The RULE of the Brothers of the Christian Schools

Below is are PDF copies and a brief chronicle of the various versions of the Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools between 1705 and 2015.

The official rule of life for the Brothers has had a number of iterations. The rules adopted at the end of the Brothers retreat in 1694 remained in effect until 1717. The earliest written copies date from 1705 and 1713 (both manuscript copies). In 1718, De La Salle provided what came to be known as the “Second Rule” which was based on the 1717 General Chapter results. The first printed version appeared in 1726. The first major revision of the Rule was published in 1947. In 1967, the post-Vatican II Rule “ad experimentum,” approved by the 1966 “Special Chapter of Renewal” (General Chapter), replaced the 1947 version. This was itself replaced in 1976 by a “revised and improved” edition “approved by the majority of members” of the 1976 General Chapter. Subsequent special commissions provided further revisions for the 1986 General Chapter, which adopted the Vatican-approved 1987 Rule. Most recently, that version was updated to the current official, Vatican-approved Rule of 2015, which had been adopted and submitted by the 2014 General Chapter. The revisions in this latest 2015 Rule are a result of a collective discernment on the changes and developments in the Church, Institute, and world since the publication of the 1987 Rule, especially the recognition of the centrality of our vow of Association and the educational mission we share with our Partners.