pollycarp:
Monasticism is very structured. Christ revealed to Francis that he wanted a community of brothers who were free of structures in order to focus on three things: the perfection of poverty, the fraternal life and penance.
The monastic life places the focus on liturgy. Everything revolves around liturgy. Francis placed the focus on the Incarnation. Everything revolves around the poverty of the Incarnate Word. The Franciscan is called to imitate the Incarnate Word. The monk is called to worship the Incarnate Word.
Since Christ was itinerant, Francisā sons and daughters have to be itinerant. Monsticism does not allow for this way of life. Monks are attached to a house. They make a vow of stability that binds them to that house, even when they are away from it.
Monks own property. Christ did not own property.
Monks regulate their daily life around the liturgy. Christ regulated his daily life around his apostles and the needs of the common man.
Monks are governed by an abbot. No friar may ever claim to be the father of the community, except for Francis himself.
Monks live lives of solitude and silence. Friars live as the apostles lived, in a brotherhood of equals
Francis saw monasticism as being other worldly, which was good. But these men and women who followed him were not called to other worldly. They were called to remain in the secular world as brothers to all and replicating the life of Christ and his apostles.
Itās a very different focus. There was an attempt to turn Franciscans into monastics which began around the 18th century, but it proved to be catastrophic. It only succeeded in turning what was a fraternal order into an order of priests. At one time, Franciscans churned out more priests than any other order in the Church. Finally, during the 1950s the friars realized that they were doing great work as priests, but not living like Franciscans. Those who were not priests had been turned into lay brothers, something that was very foreign to the mind of Francis. They had handed over the government of the order to the priests. They had turned their houses into monasteries with choirs and cloisters. They had taken up residence in parishes like diocesan priests.
They petitioned Pope Pius XII to return to the original vision of the 13th century. Pope Pius commanded them to review their constitutions and make sure that the constitutions said what the rule wanted it to say and only filled in the blanks on those points that Francis had not addressed.
By the time that Vatican II rolled around, the friars had already reformed their constitutions. Pope John XXIII did not live long enough to approve them. Pope Paul VI approved the revision in 1978. They were implemented ad experimentum. There were still some weaknesses in them. There was too much monasticism left in them. Pope John Paul asked them to review them again and in 1990 the final edition came out. This time there were major changes that were consitent with Francisā wishes.
- The liturgy (mass and office) was to be simple, without ornamentation, without Gregorian chant, and without separating the ordained from the non-ordained.
- The non-ordained were no to be treated as lay brothers. They were to study philosophy, theology, sciences, technology or whatever other area they wished to study according to their gifts.
- The priests were not longer allowed to govern the order. The superior had to be elected from one ordained an one non-ordained friar.
- The laity was to be taught to follow the spirit and rule of St. Francis in those places where the friars serve.
- The friars could no longer remain in parishes serving the middle class and if at all possible, they were to surrender all of their parishes. When that is not possible, they are to keep those that serve the poor and the immigrant. The others are to be given to the bishop.
- Friars can no longer live in monasteries, but in small houses with few friars and they are to observe the life of mendicancy, not monasticism.
- Every friar is be compliant with the design of Francis for the order and not gloss over the rule or add to it.
These things are what is happening today. Itās taken a lot of time and a lot of pain. Many friars left, because they were unfamiliar with this order. The order that they entered and the order that Francis founded were not the same. With the return to the original model, many found it very difficult to transition, especially those who were ordained, because they had to give up the controls and they had to submit to the authority of the superior, be he a priest or not, be he old or young and they could no longer place the needs of the parish over the demands of the community. For many, being pulled out of the parish was hard. Being a parish priest was their lifeās dream. They didnāt know any better. When they entered, ordained Franciscans served as parish priests. Suddenly you are ordained and sent to serve soup in a soup kitchen, run a pregnancy center, or run youth ministry, teach, or walk the streets talking to people who never go to Church and who donāt want to talk to you. It has been very paiinful; but weāre getting there, albeit very slowly.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
