I’m reading this thread and finding it rather interesting. There are some points that have attracted my attention more than others . . . as is the case with every human endeavor. Is it not?
First, I would like to comment on that little exchange between Brother David and another poster. I can’t remember who. I believe that I understand Brother’s query. It may be clear to us who are religious and we may assume that it’s clear to others outside of religious life, when in fact it’s not. If there is one thing that is often discouraged in the great religious orders such as the Carmelites, it’s speculation. The great founders and reformers: Benedict, Bernard, Francis, Augustine, Dominic, Bruno, Albert, Romuold, Teresa and Bonaventure considered it to be a waste of time. You must remember that our orders are all mendicant or monastic.
This is important for those who call themselves Traditional Catholics to understand, because these families are an essential part of the Catholic Tradition and are not going away. Christ has promised them that they will be around until he comes again. Also, their traditions are like the inner tube that gives shape to the outside tire. These traditions give shape to many other aspects of tradition in the Church.
These traditions are grounded on two points: 1) here and now and 2) eternity. Everything in between is unimportant, because it’s not essential to the sanctity of the religious, the ministry of his order, or the salvation of souls. It’s not germane, because it has not happened. In order to maintain our focus on the presence of the Incarnate Christ who leads us to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, that which is not happening is not important. At times, even much of what is happening is not important, because it does not add to our holiness or take anything away from it. By our, I mean us, God’s people. The focus of these great traditions is always going to be on that which is happening today that draws us closer to the Father. Every action is a response to the Father, not to our interests or curiosity. Therefore, for us, this question sounds very strange. It’s not one that we would conceive. There is nothing wrong with the question. It’s just foreign to friars, monks and clerks regular.
Another point that attracted my attention is the constant reference to the lack of Extraordinary Form masses in parishes. We have to remember several things. It may be true that bishops are slow on moving on it. However, it’s also true that you must have a diocesan priest who wants to celebrate it. I work with several hundred priests and know only a handful that want to celebrate it. Priests who belong to religious communities cannot celebrate it without permission from their Major Superiors or from their community, depending on how their government is structured. Many Major Superiors have granted some of their men permission to celebrate it, but there are conditions that must be met. We have to be patient and wait for that pool to get bigger.
As far as the Council is concerned, I would offer a word of advice. Don’t give the future generations the script. Let them judge us from their perspective. I believe that a great deal of good came from Vatican II. For me personally, the greatest good is the reform of religious life. The Council’s call to return to our roots, to the vision and mission of our founders has been a blessing. I belong to a religious family that had lost its identity between 1800 and 1960. We were founded a fraternity of men and women. Originally, we had brother-priests, non-clerical brothers, nuns, married men and women, secular priests and deacons. All were part of the same family. All were equal. All had the same mission. All were called to follow the Gospel in a family.
As a result of the quick growth in dioceses, bishops asked the Ministers to ordain more brothers and lend them for the new parishes that were opening to serve the poor. Fast-forward to 1950. More than 60% of the men entering the order were being directed toward the priesthood. Priests had total control over the order. Other members had no rights. Their function was to run the house and do menial jobs to liberate priests to run parishes. It became so bad that the ordained friars never cleared a table, did laundry, washed a car, cut grass, sweep a floor, prepare a meal or hang a picture on a wall. They didn’t even make their beds. Community prayer went out the window. The non-clerical brothers kept the Divine Office going, because the ordained brothers were too busy to stop their parish work to pray with their brothers. You attended community recreation as long as there was nothing else to do in the parish, no confessions, no masses, and no meetings. Some men were living alone, managing their own money, owning their own cars and deciding when to come and go without being accountable. However, when they got old or sick, then they returned to the fraternity to be cared for.
We have spent the last 40-years retracing our steps, examining where we went wrong, pulling back from all of these parish commitments, rethinking this urgency to ordain and pulling men back to the basics. Today we have ordained friars who wash dishes, make beds, prepare meals, serve meals in a soup kitchen, pick up homeless people on the street, and drop parish work to serve the fraternity caring for the elderly and sick brethren. We again have non-clerical friars in command of houses, ministries and serving as equals to their ordained brothers and their lay brothers and sisters. We even have community functions that take priority over parish functions or the shelter, the soup kitchen, the hospital or the school. I see Vatican II as a great blessing. There are many other little things that are not always too obvious.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
