1. The Franciscan Institute was founded by the Maltese Franciscan Province of the Order of Friars Minor by decree of the Minister Provincial, Fr. Raymond Camilleri OFM, on the 4th of October 1995.

2. The Franciscan Institute depends juridically from the Franciscan Province of Friar Minor under the presidency of the Minister Provincial. It has a Biblical and a Franciscan section each directed by a coordinator nominated and approved for three years by the Minister Provincial and his Definitorium.

3. The official Seat of the Franciscan Insitute is at the Franciscan Friary, 291 St Paul Street, Valletta VLT07. The said Institute has an office at the "Centru Hidma Frangiskana" in the said Friary. The courses are held at the "Terra Sancta Hall", 7 St. Lucia Street, Valletta.

4. The Franciscan Institute offers courses to the male and female franciscans and to other religious and lay people interested in Franciscan and biblical studies. The participants are duty bound to observe the conditions laid down for the participation in these courses.

5. The lecturers of the Franciscan Insitute are qualified in their respective subjects (through a Doctorate or Licenciate Degree or a Diploma issued by an Academic Institute. The lecturers are members of the Franciscan Movement or other qualified persons who offer their services free of charge.

6. The Franciscan Institute has its own publications coordinated by Edizzjoni TAU of Franciscan Friary, 291 St Paul's Street - Valletta

7. The Franciscan Institute organizes guided tours to the Holy Land Sanctuaries and the Franciscan Sanctuaries in Italy.

8. The Franciscan Institute may organise seminars on specialised themes for the Franciscan Movement with the participation of lecturers from foreign academic institutions of the Order.

9. The Franciscan Institute keeps contact with International Academic bodies namely the "Studium Biblicum Franciscanum" for the Biblical Section and the "Franciscan Institutes" of the Order in different provinces, especially those of the English Speaking OFM Conference and the Conferenza dei Ministri Provinciali OFM d'Italia.

10. The Franciscan Insitute has an autonomous economic administration coordinated by the Commissary of the Holy Land and the Provincial Bursar of the Maltese Franciscan Province.