Now, that’s a different twist. Exactly the opposite was the case out in the parishes.
How did that happen?
It’s called Oppression.
As a result of Vatican I, the Franciscans were sucked into parish work. There was a need and bishops did not have enough diocesan priests. There were many friars in the missions. They got pulled in by the bishops.
The bishops have power over the Franciscans, because the rule says that Franciscans may never question a bishop, no matter what he commands. They asked for more ordained friars.
The result was:
- The number of ordained friars surpassed the number of non ordained friars.
- The ordained friars became so involved in parish work that eventually, they loved it.
- In order to keep up that pace, they had to change things around the house.
- The chapter enacted some new statuttes
Ordained friars could have money
Ordained friars could have cars
Ordained friars could live, work and pray as other religious did and as secular clergy did
Ordained friars were to take control of the order
Non ordained friars were no longer allowed to vote or be elected to office
Only the unlettered could be non ordained friar. If you were educated, you had to be a priest
Every house had to separate. The ordained could not mix with the non ordained. They ate, prayed, recreated and worked separately
Non ordained were not allowed to speak to the ordained unless spoken to.
The ordained were not allowed to do any manual labor.
The non ordained cleaned, cooked, did laundry, cleared tables, worked the land, begged for food and money, did dishes, cared for the sick friars, shined shoes, took care of sacristies and churches.
Non ordained were not allowed to continue in outside apostolic work.
Ordained were no longer allowed to embrace manual labor, silence and solitude.
The laity was taught to hold the ordained in high esteem and to look at the non ordained as the hired help rather than consecrated religious.
Religious sisters were taught to bully the non ordained. They did a very good job at it.
Sisters would send boys to the order to become priests. Those boys who were failing in school, the sisters would send to become non ordained brothers. This reinforced the general impression that the friars were diocesan priests living in a monastic setting.
By 1950, the situation had become untenable. There were so many friars, because the order took in any warm body that walked in the door and most were priests, with very little interest in living the Franciscan life, but very interested in being parish priests.
The laity loved it, because it met their needs and they had no idea what a friar was supposed to be. As far as they were concerned, everything was fine.
Pope Piux XII told the friar to hold on, changes would be coming.
In 1962, Pope John XXIII ordered the friars to tear down the infrastructure and go back before 1800, as far back to 1209 as possible.
Vatican II issued Pefectae Caritatis calling for a recovery of the charism.
In 1970, general chatpers were held to rewrite the constitution and make it fit the Rule of St. Francis. The non ordained brothers rebelled and threatened to walk out if their rights were not restored.
The bishops and the laity were in an uproar. They did not like the change. To them, this was novelty. To the friars, this was going back to the origins.
Many ordained friars did not like the change, because this new “order” was not what they signed up for. They had never seen Franciscan life in it’s real form. They entered what they saw, not what Francis founded.
The result was that many ordained friars left the order, about 3,000.
It was a blessing for the order, but it was not so good for the laity.
The changes also included that friars would no longer take up new parishes unless they are poor parishes.
Non ordained brothers became superiors, theologians, formators, were elected to the council, became parish administrators, spiritual directors, teachers, college professors, missionaries, medical doctors even diocesan chancellors.
The door was opened for individual gifts. There are friars who are superiors and friars who are cooks and gardeners. There are friars who are priests and friars who are theologians.
The innovation of Gregorian Chant and such other silliness was toned down. It was left in place as long as the local community votes to use it. No one is bound to use it as per the mandate of St. Clare. Each house votes on it.
Many parishes have been closed or given back to the bishops in order to recover the charism of the Franciscan family. This has not gone over well in some places. But there are no diocesan priests or other religious who can cover those parishes.
The larger Order of Friars Minor is gradually subdividing into smaller communities as was Francis vision. In the USA alone, 15 new Franciscan communities of men have been founded during the last 20 years. All are thriving, they have a balance in their life between work, play and prayer. The LOTH is no longer done in Gregorian Chant unless it’s the wish the local house and approved by the local superior. The EF is only celebrated if the local superior approves. All friars are of equal rank the lines between ordained and non ordained are grudually disappearing.
The lines between religious and laity are being strengthened again.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, FFV
Why not?