• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis poses with the superiors of the four main men's branches of the Franciscan family during a meeting at the Vatican in this April 10, 2017, file photo. The pope has decided that in some cases religious orders made up of both priests and brothers can elect one of the brothers to be a provincial superior or even the superior general. With the pope are: Fathers Michael Perry, then-minister general of the Order of Friars Minor; Nicholas Polichnowski, then-minister general of the Third Order Regulars; Marco Tasca, then-minister general of the Conventual Franciscans; and Mauro Johri, then-minister general of the Capuchins. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Religious brothers can be superiors of orders with priests, pope says

May 18, 2022
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Granting an exception to canon law, Pope Francis said the Vatican office that deals with religious orders can permit men’s communities that are made up of both priests and brothers to choose one of the brothers to be a provincial superior or even the superior general.

A rescript from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life published by the Vatican May 18 said the approval for appointing or electing a brother to head a “clerical institute” would be given “discretionally and in individual cases.”

Pope Francis approved the change Feb. 11, said the rescript, which was signed by Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, congregation prefect, and Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, secretary.

In 2017, the heads of the four men’s branches of the Franciscan family — the Friars Minor, Capuchins, Conventual Franciscans and the Third Order Regulars — asked Pope Francis to allow them to elect brothers to leadership positions, including those with authority over ordained priests.

Father Michael Perry, who was minister general of the Friars Minor at the time, said such permission would allow the Franciscans to live the order’s ideal of leadership, which should challenge the friars — brothers among themselves, whether ordained or not — “to ‘minority,’ to not going up, but going down.”

Minority, Father Perry had told Catholic News Service, is the opposite of clericalism, which is “a drive upward as if upward mobility offered something, some security and guarantee of fidelity, a way of controlling people so they remain faithful to the truth. Franciscans, we don’t see it this way.”

St. Francis of Assisi was never a priest, he noted, and for the first 30 years of the order’s existence the friars were allowed to elect brothers to leadership roles, including as minister general, and they did so.

Father Perry said that if Pope Francis granted the request, it also would have implications for leadership, authority and governance in the wider church because, while affirming the special and irreplaceable role of the ministerial priesthood within the Catholic Church and within religious orders because of the sacraments, it also would recognize that governance does not have to be tied to ordination.

The rescript does not give permanent permission to the Franciscans to elect a brother as superior nor does not mention the order or any other community by name.

Instead, the rescript said a superior general, with the consent of his council, can appoint a brother to be the local or provincial superior of a religious order with both brothers and priests. However, it said, for a brother to be appointed or elected superior general, a “license” must be obtained from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

The Vatican office, it said, “reserves the right to evaluate the individual case and the reasons given by the supreme moderator or the general chapter” of the order for choosing a brother.

Read More Vatican News

JUBILEE-YOUTH-VIGIL

Pope Leo urges youth to find hope, friendship in Christ in uncertain times

JUBILEE-YOUTH-FRASSATI

Thousands visit Blessed Frassati’s remains in Rome for Jubilee of Youth

Jubilee 2025

Young teen’s relics a reminder for pilgrims that holiness ‘is not impossible’

newman

Pope paves way for St. John Henry Newman to be formally named doctor of the church

Jubilee of Digital Missionaries

Festival of digital missionaries celebrates faithful witness in the digital age

jubilee 2025

World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says

Copyright © 2022 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Cindy Wooden

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Conference of Major Superiors of Men Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

  • St. Bernardine Choir celebrates 50 years of song, spirit and community

  • Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’

  • Massacre ‘of faithful in the house of God’ in Congolese Catholic church leaves 43 dead

  • Sister Rose Sylvia Lindner, S.S.N.D., dies at 91

| Latest Local News |

Sister Rita Ann Naughton, I.H.M., dies at 88

St. Bernardine Choir celebrates 50 years of song, spirit and community

Grillo Family Reflection Space

Loyola University Maryland receives $1 million gift supporting aspiring educators, creation of reflection space

Sister Miriam Jansen, former director of international programs at Notre Dame of Maryland, dies at 86

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

| Latest World News |

burch

Brian Burch confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See

JUBILEE-YOUTH-VIGIL

Pope Leo urges youth to find hope, friendship in Christ in uncertain times

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Rep. Veronica Escobar

Amid shift in public opinion on immigration, Catholic advocates praise bipartisan attempt at reform

Planned Parenthood defunding remains in question amid legal challenges

UNESCO-EXIT-CATHOLIC-SITES

Experts see US UNESCO exit as blow to historic preservation for churches, other sites

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Brian Burch confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See
  • Pope Leo urges youth to find hope, friendship in Christ in uncertain times
  • Our Lady of the Snows: An unlikely patron in August
  • Amid shift in public opinion on immigration, Catholic advocates praise bipartisan attempt at reform
  • A Small Gift on a Cloudy Day
  • Planned Parenthood defunding remains in question amid legal challenges
  • Experts see US UNESCO exit as blow to historic preservation for churches, other sites
  • Thousands visit Blessed Frassati’s remains in Rome for Jubilee of Youth
  • Young teen’s relics a reminder for pilgrims that holiness ‘is not impossible’

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en