire to do likewise – to renew the Church, to attempt to encourage a spirit of acceptance and love in the Roman church and to cleanse the leprosy eating up its members.

Drawn by Francis I sought first to emulate his ways by seeking admission to the S.F.O., the Secular Franciscan Order. It was my desire to try to live the gospel life and so to do as Christ did, Francis, a mirror reflecting the Saviour seemed to provide the living key to my quest.

Sadly I found there the same spirit of fear present in the larger church and was not allowed to progress there beyond the Novitiate.

The Ecumenical Franciscan Order

In 2003 a fresh new order rose up to answer the spirit of Francis, the Ecumenical Franciscan Order, an order, which embraces all beliefs, and as its name suggests, welcomes all who wish to follow the saint irrespective of the credal statement endorsed by the person.

This Order arose to counter the conservative beliefs and practises of the mainstream churches and to give witness to God’s love for all people everywhere, to argue for the rights of everyone to worship and serve God. It is, therefore, an order that reaches out to those disenfranchised by the denominations and seeks to return them to great Shepherd, himself.

It is a Protestant Order in that it protests against the Doctrines of the Roman church that infringe and impede on human rights at the same time it is ecumenical because the teachings of the Order allow that all Faith experiences are valid and does not measure them by the dichotomy of right or wrong.

I entered the EFO in July 2003 and once more began a stuttering journey with the saint in the company of others who shared my values and beliefs. I have walked for 3 years in the company of the current Brother Shepherd and seek with him to renew the church and to raise it up from its ashes once more to provide safe harbour to the marginalized.

As I mentioned, mine has been a stuttering journey, one of stops and starts and the Order allows for this. The Order has grown in the past 3 years, and I believe that I have grown with it. The Order has made mistakes and learned from them because it is flexible and attempts, with the Lord’s, help to mould the spirit of Francis around the 21^st century rather than the other way around.

As Saint Francis embraced his own times, so this Order embraces its times

This may seem wrong to some yet if Franciscans are to live out the gospel in the 21^st century we must look realistically both at the Gospels and at life to balance the two. Consequently, to find a sensible and honest way to fulfil the Rule of our Father Francis who called his brothers to “observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience, without anything of one's own, and in chastity.” (Pope Honorius III, Solet Annuere, chapter I, November 29, 1223 A.D¹)

The better to do this, the EFO is an order for tentmakers who whether they live in community or in their own homes, as the Order allows, support themselves and the work of the Order through working.

Each Sunday, Our Order meditates on Poverty: Our Rule reads that members “… retain sufficient resources to meet basic living needs, and those resources which are needed to achieve ministries. Any excess should be shared among those in need.”

At the end of our week, on Saturday: we remind ourselves of the practice of Poverty in that we work to earn enough money as is required for our daily needs and to use any spare money to assist the Order, the house, the community it supports, and the ministries in which it is engaged.

Likewise on each other day of the week our Office leads us to meditate on other aspects of Franciscan spirituality and so conform ourselves to the spirit of the Gospels.

Therefore, with Faith and Works we seek to renew the denominations by the fresh breeze of the Holy Spirit as defined by the spirit of Francis.

Br Andrew EFO