So dramatically that even a progressive Vatican expert like Marco Tosatti has now asked what should have these poor friars have only arranged, yes, done wrong, to deserve such a harsh punishment? He could not fine an answer because he could not find a "crime", with which to burden them. He therefore published a letter that describes the radicality with which the Order is being rebuilt. The question remains: Why did you destroy a thriving Order?
Young, Poor, Missionary and Evangelizing, but with a "Blemish" ...
The answer is in fact to look at a whole different level and observe the punished innocently. It immediately arives at the level of intrigue. As a cold as well as brutal coup by a minority in the Order. This was possible but only because this minority has been heard by the Congregation for Religious and in his turn heard by the Pope. The Order had a major "flaw." The "flaw" was that under the leadership and guidance of Pope Benedict XVI. they rediscovered the traditional rite and implemented it internally within the Order. The pastoral care of the Order was bi-ritual, internally it was old ritual. All in perfect accordance with the applicable rules and the canon law.
The Order is one of the few orders that have numerous vocations and can be described as a flourishing religious family in both the male and the female branches. The cons discovery of the liturgical riches of the Church makes the Franciscans of the Immaculate more to a unique phenomenon in the Catholic Church. Franciscan, missionary, flourishing and altrituell. Was unique to the Franciscans of the Immaculate, that a New Order was changing to the Old Rite. It was a combination that didn't only win the Order friends in the Vatican. With the rediscovery of the ancient liturgy, the Order began to intensively study the Second Vatican Council and of its examination and interpretation took place, working in the light of the ever valid tradition.
The Order Followed Benedict XVI. and discovered the Old Rite
A "flaw", which was all the more serious, because the Order had numerous vocations. A "blemish", that certain church circles of little friendliness and probably envious, did not dare to criticize under Pope Benedict XVI.. All the more uninhibited and with incredible haste they struck after his resignation. And Pope Francis gave them leave. For none of the other orders were effected in the change of pontificate more dramatically than for the Franciscans of the Immaculate.
Let us hear so what Marco Tosatti wrote in the newspaper La Stampa on Wednesday:
"We received a letter from a layman who is close to the Franciscans of the Immaculate, a small Order, which is under an acting manager (a highly debatable matter), and he complained of a special hardness posed by the new management. Based on many years of experience, we know of the cruelty in dealing with fellow brothers in church circles toward those other circles inferior to nothing. But just as Pope Francis, who signed the provisional administration, demanded in his interview with the chief editor of the Civilta Cattolica an attitude of Compassion 'and softness'. He was as one of those in the Church, who entered the field hospital after a battle and said, I see clearly that what the Church needs today is the ability to heal wounds,' because, 'Nevertheless, there are people weary of authoritarianism '.
"We received a letter from a layman who is close to the Franciscans of the Immaculate, a small Order, which is under an acting manager (a highly debatable matter), and he complained of a special hardness posed by the new management. Based on many years of experience, we know of the cruelty in dealing with fellow brothers in church circles toward those other circles inferior to nothing. But just as Pope Francis, who signed the provisional administration, demanded in his interview with the chief editor of the Civilta Cattolica an attitude of Compassion 'and softness'. He was as one of those in the Church, who entered the field hospital after a battle and said, I see clearly that what the Church needs today is the ability to heal wounds,' because, 'Nevertheless, there are people weary of authoritarianism '.
Each reader should decide for themselves whether in fact the authoritarianism plays a role in the Franciscans of the Immaculate and arrogance among the Sisters. What have these poor men done? Have they speculated in money, sexually abused minors or maintained an immoral lifestyle? So here's the letter. "
Letter from a layman who is close to the Franciscans of the Immaculate
Little is known about how things went on after the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate was placed under provisional administration. Therefore, a brief summary is necessary.
After Father Stefano Maria Manelli, the worthy and pious founder of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) was placed under charges that he had led the brothers away from their founding charism, without explaining this to date, of which the father is said to have concretely carried anyone away; then, the priests' celebration of the old rite was prohibited, a ban that applies to this day, and has been followed in the Order with absolute and faithful obedience; after which the brothers, who are faithful to the charism of the founding fathers, were hastily charged in summary proceedings and removed, and all those brothers who support the "new" line were promoted in the various monasteries around the world, then without a visible reason, the General Procurator Father Apollonio, Director of the Theological Seminary and Guardian of the Cloister Roma-Boccea was dismissed and sent to Portugal, as the Order's Superior of Florence was dismissed and sent to Austria; then Father Settimio Manelli and Father Siano, were dismissed as Rector and Vice Rector of the Order Seminary and sent to Africa; then they were replaced by two brothers of the "new" line, one of which does not even have a degree; then Father Budani, who was in the middle of completing his studies of the canon law to end overnight and without possibility of completing his studies was sent to Africa; then, after Founder Father Stefano Manelli was deposed as Superior General and exiled and even though he has met all instructions and guaranteed absolute obedience, even his closest relatives are forbidden to visit him, and it is forbidden to make phone or receive phone calls and any contact with the outside world is denied to him ... after all, now it's the Apostolic Commissioner, the Capuchin Father, Fidenzio Volpi, with the assistance of Father Alfonso Bruno, who is the new powerful man in the Order, and it's all-out war against the laity who are in continuing connection to the Order.
By a letter dated 27 November, he forbade any activity of the lay members of the Mission Immaculate Mediatrix (MIM) and the Third Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (Tofi). He refused that the Tertiaries to wear their robes.
Is it resolving alleged internal difficulties claimed f a thriving religious community with such incredible hardness and such Stalinist purges? Or its charisma be destroyed instead, which was not only able to arouse increasing number of vocations and to attract and expand the Order on all continents, but was, until yesterday, praised and promoted by the highest ecclesiastical authorities. Just think that the now outlawed Father Manelli and Father Lanzetta, were once welcome until a few months ago by cardinals and bishops and were welcome in the columns of the Osservatore Romano Publications were even open to them.
39 comments:
"Medicine of mercy"? Ya, right! White-washed sepulchre, more like.
The next time anybody receives ludicrous instructions from Rome, they should receive them with the mental reservation that "he's pretending."
The court of justice of the Holy See (the Apostolic Signatura) needs to take seisin of this case immediately and put an end to this persecution. It is terrible that we are being persecuted by those outside the Church but by the Church authorities themselves ... unspeakable.
So what. The Church has never commanded that inferiors obey the unlawful and wicked orders of superiors. According to the fake neo-traditional narrative, the only reason that the intervention occurred is because the order was committed to tradition. Now, if this "tradition" is a miss-mash of commitment to the TLM AND all the errors of VII on false ecumenism, religious liberty, ecclesiology, etc., it really isn't "tradition" now, is it?
Putting aside this crucial point and allowing that "tradition" really can be an amalgam of commitment to the TLM and VII errors for the sake of argument, the superiors outside the order had no right to intervene in the manner they did according to their own rules. It has already been established in the conciliar church that the TLM has never been abrogated, and it is the right of any priest to use this form of the Mass. If the only reason for the intervention was commitment to the TLM by the Order than the commands of superiors outside the order were invalid. If invalid, they should be contested canonically and than disobeyed if justice is not done. I will not feel sympathy for the willfully stupid or cowardly who should know their rights under church law and fail to demand that their superiors honor them.
Back to my main point. Let's be honest. The church hierarchy has been infiltrated by modernists who have subverted its traditional teachings and disciplines. They believe they have "won" the fight. They are not about to allow fifth columnist restorationists to infiltrate their "church" and restore the true Church by a reinstitution of its traditional disciplines, now are they?
The more honest approach is to take the words of St. Paul to heart:
"Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God saith: I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, Go out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: And I will receive you; and I will be a Father to you; and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
There can be no accord between those in the order who have the Faith and those outside the order in the hierarchy who do not have the faith. Nor will the Lord praise the pusillanimous who blindly obey those obviously without the faith who command positive evil.
To those religious who might find my statement above uncharitable, I will relate how I experience the obvious division in the church as a layman. I attend a diocesan TLM. In the red missal containing the propers of the mass in latin along with their english translation, there is a section on aspects of the Catholic faith. In that section, it identifies a duty of catholics who marry - that they marry a fellow catholic. Simple, easily understood - marry within the church. This is the teaching of the true Church.
Now, for those who haven't done so, read the disgusting Directory on the Principles and Norms of Ecumenism, especially those portions having to do with marriage. Although this anti-gospel reiterates the traditional teaching on marrying within the church, that is only lip service. Among all the references to "ecclesial communities" (the true Church calls them sects), are sections that are intended to facilitate intermarriage. Since this screed was issued by a Pope who had obvious divided loyalties that he never overcame, it is not surprising that it reflects him. For example, although he was ostensibly the Pope of the One True Church which claims to be the sole means of salvation, he encouraged the children of childhood friends to remain in and practice their non-catholic faith - a faith that requires Christ-denial as an implicit element of its creed. Did this Pope have the faith?
Back to the Directory - I vomit when I read 151 reproduced here:
"In carrying out this duty of transmitting the Catholic faith to the children, the Catholic parent will do so with respect for the religious freedom and conscience of the other parent and with due regard for the unity and permanence of the marriage and for the maintenance of the communion of the family. If, notwithstanding the Catholic's best efforts, the children are not baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church, the Catholic parent does not fall subject to the censure of Canon Law.143 At the same time, hisher obligation to share the Catholic faith with the children does not cease. It continues to make its demands, which could be met, for example, by playing an active part in contributing to the Christian atmosphere of the home; doing all that is possible by word and example to enable the other members of the family to appreciate the specific values of the Catholic tradition; taking whatever steps are necessary to be well informed about hisher own faith so as to be able to explain and discuss it with them; praying with the family for the grace of Christian unity as the Lord wills it."
This description of what might happen if a catholic enters a mixed marriage should never be written as a description of what his duties are in the marriage if the children are, God and All His Angels forbid, not raised in his Church - but only as a WARNING - if you enter into a mixed marriage your children may be raised outside the One True Faith!
Just in case you didn't understand this, try reading the Directory always keeping in mind the traditional Catholic teaching on Church ecclesiology, e.g., the Church established by Christ IS the Catholic Church, which is the sole means of salvation for sinners, it is one and undivided, etc. The directory stinks with a false and heretical understanding of Church unity. The only duty a Catholic has to a non-catholic involved in a non-catholic sect is to try to convert him to the One True Church, but the directory substitutes a false gospel that teaches the faithful that their primary task is to avoid enmity with those trapped in sects and make them feel comfortable in their false beliefs!
I ask the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate - especially those who say the TLM - do they make their chapels available to non-catholics so the non-catholics will have a place to "worship"? Why not? The Directory encourages you to do so - or does your Catholic sense reject such a practice?
As a Tertiary with the Order, this makes me sick to my stomach. So faithfulness is to be persecuted by those within the Church...nothing new there. But the Days with Mary, the apostolates, the outreaches, the missions, are they all to be suppressed? I hope that those few who have wrought this outrage are satisfied but they do not and will not have the charism of the founders nor those graces, ever. They can go and make a pseudo 'FI' but it will be a sham.
Yes, of course the order was invalid, and unjust. This needs to be declared by the authorities ASAP. And there is no obligation to follow an unjust order.
As the excellent monks and sisters are called "Franciscans of the Immaculate", if they are not allowed to do their "Days with Mary" this will be most terrible. Isn't it said that Mary loves the Mass first and her Rosary second. Well, this is not only an attack on the Franciscans but on Mary too.
Dear Mary, please look after all you Franciscan children and open a window, because someone has shut a door.
Dear angels in heaven, please pour some balm on St Francis wounds, because he must be hurting for his children right now.
There is more to this than anyone outside of the FIs could possibly understand. For a few years, the FIs had been going down a path that rejected all things post- Vatican II including the new catechism following Fr. Stefano. They had been enforcing a kind of Scotism that was very extreme and voluntaristic. The formation was emphasising solely the divinity of Our Lord to the exclusion of His humanity. This proved very damaging for the people in the institute. Externally, there were elements more notable in prison camps and prisons. However the real trauma suffered by the sisters came about because interior freedom was denied them. Interior freedom is the last human freedom by which the soul can soar to God even under extremely restrictive prison camp-like conditions. The sisters were told it was a mortal sin to have a free thought and told that not accepting instructions on strictly determined prayer methods was a mortal sin. This led to what you will observe if you ever meet a sister of the Immaculate: someone who comes across as “enslaved” and not very human.
The extreme theology viewed everything outside the convent walls as “the wicked world”. They were taught they were on another level to the laity. This carried with it a degree of triumphalism – see the 2009 conference they had in Italy which basically denounced all conventual Franciscans. Most of these directions rested on Fr. Stefano who in later years was making imprudent decisions, and a number of his closest friars who were acting in emotionally abusive ways in Confession, telling sisters that choosing a nice apron or looking at another's plate was a mortal sin. It stunted the apostolate of the institute, since they were unable to act in charity (having been taught that obedience was practically the only virtue), or to respond to people’s human needs (having been taught only a supernatural theology of the religious life, but nothing about the human nature of Christ), or reach out to families of the professed who only found the triumphalism and resemblance to radical forms of other religions repellent.
Where do you get your information? I have known sisters and none fit into this description. You have written before. Were you once with the Order? Having also visited several of the friaries, I have found nothing matching your description in the US.
"This led to what you will observe if you ever meet a sister of the Immaculate: someone who comes across as “enslaved” and not very human."
This has not been my experience of meetings the sisters or the brothers of the FI. In fact the opposite, human warmth and open-ness.
You sound like you have an axe to grind and wish to bear false witness and slander good people who can't defend themselves.
Shame on you.
I have known the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Immaculate for 12 years and spent significant time with them at Days With Mary, retreats and pilgrimages and what you are said above about rejecting everything post Vatican II, etc., etc. is all a lie. There is no other way to describe it. Be careful. The enemy is on the prowl, looking for someone to devour.
I have met sisters from England, the US, Italy, and the Philippines. I have been on pilgrimage with some of them several times and most recently, this year, met some of the sisters in Fatima. They are smiling happy sisters and never a one of them seemed in the least bit enslaved. I think you are totally wrong in your observations and in no way is looking at a plate a mortal sin; who have you been talking to in order to come up with such tales?
Sad.. whenever I read someone calling tradition "triumphalism" I know it's a novus ordo modernist liberal.
Dear Brothers in Christ this is nothing new the Archbishop of Argentina Mons. Jorge Bergoglio, SJ did the same with other Church in Argentina back in 2010 and he deny to Celebrate the Motu Propio and he shut down the Church; he abuse his power and disobey Pope Benedict XVI
You can see the news in this Spanish webpage
Here:
http://pagina-catolica.blogspot.com/2010/08/fuera-de-la-ley.html
I thought that the fat marshmallow in hell Martin Luther died in the 1500s. But no. He lives!
NOTE: This Franciscan Order was brought under observation prior to Pope Francis due to internal discord regarding the two forms of the roman rite. A commission brought forth its findings and the Holy Father signed off on the recommendation given him that the *ordinary* form be used *ordinarily* across the board with certain exceptions. The Order will lift up and beautify the ordinary form, celebrating it with great reverence and providing the world an example of how it should be done. Likely, they will say it exclusively in latin, with chant and facing ad orientem.
I have a simple, straightforward question. The new liturgy was created by Annibale Bugnini who was accused of being a freemason. What kind of institution allows someone even suspected of being a member of a group that is its sworn enemy to be responsible for a major change to the institution? Would any sane institution allow a sworn enemy to meddle unmolested with its beliefs, doctrines and disciplines?
In the case of the Church an alleged freemason - Bugnini - was given responsibility for "Liturgical Reform". (It is noted that generations of Popes thought "liturgical reform" was beyond their authority - regardless of what some modernists say about the mass being merely a "discipline").
A reasonable person would suspect that changes made to the practices of an institution by an infiltrating fifth columnist (e.g., a freemason pretending to be a Catholic prelate) would be done with malice, wouldn't he? Has the Church ever even investigated these charges? If not, what should a faithful Catholic think of the Church "leadership" (1) who didn't think it was necessary to investigate these allegations; and (2) who didn't think it had any obligation to reassure the faithful that the new liturgy was not the product of a malicious freemason?
Another question to the Friars of the Immaculate - if it is true that Bugnini was a freemason with malicious intent - does it make any sense to claim that you say his product as "reverently" as possible? It would seem as a loyal son of the Church you would want absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with a false liturgy created by a sworn enemy of the church. Or do you claim that saying a substitute mass reflecting fundamental and questionable changes in e.g., the concept of the priesthood, laity, the nature of the mass itself, is just one more cross that a poor faithful obedient servant must bear?
I won't comment on the assertions relating the status of the sisters and their formation. However, it's clear the Institute was moving in a traditionalist direction under Fr. Stefano. The connection between Scotism and this direction is a non sequitur, however. Moreover, Scotus and Scotism have nothing to do with "extreme voluntarism." If anything Scotus presents the solution. A basic knowledge of his and Bonaventure's metaphysics would serve to show that the traditional Franciscan school is worlds away from Ockham. Traditionalism itself is the likely the source of the direction Fr. Stefano attempted to take the FI. Fr. Stefano's authoritarian approach, as described above, is more in line with Ockham, if we want to find a villain here, than Scotus. Scotus, also, on the contrary, radically affirms the Incarnation. Finally, those in the FI who opposed this new direction include one of the greatest living Bonaventuro-Scotists in the world.
What exactly do you mean by "traditionalist" and "traditionalism"? "Traditionalist" is a non-catholic pejorative formulation that I reject. The Church is tradition and tradition is the Church! Sorry to break this to you, but if you aren't a "traditionalist" Catholic you aren't a Catholic! So saying someone is a "traditionalist Catholic" is needless duplication!
As an example, you are bound by all the dogmas promulgated by the Church prior to VII and per VI you are obligated to understand them as they were once pronounced (in their traditional understanding - no novel interpretations). The thrice-proclaimed dogma Extra Ecclesia Nulla Salus assumes that the Church of Christ IS the Catholic Church. Under V1 you are obligated to understand the EENS dogma in its original sense assuming this ecclesiology.
That means if you understand V2 to imply that non-Catholic sects are means of salvation in and of themselves you have adopted a heretical understanding of V2 that conflicts with the traditional understanding of the EENS dogma.
The only non-heretical understanding of statements in the V2 documents that sects are means of salvation is (1) they may have valid baptisms that if applied to someone below the age of reason would be salvific if that person were to die before reaching the age of reason in a state of grace and outside the visible Church; and (2) non-Catholic sects may be used by the Lord to lead a person to the One True Church. Is that how you understand EENS?
Note in (1) and (2) it is really misleading to say that the sect is a "means of salvation" because in both of these examples it is the Catholic Church that is the ultimate means of salvation.
Anonymous, I'll being praying for you at the next A Day with Mary
This is quite irritating to me that Francis is persecuting this order. I had just discovered recently their online sermons and webpage and was getting great spiritual nourishment from them. I was even thinking to seek out their masses in Boston when I'm there.
What or whom the current Bishop of Rome is only time will tell, I have a good idea but very few blogs seem to be able to figure it out but time will reveal all.
In the meantime the Franciscans take take solace in the fact that they are truly loved by God and they should dance for joy in fact.
They should (I'm sure they do already) pray to Saint Theresa of Avila. She was persecuted by the counter reformation people in her time, she can help them
And you wonder why over two hundred friars, a majority, have petitioned the Pope requesting they be allowed to leave this order. One wonders if Volpe was a Godfather in his early years given how vicious he has managed this matter.
I hope this results in the FI applying for the order to go completely TLM.
Doesn't anyone else see this as strange, an order that is growing and gaining vocations and very devout is being disciplined,,,, because they want to embrace the tradition of the Church.
Funny, there doesn't seem to be a vocations crisis, the crisis is the institution weeding out tradition. If tradition was given its rightful place, vocations would flow and the crisis in the Church would be resolved.
The success of the FI contradicts the modernists narrative that everything needs to updated for modern man.....
Nothing new here. Same tactics and techniques used on 99.9% of the religious communities in the sixties. They're using a bit more finesse having had fifty years refining their devious methods for destroying anything Catholic.
The Blessed Mother wept at La Salette because "the priests would betray the Church". At Akita, she warned us that "priests would be against priests, bishops against bishops, cardinals against cardinals". We should have known that this was coming, that the persecution would be greatest from within the Church. Pity and pray for the poor bishops. Jesus at Tuy told Sr. Lucia that the "consecration (of Russia) would be done, but it would be late" and that the bishops would suffer as did the Kings' of France. Someone needs to warn the bishops that many of the Church fathers and the saints said something similar to this “The floor of hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.”
St. Athanasius, Council of Nicaea, AD 325 attributed
"Externally, there were elements more notable in prison camps and prisons. However the real trauma suffered by the sisters came about because interior freedom was denied them. Interior freedom is the last human freedom by which the soul can soar to God even under extremely restrictive prison camp-like conditions... This led to what you will observe if you ever meet a sister of the Immaculate: someone who comes across as “enslaved” and not very human."
...Dear me. Poor sisters, sourpusses. Must be so unhappy because they're having their liver pecked out every day....
Lol.
If you ever want to see miserable, unhealthy nuns, it's the pantsuit ones who want to be priestesses and practice witchcraft.
None of us get to judge who's in Hell. Be careful not to give scandal and lead someone to think that it's possible for us to know that.
Firstly, thank you for pointing out that Papa Bene put the FIs under observation et c. I love both he and our current Holy Father and it is so sad to see either off them cop flack unduly.
Secondly, I agree that the FFIs "will lift up and beautify the ordinary form, celebrating it with great reverence and providing the world an example of how it should be done." However, it wouldn't surprise me if they used vernacular languages and offered Mass versus populum on occasion.
If it is Total War they want, then it is Total War they will get!
Very well said! Our Lady loves this holy order.
I live in Rome and for years have frequently attended a church staffed by FFI priests. What I've seen there completely jibes with the claims of internal ideological in-fighting that we're hearing about. On the one hand, there are some stellar, holy priests there. On the other hand, there is some real weirdness too. To cite one of numerous examples, a priest announced one day that the congregation had to all take off our shoes, out of reference to Christ. Ya think that's in the liturgical books anywhere?
There was a re-shuffle just recently and a new group came in to service this particular church... and all I can tell thus far is that from their body language and general demeanor when they pray together, they seem to hate each other. Nice.
I have absolutely no skin in this game either way. But I can say that from what I've been seeing long-term, there are some elements of the FFI that are definitely messed up. Maybe Francis is handling it well, maybe not. But this is a much more complicated situation than the White Hat/Black Hat dichotomy that is being depicted by many on the internet.
Eh? You want the Signatura to judge the Pope? Confused much?
"To cite one of numerous examples, a priest announced one day that the congregation had to all take off our shoes, out of reference to Christ. Ya think that's in the liturgical books anywhere?"
Yes. That was in the books for "Veneration of the Wood of Cross" on Good Friday. Now you know.
yes we all know that they are a very good religious order i don't think so all of it knows but but don't make a statement if you haven't realize to be one of them as you know this was the very outstanding religious order i ever retreated ..dont judge others judge yourself of who you are okay!!? :)
yes very obvious that this statement is unjust ..but what can you say about a REPORTER.. there is no truth about them..
In my part of the world (Perth Western Australia) it is common to see groups of 5-6 of Our 'Sisters of Mercy' a once great teaching order, attending the local Casino dressed in their 'power dress suit' complete with just a touch of make up. They are very inspirational ( I think not) They are all about 65/70 plus years old. They really are Pathetic individuals
The only reason they came down on the FFI is because they take their vow of obedience to the 'Holy Father' and the Church ( and by extension Our Lord) and would comply out of obedience. Try applying such heavy handedness to our Liberal members of the Church and see what would happen. The FFI will be blessed for their humility and obedience in God's good time.
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