The texts of Franciscan Discipleship and Ratio Studiorum, which were promulgated by the Minister General, Friar Carlos TROVARELLI, on December 13, 2022, are now available on the Order’s website.

Both documents, “Franciscan Discipleship: The General Directory for Formation,” and “Ratio Studiorum Generalis: Guidelines for a Renewed Franciscan Way of Living and Thinking” were reformulated by virtue of the mandate of the 2019 General Chapter. The promulgation of Franciscan Discipleship is ad experimentum and will be subject to discussion and approval by the 2025 General Chapter.

The two texts are as foundational as ever for initial and ongoing formation in the Order. They can be downloaded as a single file from the Order’s website at: LINK DOWNLOAD >>>

Prot. N. 0950/2022

I, Friar Carlos Alberto TROVARELLI
120th Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual
after the Seraphic Patriarch St. Francis

by virtue of the mandate of the 202nd General Chapter, celebrated in Assisi (May 18-27, 2019) and in Collevalenza (May 27 – June 17, 2019), expressed in Motion no. 4 concerning Franciscan Discipleship and Ratio studiorum [cf. Capitolo generale 2019, “Mozioni Approvate dal Capitolo Generale 2019,” Commentarium Ordinis 116/2 (2019) 496], by which the General Chapter asked the Minister General with his Definitory to:

  1. “review Franciscan Discipleship, the Ratio Formationis of the Order, listening to the suggestions given in the assembly, and to approve it ad experimentum by 2022,”

and to:

  1. “review the Ratio Studiorum of the Order, listening to the suggestions received in the assembly, and to approve it by 2022”;
    with the consent of the General Definitory obtained in the session held December 12, 2022, and exercising the faculties of my office, with this decree

do hereby approve ad experimentum and promulgate
Franciscan Discipleship, the Ratio Formationis of the Order.

The text of Franciscan Discipleship will still be submitted to the 2025 Ordinary General Chapter for its approval [cf. Capitolo generale 2019, “Mozioni Approvate dal Capitolo Generale 2019,” Commentarium Ordinis 116/2 (2019) 496],

In addition, with this decree

I hereby approve and promulgate
the Ratio Studiorum of the Order.

Hoping that these texts will help form friars in the charism, to live and transmit the charism of the Order in a manner appropriate to the times that the Lord gives us to live in today, I invoke upon the entire Order the fullness of heavenly blessings.

Given in Rome, at the See of the General Curia of the Order, December 13, 2022.

Friar Carlos A. TROVARELLI
Minister General

Friar Tomasz SZYMCZAK
Secretary General