Concern over certain Religious Congregations

Mar 03, 2017

VATICAN: In a closed-door conversation with heads of male religious orders last November (only recently published by La Civiltà Cattolica), the Pope voiced concerns over certain Religious Congregations.

“Some are, I might say, ‘restorationist’: they seem to offer security but instead give only rigidity. When they tell me that there is a congregation that draws so many vocations, I must confess that I worry,” he said.

“Others… seem like soldiers ready to do anything for the defence of faith and morals. And then some scandal emerges involving the founder...,” Francis continued.

His reference to the Legionaries of Christ and Macial was obvious.

The Pope has shown that he possesses a special gift for discerning what is of God and what is not. This comes not only from integrating the sound principles found in St Ignatius’ famous Spiritual Exercises, but also from his years of experience as a pastor and an educator of young people, especially young religious.

Francis’s goal for the next Synod assembly is to further promote the art of discernment throughout the Church, beginning with its youngest members.

We leave him the last word (from his November talk):

“Discernment unites the issue of training young people for life: all young people, and in particular seminarians and future priests. Because the training and path that leads to the priesthood requires discernment.

“It is currently one of the biggest problems we have in priests’ training. In education we are used to dealing with black and white formulas, but not with the gray areas of life. And what matters is life, not formulas. We must grow in discernment.

“The logic of black and white can lead to abstract casuistry. Discernment, meanwhile, means moving forward through the gray of life according to the will of God. And the will of God is to be sought according to the true doctrine of the Gospel and not in the rigidity of an abstract doctrine.” --La Croix