Confesso che sono in grande difficoltà a scrivere questa lettera aperta al moderatore di questo forum e a quanti vi partecipano.
E' recente l'affermazione di Sua Santità Papa Benedetto XVI a proposito del fallimento del capitalismo e del marxismo. Ancora il Papa ha denunciato il consumismo come uno dei mali più gravi della nostra epoca.
Io devo dire con molta tristezza nel cuore che quando apro i siti web dei diversi ordini monastici maschili e femminili mi vergogno e mi scandalizzo. Pare che chi è stato chiamato da Nostro Signore a caricarsi sullle spalle la Croce e a seguirLo viva in condizioni economiche e ambientali assai migliori di qualunque cittadino medio del mondo, per non parlare dei milioni di poveri fanciulli e adulti. Io vedo monache e monaci che sembrano più manager che uomini di preghiera, povertà e conversione. I loro monasteri sono ampi, moderni, attrezzati meglio di un qualunque apartamento medio in cui vivono i lavoratori e i cittadini contemporanei in una qualunque città del mondo. QUESTO PENSO SIA UNO SCANDALO A CUI NON SI PUò ASSISTERE CON INDIFFERENZA!
Comprendo la necessità di adeguare la tradizione monastica alle esigenze del mondo contemporaneo, ma non fino al punto di fare dei monasteri degli hotel che nulla hanno da invidiare ai grandi alberghi e della vocazione monastica una condizione di vita assai più vantaggiosa della vita media di un cittadino su questa terra! Per non parlare dei poveri di cui dovremmo condividere l'esistenza. Quale sarebbe la differenza tra chi è chiamato alla vita monastica e chi è chiamato alla vita secolare?
Io penso che chi è chiamato alla vita monastica dovrebbe continuare coerentemente con la tradizione di chi ci ha proceduto a proporre uno stile di vita alternativo al consumismo, al materialismo, al modernismo, alla rincorsa ai beni del mondo, comprese le nuove tecnologie, di difesa e tutela radicale dell'ambiente, mantenendo quanto ancora del passato e della tradizone deve essere difeso e può essere recuperato senza partecipare alla dissipazione delle risorse energetiche e ambientali del pianeta, assumendosi la responsabilità di contribuire al suo impoverimento, all'impoverimento dell'opera del creato.
Tralascio di ricordare che chi è stato chiamato alla vita religiosa dovrebbe avere l'obbligo di testimoniare uno stile di vita alternativo: di preghiera, povertà e penitenza. Ma questo sembra davvero troppo...

Umilmente

Frate Umile

Apparently this text is in italian, and this is what a quick Free Translation.com translated it as into English.

I confess that I am in large difficulty to write this open letter to the moderator of this forum and to how many participate yourselves. And 'recent the assertion of Its Sanctity Pope Holy XVI by the way of the failure of the capitalism and of the Marxism. Still the Pope denounced the like one consumerism of the most serious ba of our period. I should say with much sadness in the heart that when open the situated web of the different orders masculine and feminine monastici am ashamed myself and shock me. It seems that who it was called from Our Mister to load itself sullle shoulders the Cross and to follow lives it in much better economical and environmental condition of whatever middle citizen of the world, in order not to talk about the millions of poor children and adults. I see nuns and monk that more manager than men of prayer seem, poverty and conversion. Their monasteries are spacious, modern, supplied better than a whatever middle apartamento in which the workers live and the contemporary citizens in a whatever town of the world. THIS THINK it IS A SCANDAL TO THAT ASSISTS NOT WITH INDIFFERENCE! I include the necessity of to adapt the tradition monastica to the requirements of the contemporary world, but not until the point of to do some monasteries of the hotel than nothing have to envy the large hotels and of the vocation monastica a much more advantageous condition of life of the middle life of a citizen on this land! In order not to talk about the poor of whom we should share the existence. As has it been the difference between who is called to the life monastica and who is called to the age-old life? I think that who it is called to the life monastica should continue coherently with the tradition of who proceeded to propose us a style of life alternated at the consumerism, to the materialismo, to the modernismo, to the chased to the assets of the world, included the new technologies, of defence and radical protection of the environment, maintaining how much still of the past and of the tradizone should be defended And environmental of the planet, taking on itself the responsibility of to contribute its impoverishment, to the impoverishment of the work of the creation. It omit to remember that who it was called to the religious life it should have the obligation of to testify a style of life I alternated: of prayer, poverty and penitence. But this seems really too much...

Humbly

Humble Frate

As a man whose native language is Italian language I post my own translation of Frate Umile's letter.
I hope this would be useful for all you english speakers much more than the machine-translator one:

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Interesting. May I say how EXCITED I am that there are Italians here! Aside from the many points on the post, which may more properly belong on debate table at some point. I lived in Rome for just a year 2004-2005, but it is my favorite place on earth. Please, talk Italian all the time. Welcome!

Caro Frate,

I agree with you on many points and I, too, feel a sense of scandal when I see religious living as the upper class do, but I think that among those Orders that are attracting vocations, the poor convents and monasteries are usually more successful.

My Salesian Sisters do have many large buildings and so on, but everything has a purpose. The nicest building that they own is for the old sisters who have medical needs so that they do not have to leave the community in their infirmity. The Sisters worked really hard to raise the money to build a building that would enable them to keep their Sisters with them.

From the outset many people may be scandalized if they saw the building without understanding that all of their other houses are poor. We have to be careful about judging before we understand all of the issues surrounding it.

Older buildings are also more expensive to heat and keep in good condition so I can see where a newer building would be better, but that does not mean it has to be gold-leafed!

You can tell when a community is trying to maintain a love for their vocation and the vow of poverty. The Salesians Sisters are, I can testify to that.

Clearly the culture has exploited the poor and the environment and there is a divide between the rich and poor like never before, but not everyone can live as Mother Teresa's Sisters do, but you are right, living like one is in a hotel is an extreme that one should avoid.

I think that there is a healthy middle ground in this, but we have to be careful to not be too over critical of orders until we have seen for ourselves and understood their situation. I would not hesitate to ask my Sisters if I was ever concerned about anything.

What Order do you belong to?

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Philosobrat makes many good points. Also, it may be helpful to actually divide the cost. For example, take the 45 million it cost to build the new Nashville Dominican space and divide it by the number of sisters, who actually live there -some 300, and you will see that the per person expense is quite below what any one else is living at in the United States. Add to that that the sisters do not possess cars, cell phones, or many of the personal items that laypeople have, and their literal poverty becomes quite clear. Also, anyone who has seriously considered or entered the convent quickly becomes aware how severe the poverty is! Now, I speak of communities like the CMSWR, who live in convents and live in community and have very limited personal belongings. Everything around them is basic -their sheets and blankets, the food, the beds... the nice things they may have are usually limited to a good pair of shoes (one mind you) and books! Of course, I cannot speak for all religious communities, but a lot of our favorites -the cfr's, pcpa, ssew, sol, dsmme, mc, nop, who I am familiar with, really do live a deep poverty.

I confess that I’m in many difficulty to write this open letter to the moderator of this forum and to those who participate to it. Is recent the affirmation of His Holiness Pope Benedetto XVI in order of the failure of Capitalism and the Marxism. Still the Pope has denounced the consumerism like one of the more serious evils of our age. I must say with much sadness in my heart that when I open the web site of the various male and female monastic orders I’m ashamed and I’m shocked. It seems that who has been called from Our Lord to load on the shoulders the Cross and to follow Him, they live in economic and environmental conditions much better than any middle citizen of the world, in order do not to speak about million poor children and adults. I see nuns and monks that they seem manager that men more than prayer, poverty and conversion. Their monasteries are wide, modern, equipped better than a any medium apartment in which the contemporary workers and citizens in one live any city of the world. THIS IS A SCANDAL TO WHICH CANNOT BE ASSISTED WITH INDIFFERENCE! I comprise the necessity to adapt the tradition monastic to the requirements of the contemporary world, but not until the point to make of the monasteries of the hotels that null they have to envy to big hotels and of the monastic vocation one much more favourable living conditions of the average life of a citizen on this earth! In order not to speak about the poor ones of which we would have to share the existence. Which it would be the difference between who is called to monastic life and who is called to secular life? I think that who is called to the monastic life would have to continue coherently with the tradition of who has proceeded to us to propose an alternative style of life to the consumerism, the materialism, the modernism, the run-up to the assets of the world, comprised the new technologies, of defence and radical protection of the habitat, maintaining how much anchor of the past and the tradition must be defended and can be recovered without to participate to the dissipation of the energetic and environmental resources of the planet, assuming oneself the responsibility to contribute to its impoverishment, to the impoverishment of the work of the creation. I omit to remember that who has been called to the religious life must have obligation to testify an alternative style of life: of prayer, poverty and penance. But this seems indeed too much...
Humbly
Frate Umile