The Mystical Body of Christ and Diverse Vocations
The Catholic Church, being the Mystical Body of Christ, is composed of many members: clergy, religious, and laity, each with a unique vocation from God. From the earliest centuries, God has called some to the priesthood, others to the cloister, and many to live holy lives in the world. While priests and religious embrace lives of total consecration, the laity also share in Christ’s mission through prayer, sacrifice, and fidelity to duty of state.
Within this rich diversity of vocations, Third Orders emerged as a vital way for lay Catholics to participate in the spirituality of the great religious orders of the Church – Benedictines, Carmelites, Franciscans, Dominicans, and others.
What Are Third Orders?
A Third Order consists of lay men and women (and often secular clergy) who remain in the world yet bind themselves to live by a rule of life adapted from the founding charism of a religious order. Unlike monks, friars, or nuns, these tertiaries do not take solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, nor do they live in a cloister. Instead, they make promises or commitments to live out the spirituality of the order while fulfilling their ordinary duties as spouses, parents, workers, and citizens.
As Pope Leo XIII explained in his encyclical Auspicato Concessum (1882) on the Third Order of St. Francis:
“To the Third Order … has been entrusted the task of leading the way of penance and of Christian perfection even in the midst of worldly occupations, so that those who could not enter religion might nevertheless strive after Christian sanctity.”
Thus, Third Orders were established not as pale imitations of religious life, but as genuine schools of sanctity for those living in the world.
Historical Roots of Third Orders
The Third Orders trace back to the 11th and 13th centuries, times of significant spiritual lukewarmness but also great religious fervor and renewal. Lay people, deeply inspired by the witness of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, and other founders of religious life, longed to share in their same spirit and charisms while remaining in their families and communities.
- Franciscan Third Order: Founded in 1221 by St. Francis, he gave the laity a rule of life, emphasizing penance, simplicity, and works of mercy. Over time, these tertiaries became a worldwide movement of Catholic renewal. A number of Popes have been Franciscan tertiaries, including Bl. Gregory X, Bl. Pius IX, and St. Pius X.
- Dominican Third Order: Established in 1285, based on the religious order founded by St. Dominic in 1215, it allowed lay members to participate in the mission of preaching, study, and defense of the Faith. Many great saints, such as St. Catherine of Siena and St. Louis de Montfort, were Dominican tertiaries.
- Carmelite Third Order: Established formally in 1476 by Pope Sixtus IV, the lay Carmelites live according to the spirit of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, emphasizing prayer, recollection, and devotion to the Brown Scapular.
- Benedictine Oblates: Established in the 11th century, lay men and women attached themselves to Benedictine monasteries as oblates, offering themselves to God by living as much as possible according to the Rule of St. Benedict.
Theological Understanding Before Vatican II
The role of Third Orders was carefully explained in traditional theological manuals. For example, Fr. Adolphe Tanquerey, in his magnum opus entitled The Spiritual Life (1930), noted:
“The Third Orders, approved and blessed by the Sovereign Pontiffs, have been instituted in order to extend to the laity the spirit and merits of the great religious families. They have for their object the sanctification of Christians who live in the world, but who wish, in union with religious, to tend to Christian perfection by practices adapted to their state.”
Fr. Dominic Prümmer OP, in his 1921 Manuale Theologiae Moralis, emphasized that membership in Third Orders was not a mere devotional association but a canonical enrollment that shared in the indulgences, spiritual merits, and prayers of the religious family. He wrote:
“The tertiaries, while not bound by vows, are true members of the order and participate in its spiritual benefits.”
This shows how highly the pre-Vatican II Church regarded these lay associations.
Papal Praise for Third Orders
Pope Leo XIII repeatedly urged Catholics to join Third Orders, especially the Franciscan, which he personally promoted. In Auspicato Concessum, he declared:
“The Third Order is a most useful means for the good of souls and is particularly adapted to the needs of our times, for it makes it possible for a man to lead a holy life in the midst of worldly occupations.”
Likewise, Pope Pius XI, in Rite Expiatis in 1926, on the 700th anniversary of St. Francis’ death, praised Third Orders as essential to Catholic Action:
“The Third Order of St. Francis … has proved to be a most efficacious instrument for the restoration of Christian morals in society. By means of it, even the common people, without leaving their ordinary occupations, could take part in the spirit and merit of the Franciscan life.”
Here the Popes clearly present Third Orders not as optional pious societies, but as necessary remedies for a secular age.
The Crisis of the 20th Century
The upheaval following Vatican II disrupted the continuity of many Third Orders. New rules were issued, often adapting the orders to a modernist, ecumenical, and more “worldly” outlook. For example, the Franciscan Third Order Secular (Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis) was restructured in 1978, emphasizing social activism more than penance and mortification.
Many faithful Catholics lamented that these reforms weakened the original charisms and diluted the spiritual rigor that had sanctified countless souls for centuries.
Traditional Third Orders Today
Despite the turmoil, traditional Third Orders continue to thrive, particularly among communities faithful to the Traditional Latin Mass and pre-Vatican II spirituality.
- Dominican Third Order: Still active among traditional Dominicans, including those connected with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) and other traditionalist communities.
- Franciscan Third Order: The Marian Friars Minor and SSPX affiliates maintain traditional Third Order fraternities, keeping alive the penitential spirit of St. Francis.
- Carmelite Third Order: Groups such as the Traditional Lay Carmelites of Fatima offer tertiaries the chance to live out Carmelite spirituality in fidelity to the ancient observances.
- Benedictine Oblates: The Monks of Norcia (Nursia), known for their fidelity to tradition, continue to attract oblates worldwide who seek to order their lives by the wisdom of St. Benedict.
- Societies of Traditional Priests: The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter has its Confraternity of St. Peter, and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest its Lay Society of the Sacred Heart – both equivalent in spirit to Third Orders. And the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has its own Third Order as well.
Why Third Orders Matter Today
In a world dominated by secularism, Third Orders provide a vital means for Catholics to live a vibrant spiritual life and remain grounded in tradition. They offer:
- A Rule of Life – guiding daily prayer, penance, and spiritual exercises.
- Communal Support – fraternity of like-minded Catholics.
- Connection to the Great Orders – sharing in their prayers, indulgences, and graces.
- Sanctification of the World – extending Catholic life into homes, workplaces, and communities.
As Pope Pius XI wrote: “In our day especially, when the spirit of the world strives with all its might to extinguish the light of faith, the Third Orders shine forth as strongholds of Christian virtue in the midst of the people” (Rite Expiatis).
Conclusion
Third Orders are an almost forgotten treasure of Catholic life, uniting the laity to the great religious traditions of the Church without removing them from their ordinary lives. In an age when holiness is urgently needed, the revival of traditional Third Orders represents a powerful weapon against modernism, worldliness, and lukewarmness.
By enrolling in a Third Order, the Catholic layman participates in the same graces that formed saints like St. Thomas More (Benedictine) and St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Franciscan). Far from being relics of the past, Third Orders are a providential path of sanctification for Catholics today, binding them more closely to Christ and His Church.