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Friar

This article is about members of religious and great orders. For the surname, see Fryer (surname) and Fryar. For other uses, see Friar (disambiguation).
"Frays" redirects here. For other uses, see Fray (disambiguation).
"Fra" redirects here. For other uses, see FRA (disambiguation).
A group of friars; novices of the Order of Augustinian Recollects at the Monastery of Monteagudo in 2006

A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic church. There are also friars outside of the Roman Catholic church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the older monastic orders' allegiance to a single monastery formalized by their vow of stability. A friar may be in holy orders or be a non-ordained brother. The most significant orders of friars are the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, and Carmelites.[1]

  1. ^ Stravinskas, Peter M.J., ed. (2002). Catholic Dictionary, Revised. Huntington, IN: Our Friday Visitor. ISBN 978-0879733902.