and to live the Gospel in the world according to the example of Francis and following the Rule of the OFS. Contemporary Secular Franciscans Membership of the Secular Franciscan Order includes lay men and women as well as diocesan priests. A number of Popes have been members of this Order. Professed members use the letters OFS after their name in line with the official name of the Order. The current rule was given by Pope Paul VI in 1978 with the Apostolic letter Seraphicus Patriarcha. It is designed to adapt the Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Church in the conditions of changing times. Under this new Rule, the tertiaries of the Franciscan movement were set up as an autonomous Order, with their own Minister General as head of the Order. They were removed from the jurisdiction of the friars of the First Order and of the Third Order Regular. In 1990 a new set of Constitutions were written and approved by the General Chapter of the Order held in Madrid, Spain, to clarify issues related to the revised Rule. In 2000, the appropriate agencies of the Catholic Church, in the name of Pope John Paul II, gave the official approval to the final form of the Constitutions, with an effective date of 8 February 2001. The Order is now known as the Secular Franciscan Order (abbreviated as OFS) The Secular Franciscan Order is a fully recognized order within the Catholic church and part of the Franciscan family. The present active membership of the Order worldwide is about 350,000. A summary of the elements of Franciscan spirituality, includes living in communion with Christ poor and crucified, in the love of God, and in brother/sisterhood with all people and all of creation. Famous Secular Franciscans The following people belonging to the Order have been proclaimed saints: Elizabeth of Hungary (d.1231) Rose of Viterbo (d. 1251) Ferdinand III of Castile (d. 1252) Louis IX of France (d.1270) Margaret of Cortona (d. 1297) Ivo of Kermartin (d.1303) Amato Ronconi of Saldezzo (d.1304) Angela of Foligno (d.1309) Elzéar of Sabran (d.1323) Roch (d.1327) Elizabeth of Portugal (d.1336) Conrad of Piacenza (d.1351) Bridget of Sweden (d.1373) Joan of Arc (d.1431) Catherine of Genoa (d.1510) Thomas More (d.1535) Angela Merici (d. 1540) Charles Borromeo (d.1584) Jane Frances de Chantal (d.1641) Mariana de Jesús de Paredes (d.1645) Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur (d.1667)