The Society of
Christ the King
The
Brethren of the Common Life
A
Personal Prelature Of
The Catholic Apostolic National
Church
- Archbishop
Mathew’s Prayer for Catholic Unity
His
Excellency,
The
Most Reverend Andre’ J.W. Queen, SCR
Superior
General, Society of Christ the King
Society News Christ the King Theological Seminary Seminary Bookstore
Overview of the
Society
The Society of
Christ the King (SCR) ...
... Is a “Personal
Prelature” organized within The Catholic Apostolic National Church. The society is devoted to the spread of the Word of
God and the establishment of the church worldwide. The society adheres to the
teachings of the ancient church, and seeks to spread the faith of the church to
all parts of the world. Our professed adhere to the traditional teachings of
the church, preferring them over the innovations found in denominations around
the world today. Our charge is the establishment of parish church organizations
and missions to serve the community.
Membership is
accomplished through application to the national headquarters of the order.
Membership is open to ordained clergy of The Catholic Apostolic National
Church, as well as clergy of denominations in communication with The Catholic
Apostolic National Church. Upon acceptance as a Candidate, a period of prayer
and discernment is required of the candidate, accompanied by service to the
parish or mission, biblical study, instruction in requirements and duties of the
order, and examination of one's willingness to submit to this lifestyle. After
a suitable period as a Novice, the individual proclaims a willingness to
conform to this lifestyle in perpetuity, forever clinging to the ideals of the
order, dedicating their life to the service of God. Upon being found to have
successfully completed all of the necessary requirements, the Novice takes the
oath of the order, becoming a Professed Member.
Purpose
The purpose of the
society is to promulgate the teachings of the historical church, to promote all
Christian activity that will safeguard the historical Deposit of Faith of the
undivided church. The society, formed within The Catholic Apostolic National
Church, is dedicated to the preservation of historical and true catholic
doctrine, the rejection of innovations in the Faith, and the proper education
of both clergy and laity within The Catholic Apostolic National Church.
Name
The name of the
society shall be, "The Society of Christ the King" (Societas Christus Rex), and its
initials shall be, "SCR", which shall determine an individual to be a
full and professed member.
Membership
Membership shall be
constituted of professed members, novices, and candidates. "Professed
Members" shall be full members of the society. "Novices" shall
be members of the society within their first year of membership.
"Candidates" shall be those individuals who have applied for
membership in the order and have been accepted and received for instruction.
All, Professed Members, Novices and Candidates must, at each step in their
reception into the order, state and affirm the oath of the Order. Novices
becoming Professed Members take the oath in perpetuity.
Oath
The Oath of
Fidelity of The Society of Christ the King Taken By Applicants To The Order
Before Appointment
I,
__________________________, believe and profess with firm faith each and every
truth which is contained in the symbol of the Faith of which the Catholic
Church makes use, namely:
·
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of
all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the
only-begotten Son of God. Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father: by whom all things were made. Who for us men and our salvation came
down from heaven. And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary: and
was made man. He was crucified also for us: suffered under Pontius Pilate,
died, and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the
scriptures. And He ascended into heaven; He sitteth
at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge both the
living and the dead: of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And I believe in
the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life: who proceedeth
from the Father. Who together with the Father and the Son is adored and
glorified: who spoke by the prophets. And in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the
resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.
·
I resolutely accept and embrace the traditions of the Apostles and all other
traditions of the whole Church, its observances and regulations. Likewise I
accept the Sacred Scriptures in that very strict sense in which the Catholic
Church, whose right it is to declare their true sense and meaning, has held
them and holds them now; nor will I ever accept, modify, innovate or interpret
them in a way contrary to the unanimous agreement of the Fathers of the Church.
·
Further I profess that there are seven true and proper Sacraments of the
Church, each instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord for the salvation of the human
race (although not all of them are necessary for everyone), namely, Baptism,
Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and
Matrimony; that these outward signs confer inner Grace, and that of these,
Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders cannot be received a second time without
sacrilege. I shall not administer any sacrament to any individual acting in
defiance of the Church, or rejecting the authority or the sensus
fidelum of the Church. Also, I accept and adhere to
the rites of the solemn administration of the aforementioned Sacraments
according as they have been accepted and approved by the Catholic Church.
·
I affirm that in the Mass there is offered to God a true, worthy, and expiatory
sacrifice for the living and the dead; and that the Body and Blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ, together with His Soul and Divinity, are really and substantially
present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, and that there occurs a
change in the total substance of the bread into His Body and of the total substance
of the wine into His Blood, which change the Catholic Church calls
Transubstantiation. I confess also that Christ, whole and entire, and the true
Sacrament are received under either species.
As a Catholic
Christian and as a members of the Mystical Body of Christ, I acknowledge adhere
to, and affirm the following Catholic statements;
1.
Although we acknowledge the primacy of the Petrine
Office and the respect due to the Bishop of Rome, we do not believe the
Successor of Peter to be infallible. We find no scriptural support for this
doctrine, nor do we consider the doctrine of Papal Infallibility to be
essential to the Christian understanding of the Indefectibility of the Church
or to be integral to Our Lord's promise of the Holy Spirit's unfailing guidance
of the Church. On the contrary, we see that this discipline has opened the door
to the abuse of rightful authority and is the root cause of the dissent, anger,
and suffering of many; in addition, it constitutes a barrier to ecumenical
relationships with other ecclesiastical bodies and to the unity which is Our
Lord's perpetual wish.
2.
The Society of Christ the King is committed to a leadership of service rather
than to one characterized by domination and control. To this end, we are
dedicated to the establishment and maintenance of a collegial ecclesiastical
structure which, while preserving the traditional orders of Church governance,
will allow for greater equality, for a more democratic process, for diversity
in unity and unity in diversity, and which will allow the sensus
fidelium to be heard. We are committed to an
ecclesiastical policy which will genuinely allow the laity to take their
rightful place in the Church and which will give due respect to their gifts, to
their intelligence, and to their ecclesiastical rights.
3.
While acknowledging that celibacy is a great and noble gift, we also affirm
that this discipline need not be imposed upon those who desire to engage in
sacerdotal ministry. We observe that the discipline of mandatory clerical
celibacy is an obstacle to the service of Christ and that this discipline
prevents many from following the calling of Our Lord. Therefore, in keeping
with the practice of the early Church, we affirm the priestly vocations of
married persons and freely admit married individuals into all ranks of the
clergy. The Society of Christ the King maintains its position, along with that
of the historical universal church, and against all sexual activity outside of
the sacramental bonds of Holy Matrimony. Holy Scriptures are clear in teaching
that all sexual promiscuity is sin. We are convinced that this includes
homosexual practices between men or women, as well as heterosexual
relationships outside marriage. We are deeply concerned that the setting aside
of biblical teaching in such actions as the ordination of practicing
homosexuals and the blessing of same-sex unions calls into question the
authority of Holy Scriptures.
4.
Also in keeping with our respect for the full human dignity of all persons, we
are committed to a policy which is more inclusive and which erects no
artificial or illegitimate barriers to the reception of the Sacraments on the
basis not only of gender but also of age, race, or ethnic background. We seek
to embrace and to reconcile rather than to condemn and to alienate further
those whose circumstances have caused them to experience rejection by the
Church and by society at large Thus, in accordance with our general policy of
ecumenical openness and compassion for our sisters and brothers in Christ, we
do not withhold the reception of sacraments from any qualified person who
desires to receive them. In particular, we place no artificial barriers in the
way of the reception of the Sacrament of Baptism when a parent sincerely
desires that through this Sacrament a child be received into the Mystical Body
of Christ.
5.
While we recognize the sacramentality and sanctity of marriage, are dedicated
to the fostering of family life, and desire in every way to encourage life-long
marital commitments, we recognize that in our present society it is a sad
circumstance that marital relationships do not always last until death and that
there are, in fact, occasions whereupon it is more detrimental to the parties
involved to continue living together than to allow for a parting of the ways,
and a continent life.
6.
While we strongly affirm the sanctity of human life, we also affirm universal
human rights as well as a person's individual responsibility before God
concerning the quality of that life. We absolutely deplore and forbid abortion
and abortiofacient drugs.
In no respect do we
intend in these or in any future statements to separate ourselves from the
Mystical Body of Christ. Nevertheless, with regard to these issues, we believe
that the Papacy has overstepped the bounds of its legitimate authority and, in
straying from the principles of loving compassion in the interests of
preserving and enhancing its own power, has driven many to dissent, to
disobedience, to reaction against what appears to us to be a clear abuse of
power and of rightful authority.
I,
__________________________, promise that, with God's help, I shall most
constantly hold and profess the true Catholic Faith which I now freely profess
and truly hold. With the help of God, I shall possess it whole and unblemished
until my dying breath; And to the best of my ability, I shall see to it that my
church and those entrusted to me by virtue of my office learn it, hold it,
teach it, live it and preach it. I shall not swerve, nor deviate from it, so
help me God, and His Holy Gospels.
Life
Within The Society
All members of the
Order are dedicated to working in community-based missions or parishes. Members
are assigned a community-based ministry to work within for the purpose of
ministering directly to the needs of the people, promoting education in the
Faith, providing training in vocational needs, assisting in securing health needs,
developing services for local youth, and establishing parishes within their
respective provinces. Members of the Order must participate fully in the
establishment of The Catholic Apostolic National Church and dedicate their
efforts, energies, time, personal wealth, and resources to the greater glory of
God, for the establishment and spread of the Word of God throughout the World.
History
The Society of
Christ the King was established in 1999, on the Feast of Christ the King, by
Fr. Andre’ Queen, as a Religious Order whose purpose was to more
thoroughly teach the Catholic faith to both clergy and laity alike, through a
rigorous application of theology and education, in an atmosphere of ascetic
spiritual contemplative prayer and service to one’s fellow man. The
order’s first Superior General was Robert Mathew Gubala, Bishop of
Providence, Rhode Island, who was later to become the Archbishop-Metropolitan
of the Catholic Apostolic National Church.
In the year 2000,
Fr. Andre’ Queen, SCR, having been elevated to the episcopacy the prior
year, was appointed to be the second Superior General of the Order. In 2001,
the Order was to expand to the
In the year 2006,
Bishop Andre’ Queen, SCR petitioned the Archbishop-Metropolitan, and in
May 2006, His Eminence authorized the re-constitution of the order as a
“personal prelature” under Bishop Andre’ Queen, SCR as
prelate of the order. This done to further focus the members to their calling
through service to Christ and the Church.
In order to look
forward, it is sometimes necessary to look to our past. Indeed, as Old
Catholics we do not seek to create a new creation, but seek merely to maintain that
faith and worship that is believed everywhere, by everyone for all time. In that line of thought, we have sought to
aid ourselves with a rule and guide that most closely resembles our theology
and goals. In our search we realize ever more clearly, that it is we, who are
the echo and those before us who are the original.
We find that, in a
strong sense, we are echoes of the Brethren of the Common Life, born at Deventer, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the
1300’s, founded by Geert De Groote.
Geert believed in a combination of religion and
learning, and preferred love, faith and humility. The members of the Brethren
of the Common Life went on to establish teachers and headmasters of existing
institutions, eventually establishing institutions of learning of their own.
He espoused
meditation and spirituality, contemplating the Divine Word, and being storied
in Scripture. He taught that meditation and knowledge, however, are not
sufficient, but that it was necessary to confess Christ in work, to strive for
perfect conformity with His life and death, if we desire to rise with Him and
ascend into heaven. The Brethren of the Common Life espoused what we seek to
espouse, and so we find that we have not created something new, but rather
returned to something that once was.
The brethren of Deventer and Zwolle wrote: "Our
house was founded with the intention that priests and clerics might live there,
supported by their own manual labor, namely the copying of books, and the
return from certain estates, attend church with devotion, obey the prelates,
wear simple clothing, preserve the canons and decrees of the saints, practice
religious exercises and lead not only irreproachable, but exemplary lives, in
order that they may serve God and perchance induce others to seek salvation.
Since the final end of religion consists in purity of heart, without which we
shall seek perfection in vain, let it be our daily aim to purge our poisoned
hearts from sin, so that in the first place we may learn to know ourselves, and
endeavor with all our strength to eradicate the vices of our minds; despise
temporal gain, crush selfish desires, aid others in overcoming sin, and
concentrate our energy on the acquisition of true virtues, such as humility,
love, chastity, patience, and obedience. Toward this end we must direct all our
spiritual exercises: prayer, meditation, reading, manual labor, watching,
fasting - in short the harmonious development of our internal and external
powers."
We then return to
this piety and carry on the work, which they have begun. In memorial of their
impact, we add the subtitle to the name of our Society, “The Brethren of
the Common Life”.
The Society of Christ the King (SCR)
– The First Order
Ordained Clergy
Membership
Membership is composed
only of those men having been ordained to either the diaconate, priesthood or
the episcopacy. When an applicant applies for admission, the brethren are
required to examine his physical condition, and his mental faculties; he should
be asked from which country he has come. He should be asked, also, whether he
could write, and loved to read books. In case he was found to be in good health
and of sound mind and habits, he would be received as a novice for a year,
whereupon he might be promoted to a further trial of ten or twelve months.
After this lapse of time he might become a Brother of the Common Life, having
first sworn before a notary public and in the presence of some witnesses that
he renounced all claim to any property of his own. Members can be expelled in
case of ill-behavior. The brethren are exhorted to preserve mutual love, peace,
and harmony.
Daily Routine
The brethren of the
first order who are going to live in the Monastic House take the vows of
chastity, poverty and obedience. The vows of obedience are not to the Diocesan
Ordinary, but the Superior General of the Order, and their respective
Provincial Superiors and Masters of the Monastic House in which they reside.
The brethren of the first order, who are in the married estate, shall take vows
of poverty and obedience, except that poverty shall not prevent the support of
spouse and minor children, so as to provide a good and loving home.
The brethren of the
first order shall make themselves available to minister the sacraments to the
brethren and sisters of the Society in accordance with the Rule, and as needed
and deemed necessary. The brethren who
are not monastic, shall set aside no less than one week a year, in seclusion,
for the purpose of living in one of the Monastic Houses, devoted to prayer,
fasting and the study of Scripture.
Note that the
Superior General has approved, for the House in the
Attire
The brethren of the
first order shall, while carrying out all clerical duties, be appropriately
garbed in attire proper to the dignity of their ordination, preferably in
cassock or soutane. Brethren of the first order, however, should they be
monastic, shall wear the attire suitable for brethren of the second order, with
the full clerical collar.
The Servant Society of Christ the King
(SSCR) - The Second Order
Monastic House
Membership
Each house should, if
possible, have four priests and some other members of the clergy. When an
applicant applies for admission, the brethren are required to examine his
physical condition, and his mental equipment; he should be asked from which
country he had come. He should be asked, also, whether he could write, and
loved to read books. In case he was found to be in good health and of sound
mind and habits, he would be allowed to remain in the house for twelve months
as a novice, whereupon he might be promoted to a further trial of ten or twelve
months. After this lapse of time he might become a Brother of the Common Life,
having first sworn before a notary public and in the presence of some witnesses
that he renounced all claim to any property of his own. Members can be expelled
in case of ill-behavior. The brethren are exhorted to preserve mutual love,
peace, and harmony. Note that the Superior General has approved, for the House
in the
The brethren who
are going to live in the Monastic House take the vows of chastity, poverty and
obedience. The vows of obedience are not to the Diocesan Ordinary, but the
Superior General of the Order, and their respective Provincial Superiors and
Masters of the Monastic House in which they reside.
The Brethren of the
Common Life appoint rectors, procurators, librarians, and several other
office-holders, as needed, within each Chapter House, both in the Monastic
House and in the Community House.
Daily Routine
The brethren are to
rise shortly before five o’ clock, preparing themselves at once for
prayer and the reading of certain prescribed selections. All the members of the
house are expected to attend the daily mass, and are exhorted to free their
mind from all distractions, "thus preparing themselves, as it were, for a
spiritual communion."
The brethren are
expected to spend several hours a day in reading religious books, or else in
performing other tasks. The breviary shall be the order of the day. But lest
the spirit suffer from neglect, they should occasionally utter short prayers.
The brethren are to consume their meals in silence, in order that they may pay
proper attention to the reading of a selection from the Bible. After supper
they can do as they pleased in their own rooms till eight o'clock. At eight all
guests are to leave the house. The doors are to be shut fast, and silence
observed till half past eight, when it is time to go to bed.
Attire
The brethren shall
attire themselves in the appropriate monastic garb, including black clerical
shirt, “brother’s collar” and black monastic attire, unless
engaged in strenuous labor or unduly inclement weather. The brethren may, with
permission from the Master of the Monastic House, wear attire suitable to the
laity while engaged in certain types of employment, but only for that specific
time.
Convent
Membership
When an applicant applies
for admission, the sisters are required to examine her physical condition, and
her mental stability; she should be asked from which country she had come. She
should be asked, also, whether she could write, and loved to read books. In
case she was found to be in good health and of sound mind and habits, she would
be allowed to remain in the house for a year as a novice, whereupon she might
be promoted to a further trial of ten or twelve months. After this lapse of
time she might become a Sister of the Common Life, having first sworn before a
notary public and in the presence of some witnesses that she renounced all
claim to any property of her own. Members can be expelled in case of
ill-behavior. The sisters are exhorted to preserve mutual love, peace, and
harmony.
The sisters who are
going to live in the Convent take the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.
The vows of obedience are not to the Diocesan Ordinary, but the Superior
General of the Order, the Mother Superior, and their respective Provincial
Superiors and Reverend Mother of the Convent in which they reside.
The Sisters of the
Common Life appoint rectors, procurators, librarians, and several other
office-holders, as needed, within each Chapter House, both in the Convent and
in the Community House.
Daily Routine
The daily routine
of the Sisters of the Common Life is identical to that of the Brethren in the
Monastic House. Note that the Superior General has approved, for the House in
the
The sisters are to
rise shortly before five o’ clock, preparing themselves at once for
prayer and the reading of certain prescribed selections. All the members of the
convent are expected to attend the daily mass, and are exhorted to free their
mind from all distractions, "thus preparing themselves, as it were, for a
spiritual communion."
The sisters are
expected to spend several hours a day in reading religious books, or else in
performing other tasks. The breviary shall be the order of the day. But lest
the spirit suffer from neglect, they should occasionally utter short prayers.
The sisters are to consume their meals in silence, in order that they may pay
proper attention to the reading of a selection from the Bible. After supper
they can do as they pleased in their own rooms till eight o'clock. At eight all
guests are to leave the convent. The doors are to be shut fast, and silence
observed till half past eight, when it is time to go to bed.
Attire
The sisters shall
attire themselves in the appropriate black habit, as determined by the Mother
Superior of the Sisters of the Common Life, unless engaged in strenuous labor
or unduly inclement weather. The sisters may, with permission from the Reverend
Mother of the Monastic House, wear modest attire, suitable to the laity, while
engaged in certain types of employment, but only for that specific time.
The Tertiary Society of Christ the King (TSCR)
- Third Order [Regular and Secular]
Community House [Regulars]
Only those who were
not bound by monastic vows can secure admittance; nor are they expected to take
such vows on entering the house. They are free to leave if they chose. All the
members of the house remain members of the local parish church, just as all
other laymen. Their clothes shall in no respect be different from those of the
other men or women in the city, for they were neither brothers nor nuns. One
may even be a member of the society without living in the Community House. A
community house is organized and constituted one for men, and one for women, in
any location authorized by the Provincial Superior where there is such a call
for them.
No one is expected
to cede their property, on entering the house; the members all work in common
and share the expenses together, while the income would be equally divided.
Every member of the house who is able to work would is expected to contribute
their share of manual labor.
Note that the
Superior General has approved, for the House in the
Family Life
[Seculars]
Likewise those
members of the third order who are married, shall continue to live their lives
in the married estate, with their spouses and children. They shall set aside
times daily to be devoted to prayer and the reading of Scripture, and shall
devote time in service to God each week to their local parish, in concert with
the local Community House, if one has been established. Members in family life
are to also live soberly, wear simple clothes, and work towards fostering in
themselves the virtues of humility, love, chastity, patience, and obedience.
Those member of the third order of the Society in the married life shall devote
no less than one weekend a year, in seclusion at the Community House of proper
gender, dedicated to prayer, fasting and the study of Scripture.
Attire
The members of the
third order of the Society living either in the Community House, or in Family
Life, are to live soberly, and wear modest clothes.
The Rule
The Rule of the Order
for those in Monastic Houses or Convents shall be as stated herein, based upon
the Rule of St. Augustine. This shall be the Rule for those of the Second
Order, except as approved by the Superior General. Note that the Superior
General has approved, for the House in the
Chapter I
Purpose and Basis
of Common Life
Before all else,
dear brothers and sisters, love God and then your neighbor, because these are
the chief commandments given to us.
1. The following
are the precepts we order you living in the monastery to observe.
2. The main purpose
for you having come together is to live harmoniously in your house, intent upon
God in oneness of mind and heart.
3. Call nothing
your own, but let everything be yours in common. Food and clothing shall be
distributed to each of you by your superior, not equally to all, for all do not
enjoy equal health, but rather according to each one's need. For so you read in
the Acts of the Apostles that they had all things in common and distribution
was made to each one according to each one's need (4:32,35).
4. Those who owned something
in the world should be careful in wanting to share it in common once they have
entered the monastery.
5. But they who
owned nothing should not look for those things in the monastery that they were
unable to have in the world. Nevertheless, they are to be given all that their
health requires even if, during their time in the world, poverty made it
impossible for them to find the very necessities of life. And those should not
consider themselves fortunate because they have found the kind of food and
clothing which they were unable to find in the world.
6. And let them not
hold their heads high, because they associate with people whom they did not
dare to approach in the world, but let them rather lift up their hearts and not
seek after what is vain and earthly. Otherwise, monasteries will come to serve
a useful purpose for the rich and not the poor, if the rich are made humble
there and the poor are puffed up with pride.
7. The rich, for
their part, who seemed important in the world, must not look down upon their
brothers who have come into this holy brotherhood from a condition of poverty.
They should seek to glory in the fellowship of poor brothers rather than in the
reputation of rich relatives. They should neither be elated if they have contributed
a part of their wealth to the common life, nor take more pride in sharing their
riches with the monastery than if they were to enjoy them in the world. Indeed,
every other kind of sin has to do with the commission of evil deeds, whereas
pride lurks even in good works in order to destroy them. And what good is it to
scatter one's wealth abroad by giving to the poor, even to become poor oneself,
when the unhappy soul is thereby more given to pride in despising riches than
it had been in possessing them?
8. Let all of you
then live together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in
yourselves, whose temples you have become.
Chapter II
Prayer
1. Be assiduous
in prayer (
2. In the Oratory
no one should do anything other than that for which was intended and from which
it also takes its name. Consequently, if there are some who might wish to pray
there during their free time, even outside the hours appointed, they should not
be hindered by those who think something else must be done there.
3. When you pray to
God in Psalms and hymns, think over in your hearts the words that come from
your lips.
4. Chant only what
is prescribed for chant; moreover, let nothing be chanted unless it is so
prescribed.
Chapter III
Moderation and
Self-Denial
1. Subdue the flesh, so far as your health
permits, by fasting and abstinence from food and drink. However, when someone
is unable to fast, he should still take no food outside mealtimes unless he is
ill.
2. When you come to
table, listen until you leave to what is the custom to read, without
disturbance or strife. Let not your mouths alone take nourishment but let your
hearts too hunger for the words of God.
3. If those in more
delicate health from their former way of life are treated differently in the
matter of food, this should not be a source of annoyance to the others or
appear unjust in the eyes of those who owe their stronger health to different
habits of life. Nor should the healthier brothers deem them more fortunate for
having food, which they do not have, but rather consider themselves fortunate
for having the good health, which the others do not enjoy.
4. And if something
in the way of food, clothing, and bedding is given to those coming to the
monastery from a more genteel way of life, which is not given to those who are
stronger, and therefore happier, then these latter ought to consider how far
these others have come in passing from their life in the world down to this
life of ours, though they have been unable to reach the level of frugality
common to the stronger brothers. Nor should all want to receive what they see
given in larger measure to the few, not as a token of honor, but as a help to
support them in their weakness. This would give rise to a deplorable disorder -
that in the monastery, where the rich are coming to bear as much hardship as
they can, the poor are turning to a more genteel way of life.
5. And just as the
sick must take less food to avoid discomfort, so too, after their illness, they
are to receive the kind of treatment that will quickly restore their strength,
even though they come from a life of extreme poverty. Their more recent illness
has, as it were, afforded them what accrued to the rich as part of their former
way of life. But when they have recovered their former strength, they should go
back to their happier way of life which, because their needs are fewer, is all
the more in keeping with God's servants. Once in good health, they must not
become slaves to the enjoyment of food, which was necessary to sustain them in
their illness. For it is better to suffer a little want than to have too much.
Chapter IV
Safeguarding
Chastity, and Fraternal Correction
1. There should be nothing about your
clothing to attract attention. Besides, you should not seek to please by your
apparel, but by a good life.
2. Whenever you go
out, walk together, and when you reach your destination, stay together.
3. In your walk,
deportment, and in all actions, let nothing occur to give offense to anyone who
sees you, but only what becomes your holy state of life.
4. Although your
eyes may chance to rest upon some member of the opposite sex, you must not fix
your gaze upon any member of the opposite sex. Seeing a member of the opposite
sex when you go out is not forbidden, but it is sinful to desire them or to
wish them to desire you, for it is not by tough or passionate feeling alone but
by one's gaze also that lustful desires mutually arise. And do not say that
your hearts are pure if there is immodesty of the eye, because the unchaste eye
carries the message of an impure heart. And when such hearts disclose their
unchaste desires in a mutual gaze, even without saying a word, then it is that
chastity suddenly goes out of their life, even though their bodies remain
unsullied by unchaste acts.
5. And whoever
fixes his gaze upon a member of the opposite sex and likes to have theirs fixed
upon them must not suppose that others do not see what they are doing. They are
very much seen, even by those they think do not see them. But suppose all this
escapes the notice of man - what will they do about God who sees from on high
and from whom nothing is hidden? Or are we to imagine that he does not see
because he sees with a patience as great as his wisdom? Let the religious man
and woman then have such fear of God that they will not want to be an occasion
of sinful pleasure to another. Ever mindful that God sees all things, let them
not desire to look at another lustfully. For it is on this point that fear of
the Lord is recommended, where it is written: An abomination to the Lord is
he who fixes his gaze (Prv. 27:20)
6. So when you are
together in church and anywhere else where members of the opposite sex are present,
exercise a mutual care over purity of life. Thus, by mutual vigilance over one
another will God, who dwells in you, grant you his protection.
7. If you notice in
someone of your brothers or sisters this wantonness of the eye, of which I am
speaking, admonish him or her at once so that the beginning of evil will not
grow more serious but will be promptly corrected.
8. But if you see
him or her doing the same thing again on some other day, even after your
admonition, then whoever had occasion to discover this must report him or her
as they would a wounded individual in need of treatment. But let the offense
first be pointed out to two or three so that they can be proven guilty on the
testimony of these two or three and be punished with due severity. And do not
charge yourselves with ill-will when you bring this offense to light. Indeed,
yours in the greater blame if you allow your brothers or sisters to be lost
through your silence when you are able to bring about their correction by your
disclosure. If you brother or sister, for example, were suffering a bodily
wound that he or she wanted to hide for fear of undergoing treatment, would it
not be cruel of you to remain silent and a mercy on your part to make this
known? How much greater then is your obligation to make his condition known
lest he or she continue to suffer a more deadly wound of the soul.
9. But if he or she
fails to correct the fault despite this admonition, the person should first be
brought to the attention of the superior before the offense is made known to
the others who will have to prove his or her guilt, in the event he denies the
charge. Thus, corrected in private, the individual’s fault can perhaps be
kept from the others. But should the person feign ignorance, the others are to
be summoned so that in the presence of all that person can be proven guilty,
rather than stand accused on the word of one alone. Once proven guilty, the
individual must undergo salutary punishment according to the judgment of the
superior or priest having the proper authority. If they refuse to submit to
punishment, they shall be expelled from even if he or she does not withdraw of
his or her own accord. For this too is not done out of cruelty, but from a
sense of compassion so that many others may not be lost through his bad
example.
10. And let
everything I have said about not fixing one's gaze be also observed carefully
and faithfully with regard to other offenses: to find them out, to ward them
off, to make them known, to prove and punish them - all out of love for man and
a hatred of sin.
11. But if anyone
should go so far in wrongdoing as to receive letters in secret from any member
of the opposite sex, or small gifts of any kind, you ought to show mercy and
pray for him or her if the person confesses this of his or her own accord. But
if the offense is detected and the person is found guilty, he or she must be
more severely chastised according to the judgment of the priest or superior.
Chapter V
The Care of
Community Goods and Treatment of the Sick
1. Keep your clothing in one place in charge of one or two, or of as many as are needed to care for them and to pr