This week in Christian history: Last battle of First Crusade, Mars Hill removed from Acts 29

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, August 06, 2023

Rule of poverty approved for 'Poor Clares' order – Aug. 9, 1253

Saint Clare of Assisi (1194-1293), a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi who founded the order commonly known as the 'Poor Clares.' — Saint Clare of Assisi (1194-1293), a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi who founded the order commonly known as the "Poor Clares." | Wikimedia Commons

This week marks the anniversary of when Pope Innocent IV approved the rule of poverty for an order founded by Saint Clare of Assisi, ending efforts by others in the Roman Catholic Church to make them abandon the standard.

Also known as the “Poor Clares” or the “Poor Ladies,” the Second Order of St. Francis traced its origins to 1212 and the efforts of St. Clare to found a holy order, with some of her female relatives joining.

While the papal bull approving the rule of poverty was originally applied only to St. Clare’s community in San Damiano, Assisi, it gained a wider influence soon afterward.

“The new rule was soon adopted by other convents and forms the basis of the second grand division of the Poor Clares. It is an adaptation of the Franciscan Rule to the needs of the Second Order,” noted New Advent.

“The most important characteristic of St. Clare's Rule is its express declaration that the sisters are to possess no property, either as individuals or as a community. In this regulation, the new rule clearly breathes the spirit of the seraphic founder.”