friar - Name, Orders

A member of one of the mendicant (‘begging’) Christian religious orders founded in the Middle Ages. Unlike monks, they are not confined to a single monastery or abbey.

A friar is a member of a Roman Catholic religious mendicant order of men, that is, an order primarily supported by charity. Most friars are either Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, or Franciscans.

Friars and Monks

Friars differ from monks in that they are called to a life of poverty in service to a community, rather than cloistered asceticism and devotion.

Though Theravada Buddhist bhikkhus who live a monastic life are generally called "monks," "friars" may be a more appropriate English translation.

Name

The name "friar" is a corruption of the French word frère ("brother" in English), and dates from the 13th century.

Orders

There are two classes of orders known as friars; the four "great orders" (Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Carmelites) and the so-called "lesser orders".

Four Great Orders

The four great orders were mentioned by the Second Council of Lyons, and are:

The Dominicans, founded ca. The Dominicans are also known as the "Friar Preachers", or the "Black Friars", from the black mantle ("cappa") worn over their white habit. The Franciscans are also known as the "Friars Minor" or the "Grey Friars". The Franciscans were founded by St. Francis of Assisi and recieved oral papal approval by Innocent III in 1209 and formal papal confirmation by Honorius III in 1223. The Carmelites are also known as the "White Friars" because of the white cloak which covers their brown habit.

Lesser Orders

The lesser orders are:

the Minims, established in 1474 the Conventual Franciscans, established in 1517 the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, established in 1521 the Capuchin, established in 1525 the Discalced Carmelites, established in 1568 the Discalced Trinitarians, established in 1599 the Order of Penance, established in 1781