Article 7

That the Brothers should not go to plead their lawsuits, nor undertake the execution of wills

When the Friars Minor go to courts of justice and themselves pursue the cases in which they have an interest, the world, which judges only by outward appearances, has reason to believe, upon seeing their actions, that they come to claim what they suppose belongs to them.

Now, since those who strive for perfection must take great care to avoid not only what is manifestly evil, but also everything that has the appearance of evil, those who profess this Rule and who have vowed such strict poverty must not involve themselves in any way in such litigious matters; so that they may preserve their vow in all its purity, avoid giving scandal to their neighbor, and bear good witness before people of the world.

Moreover, since the Friars Minor, by their state, are entirely removed not only from receiving money and having ownership or dominion over it, or even its use, but even from touching it or making use of it in any way whatsoever, as our Predecessor has clearly explained in the declaration he made on the Rule; furthermore, the said Brothers could not have any legal claim concerning temporal goods. Therefore, it is not fitting for them, it is not permitted to them, and indeed they must understand that, in consideration of the purity of their state, they are forbidden to undertake the execution of wills, since it is hardly possible to discharge such duties without lawsuits and without handling money. Nevertheless, it is not contrary to their state to give counsel concerning the execution of wills; since by doing so they do not claim any right over temporal goods, nor the power to dispose of them, nor any legal action.