graciandelamadrededios Posted July 13, 2014 Author Posted July 13, 2014 PRE-VATICAN II HABIT OF MINIM NUNS - ITALIAN NUNS (The Veil is gathered or "shirred" similar to Polish and Spanish Day Veils of OCD Nuns)
Antigonos Posted July 13, 2014 Posted July 13, 2014 Of course, I understand. And perhaps my input can be that of a supplement to your studies and interviews with Carmelite nuns, as I have lived in four Carmelite convents and am a postulant in one now. Each community is different and although Carmelites do have an eremetical foundation, it was the Prioress at my first Carmel who told me, "We are not hermits in Carmel. We are 'hermits in community.' " It's good to have the balance of views I think. Nunsense, you are a postulant, if it is possible to ask, where? I think I left you on the road to Santiago de Compostela...did you return to the UK? I'd love to be brought up to date, if you don't mind!
Nunsense Posted July 14, 2014 Posted July 14, 2014 Nunsense, you are a postulant, if it is possible to ask, where? I think I left you on the road to Santiago de Compostela...did you return to the UK? I'd love to be brought up to date, if you don't mind! Antigonos- I tried to PM you but obviously you can't use the PM function. All I was trying to say (without hijacking this thread) was that I prefer not to reveal any personal information about myself anymore online. Past experience has taught me that this isn't a good idea. And this thread might help explain it too Privacy on VS
Antigonos Posted July 14, 2014 Posted July 14, 2014 Antigonos- I tried to PM you but obviously you can't use the PM function. All I was trying to say (without hijacking this thread) was that I prefer not to reveal any personal information about myself anymore online. Past experience has taught me that this isn't a good idea. And this thread might help explain it too Privacy on VS No, I can't either receive or write PMs, dunno why not [because I'm not a Catholic?]. I certainly respect your reticence. If you'd like to communicate with me, you can write to meir dot cnm at gmail dot com. I would love to hear from you and would not repeat anything you wrote me. Possibly because both of us aren't, ahem, in the first flush of youth, I have always felt rather close to you in your journeys. At any rate, I wish you all the best, and hope that this time, your expectations are fulfilled.
Hemma Posted July 17, 2014 Posted July 17, 2014 Dear Gracian, Thanks for the list of recommendable Carmel monasteries in Germany and Austria :) That was very interesting. I didn't answer yet because I was looking for information about the 1990/1991 thing. I thought somebody might have explained it above in the thread. But I just can't manage it by now to read through all 17 pages. Do you (or does anybody) have a clue for me regarding the 1990 resp. 1991 constitutions? Thanks a lot :)
Chiquitunga Posted July 17, 2014 Posted July 17, 2014 This is the very old thread on that topic, http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/58540-the-discalced-carmelite-nuns-1990-1991-constitutions/ Note that I had requested that the first post be edited to not mention specific Carmels, so the rest of the conversation does not exactly flow right. a blog from Spain, http://carmelitasdescalzas1990.blogspot.com/ also the thread on Sr. Edita Marija in Avila, http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/109813-croatian-actress-professes-solemn-vows-in-avila/ I don't like to debate too much on this topic though. Pray and discern where He wants you :heart: I will pray for you too :pray:
Hemma Posted July 18, 2014 Posted July 18, 2014 Thanks a lot, Chiquitunga! I see. That explains many things. As you say, it's just good to know. Actually I might not end up in Carmel at all (but in another order). It's not sure yet. I've always loved the Carmel, and I have some friends which are around in the same area.
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 20, 2014 Author Posted July 20, 2014 Dear Gracian, Thanks for the list of recommendable Carmel monasteries in Germany and Austria :) That was very interesting. I didn't answer yet because I was looking for information about the 1990/1991 thing. I thought somebody might have explained it above in the thread. But I just can't manage it by now to read through all 17 pages. Do you (or does anybody) have a clue for me regarding the 1990 resp. 1991 constitutions? Thanks a lot :) I am so sorry for this very late reply. I have no internet access from Monday to Friday so I am unable to read or reply to the questions you posted. It may seem late but I want to forward the following information which you might find useful and those who follow this thread may deem useful. Chiqui had started a discussion of 1990 and 1991 Text thread and thanks to hear, this has been discussed prior to my joining this Forum. First let me post here a document I found online, a book or booklet I am trying to get from British Discalced Carmelite Nuns: Excerpts from The Teresian Carmelites: Nuns and Friars in One Family by Fr Finian Monahan, OCD (Darlington Carmel, 1994). Introduction: In 1593 the Discalced Carmelite Nuns and Friars were given the status of a religious order in its own right, with its own Superior General. There can be no doubt that this unity of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns and Friars in the same religious family was very much in keeping with the mind of St Teresa. It was enshrined in the Constitutions of 1581 and has survived almost intact through four centuries of sometimes turbulent history. The following statement, taken from the Constitutions of 1991, confirms that "the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Discalced Carmelite Friars together constitute a single religious family in the Church. . . . The Superior General of the Order is the head of this family." The Rule adopted by Carmelite Nuns From 1209 until the middle of the fifteenth century, the Carmelites were an exclusively male club. This came to an end in 1452 when the Superior General of the Orde, Blessed John Soreth, was empowered by Pope Nicholas V to give canonical status to monasteries of Carmelite Nuns. These would follow the mitigated Rule according to their own special constitutions. . . . The Friars and Nuns constituted one religious order under the jurisdiction of the Prior General and the Provincials. . . . It was in one of these monasteries, the monastery of the Incarnation in Avila, that Teresa de Ahumada began her religious life in 1536. Refounding the Carmelite Nuns Whatever we may think about the feasibility of re-founding an existing religious family, something St Teresa never tried to do, there can be little doubt that the word "refound" is a pretty accurate description of what Teresa actually achieved both for the Discalced Carmelite Nuns and Friars. Teresian Constitutions For Teresa the whole purpose of the Rule is to foster a life of continual prayer at the service of the Church. Everything else is subservient to this. The community is to be small. The norms on the practice of poverty, detachment and enclosure are at times quite detailed. On the other hand she had no scruple about introducing two hours of recreation, one of thwich she put after Compline in spite of the fact that the Rule imposed strict silence from Compline until after Prime of the following day. For Teresa a genuine life of prayer is fostered not only by poverty, solitude and enclosure, but also by humility, charity and mutual service in the community, the supreme law of which is to love as Christ loves us. Essential to the teresian way of life is this balance between the eremitical and cenobitical elements in a blend that provides the ideal setting for a life of prayer at the service of the Church. Refounding the Friars Teresa came to see that in order to provide for the spiritual assistance and guidance of her nuns it would be necessary to found some communities of friars who would follow the primitive Rule and whose way of life would have a closer affinity with that of the nuns. . . . Teresa's main concern was to ensure that her charism would be fully shared by the founding friars and that they in turn would be well qualified to understand the life of the nuns and be able to give the kind of guidance the nuns would need in their life of prayer. . . At this stage neither Teresa nor John had any intention of founding a new religious order. But with this first foundation of Discalced Friars added to the existing foundations of Discalced Nuns, there can be no doubt that they had "as it were, laid anew the foundations of the Order." Both the nuns and friars took the Primitive Rule as their rule of life, committing themselves to a life of continual prayer, with the one difference that while the nuns would live a purely contemplative life, the friars would live a life of prayer overflowing into appropriate apostolic activity. Tensions and Conflict Much ink has been spilt in the study of the complex legal problems connected with the contrasting decisions of Nuncios, Apostolic Visitators and Visitators appointed by the Order during this turbulent period of Carmelite history. . . . It gradually became more and more evident that the only way to restore peace and to ensure the survival of the Discalced Friars and Nuns was some form of autonomy. So a process began which would eventually lead to the establishment of a separate religious Order, made up of Discalced Carmelite Nuns and Friars with their own Superior General. A Separate Province By a Brief of Pope Gregory XIII dated 22 June 1580 a separate province of the Discalced Friars and Nuns was established. The first provincial chapter was held in Alcala in March 1581. At this chapter Fr Gracian was elected Provincial and new Constitutions both for the friars and nuns were drafted. Both the friars and nuns remained under the jurisdiction of the Superior General while following the primitive Rule and their respective Constitutions under the immediate jurisdiction of the Provincial. The Alcala Constitutions The Brief . . . which established the separate province of Discalced Friars and Nuns also gave the Chapter the faculty to draw up new Constitutions both for the friars and the nuns of the new province. . . . Teresa was very concerned as to what the outcome might be. . . . She had little confidence in the competence of the Fathers regarding the legislation of the Nuns. . . . She wanted to avoid being seen as interfering in the Chapter. "I should like your Reverence," she writes to Gracian on 27 February, "to note on a piece of paper the main things I have written to you about, and then to burn my letters; for in the midst of all this turmoil, someone might come across one of them, and that would be serious." A comparative study of the Alcala Constitutions and the Constitutions written by Teresa herself show that many of her suggestions to Gracian were accepted, but that some were not. . . . The Alcala Constitutions met with her approval with some reservations. Once the Apostolic Commissary had promulgated the Alcala Constitutions, Teresa had no choice but to accept them. This she did in her characteristic spirit of obedience to the authority of the Church. . . . What she was more than happy with was that peace had been restored, with the identity and unity of the Discalced Nuns and Friars preserved intact. A Separate Congregation By 1587 the number of foundations of the Discalced Friars had grown so much that with the approval of Pope Sixtus V they were formed into a "Congregation" subdivided into provinces. The Congregation was governed by a Vicar General; but he remained subject to the Superior General of the Order. . . . Fr. Nicholas Doria was elected Vicar General. . . . Doria informed the nuns of his intention to make a number of changes to the Alcala Constituions. . . . Fearing that Doria would introduce changes contrary to the mind of Teresa, a group of nuns led by Anne of Jesus appealed first to the Nuncio and then to the Pope, requesting papal approval for the Alcala constitutions. This came in the form of a Brief of Sixtus V, Salvatoris, dated 5 June 1590. . . . [Doria] wrote a circular letter to the friars and nuns condemning the action of Anne of Jesus and her followers and declaring the Brief of Sixtus V invalid because it had been obtained surreptitiously. . . . The following year Doria published his revised edition of the Nuns' Constitutions. . . . In 1926 the Italian text of Doria's edition of the Alcala Constitutions was adapted to the Code of Canon Law and ten years later Pope Pius XI imposed it on all Carmels throughout the world. An Independent Religious Order At the General Chapter of the Order held at Cremona in Italy in June 1593 a petition was presented by the Discalced Friars requesting that they be allowed to seek recognition from the Holy See as a distinct and independent religious order. The Chapter agreed to this, and that same year on 20 December Pope Clement VIII, by the brief Pastoralis officii, established the new Order. . . . The Nuns and Friars all formed part of the new religious family, with the Nuns subject to the Provincials of their respective provinces and all subject to the Superior General. Monasteries of Nuns under jurisdiction of Bishops In the nineteenth century religious orders of men found themselves the target of much hostile legislation in a number of European countries, culminating in the suppression of religious orders in France, Belgium and Spain. The Discalced Carmelite Nuns thus lost their immediate superiors, the Provincials. The Holy See filled this vacuum by putting the monasteries temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Bishops. . . . Initially this was intended as a temporary solution. But with the passing of time it became permanent, thereby considerably weakening the institutional unity of Nuns and Friars. The Constitutions of 1926 It had always been the opinion of the Superior General that even though many Carmels had been placed under the jurisdiction of the Bishops, they were still subject to the Superior General. So when the Constitutions were adapted to the Code of Canon Law in 1926, an attempt was made to reaffirm the unity of the whole Order of Friars and Nuns under the jurisdiction of the Superior General. The very first article of these Constitutions affirms: "We ordain and declare that the Nuns of the Primitive Rule, that is the Discalced Nuns of the Order of our Blessed Lady of Mount Carmel shall be subject to the Father General of the Discalced Carmelite Friars and that the said General may make the visitation of these Nuns and of their Convents either in person or by a Visitor appointed by him." . . . . However, in approving the 1926 Constitutions the Sacred Congregation added a note to the first article to the effect that "Those convents which, as a result of special regulations of the Holy See, are subject only to the local Ordinaries, are to remain in that condition ad nutum Sanctae Sedis." The phrase ad nutum Sanctae Sedis meant two things: first that this arrangement was of its nature temporary; second that only the Holy See could change it. But where did all this leave the authority of the Superior General over monasteries subject to the local Ordinaries? And his right to make a visitation? The 1926 Constitutions seem to have been kept deliberately vague! And that is how things remained until after Vatican II. New People of God Since the primary concern of Vatican II was the life and holiness of the Church, it was only to be expected that it would pay special attention to the renewal of religious life. This it did in the decree Perfectae Caritatis. What we are interested in here are the guidelines given in the decree concerning the revision of the particular legislation of religious families. It states categorically that "the Constitutions, 'directories,' books of customs, prayers and ceremonies and other similar codes should be appropriately revised by excluding norms which had become obsolete and updating the text according to the decisions of the Council." On 6 August 1966 Pope Paul VI published the Motu proprio Ecclesiae Sanctae with instructions for the application of some of the decrees of Vatican II. . . . The relevant norm for the revision of the Nuns' legislation entrusted the work to the Supreme Authority of the Order in consultation with the monasteries. . . . [Here follow two pages summarizing work on the Nuns' legislation from 1966 to 1974.] In 1974 all the monasteries were asked would they accept the following as an outline of legislation: a) The primitive Rule b) The Primitive Constituions of St Teresa c) Declarations updating the Primitive Constitutions according to Vatican II. The vast majority of Carmels agreed to this formula, with a small minority of monasteries insisting that the Alcala Constitutions be kept instead of the Primitive. The Declarations At first an attempt was made to insert "declarations" into the text of the Primitive Constitutions. But this idea was soon abandoned. . . . It was decided to leave the Teresian Constitutions intact, as an extension, as it were, of the Rule, so that the Declarations could be complete in themselves as the interpretation of the Rule and the Teresian Constitutions in accordance with the decisions of Vatican II. . . . On 12 March 1977 the Congregation promulgated the new legislation ad experimentum for five years for all the Monasteries of Discalced Carmelite Nuns. Unity of the Order in the Declarations The unity of the Order of Friars and Nuns was strongly reaffirmed in the Declarations even with regard to monasteries under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary: "The Superior General has the duty to foster unity in fidelity to St Teresa's contemplative and ecclesial ideal, and to strengthen the bonds of fraternal union between monasteries and with the Order. For this reason, in matters relating to the life and internal government of the community the Superior General, personally or by delegate, may make a pastoral visitation of all the monasteries, giving advance notice to the local Ordinary, if the monastery is subject to him, and with due regard for his rights." Furthermore: "It is the right of the Superior General with his Definitory to grant dispensations from disciplinary prescriptions in particular cases." The Superior General could also grant the postulation of a Prioress for a third term of office. All this greatly reinforced the institutional unity of the Order, something which met with the approval of a large majority of monasteries. Voices of dissent While the Declarations were being drafted, a group of monasteries in Spain were busy preparing an alternative text of Constitutions. Even before the Declarations were promulgated a number of letters reached the Congregation for Religious rejecting the new legislation in advance. Despite these protests, the Declarations were promulgated for the whole Order in March 1977. The dissident group seems to have simply ignored the Declarations and continued their campaign to obtain approval for their own text and to win over other Carmels to their side. In 1982, at the end of the five years ad experimentum, all the monasteries were sent a questionnaire so that they could express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the Declarations and present their proposals for definitive Constitutions. . . . The dissident group did not reply directly to the questions but simply repeated the request that their alternative text be approved. It was at this point that the Superior General, Fr. Felipe Sainz de Baranda, wrote to the Holy Father expressing his concern about the possibility of a split in the Order and asking the Pope to intervene. The Pope's reply came in the form of a letter to Fr General from the Secretary of State, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, on 15 September 1984, ordering a new text to be drafted by the Congregation for Religious according to the following outline: a) The Primitive Rule b) A "proemium" containing evangelical and theological principles; c) The text of the Alcala Constituions corrected according to the decisions of Vatican II and the new Code of Canon Law. It should be noted that this outline was substantially the same as that of the text prepared by the dissident group. It can scarcely have been a pure coincidence. Historians in years to come will surely find this an intriguing time in our history. The "draft" of 1986 Immediately work began on the drafting of Constitutions following the guidelines contained in Cardinal Casaroli's letter. In 1986 the draft was sent to all the Carmels. . . . The reaction of the nuns was extremely negative and the draft was rejected by a substantial majority. Faced with this impasse, the Congregation for Religious called a Plenary session to discuss the matter. . . . The outcome was a decision by a big majority to recommend a return to the Declarations according to the following outline: a) The Declarations as basis for the definitive text; b) The text should be adapted to the new Code of Canon Law and amended where judged appropriate, taking account of valid proposals from the Nuns; c) Room should be left for subsidiary norms which would satisfy the need for pluralism where this was desirable. This decision was approved by the Pope in an audience given to the Prefect of the Congregation some days later. A surprise decision The work was still in progress when on 8 December 1990 the Prefect of the Congregation for Religious issued a decree approving the Constitutions presented by the dissident group, which by now numbered 92 Carmels. . . . It seems that the Prefect of the Congregation had no choice in the matter. He simply acted on orders from the Secretariat of State. The text had not been examined or approved by the competent commission of the Congregation for Religious. Among other things the 92 Carmels declared in their Constitutions: a) "The profound changes introduced into the legislation of the Discalced Carmelite Friars have removed the very raison d'etre of any juridical dependence of the Nuns on the Superiors of the Order; b) "Consequently the Superior General has no authority whatever over the monasteries of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns." This was not the first time in history that the Nuns had differences about Constitutions. But it was the first time that a group of monasteries positively repudiated all juridical links with the Superior General of the Order. The Constitutions of 1991 On 17 September 1991 this text was approved by decree of the Congregation for Religious. At the same time in a letter addressed to all the Discalced Carmelite Nuns the Holy Father declared that both the 1990 and the 1991 Constitutions were authentic and that the monasteries were free to choose one or the other. . . . The result was a division of the monasteries into two groups, with 125 opting for the 1990 text and 745 choosing the text of 1991. On one side we have more than 80% of Carmels declaring that "the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Discalced Carmelite Friars together constitute a single religious family in the Church. . . . The Superior General is the head of this family." On the other a minority group stating that "with regard to their juridical condition our monasteries, while preserving a spiritual union with the whole Order, have no major superior above the Prioress except the Holy See. Accordingly the Superior General has no authority whatever over them." It is truly a serious rift in the unity envisaged by St Teresa. Unity under the 1991 Constitutions The quotations from #199 and #200 of the 1991 Constitutions given above seem to reaffirm the unity of the Order of Nuns and Friars under the authority of one Superior General. However, on closer examination, one soon discovers that in the 1991 Constitutions the foundation for the Superior General's faculties is simply positive law and not the will of the founder nor the fact that both Friars and Nuns share the same charism. By way of principle, #201 states: "Since they [the monasteries] are of pontifical right, every monastery depends on the Apostolic See in what pertains to internal government and discipline. For the exercise of immediate responsibility over the monasteries, the same Apostolic See entrusts them to the regular superior of the Order according to the constitutions, or to the diocesan bishop according to the norm of canon law." The assumption here is that each monastery is an institute of pontifical right and not simply that it belongs to an institute of pontifical right. Are the Discalced Carmelite Nuns divided into 870 institutes of pontifical right? Surely that is pushing autonomy a little too far. I doubt if Teresa ever envisaged her monasteries as so many separate entities of pontifical right. She saw them rather as all belonging to the same religious familyu. And when the Discalced Carmelites became a separate Order, the Holy See recognized the Superior General as effectively the head of the whole Order. Special circumstances in the middle of the 19th century led to the placing of many monasteries under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinaries, but this was considered a temporary arrangement ad nutum Sanctae Sedis. No one will deny that the faculties of the Superior General derive from the approval of the Holy See, but one must assume that spiritual, pastoral as well as canonical principles are taken into account in each case. So one wonders why the faculties of the Superior General in matters concerning the internal life and government of all monasteries even those subject to the local Ordinaries clearly stated in the Declarations were not so clearly reaffirmed in the 1991 Constitutions. Communication between the Carmels During St Teresa's lifetime she did everything to foster union and cooperation between her foundations; but as the Order spread to other countries, differences of language and culture made communication and cooperation between the Carmels more difficult. Furthermore autonomy and a strict interpretation of papal enclosure gradually led to a certain isolation of individual Carmels. This was true not only of Carmelite Nuns but of contemplative monasteries of other Orders as well. That was one of the reasons why in 1950 Pius XII promulgated the Apostolic Constitutions Sponsa Christi. Among other things this constitution encouraged the establishment of unions and federations to promote better communication and cooperation between autonomous monasteries of contemplative nuns. Associations are somewhat simpler and less structured than Federations. Both, however, have the same purpose: better communication and cooperation between the member monasteries. There are now some 24 such organizations in the Order, with about half of the monasteries belonging to some form of Association. [The numbers are as of 1994; they would be higher today.] While these forms of association improve communication and cooperation between the member monasteries, there is no effective form of communication and cooperation between the Associations themselves. . . . There are some who would like to see some form of international organization of monasteries in such a manner that the nuns would have a corporate voice in matters concerning legislation and government. . . . Whatever that solution may be, it should respect the unity of Friars and Nuns in one family. This has proved mutually beneficial in the past and must remain equally so for the future.
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 20, 2014 Author Posted July 20, 2014 For comparison purposes, please read the table of contents of the 1990 and 1991 Texts of the Rule and Constitutions of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns The following table of contents is found at the back of the 1991 Constitutions: TABLE OF CONTENTS Initials and abbreviations The “Primitive†Rule Constitutions PART I – THE DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS’ VOCATION IN THE CHURCH Chapter 1 THE SPIRIT OF THE ORDER The Origins of Carmel The Teresian Charism Spirit and Laws Chapter 2 CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP AND RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION Consecrated Chastity Poverty Obedience Evangelical Self-denial Chapter 3 THE MARIAN LIFE OF CARMEL Chapter 4 COMMUNION WITH GOD The Celebration of the Liturgy The Life of Continual Prayer Chapter 5 COMMUNITY LIFE Chapter 6 THE ENCLOSURE OF THE MONASTERIES Chapter 7 THE ECCLESIAL AND APOSTOLIC IDEAL OF CARMEL PART II – ADMISSION AND FORMATION Chapter 1 DISCERNMENT OF VOCATION AND GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FORMATION Chapter 2 POSTULANCY AND NOVITIATE Postulancy Noviciate Chapter 3 RELIGIOUS PROFESSION Chapter 4 INCORPORATION AND TRANSFERS Chapter 5 CORRECTION OF SISTERS Chapter 6 TRANSFERRING FROM ONE INSTITUTE TO ANOTHER AND LEAVING THE ORDER PART III – THE ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE MONASTERIES Chapter 1 THE CANONICAL STATUS OF THE MONASTERIES AND THEIR ERECTION AND SUPPRESSION Chapter 2 THE INTERNAL GOVERNMENT OF THE MONASTERIES The Prioress and her Councilors The Chapter and Elections Chapter 3 RELATIONS WITH THE SUPERIORS OF THE ORDER AND WITH THE DIOCESAN BISHOP \ Chapter 4 THE ADMINISTRATION OF TEMPORAL GOODS Epilogue FORMULAS FOR RELIGIOUS PROFESSION APPENDIX NORMS FROM “VENITE SEORSIUM†ON ENTERRING AND LEAVING THE ENCLOSURE ANALYTICAL INDEX TABLE OF CONTENTS ====================================================== For comparison purposes please see the following Table of Contents for the 1990 Constitutions: TABLE OF CONTENTS Decree Letter of his Eminence Cardinal Agostino Casaroli Prologue Introduction I. The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the restoration by Saint Teresa of Jesus II. Jesus Christ, center if the life consecrated to God in Carmel III. The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother of Carmel IV. Saint Teresa of Jesus, daughter of the Church V. The Carmels, contemplative monasteries Primitive Rule Constitutions Chapter I On Obedience and the election of Superiors Chapter II On the reception of novices, their profession, and the number of Religious there should be in each Convent Chapter III On Enclosure Chapter IV On Dinner and Recreation Chapter V On the Canonical Hours and other spiritual things Chapter VI On Communion and Confession Chapter VII On poverty and temporal things Chapter VIII On the fast and clothing Chapter IX On manual labor Chapter X On silence and recollection in the cells Chapter XI On humility and penance Chapter XII On the sick Chapter XIII On the dead Chapter XIV Exhortations to the Mother Prioress and to other Religious on their respective offices Chapter XV On the Conventual Chapter Chapter XVI On faults and penalties Chapter XVII (addendum) Nature and purpose of the consecrated life of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns Chapter XVIII (addendum) The evangelical counsels and the common life 1. Chastity 2. Poverty 3. Obedience 4. Union in charity 5. Formulas of Profession Chapter XIX (addendum) Juridical status of the monasteries, erection and suppression of the same Chapter XX (addendum) Government of the monastery 1. The Prioress and her Councillors 2. The Chapter and the elections 3. Postulation 4. Visitation of the monasteries 5. Administration of goods Chapter XXI (addendum) Admission and formation 1. Admission of aspirants 2. Noviciate 3. Profession Chapter XXII (addendum) Obligation and rights of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns Chapter XXIII (addendum) Papal enclosure in the monasteries of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns Chapter XXIV (addendum) Transfers and departure from the Order 1. Transfer of a Religious of another Institute to one of our monasteries 2. Transfers within the Order 3. Exclaustration 4. Departure from the Order Chapter XXV (addendum) Obligation of the Constitutions Analytical Index Table of Contents
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 20, 2014 Author Posted July 20, 2014 I found this from the website of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Carmel, CA: The following is the Decree approving the 1991 Rule and Constitutions of the Discalced Nuns of the Order of the Most Blessed Mary of Mount Carmel. Issued in Rome, 17 September 1991, on the Feast of Saint Albert of Jerusalem. Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Decree “The Apostolic See, aware of the importance of the vocation of the Discalced Nuns of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, has the duty to see to it that the spiritual riches of the teaching and the norms handed down by Holy Mother St. Teresa of Jesus be safeguarded, in conformity with the changed conditions of the times and the stipulations of current canonical legislation. For this reason, His Holiness John Paul II entrusted to this congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life the task of overseeing the revision of the text of the Constitutions of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, observing faithfully the principles of the Second Vatican Council and the Norms of the Code of Canon Law. At the conclusion of the revision work the text of the Rule and Constitutions was presented to the Holy Father on 3 August 1991. The Holy Father himself, after close examination of this same text and in virtue of decree no. 91.536 of the Secretariate of State (dated 14 September 1991) has provided for its approval and publication. He has asked for a suitable period of time during which the monasteries should declare which of the two texts in vigor (that of 2 December 1990 or that of 17 September 1991) they intend to choose…†Issued in Rome, 17 September 1991, on the Feast of Saint Albert of Jerusalem. Signed: Jerome Card. Hamer, Prefect +Francisco-Javier Errazuriz, Secretary The following document signed by Pope John Paul II is included in the publication of the 1991 Constitutions of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns which our monastery follows. Excerpt: “To the Discalced Carmelite Nuns Upon the Approval of Their Fundamental Legislation. Beloved daughters of Saint Teresa of Jesus: … Now I address with affection, all the Discalced Carmelite Nuns on the occasion of the approval of a new text of Constitutions. Conscious of the great importance of your specific vocation, both for the family of Carmel and for the whole Church, the Holy See has submitted your legislation to a special discernment, in order to safeguard the spiritual heritage of Saint Teresa. Thus is brought to conclusion a long process by the Holy See. As is known, the Holy See, in replying to a petition of a group of monasteries, approved on 8 December 1990, a text of the Constitutions for the Discalced Carmelite Nuns. These were prepared according to the guidelines indicated in the Letter written in my name by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Agostino Casaroli, on 15 October 1984. These gave liberty to other monasteries of the Order who wanted to adopt them as a way of life. Taking into account the desires of the remaining monasteries, the same Holy See, has approved as well, another text of Constitutions for the Discalced Carmelite Nuns. The Congregation for the Institute of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life has prepared this text, taking into account the opinions of the monasteries, united under the Superior General of the Order. Both texts, equally approved by the Church, seek to be faithful interpretations of the Teresian charism. This remains unaltered, as well as the style of life proposed by the Holy Mother (St. Teresa) in her Constitutions and other writings. The differences do not refer therefore, either to the substance of the Teresian Carmelite contemplative charism, or to the necessary and constant return to the primitive inspiration. They correspond rather to the diverse modalities of interpreting adaptation to the changed conditions of the times, (cf.Perfectae caritatis no.2), and formulation of legislation for religious institutes, the approbation of which is the exclusive competence of the Holy See. We are dealing with different appreciations that are born from the same wish to be faithful to the Lord, which the Holy See has sought to respect. In the same way it respects the liberty of each monastery to opt for one or the other of the approved constitutional texts. In this particular moment of your history and legislation, permit me to manifest to you a desire that lies in the heart of the Father and Pastor of the universal Church. I desire that the approbation of the two texts of the Constitutions, by which I have tried to respond to the express desires of the different monasteries, keep alive the spiritual unity of all the Teresian Carmel, in the midst of its legitimate historical traditions, and the new circumstances, places and cultures, in which it embodies its charism. All of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns joined with the Discalced Carmelite Friars, form in the Church the one and same Order of the Discalced Brothers and Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. All hold common the same Rule, the same Teresian Carmelite charism, and the same spiritual patrimony, transmitted by the Holy Parents Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross… Moreover, you all participate, each following their own and legitimate forms of life approved by the Church, in the same spirituality and mission of the Teresian Carmel, which today enjoys such appreciation in the Church… Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. I ask her intercession, while entrusting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Carmel, the spiritual unity of the Order, and your fidelity to your vocation. With all my heart I impart to all the Discalced Carmelite Nuns a special Apostolic Blessing.†The Vatican, 1 October 1991, the feast of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, the thirteenth year of my pontificate. Signed: Pope John Paul II http://test.carmelitesistersbythesea.org/wp/?page_id=75
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 20, 2014 Author Posted July 20, 2014 After reading the thesis, I wrote a summary of events concerning the development and implementation of the Rule and Constitutions that is found in the thesis entitled “POST-CONCILIAR RENEWAL OF THE LEGISLATIVE TEXTS FOR THE ORDER OF THE DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF MOUNT CARMEL†1995 by Sr. Mary Kathleen Kuentsler, P.H.J.C.: January 7, 1966 A questionnaire was sent by Carmelite Generalate to the Nuns all over the world to be used collect information for the Friars General chapter next year May 1967 The extraordinary General Chapter took place in Rome in two sessions. The Fathers passed the following proposals for Nuns on this first session: 1. That Fathers Provincial be delegated to set up their respective regions a committee of Friars to work with the Nuns in their renewal. 2. That permission be given to Nuns to meet as often as necessary to discuss and formulate the elements of their renewal. September 1968 In the second session, Father Michelangelo Batiz, Superior of the Order announced that the SCRIS has negated the right of the of the chapter fathers to help the nuns or deal with their problems of renewal and experimentation October 15, 1969 Another questionnaire was sent to the Nuns by Father Michelangelo concerning enclosure and divine office July 1971 Based on the 300,000 answers to said questionnaire, a document “Statutes on Enclosure of the Nuns of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites†written by the Generalate in Rome and approved by SCRIS on experimental basis for a period of then years 1971 Father Michelangelo developed “Basic Legislation†the first text, 114 pages long but majority of Nuns did not accept this legislation and as a result, it was dropped 1973 Father Finian Monahan became the Superior General and he began the process again. June 2, 1974 Father Finian issued a letter recommending the following schema for the new legislation of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns: 1. Rule (of St. Albert ) 2. Primitive Constitutions of O.H.M. St. Teresa with declarations containing theological principles, modifications and additions 3. Directory-Ceremonial 777 monasteries responded 655 voted YES 34 monasteries favored numbers 1 and 2 but expressed reservation on number 3 14 voted NO 74 monasteries asked that Primitive Constitutions be replaced with Alcala Constitutions, majority of these Carmels were from Spain 48 monasteries and 11 monasteries from Italy Father Monahan gave two reasons for his preference for Teresas 1657 Constitutions: 1. the 1567 Constitutions were written by Teresa personally while the Alcala was not 2. Only 13% of the monasteries world wide observed the Alcala text March 17, 1977 As a result, a document “Declaration for the Updating of the “Primitive†Constitutions of the Discalced Nuns of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount of Carmel in Accordance with the Directives of the Second Vatican Council†was written and a decree was issued on that date. An accompanying letter from Agostino Mayer, OSB approving said document “ad expirementum.†From the very beginning, the “Association of St. Teresa†mostly in Spain rejected the “Declarationâ€, in some cases before they saw it or before it was even published. Sr. Therese of Jesus, OCD Prioress of Carmel de la Theotokos in Harissa , Lebanon claimed to be the one to set the process of resistance in motion. She is still the Prioress of the same Carmel right now and we corresponded for sometime regarding books about St. Maravillas. January 16, 1981 A growing fear of schism within the Order is developing and Cardinal Pironio presented this worry to the Pope. 1981 extension time was given to the Statutes 1982 another extension was given February 1982 During the evaluation of the “Declarations,†Father General explained in his letter the procedure to be followed by the individual Nuns and each monastery: “…in conformity with the criterion set down by the Holy Father in his letter on 23rd February… Each and every one, communities and Nuns, have to assume responsibility, they may devolve it upon no-one, within or outside the community, and no one may assume it in the name of another.†February 11, 1982 An important meeting concerning the problem were attended by the Pope, Cardinal A. Ballestero, Cardinal E. Pironio, (now Cardinal) E. Martinez-Somalo, Archbishop A. Mayer and the Superior General of OCD. March 6, 1982 Even though each Nun was to give their own evaluation without outside influences this did not always happen. The United Carmels sent out a circular letter from La Aldehuela signed by Dolores of Jesus, President of the Association of St. Teresa, to all monasteries of the United Carmels which member monasteries are around 150. This letter told them what response they should give. I wish to tell you what we must do, since it is indispensable that we all do the same thing. Thus the genuine union we have will be shown. They tell us from Rome that this is very important. In the response to Father General… there is no need to analyze the Declarations but only to state briefly and clearly why we do not want them, saying instead that we want: “CONSTITUTIONS OF OUR HOLY MOTHER TERESA OF JESUS OF 1581, ADAPTED TO VATICAN II, WITH THE EXISTING STATUTE ON ENCLOSURE INCLUDED IN THE CONSTITUTIONS, ACCORDING TO THE TEXT WE HOPE YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED.â€â€¦ it is desirable that this paragraph in capital letters be the same. July 7, 1982 As per direction of the Pope, at the end of the experimentation period, Father Philip Sainz de Baranda sent a questionnaire to the Nuns. The results of the questionnaire and personal letters of the Nuns were given to the commission of ten Discalced Carmelite Friars from various countries were set up with the approval of the Congregation for Religious. October 1982 A presentation of new Statutes for the Association of St. Teresa which led the formation of Carmelos Unidos (United Carmels). This group of Carmels, lead by Mother Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus, OCD, Prioress of Cerro de los Angeles Carmel, organized itself around the Association of St. Teresa. June 16, 1983 The commission finished their work (see July 7, 1982) July 11, 1983 A report was presented to Cardinal E. Pironio, Prefect of the Congregation for Religious. This document “Analysis and Synthesis of the Replies of the Communities of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns to the Consultation on their Legislation†gave a clear view of the Nuns’ attitude. 616 monasteries answered that said “Declaration†were in accordance with what the Church were asking in terms of their renewal 147 monasteries opposed said document. 10 monasteries admitted that they never studied the document 60 monasteries admitted that they had not put them into practice even if the Superior General and SCRIS had directed them to do so during the experimental period of 1977-1982. January 22, 1984 Father General wrote to the Pope asking assistance where he sited he wanted to resolve the problem in a definitive way and he asked the Supreme Pontiff not permit two text of legislation for the Nuns in order to safeguard the unity of the Order. 1984 During the first months of the year, Father General consulted with different experts in the Order; they developed the following studies: Unity of the Order Consequences of a Separation The Charism of the Order March 3, 1984 These 3 studies and a letter were presented to Cardinal Pironio May 14, 1984 Father Superior General met with the new Prefect, Cardinal Jerome Hamer, OP, hoping to hasten the process of promulgating the “Declarations†as the definitive legislation. June 1984 The Generalate updated the Declarations to meet the requirement of the new Code of Canon Law and sent them to SCRIS for approval. September 15, 1984 SCRIS replied in a letter to the Father Superior General, that the congregation does not consider it opportune for the moment to grant what was solicited since the delicate question of the legislation is being studied. October 15, 1984 A letter from Cardinal Agostino Casaroli informed Father Baranda that the Supreme Pontiff had decided to intervened personally. The letter outlined the criteria to be used for future development of the legislation for the Discalced Carmlite Nuns. Said letter listed the following new normative elements that would make up the future legislation as directed by the Pope: a. The legislation of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns will comprise the following parts, all of which will be normative: the primitive Rule (also called the Rule of Saint Adalberto) (Albert), of 1247, observed by the Saint Teresa; the 1581 Constitutions of the Holy Foundress with appropriate adaptations; additional chapters to include those necessary norms not envisioned by the Saint and required by the present general legislation of the Church. b. The adaptation mentioned above, intended especially to clarify those secondary points which are no longer relevant to present conditions, could be inserted into the text itself for the constitutions or placed in footnotes. c. An “Introduction†should preface the legislative corpus, containing the evangelical and theological principles and the spiritual and ecclesial aims of the Carmelite charism. The Constitutions of 1581 will be, therefore, the framework for the legislative corpus. October 27, 1984 Father Baranda wrote a letter addressed to the Order to accompany Cardinal Casaroli’s letter. He wrote “Undoubtedly, for the big majority of the Order, Nuns and Friars, the directives of the Holy Father will come as an unexpected surprise.†United Carmels kept presenting their own preferred adapted text of the 1581 Constitutions over the years, while rejecting all other text prepared by others. Sister Theres of Jesus, Prioress of Harissa Carmel wrote: …. we drew up a sample text, with the help of other Carmels (“United Carmelsâ€), and presented it to the Holy Father, with the signatures of some 150 communities. We requested, solely for ourselves, the privilege of continuing to live within the Church, according to the Constitutions of our Holy Mother, appropriately adapted. Portion taken from the letter of Therese of Jesus to Marguerite Marie de Jesus dated February 18, 1991. October 9, 1985 The Congregation for Religious organized the plan approved by the Pope based on the framework the Pope himself provided. November 12, 1984 A commission of 6 Carmelite Friars chosen by Cardinal Hamer, Prefect of SCRIS, began their work on the new legislation. The commission was chosen according to three criteria: 1. special theological, historical and juridical competence on the Teresian Carmel 2. residence in Rome to facilitate the possibility of consulting and meeting with the experts 3. willingness to work on the text in total responsibility for the directives of the Holy Father and CRIS Fathers Jesus Castellano and Arnaldo Arnaldo Pignam were responsible for “The Preface†Fathers Valentino Mecca and Eugenio Gurratxoga Aramburi adapted the “Constitutions of 1581â€. Fathers Pietro Zubicta and Angel Batiz developed the “Added Chapters†The commission was to examine the materials collected, including the text of the Declaration, develop a first draft of the three points and send it to all the Discalced Carmelite Nuns for their comments and suggestions. They call it “Draft-Legislation.†October 15, 1986 The Congregation for Religious sent the documentation to all Carmels with accompanying letter asking the Nuns to examine as a community the “Plan of Legislation†and to answer four general questions: 1. Does it seem to you that the project responds to the directions of the Holy Father? 2. What is your judgment of the First Part? a. Does it express the mind of St. Teresa of Jesus and the Tradition of the Order? b. Are there lacunae in regard to the essential elements of the spiritual heritage of the Order? 3. How do you judge the work on the Constitutions of Alcala, keeping in mind the revised Code of Canon Law 4. Does the Third Part, with the Chapters added, seem to correspond to the Tradition of the Order and the Code of Canon Law? March 30, 1987 The deadline for returning the response was extended beyond said date attributing it to the delay of receiving the documents. June 30, 1987 Having received the answers from the Nuns, Cardinal Hamer submitted them to the Pope. This was accompanied by a report of an examination for the fundamental reasons for the answers and a draft of general report. It was submitted to an expert in statistics, Father Silvano Sarti, SDB. The data was analyze by the Secretariat of the Faculty for Education of the Salesianum. April 16, 1988 The conclusion were handed over with two reports containing the explanation of the relevant date on the four proposed questions to the Nuns. It is called “Synthesis of the Answer†which showed that 798 monasteries that replied to said questionnaire voted negative toward the proposed “Draft-Legislation.†April 30, 1988 The problem of the Discalced Carmelite legislation was again discussed with the Pope. He entrusted to the “Pleanarium†of the Congregation for Religious the task of developing the process to bring this to a conclusion. Nov 29 – Dec 2, 1988 The plenary session of 23 cardinals was held and after detailed examination of the issue, The “Plenarium†agreed unanimously on five recommendations: 1. It is necessary to proceed with a certain urgency 2. The Legislation will be faithfully conformed to Can 587 (c.f. also the Motu Propio “Ecclesia Sanctaeâ€, II, 14), which distinguishes between fundamental code (Constitutions) and the complementary ones. 3. All Carmels will have the same fundamental code – a united and organic text – which will include everything essential for living a contemplative life according to the Teresian charism. This code will bear the name of “Constitutions.†4. For the redaction of these Constitutions, the point of departure will be the “Declaration†of 1977, which will be corrected and completed according to the results of the two consultations (1983 and 1986-1987), taking into account the indications of the Fathers of the “Plenarium†and of the competent authorities. 5. Within the limits of the complementary codes, the various legitimate traditions of Carmel can regulate their religious life according to the particular norms, on condition, however, that the provisions of the Constitutions are safeguarded. In order to guarantee a greater stability, these norms will be subject to the approval of the Holy See. December 3, 1988 The recommendation of the “Plenarium†were approved by the Supreme Pontiff. April 29, 1989 A letter from Cardinal Hamer gave assurances that entrusting the redaction of the Constitutions by the Supreme Pontiff to the Congregation for Religious was a sufficient guarantee for safeguarding the nature, purpose, spirit and task of the Order. October 1989 After several months of working to develop a text based on the new decision of the Pope. The commission finished the new legislative text. November 7, 1989 The Prioress of Cerro de los Angeles along with two other Nuns traveled to Rome and had met with the Pope, and also they passed through the Congregation for Religious. June of 1990 The decree was prepared and given to the Supreme Pontiff. Everything seemed in order to finally bring to conclusion the updating of the legislation for the Discalced Carmelite Nuns December 11, 1990 Father Baranda issued a letter informing the Order that the Supreme Pontiff had again made another decision concerning the minority of group of Nuns in the Order. He approved the text which Mother Dolores of Jesus, Prioress of the Monastery of St. Joseph, Avila and Mother Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus, Prioress of the Monastery of Cerro de lost Angeles, Getafe (Madrid) had presented to him directly in the name of 92 monasteries. This text, the Rule and Constitutions (1581), followed the guidelines of Cardinal Casaroli’s letter. The letter assured the rest of the Order that the text being prepared by the Congregation for Religious has not been rejected, but only that its decree of implementation would be postponed. Enclosed with the announcement of the Father General is the list of 92 Carmels (plus another 5) from 14 different countries who have asked for and received the 1990 Constitutions. Spain 58 monasteries Peru 6 monasteries France 5 monasteries USA 5 monasteries Poland 4 monasteries Brazil 4 monasteries Argentina 4 monasteries Venezuela 3 monasteries Belgium 2 monasteries England 2 monasteries Lebanon 1monastery Senegal 1 monastery Holland 1 monastery Portugal 1 monastery February 14, 1991 There were reports that some Carmels in Spain and Poland included on the original 92 monasteries had withdrawn due to the change of the Teresian position as regards the Superior General of the Order. September 17, 1991 The decree for the Constitutions prepared by CRIS was finally issued. There are now two approved text plus a “compromise legislationâ€, which is contrary to goal of the “Plenariumâ€; one unified text for all Nuns. This “compromise legislation†is a hybrid meaning this third type has the following as its heading: MONASTERIES THAT HAVE CHOSE THE 1990 CONSTUTIONS but have obtained from the Apostolic See the faculty to follow the 1991 Constitutions in all points that refer to the Superior General. These monasteries are: Italy – San Simone Di Sannicola Poland – Katowice , Lodz , Wloclawek-Michelin Other monasteries tried to get the same privilege but were refused since the Holy See did not want a third, compromise text for the Order. (My note: Taiwan Carmels are not included on the list who adopted the Hybrid Text as the thesis was written however, the Holy See probably allowed some 1990 Carmels who desired to remain faithful to the Superior General. This means they will not follow the article 133 of the 1990 Text and follow the articles of the 1991 Text pertaining to the relationship with the Superior General of the Order) Along with the decree of the 1991 text, there was also another directive given to the Nuns in which they are to decide which two texts in vigor, 1990 or 1991 they intended to use. Those who are following the 1990 could simply reaffirm their previous decisions made by the Prioresses. October 3, 1991 A letter from Cardinal Hamer accompanied 1991 text. The differences between the two text were explained. He quoted from a letter from the Pope issued in October 1, 1991: …both texts, equally approved by the Church, seek to be a faithful interpretation of the Teresian charism. This remains unaltered, as well as the style of life proposed by the Holy Mother in her Constitutions and other writings. The differences do not refer, therefore, either to the substance of the Teresian Carmelite contemplative charism, or to the necessary and contant return to the primitive inspiration. They correspond, rather, to the diverse modalities of interpreting adaptation to the changed conditions of the times, (cfr. Perfectae Caritatis n. 2) and the formulation of legislation for religious institutes, the approbation of which is the exclusive competence of the Holy See (canons 578 and 587). Said directive given to the Nuns was that they were to make their choice in the Chapter of the Monastery by an absolute majority of valid votes and their decision must be communicated to the Holy See by the December 25, 1992 December 25, 1992 At this date, all votes are now in. A final report brought the long struggle to an end. Out of 869 monasteries around the world, only 125 monasteries in 19 countries choose the 1990 text. Spain counted 59 Carmels almost half the entire number (125), the remaining are found in 18 other countries. In those same 19 countries there were also monasteries have chosen to follow the 1991 text. Overall 744 monasteries, out of 869. A little more than 14 % are using the 1990 Constitutions and 85 are using the 1991 Constitutions. This thesis is the basis for the article "The Fractured Face of Carmel" written by Sr. Kate Kuenstler.
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 20, 2014 Author Posted July 20, 2014 Please refer to the text with underline to see the differences as regards the relationship of the Nuns with the Superior General of the Order: 1990 CONSTITUTIONS JURIDICAL STATUS OF THE MONASTERIES ERECTION AND SUPPRESSION OF THE SAME 133. The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel constitutes in the Church a spiritual family which belongs equally the Carmelite Fathers and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns. Between them there ought to exist a unity of spirit and of doctrine, but not necessarily a dependence of government and jurisdiction. As regards their juridical condition, our monasteries, preserving spiritual unity with the entire Order, have no other major superior above the Prioress, except the Holy See, nor they are associated with the Discalced Brothers in such wise that the Superior General should have any power over them whatsoever. Consequently, they are entrusted to the vigilance of the diocesan Bishop according to the norm of law. (Cf. can. 615) 134. These monasteries, erected by a formal decree of the Apostolic See, are of Pontifical Right and depend immediately on the same in regard to internal governance and discipline (Cf. cans. 589, 593, and 609). =============================================================================================== 1991 CONSTITUTIONS THE CANONICAL STATUS OF THE MONASTERIES AND THEIR ERECTION AND SUPRESSION The canonical status of the monasteries 199. The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Discalced Carmelite Friars together constitute a single religious family in the Church. 200. The Discalced Carmelite Nuns, who are governed by these Constitutions, profess an entirely contemplative life. They observe papal enclosure in monasteries sui juris which are governed by and subject to a Prioress, who is a major superior, according to the norm of law. The Superior General of the Order is the head of this family. To him pertains, in his service to the nuns, the task of promoting their unity in fidelity to the contemplative-ecclesial ideal begun by St. Teresa of Jesus, and of fostering union among all the monasteries and with the rest of the Order as well as with the Apostolic See, without detriment to the autonomy which universal law and these Constitutions grant to the monasteries. 201. Since they are of pontifical right, every monastery depends on the Apostolic See in what pertains to internal government and discipline. For the exercise of immediate responsibility over the monasteries, Apostolic See entrusts them to the regular superior of the Order, according to the Constitutions, or to the diocesan bishop, according to the norm of law. For that reason, as far as the canonical condition of the monasteries is concerned: a) Some remain, according to the age-old norm, under the jurisdiction of our Order, and have as their regular superior the Superior General or their respective provincial, who have over the monastery the jurisdiction determined by these Constitutions. b) Others, by the Apostolic See’s special decision, are entrusted to the special vigilance of the diocesan bishop, according to the norm of law. 202. The canonical condition of the individual monasteries, to which reference is made in the preceding number, must be determined in the act of foundation. For a monastery entrusted to the special vigilance of the bishop according to the norm 615 to pass under the jurisdiction of our Order, the following are necessary: a) The deliberative vote of the monastery. b) The approval of the diocesan bishop. c) The Superior General’s acceptance with the consent of the Definitory. d) The authorization of the Apostolic See. For a monastery placed under the authority of our Order to be entrusted to the special vigilance of the diocesan bishop, the following is required: a) The deliberative vote of the monastery. b) The approval of the Superior General with the consent of the Definitory. c) The diocesan bishop’s acceptance. d) The authorization of the Apostolic See. 203. The juridical autonomy mentioned in the foregoing numbers, must be accompanied by autonomy of life. Therefore a monastery must have everything it needs to lead an autonomous life, including enough resources and personnel for a faithful Teresian Carmelite observance and formation and government, so as to give assurances for the vitality of the monastery, its development, and its future needs, according to the norm of the present Constitutions. This must be kept in mind especially when new foundations are being planned.
SNJM Posted July 24, 2014 Posted July 24, 2014 Wow! This is a thread I have been reading bit by bit for days. In dwelling Trinity, I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your dear, open, honest and most living letter. I am going to print it and keep it. May God and all the saints and angels be with you as you ascend the mountain to meet your Beloved! I know it must be scary, difficult, painful, exciting and so much more. I have no doubt you will meet Your Master, the love of your life, face to face, and that will be a glorious moment. When that happens, I beg you to please remember us and intercede for us as each one of us travels his or her own road to holiness. As you know, it is not easy and knowing we will have "our own saint" - how special that will be! May God bless you and may your time here be filled with enough graces to assure you of your true home coming. Blessings, peace and grace - Rose I hate to ask yet another question, but as I was reading/researching, I found a notation that a Habsburg - Archduchess Maria Annunciata of Austria entered a "Theresian Monastery," and became the Abbess. I cannot imagine a Monastery other than a Carmel being named for Saint Teresa. It would have been in Austria or Germany. I am hoping someone can help me. (Also, the use of Abbess - I know - is not customary for Carmelites. It would have been around 1880 or so. (This is from memory so I apologize in advance if I am giving wrong dates or details.) thank you in advance to anybody who might know of this Monastery and where it is, and if indeed she did become a religious. Thank you, Rose
AnneLine Posted July 24, 2014 Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) I'm not 100% certain, but I am NOT sure that this means she was a religious. I think it may have been some kind of a secular title. See here: http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/czech_eccleastical.htm Above link says in part: The Theresianian Noble Chapter at the Hradschin in Prague (The Theresian Royal and Imperial Ladies Chapter of the Castle of Prague (Äbtissin des k.k. Theresianischen adeligen Damenstifts ob dem Prager Schlosses - Äbtissin des Prager Hradschin Convents - Äbtissin des Hradschin) (Secular Abbess)Other versions of the name are: Adelichen Damenstiftes auf dem Prager Hradschin/Theresianische Anstalt für adelige Frauen in Prag/The k.k. Theresianische adelige Damenstift at the Prague HradschinThe Abbey was founded by Empress Maria Theresia in 1755, from 1766 the Abbess enjoyed princely ecclesiastical rank (fürstliche geistliche würde), only temporal duties and a high income, in 1791 the right to crown the Queens of Bohemia was transferred to her. The position of Princess-Abbess of the Chapter was the second highest non-imperial office after the Chancellor. (red highlighting my own) Anyone know any better???? Edited July 24, 2014 by AnneLine
SNJM Posted July 24, 2014 Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) Dear AnneLine, Thank you for your research. I think I understand - this is a way of nobility retraining their property & title. But, I'm still curious about the actual religious aspect of their life. (IF they had one at all!!!) thank you so much for looking into this. God bless! Edited July 28, 2014 by cmaD2006 Removed identifying information per OPs request
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 25, 2014 Author Posted July 25, 2014 Photos of Discalced Carmelite Nun in Brazil: Madre Tereza Margarida do Coracao de Maria
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 25, 2014 Author Posted July 25, 2014 Madre Tereza Margarida do Coracao de Maria
Hemma Posted July 25, 2014 Posted July 25, 2014 Here's a picture of Maria Annunciata of Austria as Abbess of the Theresianisches adeliges Damenstift: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsfujita/4489323778/ If you're looking for a Carmel with Habsburg flair, Mayerling might be the proper place. They're still protected by members of the House of Habsburg.
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 26, 2014 Author Posted July 26, 2014 Polish Discalced Carmelite Nuns before Vatican II
graciandelamadrededios Posted July 26, 2014 Author Posted July 26, 2014 Polish Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Choir
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