Pope shakes up cloisters with new norms focused on prayer, centralization

[_Abyssinia]

Vatican City, Jul 22, 2016 / 06:53 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Amid modern challenges emerging from a culture which provides increasingly easier access to outside distractions, Pope Francis has issued new norms for women’s cloistered communities, which place a special emphasis on prayer and the centralization of communities.

“Dear contemplative sisters, without you what would the Church be like, or those living on the fringes of humanity and ministering in the outposts of evangelization?” the Pope said in a new Apostolic Constitution, published July 22.

The Church, he said, “greatly esteems your life of complete self-giving. The Church counts on your prayers and on your self-sacrifice to bring today’s men and women to the good news of the Gospel. The Church needs you!”

catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-shakes-up-cloisters-with-new-norms-focused-on-prayer-centralization-49733/

 

[Gertabelle]

Interesting article.

Thinking back to my own monastic days, I saw very little that would need to be changed in the life and work of those nuns. They seem to be following most of these guidelines already.

This one point, however, gave me pause:

He also stipulated that to ensure “a high quality of formation,” monasteries should promote common houses for initial formation.

Common houses for cloistered formation???

That seems odd to me, as part of formation in the cloistered religious life is getting to know and be a part of your particular monastic community. I just don’t see how this would work and be beneficial on a practical level. It makes me wonder if there are some serious problems of which Rome is aware that Pope Francis thinks this might solve.

Thanks for sharing the link.

 

[abucs]

I’m glad the pope highlighted the importance of sisters. Some of those ladies just radiate with goodness and are a great example (to me anyway).

 

[commenter]

It looks like these norms are for women. Are there similar norms updated for male religious in cloisters?

Besides the usual distinction - active vs. contemplative, aren’t here hybrid communities out there" I mean, communities where all have a limited active apostolate work; or communities where one branch is fully contemplative, while others are active?

I read concerns about the late Fr. Groeschel regarding one community that cut way back on Adoration. I would guess the amount of Adoration would vary from community to community, but I wonder if that is mentioned at all either in the old regs, or the new ones.

 

[OraLabora]

Interesting article.
Common houses for cloistered formation???

That seems odd to me, as part of formation in the cloistered religious life is getting to know and be a part of your particular monastic community. I just don’t see how this would work and be beneficial on a practical level. It makes me wonder if there are some serious problems of which Rome is aware that Pope Francis thinks this might solve.

Thanks for sharing the link.

It already exists for men; Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, where I’ve had the pleasure of a couple of sojourns, is the Benedictine university for male religious. The abbey I’m affiliated with has sent many monks there over the years, for formation in Benedictine theology and spirituality.

I don’t know if there is something similar for women, and perhaps if not, that is what he meant.

It looks like these norms are for women. Are there similar norms updated for male religious in cloisters?

Besides the usual distinction - active vs. contemplative, aren’t here hybrid communities out there" I mean, communities where all have a limited active apostolate work; or communities where one branch is fully contemplative, while others are active?

I read concerns about the late Fr. Groeschel regarding one community that cut way back on Adoration. I would guess the amount of Adoration would vary from community to community, but I wonder if that is mentioned at all either in the old regs, or the new ones.

The monastery I’m attached to is contemplative. The one in Mission just outside of Vancouver runs a college, so yes both traditions exist.

The big difference between cloistered men and cloistered women is the nature of their cloister. Women live behind the papal enclosure which is much stricter than the men’s enclosure. You can only meet a woman religious behind a grille for instance which is not the case for men. In men’s abbeys, the monks live behind the “simple” enclosure which is a simple fence separating the choir from the nave, with a simple unlocked gate. At the abbey of women from the same congregation just outside Montreal, they literally are “behind bars” and a full grille separates the sanctuary from the nuns’ choir, with the grilled gate only opened for reception of the Eucharist by the nuns.

Paradoxically, it seems to me that the women enjoy greater liberty, in its purest sense, than the men!

The Benedictines already have a confederation for men under the abbot primate, seated at Sant’ Anselmo, currently this is Dom Notker Wolf; I think for women it is not as formal, though they formed an association in 2001.

 

[Gertabelle]

It looks like these norms are for women. Are there similar norms updated for male religious in cloisters?

No. If you read the article, it makes it clear that this is directed solely at the women’s communities, because they comprise the vast majority of cloistered religious.

Also, as OraEtLabora points out, the “cloister” part of men’s communities are often far less restrictive than the women’s communities.

 

[Gertabelle]

It already exists for men; Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, where I’ve had the pleasure of a couple of sojourns, is the Benedictine university for male religious. The abbey I’m affiliated with has sent many monks there over the years, for formation in Benedictine theology and spirituality.

I don’t know if there is something similar for women, and perhaps if not, that is what he meant.

Well, that makes perfect sense for religious who are expected to be teachers or professors.

But, at least in my opinion, it makes no sense whatsoever for cloistered women. If the purpose of such an education would be “ongoing formation” (as it says in the article) there are plenty of other options.

The Holy Father recommends using caution with technology. But cloistered nuns could take online theology classes. For many of the more austere communities, correspondence courses would be more appropriate. If I can take them for my teaching license, I don’t see why cloistered nuns couldn’t take them for their ongoing formation.

I’m curious how “cloistered” is defined. The Benedictine monastery I was in had monastic enclosure, rather than papal enclosure, and that was only for the nun’s part of the building – cells, recreation rooms, refectory, kitchen. We encountered guests all the time while going about our work in the gardens, in the fields, in the guest houses, and in the chapel – which did not have any sort of grille or railing separating us from the guests.

Still, it was a life of silence (the guests were asked to maintain silence, including with the sisters), and we did not engage with the world, only our guests. I wonder, would female Benedictines who maintain this sort of hospitality to guests be considered part of the cloistered communities that are bound by these new rules?

 

[twf]

It already exists for men; Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, where I’ve had the pleasure of a couple of sojourns, is the Benedictine university for male religious. The abbey I’m affiliated with has sent many monks there over the years, for formation in Benedictine theology and spirituality.

I don’t know if there is something similar for women, and perhaps if not, that is what he meant.

The monastery I’m attached to is contemplative. The one in Mission just outside of Vancouver runs a college, so yes both traditions exist.

The big difference between cloistered men and cloistered women is the nature of their cloister. Women live behind the papal enclosure which is much stricter than the men’s enclosure. You can only meet a woman religious behind a grille for instance which is not the case for men. In men’s abbeys, the monks live behind the “simple” enclosure which is a simple fence separating the choir from the nave, with a simple unlocked gate. At the abbey of women from the same congregation just outside Montreal, they literally are “behind bars” and a full grille separates the sanctuary from the nuns’ choir, with the grilled gate only opened for reception of the Eucharist by the nuns.

Paradoxically, it seems to me that the women enjoy greater liberty, in its purest sense, than the men!

The Benedictines already have a confederation for men under the abbot primate, seated at Sant’ Anselmo, currently this is Dom Notker Wolf; I think for women it is not as formal, though they formed an association in 2001.

The Abbey in Mission actually hosts both our minor and major seminaries . And they must do an excellent job of forming our priests… I’ve noticed a lot of local young priests have a very careful attention to liturgical life. There is also an important ripple effect. Currently 3 of the 4 suffragan sees in the province are held by former Vancouver, Abbey formed priests.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

The headline editor is a bit melodramatic, in my opinion. Vultum Dei Quaerere would not be a document I would describe as either instigating or necessitating a “shake-up.”

 

[Don_Ruggero]

The Abbey in Mission actually hosts both our minor and major seminaries . And they must do an excellent job of forming our priests… I’ve noticed a lot of local young priests have a very careful attention to liturgical life. There is also an important ripple effect. Currently 3 of the 4 suffragan sees in the province are held by former Vancouver, Abbey formed priests.

This is completely off topic and I beg pardon for that…but I didn’t realise there was a minor seminary left in North America. I thought the last one had closed several years ago. I never made it to Westminster Abbey in my travels, unfortunately. I had been intent on visiting it since the 1970s.

 

[twf]

This is completely off topic and I beg pardon for that…but I didn’t realise there was a minor seminary left in North America. I thought the last one had closed several years ago. I never made it to Westminster Abbey in my travels, unfortunately. I had been intent on visiting it since the 1970s.

Yes, I think it must be the last minor seminary in North America. In theory a young man could spend over a dozen years in formation at the Abbey between 4 years of minor seminary (high school), 4 years of philosophy undergrad, and 4-5 years in the divinity or theology masters programs. westminsterabbey.ca/seminaries.html.

Tangentially, Western Canada didn’t restore the permanent diaconate in the wake of Vatican II. Most of our dioceses have no permanent deacons at all. Just a few years ago, His Grace instituted a formation program for men discerning the permanent diaconate. I believe their formation program is also tied to the Abbey. If so, I hope to see the “ripple” effect I mentioned earlier come into play.

 

[twf]

Yes, I think it must be the last minor seminary in North America. In theory a young man could spend over a dozen years in formation at the Abbey between 4 years of minor seminary (high school), 4 years of philosophy undergrad, and 4-5 years in the divinity or theology masters programs. westminsterabbey.ca/seminaries.html.

Tangentially, Western Canada didn’t restore the permanent diaconate in the wake of Vatican II. Most of our dioceses have no permanent deacons at all. Just a few years ago, His Grace instituted a formation program for men discerning the permanent diaconate. I believe their formation program is also tied to the Abbey. If so, I hope to see the “ripple” effect I mentioned earlier come into play.

Incidentally, when we rented an apartment in Santo Domingo (my wife is Dominican), we were right next door to a minor seminary. I attended Mass there quite a number of times.