MARIANS IN 1670-1788 124 Papczyński, while in Rome in 1691, sought what is called affiliatio, which is the admission of the Marians to participate in the spiritual goods of the Capuchins, Piarists, Dominicans, and Reformed Franciscans. The content of the affiliation documents issued at that time was similar. The Minister General of the Capuchins stated: “By this document, we accept you as spiritual sons of our Order, and we make you participants of all Masses, sacrifices, devotions, prayers, acts of obedience, vigils, penances, mortifications, and pilgrimages.”207 Similar are the words of the act issued by Carlo Francesco de Varesio, the Vicar General of the Reformed Franciscans: “By the power of our privileges, we admit you and include you among the brethren of our branching-out Order, so that both in this life and after death you may fully share in all its merits [...] through good deeds, Masses, prayers, meditations, chastisements, fasts, pilgrimages, and penances [...].”208 The documents of the Piarists and Dominicans are similar in content. Yet, only the Reformed Franciscans imposed their authority over the Marians. A difficult question that remains unanswered has repeatedly arisen among Marian historians: how did the Marian Order become so closely dependent on the Reformed Franciscans, with such widespread jurisdiction over the Marian Order? Were any legally binding decrees issued? Were there individuals behind this dependence? The dominant view among Marian historians was that the dependency of the Marians on the Friars Minor of Observance resulted from the Marians’ acceptance of the Rule of the Ten Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and their subsequent aggregation into the Order of the Reformates.209 Georgio Navikevicius claimed that the adoption of the Rule infringed on the Marians’ charism, making them more like Reformates; in addition, by making solemn vows on this Rule, the Marians quasi-confirmed their dependency on the Reformates, which had an impact on their spirit and discipline.210 The external sign of this 207 Positio, Papczyński, p. 445; cf. Prot. Ord. 208 Positio, Papczyński, pp. 446-447. 209 S. Sydry, O. Stanisław, p. 239; Navikevicius, p. 208; W. Nieciecki, Główne cechy, pp. 18-19. 210 Navikevicius, p. 208. “La Congregazione accettando la Regola delle Dieci Virtu, veniva in qualche modo ad essere riformata; i suoi membri, infatti, dovevano ora fare la professione solenne, ed essa stessa veniva a dipendere dall’Ordine Francescano, che avrebbe potuto interferire nella sua disciplina e nel suo spirito. Inoltre i suoi membri dovevano portare il cordone francescap. “
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