Rodriguez Carballo Lets the Cat out of the Bag: “Fidelity to the Council is Not Negotiable"

(Barcelona / Rome) Does the Congregation of Religious suffer from a villainous portrait of  tradition? This question has hung in the air since last weekend. The Franciscan José Rodriguez Carballo, for a year secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, participated in a Conference of Religious of Catalonia. In his speech he delivered  last Saturday  without directly mentioning the Order by name, gave a first official hint as to why the Franciscans of the Immaculate have been reprimanded by his Congregation. The reason  implied much to the young religious Order, and is of a fundamental nature.

In his speech, Archbishop Rodriguez Carballo said that fidelity to the Second Vatican Council constitutes a central point for the religious life. Literally, the number two of the religious congregation said. "For religious the Council is a point that is not negotiable.”    Whoever see the "reforms" of Vatican II,  all the evils  besetting   religious life, "denies the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church.” [It’s ok if you deny the real presence though?]

Congregation “Very Concerned": "Not Only Pre-Conciliar, but Anti-Conciliar Training"

The Curial Archbishop stressed that the Congregation of Religious is "particularly concerned”   on the subject: "We see real differences." Mainly because "many Institutes”  are "not only a pre-Conciliar, but even give  an anti-Conciliar formation” to their religious offspring, says Rodriguez Carballo. "This is not allowed, that is to say, to stand outside of  history. This is something that is very concerning to us in the Congregation. A  ”concern ", which is obviously shared by the prefect of the Congregation of Religious, Cardinal João Braz de Aviz.  Also from Pope Francis? There is some evidence.

The conference was organized by the Unión de Religiosos de Cataluña (URC). On Saturday it was open to all religious in Catalonia. Maxim Muñoz, the URC-chairman and provincial superior of the Claretians of Catalonia described the appointment Rodriguez Carballos as secretary of the Congregation of Religious as a "special recognition by Pope Francis."

Pope Francis had called the Spanish Franciscan Rodriguez Carballo on April 6, 2013, just three weeks after his election to his present office.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: OFM

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Katholisches…

AMGD

A New Blow Against the Franciscans of the Immaculata --- Pilgrimage Church Refused Them

(Rome), a new blow by  the Commission  set upon  the  Franciscans of the Immaculate by the Congregation for Religious. The lay association Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix (MIM) was denied the Marian Sanctuary of Pompeii.  Since the year 2004, MM brought believers together to  take a pilgrimage from Naples and Campania  to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, the most famous Marian shrine in this part of southern Italy. Yesterday, on Divine Mercy Sunday, however, the faithful were denied  access to the holy image

Prohibition of Commissar Volpi Led Prelate of Pompeii to Ban

On 10 April, when everything was already organized, the faithful were informed by the rector of the Basilica, Monsignor Salvatore Acampora,  the use and access ban without notice. Pilgrimage, Holy Mass, Rosary and Marian songs had to be canceled. On request of the disappointed believers, Msgr Acampora declared the following day that the Church has the status of a Pontifical Basilica Cathedral and was erected as a Territorial Prelature in 1926. So it stands under papal law, which is why the responsible Prelate and Pontifical Delegate for the Shrine, Titular Archbishop Tommaso Caputo currently could not ignore the measures of the Apostolic Commissar of the Franciscans of the Immaculate,  Fr Fidenzio Volpi.

"Tell us What We Have Done Wrong?"

Commissioner Volpi had in the course of the destruction of  the Franciscan Order, which the Congregation of Religious calls "normalization", forbid on 27 November, 2013, the ecclesiastically recognized lay association from any activity.  "A radical intervention, which took place without any justification. Tell us what we've done wrong: If it is a sin, an act against the Gospel or a violation of canon law" demanded Claudio Circelli, one of MIM leaders of Naples, for the last ten years, who organized the annual pilgrimage to the Queen of the Rosary.

Unfounded Prohibitions: "So They Don't Apply to Believers"

The ban on the pilgrimage's access at the basilica of Pompeii can be justified formally,  with the activity ban on the MIM.  "A ban in reference to the unjustified ban of the Commissioner, and one washes the other's hands. That's arbitrariness. So it doesn't apply to  the faithful," wrote the newspaper which quoted Il Mattino di Napoli, an  indignant member of the MIM. In fact, a Commissioner Volpi has not justified that the prohibition will result in further bans after themselves without ever explaining in order to punish the lay organization.

Old Mass, Promoting Tradition, Criticism of the Second Vatican Council - For Some Unbearable

The provisional administration of the Franciscans of the Immaculate was arranged by the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, João de Aviz Cardinal Bráz in July 2013.   A step that also took place with the express approval of Pope Francis in a form that the Order took every opportunity to appeal.

The crackdown is connected with that of the hitherto flourishing religious order under Benedict XVI. which changed internally to the  old rite and intellectually took a  very active part in the debate initiated by the German theologian Pope   on the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council. It undertook a defense of Catholic tradition against modernist tendencies in the Church and especially in the training of theologians and priests,  which to some was unbearable in the Church, but under Benedict XVI. they could not take action against the Order. However, due to the pontificate change to Pope Francis, they were active immediately and with the utmost severity against the Order. The arbitrary act against the Order has overshadowed the current pontificate.

MIM - Marian and Missionary

The MIM was established in 1990 by the founder of the Franciscans of the Immaculate   in 2013, the deposed   Superior General Father Stefano Maria Manelli in the Marian shrine of Loreto. The MIM align themselves with lay people who try to live in their respective state of the charism of the Order. They vow  to be Marian and missionary and to promote the devotion to Mary and to promote the mission ad gentes, particularly "where the struggle for the salvation of souls and the edification of the Church is particularly fierce."

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Wikicommons

Pope Francis Unexpectedly Meets Franciscans of the Immaculate

Edit: one might say providentially.  See Rorate report too.

(Rome) A surprising encounter witnessed Pope Francis last 6 April. This Sunday he attended the  Roman city parish of San Gregorio Magno in the suburbs Magliana and came across the Franciscans of the Immaculate, whose until recently blossoming order's suppression has been overshadowed by the Argentine pontificate.

The Salus Populi Romani icon  is particularly dear to Pope Francis. On the morning after his election, he left the   the Vatican unannounced to head down to the Patriarchal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and to venerate the Mother of God before the holy image.

Pope Given a Copy of the Icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani

Pope Francis is expected but certainly not  an exact  copy of the miraculous image he'd been given last Sunday. At the end of  Holy Mass in the Magliana, the Pope was presented with a copy of the icon. Still less did the Church leader expect  to encounter in his parish visit  the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception,or at least the family of Father Stefano Maria Manelli, the founder of   this extraordinary order, that was like  a beacon of hope in the Catholic religious landscape of the West until the summer of the previous year. Since then, the Order has experienced dark times.

Family of Founder Manelli Presented to the Pope

After the Holy Mass members of the Manelli family most notably  the couple Pio and Anna Maria Manelli,  presented the Pope the icon in memory of the parents or grandparents Settimio and Licia Manelli.  Settimio (1886-1978) and Licia Manelli (1907-2004) are the parents of 21 children. A son, Father Stefano Maria Manelli,  is the founder of the religious family of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, he was the Superior General  until the summer of 2013.  His younger brother Pio, named after Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who was the spiritual father of his parents, lives with his large family in the parish which Pope Francis visited. Pio and Anna Maria Manelli have nine children. Six of them belong to the Order founded by her uncle Stefano Maria. Two sons are in the Franciscans of the Immaculate, four daughters Franciscans of the Immaculate. The parents or grandparents Settimio and Licia Manelli were recognized by the Church as a servants of God. Their beatification process is underway.

The Manelli family is firmly rooted in the Roman suburban parish, which the Pope visited. Last  October 30th    Father Stefano Manelli offered a Mass of Thanksgiving for his ordination 58 years ago in the parish church of San Gregorio Magno along with many brothers and sisters of his Order. It was a celebration that had to be expressly approved by the Apostolic Commissioner, Father Fidenzio Volpi.   After the dismissal of Father Manelli as Superior General and the entire Order.   Line Father Volpi was used by the Congregation of Religious as a delegate of the Holy See. He has since been alone under the management of the whole Order.

Traditional Rite and Love of Tradition Were Young Religious  Order's Undoing

The radical intervention against  the flowering,  pastorally bi-ritual, with the old rite internally within the Order with a strong inclination to the Catholic tradition,  is a central feature of the current pontificate.  The  current  prohibition against celebrating the traditional rite and to be able to act according to  tradition, was has disturbed its relationship with the reigning Pope  in the Order promoted  by Pope Benedict  with the benevolence of the Church. 

It is still unclear why the young religious with many vocations were placed under provisional administration. The Congregation of Religious clearly despised  the Order for  the sole reason because it had changed from the new rite to the old rite,  and unlike most religious in the West could attract many vocations.

Daughter in Law of the Servant of God Painted Icon for the Pope

It was the parish priest of San Gregorio Magno,   who presented  the family Manelli to the Pope  and drew attention to the servants of God Settimio and Licia Manelli.  Literally,  he said  when he introduced  Pio and Anna Maria Manelli: "Having a large family in the parish, is a special gift nowadays. In addition, this family has produced many priests and religious. A blessing that should not remain hidden."

Anna Maria Manelli, the daughter in law of the Servant of God and sister in law of the Founder of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, had made ​​the copy of the icon of Mary herself. Together with her ​​husband,  Pio,  she handed the Pope a copy of the icon Salus Populi Romani.

Appeal  to  the Pope to Get  the Order of St. Francis of Immaculate  "out From the Crypt"

In  the ensuing  personal conversation they begged Pope Francis, if  the Franciscans of the Immaculate could again be "taken  from the crypt", to which the Order has been exiled by the actions of the Congregation of Religious. It was an allusion to the preaching of the Pope, who had previously spoken in his Homily on the Raising of Lazarus from the dead, the Lord commanded, rise out of the grave.

"Soon, Soon"

Pope Francis smiled visibly surprised at the unexpected confrontation with the question of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, patted the hands of the couple in thanks for the icon, and  the cheek of the icon painter and said, "Soon, soon".

"What exactly this 'soon' means, one does not know," said Sandro Magister the Vaticanist.  At least the most optimistic now hope for an early and peaceful end to the provisional administration of the Order.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Picture: Settimo Cielo

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMGD

Rome's Conduct With Traditional Communities -- Society of St. Peter and Franciscans of the Immaculata

(Rome)  The conduct of Rome with traditional communities is completely varied.   A significant aspect of this whether one  is under an Order or the Institute. What difference does it matter whether it's an Old Ritual community of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei established in 1988, or religious congregation, depends on a comparison of the visitations of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception and the Fraternity of St. Peter. In the North American District of the Fraternity of St. Peter, a proper Apostolic Visitation will be held. The routine operation has been arranged by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, to which the Society belongs. As Rorate Caeli reported, a three-member visitor delegation  was appointed. The main visitor is Bishop Vitus Huonder of Chur, co-visitators are Abbot Hervé Courau from the Benedictine Abbey of Notre-Dame de Triors in France and the Bishop Emeritus Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln in the United States.

Huonder Bishop, Bishop Bruskewitz and Abbot Courau as Visitors

Both Bishop Huonder  and Bishop Bruskewitz are  closely linked to the FSSP. They  have already presided over ordinations of the Society more than once and have celebrated in the old rite.  Bishop Huonder established the first traditional parish in the German-speaking world the and appointed a  Society of St. Peter priest as  the pastor. In the diocese of Lincoln, the Society erected their seminary in 1994 during the episcopate of Bishop Bruskewitz (1992-2012) in North America. Abott Courau heads  a traditional  Benedictine abbey in France. Notre-Dame de Triors is a subsidiary foundation Fontgombault. Abbot Courau visited the Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz near Vienna in the Autumn of 2013, where he celebrated in the traditional rite with the monks of the monastery who served at the altar.

In the case of the Fraternity of St. Peter it is an ordinary visitation. When the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception extraordinary visitation was arranged in 2012 by the Congregation of Religious, is where the differences in treatment begin. The Fraternity of St. Peter is under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei for Orders and Communities of the Old Rite. The appointed visitators are connected to the traditional rite. The starting point of the visit is supported by brotherly love and basically benevolent, as expected by the canon law.

Hostile Attitude of the Congregation of Religious Against Franciscans of the Immaculate

The situation was quite different with the Franciscans of the Immaculate. They are under the Congregation for Religious  because they were established in 1990 as  new rite Order. Following a gradual development under Pope Benedict XVI they had returned to the Immemorial Rite. The Congregation of Religious appointed a Visitor with Monsignor Vito Angelo Todisco   who was openly hostile to  the Order. He himself had briefly belonged to the Order at a young age, but  had left and since repeatedly remarked disparagingly upon the Franciscan community of Father Stefano Maria Manelli. The basic intention of the Congregation of Religious was obviously directed from a bias in the very beginning  against the Order.  They culminated after July 2013, since with  the abdication of Benedict XVI,  the biggest obstacle had been removed to a radical intervention and the provisional administration of the Order. The Apostolic Commissioner, the Capuchin Fidenzio Volpi has since been working systematically towards the eradication of the traditional charism of the Order, to beat it back into a new ritual Order and thus to be "normalized".

The Franciscans of the Immaculate sought contact with the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, but they were not under it. The request, in the fall of last year, the request to establish a new old ritual Order under the supervision of Ecclesia Dei after the establishment of the provisional administration and the banning of the old rite was not previously considered by the Congregation of Religious. The open revelation of these brothers  was followed instead by the Commissar making more purges. 

"Keep all  institutes  and communities of Ecclesia Dei in your prayers"  this call ends Rorate Caeli the report on the appointment of the Visitors of the Fraternity of St. Peter.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Picture: Rorate Caeli

Link to Katholisches...

AMGD

No Immemorial Mass of All Ages for the Franciscans of the Immaculate, Either

Edit: we just received another, more recent update on the Franciscans of the Immaculate.  Remember when all those people were saying that the FFI would have the option to say the Mass if they sent in requests?  All the requests have been ignored.  As the following shows, there are two hermeneutics at work here.  One which opens new religious houses and the other which closes them.

Correction from the comments section:

Actually I think there are possibly 3 (out of a former 33?) TLMs allowed in Italy. There is one in Cornwall and one allowed at a parish in New York state...as far as I know. Others have been denied through.

March 10 2014

The Stakes are High for the Franciscans of the Immaculate 

by Maurizio Grosso


Since the beginning of the external “commissioning” of the Institute of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, the new authorities have continuously repeated the same refrain: "Are you on the side of Father Stefano Manelli or on the side of the Pope?" ... "If on one side there is Fr. Stefano and on the other the Pope, whom do you choose?" It was an external commissioning which started out on the wrong foot, and it soon caused the capitulation of any undertaking for unity.

In the name of the authority enjoyed by the Commissioner, the Capuchin Father Fidenzio Volpi wished to pressure the brothers, not so that they might recognize their mistakes and thereby correct them, but so that they might embrace the new line of thought proposed by him and abandon fidelity to the Founding  Fathers. The Friars have not yet been officially notified of the infamous "reasons" for the necessity of an external commissioner. Were there serious crimes? No. This was merely a "benevolent attention that expresses the maternal care of the Church.” Such were the words of those “in the know,” who have constantly repeated the same lullaby, which at times has been extremely contradictory.

Will the Franciscans of the Immaculate Heart be Integrated into the Decadent Capuchin Order?

(Rome) Should the Franciscans of the Immaculate be dissolved as a separate order and incorporated into the Capuchin Order? This rumor is  making the rounds on the Internet.  Vigiliae Alexandrinae refers to a “reliable source in Germany.”  Accordingly, a plan in preparation should be to integrated should the Franciscans of the Immaculate be forced into the Capuchin Order and thus dissolve the Order Father Stefano Maria Manelli  founded.

The  Congregation of Religious had established, with the approval of Pope Francis,  the  Apostolic Commissar, Father Fidenzio Volpi,  in July of last year. In his first official statement, dated 31 August 2013 Commissioner Volpi wrote:

"One of the central problems is due to the danger of a certain self-centeredness, that is, the desire to underline the unique characteristic peculiarity at all costs. I think it is, however, a certain proof of maturity to overcome such an attitude by recognizing the structure of the Church as the true reference point for their own charismatic experience with a humble and the Franciscan spirit. "

The website Vigiliae Alexandrinae writes: "We entrust the salvation of the Congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception, the use of which has brought great fruits for the restoration of orthodoxy in the Church and aroused worldwide hope among Catholics,   to the prayers of our readers and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Traditio Catholica

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.coms

Link to Katholisch…

AMGD

[Update] End the “Scandalous” Handling of the Franciscans of the Immaculate -- Pressure Grows

(Rome)  The treatment of the Order of the Franciscans of the Imaculate Conception has become a scandalous case, says Corrispondenza Romana. In contrast, Church internal resistance has been encouraged by some cardinals and by a new international signature campaign, which was launched last Saturday. It is supported in the German-speaking area by Pro Missa Tridentina .

Some cardinals and bishops who appreciate this extraordinary apostolate Order have sent Pope Francis an extensive and detailed documentation on the beneficial action of the Franciscans of the Immaculate  and also the current treatment by the  Congregation of Religious and the Commissioner appointed by them. An "outrageous" treatment of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, who were placed under provisional administration because they adhere to the traditional liturgy and the unabbreviated doctrine of the Church.

Last 4 February the traditional   news agency of the historian Roberto de Mattei Corrispondenza Romana  sent to Secretary of State Pietro Parolin a petition with 8,000 signatures which demands the resignation of the Apostolic Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculate , Fr Fidenzio Volpi.

At the same time, an international petition began on the 8th of February.  It’s a Sign of how much the drastic intervention of the Congregation of Religious is understood in a part of the Catholic Church as a fundamental attack on  tradition and its affiliated communities and believers. The new signature collection is supported internationally by several organizations, this includes the German-speaking Pro Missa Tridentina, in the Netherlands Ecclesia Dei, in Canada, theVancouver Traditional Mass Society , in New Zealand the Ecclesia Dei Society and Una Voce Austria .

With the new international call  "justice and self-determination for the Franciscans of the Immaculate" is demanded. The signatories of the international petition are calling for the restoration of the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception or a new status according to their choice. 240 brothers, more than half, have already provided a request last fall for establishment of a new order, without obtaining a response about it from the Holy See.

The petition also calls for full respect and "unmolested implementation" of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI., it frees any priest to celebrate in the Old or the New Roman Rite. A legally binding provision for  the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception is not being respected. The petition can be downloaded in different languages ​​from the website Pro Missa Tridentina  (here is the English version of the petition ). A detailed documentation of the Franciscans of the Immaculate is presented together with the Dutch Association of Ecclesia Die.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Messa in Latino

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Katholisches….

AMGD

Franciscans of the Immaculate Exonerated: Correction of Commissar Volpi After Notification by Manelli Family

Edit: now give us our Order back.  Also related is Rorate's post on their bad arithmetic. 

(Rome) The Apostolic Commissioner Father Fidenzio Volpi OFM Cap has published a correction. In it, he explains that the family of the religious founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, Father Stefano Maria Manelli,  has "absolutely nothing" to do with any possession or orders of transfer for  the  real estate of the Order. This had been maintained in recent months, according to which the the Order was placed under provisional commissioner, by the official Internet site of the Order  www.immacolata.com. Father Alfonso Maria Bruno, who was appointed by Commissioner Volpi after  the expulsion of the leadership of the Order, to name him as the most powerful man in the Order. The lawyer for the family Manelli had threatened criminal penalties, and requires clarification from Commissioner Volpi. This is now acknowledged that it was a libel, which was published by "someone" on the Internet platform.

To date, no reasons for the provisional administration of the Order have been announced, because the openly published reasons: maintenance of the traditional rite, numerous vocations, critical examination of the Second Vatican Council, the development in the Church since then, the unabridged explanation of the faith, and strict observance of the rules of the order, are clearly not offenses.

Instead, the claim was brought into the world from the environs of Father Alfonso Bruno, that Father Manelli had to overwrite the Order property to his family members and thus gave the impression that the superior had possibly stolen from his own religious order. Apart from the fact that the alleged transactions had taken place only after the beginning of the provisional administration, which gives more the impression of a mediated response, but could not be a reason for the provisional administration, it has now turned out to be slander, as Commissioner Volpi confirmed himself.

At the request of the prosecutor of the Manelli family, the false claim has now been deleted from the internet site of the Order managed by Father Alfonso Bruno. Instead, the complete correspondence between the Manelli family lawyer and Commissioner Volpi has been published at the request of Manelli family.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Messa in Latino

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Katholisches...

AMGD

Franciscans of the Immaculate Require "Permit" to Say Mass: Life Under the Commissar

(Rome) "It takes a permit." A letter from a Franciscan of the Immaculate describes the life  subject to approval, that the brothers have to lead,  since they were placed under provisional administration.

In 1990,  the Order was   recognized  at the diocesan level and 1998  by Rome, the Orden internally moved from the Old Rite  under Pope Benedict XVI. f  to the Old Rite and  for  pastoral care it was specified by the Pope as bi-ritual, since 11 July 2013 it has been under provisional administration by the Congregation of Religious. Acting Administrator is the Capuchin Father, Fidenzio Volpi, "a skilled and proven man of power (who  is known to move  between the internal equilibria of the Superior Conference of Male Religious Communities of  Italy - CISM ), with mephistophelian smile and biting repartee, "  said Messa in Latino .

"We Are no Longer  Able to Print and Disseminate Our Own Books"

 The Franciscan of the Immaculate Conception described in his letter that he passed by   the office of Order internal publishing,  Casa Mariana, in Frigento recently. "My heart beat. I felt in me an unusual emptiness and dismay at the thought that we can no longer write for our own publishing house, and are not even allowed to distribute the books of our own publishing company in our convents.

I look at the house. In there are our books. Many of them we have written, and much more contributions to our religious journals: Fides Catholica , Annales Franciscani , Immculata Mediatrix ... Many books have been translated by us from  Latin, others we have from Italian, the language most used in the order, translated into other languages. 

That  is our life inside, years of study, sweat and sacrifice. The Apostolic Commissioner has ruled that we are no longer authorized to use them. What sin do they represent?

"But it Needs a Permit"

I took courage and rang the bell at the door. A sister opens and I ask her about the new liturgical calendar of the Order, because we didn't have one in the monastery. 

"I can not give you one Father, you know that it requires a permit," replied my sister, kind and understanding. 

What could be sinful about a liturgical calendar? 

"But it needs a permit." 

Exactly the permit. 

Whose? 

"From the Apostolic Commissioner of course!"

"Our Life is Made by Applications, Special Permits'"

Since we have been under provisional administration,  our life is governed by applications for "special permits" to the Commissioner. You are to provide  a copy in writing  and are granted permission only by expressed personal validation .

A permit is needed to use the books of the Order from the Order's  own publishing house and be able to impart them. Any "public dissemination" is prohibited. 

 A  permit is required to celebrate the Holy Mass in the traditional Rite. 

 A permit is required to use the Roman Ritual for the Old Rite. 

 A permit is required for the Liturgy of the Hours to celebrate it in the Vetus Ordo. 

A  permit is required to celebrate the Holy Mass with the Sisters of the Order, for both the Old and the New Rite. 

A permit is required to conduct a meeting of the lay community of the Order or of the Third Order. 

A permit is required  to carry out a "Day for Maria" (a day of prayer, which is performed by the Order on pilgrimage or in parish churches and is open to all). 

A  permit is required to visit our Founder. It is strongly advised not to make such a request at all, which is actually not approved anyway. 

A permit is required for any initiative in the Order. "

Even more permits are needed of the founders of religious orders: 

"Our Founder even needs explicit permission to be treated at the hospital. He needs an explicit authorization in order to move from one convent to another. He was blamed on the official website of the Order publicly for the fact that he had at first dared to visit the convent of Teramo. In reality, the Apostolic Commissioner had even given the permission to do so." A grueling guerrilla war.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: A Catholic Life / Phatmass

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to katholisches...

AMGD

Pope Names Matteo Ricci and Pedro Arrupe as His Models

Workshopping the Destruction of the Church?

(Rome) The 15 page summary between Pope Francis and the Superiors of a Catholic male religious was developed by Father Antonio Spadaro on November 29th,  the editor  of the Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica   published in the new issue of the magazine on Friday.Pope Francis offers two Jesuits  as role models: the Jesuit Matteo Ricci of the first generation and the controversial Father General Pedro Arrupe (1965-1983).

Hardly anything has been leaked so far about the content of the conversation so far. The Union of Superiors General had announced  soon  that a summary by Father Spadaro will follow soon after.  Pope Francis seems to have asked the Superiors for restraint to prevent uncontrolled reproduction of his statements by indiscretions.

Presented to the Pope Before printing

Each issue of Civilta Cattolica is checked prior to publication by the Vatican and provided with a printing license. Father Spadaro, who is not a Superior General, however, had been expressly  called by the Pope to the conversation. In a pontifical mandate, he created the summary, it was sent before printing to the Pope personally for examination and received permission to publish this.

"When the Pope speaks freely and enters into dialogue, his remarks have a wave-like rhythm, which one must follow with care, because it feeds on the living interaction with his interlocutors," as Father Spadaro outlines. Unfortunately, the extensive summary of the Pope's words are not yet available in the German [Or English] version.

Religious Life is Prophetic Discipleship

In addition to the Pope lamenting the "novice trade" in the young churches with many vocations,  in forming of "little monsters", which gave the Pope  "the creeps", the pontiff spoke of the priority of religious life: "It is the prophecy the kingdom, which is not negotiable. The emphasis must be on to prophesy, and do not care to do only going through the motions Of course, the devil shows us his temptations and this is one of them: to act as if you prophets to be without it. But such things can not play. I myself have seen many sad things in this regard. "

The Pope exhorted the Superior Generals: "The Church must be attractive. Wake up the world. Be witness of a different kind of action, of action and of life."  He continued: "It is possible to live differently in this world. We speak of an eschatological view, which has become the meat of values ​​of the Kingdom here on this earth. It's about giving up everything to follow the Lord. No, I do not say radical '. The radical nature of the Gospel concerns not only the religious: it is demanded of all. The religious only follow the Lord in a special way, a prophetic way. I expect this testimony from you. "

Sin Yes, No Corrupt

The pope repeated a formulation that he already mentioned several times, the content is still difficult to understand. The Pope urged the superiors to take the sinner in the seminaries, but not "corrupt": "I'm not talking about the people who recognize themselves as sinners: we are all sinners, but we are not all corrupt. Accept the sinner, but not the corrupt ".

Charism is Always Fit to the Circumstances of Time, Place and People

Regarding the charism of the Founder of each Order, the Pope said: "The charism is always one thing, but as Saint Ignatius said, it must be lived according to place, time and people. The charism is not a bottle of distilled water. One must live powerfully, by reading it culturally anew. "In this context, the Pope called religious to action. It would be better to "make mistakes" than to do  nothing. "We always have to ask for forgiveness and are ashamed of the apostolic failures caused by discouragement. Consider, for example, of the pioneering intuitions of Matteo Ricci which were dropped in his time. " The Pope was referring to the previous failed attempts at the Christianization of China. The Jesuit Matteo Ricci model was distinguished by special adaptability to the Chinese culture and mentality. For this reason it was controversial and was eventually discarded.

Two Jesuits as role models: Matteo Ricci and Superior General Pedro Arrupe

Pope Francis also came to speak about the "periphery", the "edges", a cipher priority of his pontificate: "I am convinced of one thing: the big change in history occurred when the reality came to be considered not from the center but from the edges. "In this context, the Pope mentioned yet another Jesuit, whose activity he cited as an example, the earlier, controversial Superior General, Father Pedro Arrupe, whom John Paul II urged to a premature resignation. Father Arrupe is considered one of the most colorful figures in recent history. Some worship him as a shining example, in the other he is regarded as one of the gravediggers of the Jesuit Order.

Two new documents: about the brothers and the relationship between bishops and religious

In his address the Pope announced that he had two documents in preparation: one on the appeal of the "brothers", that is the religious who are not priests, and the other on the relations between the bishops and religious, with which the document Mutuae relationis  is to be replaced by the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes and Congregation for Bishops of 1978, which Pope Francis describes as "out of date".

2015 Year of Consecrated Life

The Pope also announced that he will proclaim 2015 the Year of Consecrated Life.  An announcement that was greeted with "a long applause," said Father Spadaro. The Pope had then looked and said toJoão Cardinal Bráz de Aviz and Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo with a smile to the Prefect and the Secretary of the Congregation of Religious: "It's their fault, the proposal comes from them, when the two meet, they are dangerous" which brought the General Assembly of the Superiors General to general hilarity, said Father Spadaro. The Brazilian Cardinal Braz de Aviz is a member of the Focolare Movement, Archbishop Carballo is Franciscan.

If the Vatican medicine is worse than the dreaded disease

The Vatican expert Sandro Magister recalls that both recently got into the headlines along with Pope Francis because of the severity with which they placed the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, one of the most flourishing orders of the Catholic Church under provisional administration and banned the Order from celebrating in the Old Rite.

"This matter was not discussed in the talk of 29 November, except perhaps implicitly where Pope Francis said that conflicts in the community are unavoidable: in some ways it must happen if the community is really honest and loyal to relationships. But if the destructive approach of the provisional administration of the Franciscans of the Immaculate is seen - as it transpired from both parties to the conflict - one gets the distinct impression that the Vatican medicine is worse than the dreaded disease," said Master.

Sad State of Attire Among the Superiors General

The Catholic religious tradition is characterized by the diversity of religious charisms, which finds its visible expression in each particular religious robes. The dress code of the Assembly of Superiors General of Catholic Male Religious before Pope Francis, however, offers the dreary sight of utter monotony. Several superiors general seem to regard the habit only as an occasional option.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Don Orione

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Will revise as needed.

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Sad Christmas for Franciscans of the Immaculate -- Three More Mass Locations Closed Down Just Before Christmas

(Rome) The joy of Christmas 2013 has brought another sad note for the Franciscans of the Immaculate. Shortly before the Solemnity, the Apostolic Commissioner, Father Fidenzio Volpi OFM Cap  has closed up three more branches of the Order. Many Traditional Mass locations in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite were connected to the closings. The  faithful were faced with this fact just before the holidays, that they would be without priests and  Mass locations for Christmas.

Of the convents that were closed, one held two Marian shrines, that of Our Lady della Rovere in San Bartolomeo al Mare on the Italian Riviera and that of Our Lady of Pontelungo in Albenga and at the Church of Saint Leonard of Porto Maurizio in Imperia. The reason used by  the Apostolic Commissioner was that the Franciscans of the Immaculate have a missionary charism, which is why they should also be active in the mission and is displacing the brothers to the Third World countries. The papal commissioner has already directed the closure of other convents and the exile of leading religious representatives (see separate reports After Rebuilding the Desolation Follows - Commissioner Disbands Convents of the Franciscans of the Immaculate on and The Road to Exile - Purge of Franciscans of the Immaculata ).

All three branches and Mass sites were located in the diocese of Albenga-Imperia in Liguria. The diocese is led by Bishop Mario Oliveri, a traditional diocesan bishop, like Bishop Dominique Rey in the nearby French Diocese of Frejus-Toulon on the Cote d'Azur, who promotes the establishment of old and biritual communities and gives them the task of the care of souls.

The closure of the three religious houses by the papal commissioner came after Bishop Oliveri gave permission for the brothers to live in his diocese, also supporting them in continuing to be able to celebrate in the traditional Rite. The Bishop drew particular attention to the pastoral care of the faithful at the three  Mass sites. "Messa in Latino" refers to a "retaliatory action" against the bishop, if he "had dared to defend the Franciscans of the Immaculate."

Bishop Oliveri in 2008 was the world's first diocesan bishop, after the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, of Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate a Pontifical Mass from the throne. Seven Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate took their solemn profession in the Co-Cathedral of Imperia  before the bishop.

"The Commissioner and some brothers collaborating with him, have imposed a climate of intimidation and fear  in the Order," says a Catholic from Albenga in a letter to Libertà e Persona . "In dealing with the Franciscans of the Immaculate itself, there is little sense of 'mercy' and 'justice' and  even less 'brotherly love'. And what can we  ordinary believers do? We pray. But we should also write Pope Francis write personal, because only he can put an end to this destruction of this thriving Order ".

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Santuario della Rovere NS / Santuario NS di Pontelungo

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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"We Demand the Dismissal of Father Volpi as Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculata"

(Rome) A group of Catholic lay associations and websites have started a petition: They demand the dismissal of Father Fidenzio Volpi from his post as authorized Apostolic Commissioner for the Franciscans of the Immaculate. Anyone who wants to support this appeal to the Congregation of Religious  and for informing  Pope Francis, this website  by well-known, traditional historian Roberto de Mattei  is available here do Corrispondenza Romana (first name, last name, e-mail app) . Below is the text for signature collection.

Petition to Demand Resignation

by Roberto de Mattei

We demand the resignation of Father Fidenzio Volpi from his job as political Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. In the short period of just five months, Father Volpi has shattered the Order,  resulting in internal chaos and suffering,  externally causing scandal among the faithful, criticism in the media, and discomfort caused astonishment in the ecclesiastical world. It does not matter to know whether Father Volpi is the author or only the exporter of the destruction plan. One thing is certain though, if the plan is not stopped, the consequences will be devastating, and to prevent the calamity yet added to new disaster, Father Volpi must be dismissed.

According to the decree of last 11 July,  the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate was placed under provisional administration, and Father Volpi began with the help of a small band of subcommisars, among them Father Alfonso Bruno and Prof. Mario Castellano, to lay with his ax to the Order. He forbade the celebration of the Holy Mass and the Divine Office in the manner provided in the Motu proprio for the Extraordinary Form, he dismissed the whole Order leadership, starting with Father Stefano Maria Manelli, who since then is under house arrest, without then having been given to him the reasons why he dissmissed one by one the most loyal collaborators of Father Manelli and sent them every which way, personalities of intellectual and moral greatness, he transferred their duties to dissident brothers who lack  preparation and experience, he threattened and punished the brothers, who petitioned  to the Holy See and refused to withdraw them; and finally he closed the Order's own seminary on 8 December 2013, during the Solemnity of the Order,  and suspended all priests and deaconal ordinations;  he imposed an interdict against all publications of religious publishing house Editrice Casa Mariana and forbade their distribution in  the Order churches and chapels supervised by the order; he expanded his personal war to the SFO [Tertiaries] and the laity, who are connected to the Order, by forbidding all the activities of MIM (Mission Immaculate Mediatrix) and TOFI (Third Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception); he threatened the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who adhere to the traditional ERte to also have them put under provisional administration and withdrew the two female religious branches, the missionary branch of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and the contemplative branch of the Poor Clares of the Immaculate Conception from the spiritual care of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception, and now finally, he has demanded of all Franciscans of the Immaculate a "Modernist Oath" to the Novus Ordo Missae and the Second Vatican Council (see the letter of Father Fidenzio Volpi from December 8, 2013 ). ¹

Father  Volpi has accused every critic of being against the pope. who has challenged him.  But is his rather tyrannical rule, which in its hardness is unprecedented in the history of the Church and directly contradicts the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, is  it in itself not an open contradiction to Pope Francis as well, who admonished to avoid any authoritarianism towards friend and enemy, to practice mercy and gentleness?

Even the Vatican expert Marco Tosatti has noticed it and wrote on 4 December, "What these poor religious men supposed to have done?  Have  they speculated money, sexually abused minors or maintained an immoral lifestyle? None of that. "Truth is that Father Volpi, of his own accord or on behalf of third parties, wants to "normalize" the Franciscans of the Immaculate"  in which he wants to  make them equal to other declining Orders. To achieve this, it is necessary to convert their spiritual and moral charism, to destroy their internal discipline, stifling the recovery of the traditional rite, to open the Order of corruption by the world as it is - with disastrous results - which is what he and his Capuchin Order have done.

Paul VI. recalled religious with the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelica testificatio of 29 June 1971, that they are committed to their superiors against obedience, except in that "something is ordered, which is contrary to God's laws or the constitutions of the institute clearly or certainly lead to a major disadvantage - in such cases the duty of obedience is void." Should Father Volpi not be dismissed, a crisis of conscience for religious men and women will inevitably open up, who want to preserve the charism of the Franciscans of the Immaculate and fidelity to the tradition of the Church.

Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Corrispondenza Romana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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Attack Against Franciscans of the Immaculate Because "Crypto-Lefebvrian, Anyways Traditional"

(Rome) The Apostolic Commissioner, the Capuchin Father Fidenzio Volpi OFM Cap from the Congregation of Religious, with the approval of Pope Francis, instead of the Order leadership, with sole decision-making power at the head of the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate set (FI),  has given the real reason for the drastic intervention in the life of the Order for the first time.

The progressive Vaticanist Mario Tosatti had published a few days ago in the daily newspaper La Stampa a letter from a member of the Third Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, in which the radical approach of the Commissioner has been criticized (see separate report "Unrestricted War" against the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception? The Unspeakable "Blemish" ). The interventions affect not only the male religious branch, but also the Third Order, which was completely paralyzed by Father Volpi.

"Total War" Against the Franciscans of the Immaculata? The Unspeakable "Blemish"

(Rome) No other order has suffered such dramatic consequences on  the change of pontificate in late winter 2013  as  the Franciscans of the Immaculate. In July,  the Order  was placed under provisional administration by order of the Congregation for Religious  with papal approval.  Although the Order actually exactly corresponds to what Pope Francis wishes, namely evangelical poverty, missionary zeal and new evangelization, of which the  Franciscans of the Immaculate are one of  the only orders, against which the new pope has proceed with drastic measures. 

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 '.

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.

Text: La Stampa / Giuseppe Nardi
image: Franciscans of the Immaculate
Link to Katholisches....
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