Bro JR-
For clarification however being a member of an Order myself and my father before me as a Franciscan it has never been my concern about the likes of dislikes of a Bishop. I know as a practicing Catholic and a member of the Religious what my Church has taught me since I was a child. Additionally to some extent it is our responsibility to defend the Church and its teachings.
Personably I believe this is where the bishops are missing the boat. It is ok to deny a Catholic Religious Holy Communion but yet we will welcome everyone else into our Church? This makes no sense. These are obviously very pious people who have been taught in the Religious Institution how they want them to receive Holy Communion. The question then is so is it really worth the headache to stir this up with the very institutions who provided education to our children, who served in our hospitals, or who lived in less than desirable conditions under their vows. Why would we isolate them? Additionally, if they were a schismatic group they would have never shown their faces there as they would consider receiving Holy Communion there a sacrilege. Why do we fight out our and yet welcome only the outsiders? These Bishops need to consider this. I know my local Bishop is not involved at all with our Order but that is ok as you stated we have our own superiors who handle our needs. Trust me I am not trying to correct anyone and have my stuff dissected just food for thought.
God Bless
Bro. BH
I’m sorry Brother, but I’m not understanding your message. I know that Franciscans, Dominicans, Benedictines, Carmelites, Augustinians, Jesuits, Holy Cross and the large religious communities of pontifical right are not part of any diocese. We are autonomous with our own ordinaries. That’s why Canon Law in 1983 separated us from the laity, because the laity is part of the diocese and has to tow the bishop’s line and we do not.
However, our tradition has always been to treat the bishop with respect and comply with his wishes when we are in his churches. My take from the OP is that this ia group of religious, not lay people. The suggestion is that they were at a mass in a place outside of their religious house, otherwise, why leave the building.
On the other hand, there is no rule that says that a Catholic may not receive communion on their knees.
From where I stand, the bishop was wrong for asking them to stand and the religious were wrong for failing to comply. In this case, even if the bishop is overstepping his authority, it seems that he’s on his turf. If he had been in the house of the religious institute, they would not have left the building. If a bishop breaks the rules of a religious institute in their house, they can refrain from inviting him for mass again. They don’t have to leave their own chapel.
According to the OP this was not the first time they have had this encounter. My guess is that whoever this involves is out to prove a point. The bishop messed up and the religious institute is way out of line. You don’t go into your neighbor’s house and demand that he play by the rules. Unfortunately, it’s his house. If he breaks the rules in his house, you have only one recourse, his boss. But you cannot challenge him in his own house. This is a breach in traditional relationships between bishops and religious.
I’m speaking from personal experience here. We had a situation where our brothers complained that a certain bishop was less than orthodox. At the time I was the superior of the house. My solution was simple. I asked the Provincial to transfer the brothers to a house in another diocese. My job as superior was to provide a service for the diocese and to keep the structure of the religious community intact, not to correct the bishop. We are guests in his diocese. We either live with him or transfer.
As I tell our brothers, “You’re big boys. Save your complaints for big things. I’m not going to tackle a bishop every time the brothers complain.” The brothers always understood this. I had the last word, end of story. Some things are real problems that require the bishop and the superior communicate and other situations can be avoided. If a problem can be avoided, then do so.
Now we’re erecting a new community and my policy is the same. “Don’t waste my time asking me to change the bishop. Either work in his diocese according to his rules or move on. It is not my role to tell the bishop what to do or not do. My role is to lead, govern and form the community. My duty to the bishop is to make sure that we fulfill our contract with him, not to correct him. He’s not in my community and I’m not his superior. Finally, it is the duty of the community to obey. Religious life is not a democracy.” I don’t put up with battles that people can avoid. I have no patience for that. There are too many important issues in the Church and religious life. As a superior before and as a formator now, I tell the brothers the same thing. If you want to be Franciscan the first lesson that you must learn from St. Francis is to give to the bishop what belongs to him and to the superior what is his. It’s just a slight twist on give to Caesar . . . etc. But the novices get it.
This is not about denying religious communion and welcoming others into the house. The OP does not say that the religious were denied communion. It says that they were told to get up. As superior, if my religious were denied communion, I’d want to know why. If they are told to get up at a mass outside of our house, I tell the brothers, “Get up. Do as you’re told and don’t get into that situation again. End of story.”
Frarternally,
Br. JR, OSF
