ABSTRACT
The thirteenth century was the century of the friars, men living by a religious Rule, like monks, but out in the world instead of being confined in a monastery. There were many varieties, including Crutched Friars, Austin (Augustine) Friars and Friars of the Sack. They came in several colours, including black (the Dominicans), white (the Carmelites) and grey (the Franciscans). So popular did the founding and joining of Orders of friars become, that eventually the Pope had to call a halt to the creation of new brotherhoods and to suppress some of those already formed. The friars saw themselves as acting directly in the service of the Pope: defending Catholic orthodoxy and papal sovereignty throughout Christendom, and acting as missionaries going out beyond Christendom, to North Africa and India and as far away as Tibet and China, to convert the heathen to the true religion, Roman Catholicism.
