Suppressed

Posted by Terry Nelson on Aug 16th, 2008

It can happen.

New or experimental religious orders, even dwindling established orders have been, and can be suppressed by the diocesan Bishop or the Vatican.  A religious congregation has to be viable and have an apostolate, along with enough members to qualify for any canonical status, of which there are several degrees or designations; such as “pious association” to a “public association” and onto a full-fledged religious order.

That is not to say a group of faithful cannot become a private non-profit organization, nevertheless they would not have canonical status, nor would they be permitted to wear a habit in public, or claim to be a Roman Catholic religious community.

The Worcester diocese has recently rescinded recognition of a Carmelite group in existence since 1971.  “Chancery officials said the group was too small to spiritually sustain itself and there was little possibility of growth. One official said the community’s membership was down to three individuals.”  - Source  The group had diocesan status and permission from the Discalced Carmelites to wear the Carmelite habit.  I knew of the group when I lived in Boston, at a time when several “new” orders were being “founded” - some without permissions, others with.

Likewise, in the Midwest there are numerous religious foundations of hermits and contemplatives scattered throughout the region, many with very few members.  I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these are not eventually reigned in as well - either by inclusion into established orders, thus losing their autonomy, or disbanded as the Carmelites in Massachusetts have been.  Oddly enough, there is a local woman working very hard to have one group suppressed here.

Normally, it seems to me the most stable of the new communities are those founded at the Bishop’s request with a specific need in mind; for example, the Sisters of Life, or groups begun by an experienced religious or priest; as is the case with the CFR’s begun by Fr. Benedict Groeschl, or the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. 

Did Our Lady die or didn’t she?

Posted by Terry Nelson on Aug 16th, 2008

Thoughts on death and dying…

As many Catholics know, some people insist that Our Lady did not die - that she was raptured into heaven or something.  They get mixed up on the Virgin Birth and the Immaculate Conception as well - those mysteries are not the same thing either.

So yeah, Our Lady did die, as Henry Karlson from Vox Nova told me; “I’ve had people tell me, since it says dormition, it means she is sleeping now, didn’t die — showing how literal they are with the word, not realizing how it is used in Scripture to indicate what we normally call death.”

Today’s reading from Ezekiel.

Henry makes these things clear in his post on the Dormition, but for my sola scriptura readers, I want to mention in simpler terms what I think he means by the scriptural understanding of death.  Providentially, today’s first reading at Mass explains it quite well.  First of all, in the reading from Ezekiel the Lord begins by saying:  “As I live” - therefore we know, and as Scripture affirms, God is the God of the living.  Then after further instructing the house of Israel on individual responsibility for sin and calling his people to conversion, the Lord says;  ”Why should you die, O house of Israel?  For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God.  Return and live!” - Ezekiel 18: 30-32.  Since all men die a natural death, we understand clearly that the Lord is referring to “spiritual death” in this passage. 

The falling asleep - what we normally call death.

Henry explains it so much better than I could, this is what he wrote:  “For it shows us, through Mary, how biological death and eternity were meant to be related. Her death led directly to her glorification; her innocence did not undermine biological death, but rather, included it, for biological death is not contrary to purity. Sadly, her dormition has been misunderstood by many in the West.  Some believe that she did not die, despite what Catholic tradition has consistently said on the matter.  There are two reasons for this: they do not understand the implications of the immaculate conception, and they misread the declaration of the assumption in Munificentissimus Deus.”

“The first mistake comes from the confusion of biological with spiritual death; they think that if Mary is without sin, she cannot die, since sin is what brings death. However, the death made by sin is spiritual death, not biological. Mary’s death does not lead to spiritual ruin, but glorification. It leads to her eternal glory, and makes final her place in the heavenly kingdom. Indeed, it is surprising that anyone could ever suggest that those without sin cannot biologically die - because, of course, the whole point of Christianity is that Jesus, without sin, died.” - On the Dormition

Links:

Pius XII: Munificentissimus Deus - Defining the Dogma of the Assumption

The feast of St. Rocco

Posted by Terry Nelson on Aug 16th, 2008

I have nowhere to lay my head…

St. Roch was a pilgrim and a Franciscan tertiary, he is also the patron of victims of the plague and invalids.  Today is his feast day and Thom from Ad Domminum will be received/professed into the Franciscan Third Order Secular today.  Please keep Thom in your prayers.  (In some places his feast day is observed on the 17 of August.)

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