"Conversion is to go against the current, where the 'current' is a superficial lifestyle, inconsistent and illusory, which often draws us, controls us, and makes us slaves of evil, or, in any case, prisoners of moral mediocrity. . . Conversion is the total "yes" of the one who gives his own existence to the Gospel, responding freely to Christ." -- Pope Benedict XVI, 17 February 2010

 

Are you a Roman Catholic lay person who is looking for more in life? What is your goal? Might it be something like one of these?

 

• Being at peace.

• Growing closer to God.

• Surrendering to God.

• Becoming holier.

• Becoming the person God created you to be.

• Getting to heaven.

• Doing God’s Will.

• Helping others to know about God’s love.

• Helping others get to heaven.

• Loving God better.

• Doing penance for sin.

• Assisting the Catholic Church in her mission.

 

If one of these, or something similar, is your goal, and you wish you had some guidance as well as the support of others in reaching that goal, then read on! The Holy Spirit may have brought you to these pages.

 

Click on these links for more information:

• Canonical Status of the Confraternity of Penitents

• How Can a Rule of Life Foster Holiness?

• Selecting a Rule of Life

• The Rule of 1221

• What Makes the Confraternity Unique

• Why Live the Rule of 1221 As Closely As Possible to Its Original Intent?

• The Intent of the Rule of 1221

• How Does the Confraternity of Penitents Live the Rule of 1221 As Closely As Possible to Its Original Intent?

• Penance As Vocation

• Contact Information

Canonical Status of the Confraternity of Penitents

 

The bishop of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, USA, has granted the Confraternity of Penitents canonical status as a Private Association of the Faithful and given its members his special blessing in the living of the CFP Rule and Constitutions and in spreading the message of penance (conversion) to others. See this link for the letter affirming canonical status and this link for several additional letters from the Diocese of Providence regarding the CFP.

 

A Private Association of the Faithful is a canonical term from the Code of Canon Law as defined below:

Can. 298 §1. In the Church there are associations distinct from institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life; in these associations the Christian faithful, whether clerics, lay persons, or clerics and lay persons together, strive in a common endeavor to foster a more perfect life, to promote public worship or Christian doctrine, or to exercise other works of the apostolate such as initiatives of evangelization, works of piety or charity, and those which animate the temporal order with a Christian spirit.

§2. The Christian faithful are to join especially those associations which competent ecclesiastical authority has erected, praised, or commended.

Can. 299 §1. By means of a private agreement made among themselves, the Christian faithful are free to establish associations to pursue the purposes mentioned in can. 298, §1, without prejudice to the prescript of can. 301, §1.

§2. Even if ecclesiastical authority praises or commends them, associations of this type are called private associations.

§3. No private association of the Christian faithful is recognized in the Church unless competent authority reviews its statutes.

Can. 300 No association is to assume the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority according to the norm of can. 312.

Please refer to this link and this link for the complete sections of the Code of Canon Law which apply to the Confraternity of Penitents.

How Can a Rule of Life Foster Holiness?

 

Did you know that living a Rule of Life that has been accepted by the Church is a marvelous way to begin to accomplish these goals? Why? Because the Church promises that those who follow such Rules faithfully are guaranteed eternal life. Many Religious Orders, Congregations, and Associations of the Faithful, whose Members follow a Rule of Life, exist in the Catholic Church. Each of these has unique charism that is reflected in the organization’s Rules, Statutes, Constitutions, and other governing materials. If you wish to achieve any or all of the above goals, could you do better than living a Rule of Life?

 

Many people believe that such Rules exist only for consecrated religious like nuns and brothers. That is not true! Thankfully many wonderful Rules of Life, accepted and encouraged by the Catholic Church, exist for lay people to follow. The graces that come from following a Rule of Life are many.

 

• You give up your own will to follow the Rule.

• You grow in humility.

• You grow more detached from worldly possessions.

• You learn self-discipline.

• You practice love of neighbor by serving others.

• You practice love of God through prayer and worship.

 

Does it make sense that a Rule of Life that causes you to give up more of your own will, to grow more in humility, to become more detached from possessions, to practice more self-discipline, to engage in greater service to your neighbor, and to pray more to our God, is a Rule that will speed you along the spiritual journey to help you achieve your spiritual goals? With the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Confraternity of Penitents can assist you in all of these ways and more!

 

Selecting a Rule of Life

 

Before you explore all Rules of Life available today, a word of wisdom is necessary. A Rule of Life is not “one size fits all” It is more like “one Rule fits one person.” Living a Rule of Life is a vocation, that is, a direct call from the Holy Spirit.

 

Selecting a Rule of Life to live as a lay person is not like selecting an article of clothing, an appliance, a book, or a vehicle. It might be safer to say that the Rule selects YOU. If you feel the desire to go beyond the requirements of being a “good Catholic,” then the Lord may be calling you to live a Rule of Life that will help you to achieve this. How will you know? First, pray about this question. Ask God, “Do You want me to live a Rule of Life? Do You want me to live it now?” If the Lord seems to be directing you to investigate this idea, how do you find the Rule that you ought to try to live?

 

An internet search will unearth many Rules of Life. A call to your Diocesan offices can put you in touch with groups in your area. Your parish priest and other lay Catholics may know of groups nearby. Ask questions. Follow leads.

 

Each Rule of Life requires certain obligations from its Members. Some Rules are very specific and others more general. Some allow more personal choice and others allow less. Some groups require a specific plan of study before permitting a Member to make a Church-accepted commitment to live that Rule. Others have less structure. You will discover these differences as you investigate different groups and their Rules of Life.

 

Should you investigate several groups and Rules? Yes, probably you should. Bathe your search in prayer. Certain groups and Rules will resonate with you. Others will not. Keep a list of the Rules and groups that seem promising and pray about that list. Contact the ones that intrigue you. Keep in touch until you know that a certain group or Rule is not for you, no matter how good it is. In time, the Holy Spirit will whittle down your contacts until you find the group whose Rule seems made for YOU.

 

The Rule of 1221

 

You are now reading information about a group of lay people who are living a modern adaptation of a Rule of Life which was given by Saint Francis of Assisi to lay people to live in the year 1221. This group, the Confraternity of Penitents, is a Roman Catholic, private association of the faithful whose Members are living this Rule in their own homes in total obedience to all the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, to the Holy Father, and to the Magesterium. The Constitutions to this Rule indicate how the Members live the Rule in the modern world.

 

Members of the Confraternity of Penitents recognize that they are sinners. They acknowledge past sins and are sorry for them. They are striving to avoid sin but recognize their weaknesses. Knowing that they need God's grace to do good, they voluntarily enter into a life of penance (ongoing conversion) to help them to grow in surrender to God's way of doing things. Joyfully they accept Christ's atoning sacrifice and God's redeeming love. In all of this, they are like the penitents who lived this Rule in the year 1221.

 

Here is some background on the Rule of 1221.

 

• Saint Francis of Assisi wrote a Rule in 1221 for his religious brothers. That Rule is not the Rule which is followed by the Confraternity of Penitents.

• The Confraternity of Penitents follows a Rule written for lay people in the year 1221. At the request of Saint Francis, the Rule of 1221 for the laity was composed by Cardinal Hugolino de Conti de Segni, the Cardinal-Protector of Saint Francis’s Order. Cardinal Hugolino later became Pope Gregory IX.

• The people who followed the Rule of 1221 were called penitents by the general public. The Rule called them “the Brothers and Sisters of Penance.”

• The penitents lived the Rule in their own homes and families.

• The Rule prescribed prayer, fasting, abstinence, community, types of clothing, evangelization, caring for others, and personal holiness.

• The Rule forbad oaths, weapons, grudges, scandal, and anything that causes, fosters, or continues division and sin.

 

The Rule of 1221 had been embraced with joy by the lay followers of Saint Francis. The Rule underwent a minor adjustment in 1283 but remained essentially unchanged until 1883. In that year the Rule of 1221 was abrogated (withdrawn) and a new Rule substituted for it. In 1978, the 1883 Rule was abrogated and a new Rule substituted. Today Secular Franciscans live the Rule of 1978, also called the Pauline Rule.

 

In 1994, one individual who had learned about the Rule of 1221 felt a persistent, interior call to live it in the modern world and, a few months later, to pray that others would live it also. The small local group that developed from this has evolved into the international Confraternity of Penitents.

 

What Makes the Confraternity Unique

 

A few groups make reference to the Rule of 1221 in their Rules of Life and some attempt to follow it in some way. Some of the wording regarding how they follow the Rule is similar or even the same as in the Confraternity of Penitents. However, there are significant differences.

 

Differences in how a Rule is lived come from how a group views the Rule. This view is reflected in the Vision of the group. The Confraternity of Penitents has a unique Vision which determines how its Members live the Rule of 1221. That Vision is:

 

“To give glory to God and surrender to His Will through the living of a medieval, penitential Rule of Life, the Rule of 1221.  This Rule is lived as closely as possible to its original intent, and  in one's own home or CFP community house, in peace with all others, and in obedience to the Roman Catholic Church, its Pope, and its Magisterium.”

 

The key phrase that separates the CFP from all other groups is this: “This Rule is lived as closely as possible to its original intent.”

 

Why Live the Rule of 1221 As Closely As Possible to Its Original Intent??

 

All Rules of Life, if lived well, are means to achieving holiness. Those living any Rule of Life can achieve holiness if they are obedient to how their group is living the Rule in the modern world.

 

The call to the Confraternity of Penitents was to “live the Rule of 1221” and to “pray that more people will live the Rule of 1221 and enter this fraternity.” This implies that the Rule was to be lived as written, as much as is possible in today’s world and in keeping with current Church practices. While no one knows the mind of God, we might speculate on why the call to “live the Rule” was given. Might God have wanted to make it easier for some people to attain holiness because they “live the Rule of 1221”? At first glance to the modern eye, the Rule seems difficult to live, although those who are living it find it joyful and liberating. They have discovered that living the Rule "as closely as possible to its original intent" brings many graces and spiritual fruits. Many saints and blesseds lived the Rule of 1221. Several of these were religious but over thirty were lay people. To read short summaries of their lives, consult the link in the left link column.

 

Might God want all those who “live the Rule of 1221” today to have a chance at achieving such levels of sanctity? We in the Confraternity of Penitents hope so!

 

The Intent of the Rule of 1221

 

The Rule of 1221 was intended to be a religious Rule of Life for lay people. Those living the Rule were considered to be part of a religious Order for the laity. Even though they were laity, they conducted themselves like religious. This meant that

 

• The penitents had certain days of fasting and abstinence.

• They prayed certain prayers.

• They lived modest lives in witness to Christ.

• They met in community monthly for instruction, support, and prayer.

• They supported their own needy Members with prayers and alms.

• They participated in works of charity.

• They were to take the first steps toward reconciliation and to be at peace with all.

 

How Does the Confraternity of Penitents “Live the Rule of 1221 As Closely As Possible to Its Original Intent?”

 

Here are some ways in which all the Members of the Confraternity of Penitents live the Rule of 1221 as closely as possible to its original intent. These unique ways distinguish the Confraternity from other lay Catholic organizations, associations, and Orders.

 

• Just like religious do in convents and monasteries, penitents lived their Rule twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week without relaxation or mitigation other than following the Church custom of not fasting or abstaining on Sundays and Solemnities. This is the case in the Confraternity of Penitents.

• Depending on whether the fabric was of animal or plant fibers, clothing for medieval penitents would have been any shade of “earth tones,” “neutral colors,” white or black (Rule, Chapter 1). The CFP mandates the same colors for continual wear.

• Penitents were to be inconspicuous in doing penance (Rule, Chapter 1). The CFP maintains this intent by allowing penitents to wear solid colored blue articles of clothing as well as neutral tones. Blue reminds the penitent of his or her consecration to the Blessed Mother, the patron of the Confraternity, and also, because it is a color, helps conceal from others the fact that penitents are doing penance in the area of clothing.

• Reading Chapter 1 of the original Rule indicates that penitential garb, while specific in some ways, was varied among the penitents. Hence, no specific habit was mandated. The CFP retains this intent by having its lay Members mix and match their garb so that they do not appear to be wearing habits. Nor may they receive permission to wear a habit. It is the opinion of the Diocese of Providence, whose bishop has accepted the CFP Rule and Constitutions, that the wearing of a habit is intended for vowed religious.

• “Vain adornments” were to be put aside (Rule, 2, 4). The CFP maintains this intent by having its Members relinquish all jewelry except functional pieces like watches, wedding bands, earring studs, and a cross or crucifix pendant, ring, or lapel pin.

• Fur garments were limited to “lamb’s wool only” (Rule, 4). The CFP maintains this intent by stating that fur garments must be lamb’s wool or lamb’s wool imitation.

• "Except for the feeble, the ailing, and those traveling," the Rule mandated two meals a day (Rule, 6). The CFP maintains this stipulation while allowing a “bite to eat” “if needed” at one other time during the day. Except for Solemnities, penitents refrain from eating between meal snacks of solid food unless they need to eat  frequently for health reasons (Rule, 6, 10).

• Penitents who were engaged in fatiguing work were allowed to “take food three times a day” during the time of year when this strenuous, outdoor work was done (Rule, 11). The Rule implies that the abstinence provisions (no meat) were to be followed. The CFP retains the “three times a day” limit for fatiguing work, with abstinence from meat being observed on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays as the Rule states (Rule, 6).

• Penitents were to abstain from meat four days a week (Rule, 6). The CFP retains this intent. If penitents are eating out on abstinence days, they should select meatless dishes. However, if they are served meat as guests in the homes of others, they should eat what is set before them so as not to embarrass the host. This is in line with Rule, 6 and Rule, 9.

• Penitents were to pray an Our Father both before and after meals. If they skipped a meal as a fast, they were not exempt from praying. In that case, they were to pray three Our Fathers (Rule, 7). The CFP has retained this.

• The Rule of 1221 defined fasting as the way the Church fasted at that time. Penitents were to follow the Church’s fasting guidelines, not their own (Rule, 8). The CFP has its Members follow the Church’s guidelines, not their own, while fasting.

• All penitents were to attend Matins “in the fast of St. Martin and in the great fast, unless inconvenience for persons or affairs should threaten.” (Rule, 14). Today public attendance at Mass has replaced attendance at Matins. Therefore, CFP penitents are to attend Mass unless there is a “serious inconvenience.”

• Penitents were to confess three times a year (Rule, 15), which was considered to be frequent during medieval times when most people made confession only once in a lifetime. Today monthly confession is the norm although yearly confession is required. To retain the intent of confession more frequent than the norm, the CFP requires twice monthly confession.

• Ill penitents were to be visited weekly and to be reminded of their obligation to live their Rule (“remind him of penance”) (Rule, 22). The CFP recommends weekly visits in which the ill penitent is not only encouraged and prayed for but is also reminded of his or her obligation to do penance even while ill.

• The official Church representative, the Visitor, was a priest as implied by his power to dispense from the Rule (Rule, 37) and to impose Church penalties (Rule, 39). The CFP requires that its Visitor be a priest. See this link for a Diocesan letter to the CFP Visitor.

• Only the Church representative, the Visitor, could determine what “satisfaction” would have to be performed by a penitent who acted contrary to the pledge (Rule, 30). The CFP has retained this power to the Visitor only.

• Only the bishop could declare a person cleared of heresy (Rule, 32). The CFP allows only the bishop to have this power.

•  Only the Church representative, the Visitor, had the power to dispense penitents from living certain parts of the Rule (Rule, 37). The CFP has retained this power as belonging to the Visitor only.

• Only the Visitor could expel someone “from the brotherhood” (Rule, 35). The CFP maintains the intent of the original Rule by allowing this power only to the Visitor.

 

A few other groups and several individuals, who do not belong to any group, either follow the Rule of 1221 or take it as an ideal, but their observances differ from those of the CFP. Even though they may be living the Rule a bit differently than we are in the CFP, we wish all these groups and individuals well and pray for them daily, asking God to prosper them in their promotion of and living of the Rule of 1221. The more people who embrace this way of personal conversion, the better!

 

Those exploring the Confraternity of Penitents should understand that, in addition to the above differences, the following procedures make the Confraternity unique among the other groups and individuals who are also following the Rule of 1221:

 

• Formation: Every Member and Associate of the CFP must complete four years of written formation. The only exception would be those who cannot read or write. They may have their lessons read to them and may complete their answers orally.

• Pledging: Only Members who have completed four years of formation may pledge to live the Rule. The only exception would be for those whose death is imminent, according to the testimony of two of physicians. Then the penitent must receive permission from the CFP Visitor and Minister General to pledge, with the stipulation that formation will continue as usual if the medical prognosis is incorrect.

• Formators: Only Members may become formators.

• Governance: Only Members may vote or hold office.

• Leadership: Only life pledged Members may hold the highest positions of leadership in the CFP.

• Communications: Every Member, Associate, Affiliate, and Inquirer in the CFP has full and free access to every other by phone, email, postal mail, internet, in person, or any other means. The CFP operates like a family of brothers and sisters in Christ.

Are there other ways in which the Confraternity of Penitents is unique in following the Rule of 1221? Definitely! You can find these by comparing the Confraternity Constitutions with the Statutes and Constitutions of other groups. Carefully look for additions, omissions, and changes between the groups. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. Remember that any Rule of Life is not an end in itself but rather a means to help you to surrender to God in every aspect of your life. Pray that the Lord will enlighten you as to which group and Rule will help you to achieve this. The Lord will guide you. 

 

Penance as a Vocation

 

Might a vocation to live a life of continual penance (conversion) in the manner of the Confraternity of Penitents be for you? Only the Holy Spirit knows! But you can be sure that He wants you to find out. If you are fourteen years of age or older, you can be part of the Confraternity of Penitents.

• Roman Catholics may become Members by completing the CFP four year formation program in the Catholic faith and in living the Rule gradually over those years. By the end of four years, the penitent is living the entire Rule and may then apply to pledge to live the Rule and Constitutions for life.

• Non-Catholics and Catholics with impediments may complete the four years of formation as Associates, even though they cannot pledge.

• Those who cannot or do not wish to do formation are invited to become Affiliates who live in peace with all and who support the Confraternity.

• Transfers from other Lay Associations or Third Orders will enter formation at a level determined by the similarity of their current Rule and Constitutions to those of the CFP. See the  FAQ page, linked to from the left link column, for more information.

Using the links in the left link column, explore these pages for more information and pray about what God wants of you. Then follow the words of our Blessed Mother to the waiters at the wedding feast of Cana and “do whatever He tells you.”

 

May you receive all the blessings God has in store for you!

 

Contact Information

 

Please contact us and we will pray for you as you discern a call to "live the Rule of 1221 as closely as possible to its original intent." Should you feel that the Holy Spirit would like you to inquire with the Confraternity, you will discover support in a vibrant internet, postal mail, and telephone community as well as several local gatherings.

 

Our Inquirer Application for Members and Associates is linked to from the left link column on this page. Completing this and returning it to the CFP is the first step toward membership in the Confraternity.

 

Information on becoming a CFP Affiliate can also be found on a link in the left link column.

 

If you are a single person and wish to explore living the CFP Rule of Life in community with other penitents, please contact us for information regarding our CFP Community Houses, one for men and one for women. CFP members who are also discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life are welcome to live at a CFP Community House during their time of discernment. 

 

If you are interested in contacting religious Orders whose Rule of Life is similar to the CFP Rule and Constitutions, please contact us for referral.

Please pray for all those in the CFP, for those discerning, for our Visitor, Diocesan officials, and spiritual advisors and assistants. And may God bless you and lead you into His perfect Will for your life!