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| American Nuns |
SISTERS ALL THE WORLD OVER face a time of crisis, a fact clearly
observable in America. A change of religious dress may seem a trivial
trial to those outside the cloister: it causes great pain to sisters who
have served God faithfully for many years, In one congregation,
suggested styles and samples of fabric have been circulating since 1963.
This particular Order will vote on its new dress, others are commanded
from on high. The question is asked in whispers whether curial officials
really know much about sisters or the religious life? Again, so many American nuns today carry theological diplomas in
their wallets; they know as much about Catechism as the parish priest
Yet when a sister told her First Communion class to masticate the Host,
the pastor rebuked her and sent the curate to contradict her
"before the
kids". Inside the convents, too, there are certain irritations. While some sisters are often away at summer schools
and conventions, others at home are washing the dishes. They day has
gone when any priest may be used as a retreat director; the day is fast
approaching when sisters will give their own retreats themselves.
Fr Bernard Basset, SJ was one of the best known and loved English
Jesuits of the 1950s to the 1960s. Academically very able he, like
Plater and Martindale before him, found the intellectual apostolate not
his real calling. From the 1950s, he saw that this was to help the
ordinary laity to better understand and live their faith. This he did,
through the lay apostolate, in the Sodality and Cell movements, through
parish work and as author, organizer, journalist and expert on the
things of God - surrounded by the laughter and love of his friends. A
true son of Ignatius,
10 comments:
American Religious Life in Historical Perspective
Chapter 9
Silence, Habit and Daily Order
Servus Dei John Hardon SJ
Since the conciliar decree in 1965,there have been numerous changes in religious habit including some in which the habit was discarded altogether.
A year later, in 1966, Pope Paul VI published a motu proprio Ecclesiae Sanctae implementing certain conciliar decrees, including the one on religious life.
This later document allowed the introduction of some experimentation for a trial period, permitting, according to the needs of time and place the change of existing norms of Religious institutes provided always that the purpose, nature and character of the institute are maintained.
What has happened? In a matter of months such flurries of changes and counter-changes were introduced that in some quarters CONFUSION BECAME THE ORDER OF THE DAY.
As might be expected, ROME WAS NOT SILENT. Private letters to the individual heads of women’s religious communities, public statements to the Church at large and all the means of communication available have been used to call for balance, prudence and discretion along the whole gamut of experimentation with special attention to the religious habit.
I quote at length from a statement made this year by the Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Religious. This congregation is under the direct supervision of the Holy Father and as I know from working at the Vatican, is the Pope’s authentic spokesman for religious throughout the world:
In her wisdom the Church confides to the chapters the task of studying (after consulting with the members of their institutes) what changes are necessary in their constitutions.
It must be noted, however, that THE MOTO PROPRIO ECCLESIAE SANCTAE DOES NOT AUTHROIZE EXPERIMENTS THAT WOULD OBSCURE THE MEANING OF RELIGIOUS LIFE AND ITS FUNCTION IN THE CHURCH (17) OR THAT WOULD CREATE CONFUSION OR DISORDER IN THE SAIS INSTITUTES OR GIVE SCANDAL.
Caution is therefore necessary in introducing changes and it is worthwhile to consult competent authority in order to obtain pertinent orientations. Institutes that have acted thus have assured themselves of an invaluable assistance that enabled them to take definite constructive and beneficial decisions.
The reference just mentioned demonstrates and explains why CHANGES AFFECTING THE FORM, NATURE, OR CHARACTER OF THE INSTITUTE ARE FORBIDDEN.
ACCORDING TO THE NORMS OF THE MOTO PROPIO ECCLESIAE SANCTAE THE CONSTITUTIONS CANNOT BE ALTERED SO THAT RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION APPEARS SUBORDINATE TO APOSTOLIC ACTIVITY. SUCH A SHIFTING OF VALUES COULD HAVE EXTREMELY GRAVE CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION SHOULD BE , ON TH ECONTRARY, THE PROPELLING FORCE OF EVERY ACTIVITY AND HENCE OF EVERY APOSTOLATE.
To cite a particular instance, THE CHAPTER IS NOT EMPOWERED TO DECIDE, FOR EXAMPLE, AS AN EXPERIMENT, ON THE SUPPRESSION OF COMMUNITY LIFE IN THE INSTITUTE, OR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE RELIGIOUS HABIT, AND THE USE OF SECULAR CLOTHES.
With reference to THE RELIGIOUS HABIT it seems necessary to point out that it MUST CONFORM TO THE NORMS OF THE DECREE PERFECTAE CARITATIS. IT MAY BE CHANGED (BUT NOT SUPPRESSED) AND MAY NOT BE LEFT TO THE FREE CHOICE OF VARIOUS PEOPLE OR THE CAPRICE OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.
The laity who venerate and respect those consecrated to God, expect that MODESTY AND RESERVE, that edifying note of AUSTERITY and that EXTERNAL PROOF OF POVERTY that enhance the service of Religious and render more attractive their vocation to virtue and goodness. [13]
NO RELIGIOUS WHO IS SERIOUS ABOUT HER LOYALTY TO THE HOLY SEE CAN AFFORD TO IGNORE THESE DIRECTIVES. THEY ARE NOT A FREE OPTION BUT ARE MEANT TO BE EMBRACED WITH CHRISTIAN GENEROSITY.
How bout that? Nothing about pink lipstick.
Fr. Hardon--hardly the authority on these matters--is mistaken when he write that these are "experiments." The orders of women religious have approved rules and are not under investigation.
Why does Maria keep mentioning pink lipstick? Why does she keep quoting Fr. Hardon who, given his harboring of a sexual predator, is not in a position to judge women religious?
Actually, Fr. Hardon had much to do with the preservation of orthodox religious life. You may want to research the Institute of Religious Life. It is a free country. You are at liberty to harbor fantasies of Fr. Hardon as one who harbored a sexaul predator. Joseph is a remarkably solicitous host. Don't you agree?
Pink lipstick pathognomonic as it is for dissent, has its place in the discussion of renegade, marxist, self-idolizing, lesbian nuns, I say ;)
Actually, Fr. Hardon had much to do with the preservation of orthodox religious life. You may want to research the Institute of Religious Life. It is a free country. You are at liberty to harbor fantasies of Fr. Hardon as one who harbored a sexaul predator. Joseph is a remarkably solicitous host. Don't you agree?
Pink lipstick. pathognomonic as it is for dissent, has its place in the discussion of renegade, marxist, self-idolizing, lesbian nuns, I say ;)
Live brave. Put on those big boy pants and tell us who you are ;D
Maria: Until you can refute the documentary evidence of Fr. Hardon's crime perhaps you should stop pasting long, boring quotes from the padre.
live brave maria lets meet at St francis xavier 1130 mass - you tell me what weekend
Maria id love to see a catholic lesbian put you in your place then we would see where pink lipstick looks best ;-)
Good work, fellas. You are at least identifying yourselves. Bravo!
Clement: Thanks ever so much for the inivication; however, I don't live in New York :)
Mea culpa. I can spell, truly, I just can't type:
Clement: Thanks ever so much for the invitation; however, I don't live in New York :)
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