Transcript Penitential Movement - Junipero Serra Region

Our Rule
Its History and…
Its Essence
Our Rule – History and Essence
Presentation Plan
• Session 1: Penitential Movement
• Questions
• Session 2: Our Four Rules - History
• Sharing
• Session 3: Our Present Rule - Essence
• Sharing
• Sunday Wrap Up
Penitential Movement
Began with Need for Reconciliation
•Baptism – Early Church
•Restoration
•First Three Centuries - Repentance
•Segregation
•Hierarchal Structure - Repentance
•Confession to Bishop – Lifetime Penalties
•Next Stage –
•Confession – Harsh Lifetime Penalties –
Laying of Hands
•Fifth Century • Confession, Harsher Lifetime Penalties
Early Christian Community
Baptism – Remission of All Sins
Sin Caused a Breach in Community
Repentance
Restoration by Community
First Three Centuries
Repentance
• Segregation (Similar to Shunning)
• Exclusion from Eucharist
• Still in Community
Hierarchal Structure
Penance
•Confession to Bishop
•Public Confession
•Fasting
•Penitential garb
•Ashes
•Segregation
Progression to More Severe
Penance
Canonical Penance
•Private Confession to Bishop
•Segregation,
•Exclusion from Eucharist,
•Separate place in liturgical assemblies
•Penitential practices
•Reconciliation through imposition of hands
•Prayer of community
•Stigmatized for rest of life
Fifth Century
Adoption of a habit
Live a secluded life
Prohibition from feasts
Renunciation of administrative juridical and
military functions
Prohibition against practicing business
Absolute continence even for married spouses
Sobriety in food and drink until death
They were welcomed back to Eucharist, however
the penitential practice continued
They were condemned to a quasi-monastic life
•The original purgative intent of the imposed
penance (to coerce the sinner to repentance)
•became subordinated to its punitive aspects
•by which penitents were stigmatized for the rest
of their life.
The Irish Church
A Monastic Church
Monks made Confession to the Abbot
Received Spiritual Advice
Were Given Penance
Then Were Given Absolution
Strange Happenings
Fifth to Seventh Century
• Voluntary Penance
• Not for Serious Sin but for Desire for Perfection, or
• In preparation for death
• Freely asked to enter the Order of Penance
• These Penitents became a kind of “Third Order
before its time”
Monastic Way of Life
It should be noted here that
During the Middle Ages the Monastic Way of Life
was held up as the Ideal
To follow fully - was to be a Monk
Awakening of the Laity
11th and 12th Century
• The 11th and 12th Century was an time of drastic
societal change
• Feudalistic Society gave over to a Mercantile
Society
• Also, there was an awakening of the
consciousness of the laity.
• We could speak of this as a growing awareness
of the universal call to holiness
It was the Time of the Preacher
The Itinerate Preacher
• Hermit Turned Preacher
• Proclaimed Poverty as the Best Means for
Attaining Salvation
• A True Apostle must be Poor as Jesus and
the Apostles were.
Jeopardy – The Game
• Some of the disciples went to Rome, where they
presented themselves to the Pope.
• After their orthodoxy was examined, the Pope admitted
them into his presence, and was struck by what he saw
– they were barefoot, dressed in wool, without baggage,
having all things in common like the apostles; naked,
following the naked Christ.
•
The pope approved their choice of poverty.
• WHO IS ???
Waldensians and Humiliati
Innocent III
• The John XXIII of his time
• Gave approval to lay groups to live a life of poverty
• Approved lay men to preach
• He sanctioned their practice of gathering on Sunday to hear
one of the lay members preach
• Approved Rules for penitential orders
• Approved the Protoregula (Verbal approval of a rule of life for
Francis and the friars)
• Thomas of Celano described Innocent III as “burning with zeal
for justice in the things that the cause of Christian faith
demanded”
Other Penitential Practices
• Pilgrimages to Sacred Places
• Participation in the Crusades
Enter Francis of Assisi
• Francis entered into the Penitential Movement
• First as a hermit (Legend of Three Companions)
• Frances’ understanding of Metanoia
Early Documents
Proto-regula
First Exhortation
Second Exhortation
Rule of 1221
Rule of 1289
Early Exhortation
Letter to All the Faithful
Discovered by Paul Sabatier in Volterra Italy
Published in 1900 with the title:
These are the words of life and salvation:
Whoever reads them and puts them into practice will find
life and salvation from the Lord
Kajetan Esser’s Discovery
In a 1974 Study, Esser noted that
“It is quite clear that we have before us a written
instruction directed to the people who have joined the
penitential movement…
a movement which Frances and his fraternity were
deeply attached”
Later Exhortation
Last paragraphs almost match those of the First
Exhortation
In the earlier paragraphs of the document, Francis
was defining a way of life of the penitent while
being sensitive to the need to stay within orthodoxy
considering the heretical movements
that challenged the Church at that time
Increase of Followers of Francis
Penitents old and new entered this order
because it bore
Francis’ stamp of catholicity
Rule of 1221
Cardinal Hugolino, who cared for Francis and his
followers, contributed to the writing of the
Rule of 1221
Pope Honorius III verbally approved the
Memoriali Propositi - Rule of 1221
Although there is no proof that this approval
actually took place
1221 - 1228
Some changes were made to the Rule of
1221 up until 1228
In 1228, Pope Gregory IX (Cardinal Hugilino)
approved the Penitential Rule, and it
remained fixed - without modification
However, no written approval of this Rule has
been found
Rule of Nicholas IV - 1289
• At the request of various Franciscan entities, Nicholas IV
approved, in writing, a Rule for Franciscan Penitents in
his bull Supra Montem
•
There were a few changes from the Memoriale Propositi
• One addition was to officially legislated a closer bond
with the friars by placing the Penitents under a clerical
order
• However, the penitents of Lombardy refused to accept
this mandate from Nicholas IV and continued to elect a
lay person as their visitor
1289 - 1883
For 600 years Tertiaries followed the Rule of
Nicholas, with various degree of rigor
Various Popes interjected their own influences
such as adding indulgences for certain religious
exercises and certain feast days
And relaxed days of fasting
Session II
Why did Leo XIII feel the need to write a Rule?
To renew the Church
(He wanted a spiritual revival as had taken
place during the time of
St. Francis)
To make it acceptable to all Catholics seeking
Christian perfection, he simplified it
(He thought the Rule of Nicholas was “a
rather forbidding Rule”)
Leonine Rule Basics
•Wear a small concealed scapular as a habit
•Observe the commandments
•Avoid extremes of cost and style
•Be temperate in eating and drinking
•Fast on only extraordinary days each year
•Minimally say daily “Twelve Our Fathers, Twelve Hail
Marys and Twelve Glory Be”
Immigrants
Third Order Congresses
• First one in 1921 (4300 in attendance)
• Every 5 years, hence the term Quinquennial
• Third one in San Francisco (1931)
• Last one in Pittsburgh
National Fraternity
• Federation of provinces, begun in 1922 and
realized by 1941
• National Constitution was written in 1922
A Previous Proposal
for a New Rule?
In 1950, the Ministers General initiated
a movement towards the creation of a
new Rule and a new Constitution
The pursuit of a new Rule was
discontinued, but a new Constitution was
approved in August 1957
The newly formed
International Interobediential Council, that
included the four Commissaries Generals,
approved the
International Constitution
And The Times They are A’Changin
Second Vatican Council
• How did the Third Order in the United States React
following the Second Vatican Council?
• Although the document Decree on Religious Life did
not specifically call out Third Orders for renewal
• The Documents: Pastoral Constitution on the Church
in the Modern World, and the Decree on the
Apostolate of the Laity certainly implied a renewal of
the Third Orders
Renewal was the catch word
Renewal was addressed at the 1967
Quinquennial Congress held in
Philadelphia, by keynoter, Tom Ricard
Also, a special gathering of the National
Boards was held at the St. Mary’s Retreat
House in Lemont, Illinois to address
Renewal
Rule of 1978
There was a spirit of renewal following the Second
Vatican Council
And a ground swell from many in leadership for a
new rule to meet the needs of modern society
When and How Was the Process of
Developing a New Rule Begun?
November, 1965, just before the closing of the Second
Vatican Council
The Commissaries General wrote a letter to the
Ministers General requesting that the process of
forming a new Rule be started
Permission was granted
On March 9, 1966 a letter of announcement was
written by the Commissaries General to all nations
inviting their leaders and Tertiaries to offer their
suggestions.
Responses to the Request for Suggestions
The gospel as the Rule of Life
The attachment to the humanity of Jesus, especially his
passion
The way to the Father through Christ
Being lead to Christ through the Spirit, the Minister General
of the Order
Loving Christ by absolute fidelity to the Church, his spouse
Relating to all people as servant, as their brother or sister
Living with deep respect for the world, a joy and freedom,
and as servant to all
Living with a sense of the sacredness of human activity, all
things, and all creation
For the Rule to reflect adequately the secular nature of the
Order, the responses recommended that the new Rule:
Remove traces of the monastic life
Incorporate the decrees of Vatican II, especially Lumen
Gentium, Guadium et Spes, and Apostolicam Actuositatem
Present profession not as an entrance into religious life, but
as an adult renewal and confirmation of one’s Baptismal
commitment
Emphasize the personal nature of the secular vocation and
the need for community
Express the totality of one’s involvement and commitment
Survey of North American Federation
Moderators and Directors Responses
Is Renewal of the Third Order possible?
76% answered Yes
What hinders Christians from joining T. O.?
Misleading image, rigoristic, massive prayer society,
no programs of action, dominated by clergy and
religious, not run by laity
What is needed for Renewal?
A grasp of the spirit of St. Francis
Translate the Gospel spirit into a layman’s vocation
Interobediential Meeting in Assisi
In Assisi, on January 2 – 8, 1968,
representatives of the four Franciscan
families met in joint conference…The meeting
took place at St. Mary of the Angels, but with
no Secular Franciscans present.
The twelve male religious present did address
this incredible incongruity.
First Draft of Rule – July 1968
• A first draft of the Rule was submitted to Tertiaries and
Directors everywhere for consideration and comments.
• Responses were to be sent to the general headquarters
of the four branches of the Order.
North American Federation’s Critique
of the 1968 Rule
Does not conceive people as they are now
actually living in the world
Lacking…the need to participate in the needs
of the world
The concept of Vatican II is absent
The ecumenical spirit is lacking
The eschatological view is blurred
Not enough stress put on the Third Order as
essentially a lay order
Deals too much with the rights and power of the priests
Nothing is mentioned about the Third Order message
and mission to the world
Francis’ spirit is not expressed in this rule of life
Only moral regulations and invitations to devotional
practices
Nothing is said about continuous conversion
The text does not get across the spirit of renewal
The draft of the rule is composed for a dying Third
Order, not for tomorrow’s Third Order
Board Meeting, Lemont, Illinois, May 1969
North American Federation Draft
of Their Rule
The NAF requested Provinces to submit an
experimental Rule
Five texts were submitted
The St. Joseph Province’s Rule was selected for
experimental use
Request was made to the Ministers General for its
use in North America
Approval
The text of the experimental Rule was temporarily
approved for North America by the Franciscan
ministers general on November 24, 1971, with
conditions.
Letter from Ministers General
• We give our temporary approval in the ‘Way of Life for
Lay Franciscans’ …on condition that:
• The Divine Office be recited
• Each fraternity shall have a priest schooled in
Franciscanism as spiritual moderator. He shall have a
voice and vote in the proceedings of the Council…except
when …considering…economic administration
Assisi Congress - 1969
• Third Order members from various countries were
invited to work with the friars on the Rule Project
• Three Committees and five language groups were
formed to address three aspects of the project:
1. The Secular Franciscan Order and its characteristics in
the world today
2. The essential elements of a Franciscan Spirituality for
the laity
3. The fundamental laws of government of the Order
The Assisi Congress
Item 1 - Characteristics
1. A community of brothers and sisters
2. On a pilgrimage to God
3. Committed to living the Gospel
4. Following the spirit of St. Francis
5. According to the Rule and as seculars
6. In communion with all Franciscans
Item 2 – Essential Elements
1. To live the gospel according to the spirit of St. Francis
2. To be converted continually (metanoia)
3. To live as a brother or sister of all people and of all
creation
4. To live in communion with Christ
5. To follow the poor and crucified Christ
6. To share in the life and mission of the Church
7. To share in the love of the Father
8. To be an instrument of peace
9. To have a life of prayer that is personal, communal and
liturgical
Item 2 – Essential Elements
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
To live in joy
To have a spirituality of a secular character
To be pilgrims on the way toward the Father
To participate in the Apostolate of the Laity
To be at the service of the less fortunate
To be loyal to the church in an attitude of dialogue and
collaboration with her ministers
16. To be open to the action of the Spirit
17. To live in simplicity, humility, and minority
Fr. Bob Stewart’s Breakdown
of Seventeen Points
• To Live the Gospel
• Following Francis
• Through Conversion
• In Community
• As Seculars
• In Vital Reciprocity with All Franciscans
Redactions
• There were nine redactions of the Rule, beginning
with the 1968 version, that was soundly rejected,
before reaching the final version that was
promulgated by Pope Paul VI, 1978.
• Following is a review of the 1974 redaction, the
1975 redaction and the 1977 redaction
Critique of the 1974 redaction
“In the Midst of the World” Paragraph Added
The members of the International Commission most
strongly criticized the 1974 text for its failure to
present adequately a specifically “secular.”
spirituality.
A paragraph was added to Article 9, titled: In the
Midst of the World,
“As seculars, we have our own vocation: living in
the midst of the world, engaging in various duties
and works of the world…By our witness and our
action, joining with that of other men and women,
we will work in these different sectors towards the
realization of the plan of God for the world.”
Critique of the 1975 Redaction
While the 1975 redaction rightfully
acknowledges and appropriately stresses the
secular nature of the Secular Franciscans’
vocation, it fails, at least in part,
to present the concrete involvement in social
and political spheres which it proclaims as the
vocation of the Secular Franciscans.
That omission must have been added to later
redactions, because articles 15, 16, 17 and
18 address these issues
1975 Redaction
• An International Commission and the Presidium worked
on providing one redaction after another
• Finally in 1975, a draft was sent to the National Councils
throughout the world that included three chapters:
• Prologue
• Norm of Life
• Fraternity
Local Commission
• In September of 1976, after the Assistants General had
analyzed the various nations’ responses to the 1975
Redaction, the Presidential Council of the International
Interobediential Council decided to form a “Local
Commission” to whom they entrusted the task of
redacting the Rule.
• The Local Commission consisted of five lay people and
two religious.
Results of the Local Commission
The Local Commission attempted to
reformulate the 1975 redaction according to
the responses received from the National
Councils throughout the world.
Bad Idea
The Local Commissions added a
pious or “monastic” tone to the text
• A mention of chastity
• The obligation to make a testament
• An authentic veneration of the clergy and acceptance of
their teaching
• Adoration of the Eucharist
• Frequent recourse to the sacrament of reconciliation
• Praying the liturgy of the hours
• Fostering religious vocations
1977 Redaction
• The text omitted the somewhat pious or monastic aspects
contained within the text submitted by the Local Commission
• The April 1977 Redaction very closely parallels the Rule of
1978.
• The major difference is the addition of the Earlier Exhortation
– Earlier Letter to all the Faithful – as Prologue.
• This inclusion simply appeared in the text sent by the
Ministers General to the Curia
• The Rule of 1978 followed the guidelines initially set by the
Assisi Congress in 1969
• At the end of October, 1977, the text was sent to the Sacred
Congregation of Religious for approval with minor
adjustments.
• The text was sent to the Secretary of State, Cardinal Jean
Villot, who in turn placed it on the desk of the Holy Father
Pope Paul VI Document of Approval
The Beginning