Supressed.
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From Rorate Caeli: "The Cistercian abbey linked to the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Santa Croce in Gerusalemme), the Sessorian Basilica, one of the seven most relevant basilicas in Rome, has been suppressed by a decree of the Congregation for Religious (Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life), approved by the Holy Father, following the results of an Apostolic Visitation - which itself was a result of years of serious problems, including significant liturgical abuses. (Source: multiple reports - see G.Galeazzi; A.Tornielli.) The former abbot and other monks had already been removed two years ago, the remaining Cistercians will be relocated to different abbeys.
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The Cistercians had been at Santa Croce for nearly five centuries." - New Catholic
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I know a monk from that abbey.
I've wondered if he was involved in the investigations leading to the supression. It's hard to believe they had problems there. Maybe the place will be turned over to the Trappists some day.
ReplyDeleteTerry,
ReplyDeleteDid the monk you know explain the reasoning behind the supression? I ask because there appears to be a lot of disagreement here, especially surrounding liturgical abuses.
Thanks,
Andrew
"Did the monk you know explain the reasoning behind the supression?"
ReplyDeleteAndrew, not at all. Monks rarely discuss community matters with outsiders. What I do know is that such troubles are an immense sorrow and cross for those involved, so prayers are needed. A monastic community is very much like a family, and privacy is respected.
Michael - I've wondered that as well, but knew better than to ask.
ReplyDeleteWere there any public statements as to what brought about the initial Apostolic visit? I remember hearing about this long ago, but don't ever remember what the "liturgical abuses" or other problems may have been.
ReplyDeleteFriar - I think there may have been some public statements - but I can't recall the details or separate them from what I know privately. Fr. Z did a post or two when the investigation was announced.
ReplyDeleteLa Stampa has several articles( MAY 21-22) with lots of lurid details...dancing women, and dishonest business practices. Apparently the removed abbot and some of the monks were too star struck too, and welcomed in too many lapsed Catholics like Gloria Estefan and Madonna( Yes, that Madonna!) Hey, at the request of Fr. Groeschel, I've offered many prayers for the return of Madonna to her baptismal faith. Didn't realize she might actually be searching like this though. I do hope to live to see her as his guest some day....:) And, I've known too many star-struck Trappists myself, always dropping names from Hollywood & their wealthy Kennedy benefactors, so I'd like to withdraw my suggestion about turning the place over to them. Hopefully it will go to an authentically traditional order.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this suppresion is a harbinger of rhings to come in the US...
ReplyDeleteNarcissism and self-aggrandizing on the part of the Abbot (ie a disordered 'radiation of fatherhood' of the variety decried beside the wizened oak in Fatima).
ReplyDeleteOk - respect family privacy, check.
Nut browse their public photo album you may:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/santacroce/page1/
Speaking of wizened oaks, here's a picture of a liturgical seraph
http://raivaticano.blog.rai.it/files/2009/04/capela-della-bibbia-062.jpg
whose pursed scarlet lips evoke those of the former Abbot
http://www.flickr.com/photos/santacroce/2951867321/in/photostream
Do I worry if my conjecture rises to calumny? No, I posit mere data, pointing to a foregone conclusion: the aforementioned work no longer hangs on the walls (nor the monks pace the halls) in Santa Croce.
My take? A personality cult comparable to that of Padre Maciel, men who could not withstand the pruning of their figurehead or renounce their sterile self-satisfied ways.
Clare - thanks - I did a new post just as you commented. I agree.
ReplyDelete