Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

173 If the interpersonal relationships between the religious evident in a giv- en community is one of the signs that young people look for, then it is worth realizing that the poor state of these relationships is also one of the more serious symptoms of a community crisis. There are opinions that in- dicate the weak evangelical character of the fraternal interactions. What often binds religious together is discipline and observing the law, carrying out their clearly defined tasks or functions. However, personal relation- ships based on closeness, solidarity, genuineness, and cordiality seem to be neglected. Meanwhile, Paul VI in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangeli- ca testificatio (No. 39) writes about the need for “a community spirit, friendship and fraternal cooperation in the same apostolate, as well as mutual support in a shared life chosen for a better service of Christ, are so many valuable factors in this daily progress.” 8 Experience suggests that poor relationships between individual reli- gious contribute to upsetting first the community’s mental and then its spiritual balance. This seems logical, because the relations in a convened community, where we do not choose our companions, but instead all have been chosen by Christ, is impossible to build in accordance with any oth- er model except: God – myself – the other person. Is there any chance of such a weakening of the bonds between the confreres as to confirm what Leon Bloy – a converted French Catholic writer, who was an agnostic full of hatred for the Church in his youth – attempted once to state, looking at the religious: “They say they love God because they do not love anyone”? One thing is quite certain: evangelical relations in communities are im- portant vocational indicators, perceived by the prospective or would-be candidates. They become valuable critics of our way of life. It also should be said that the crisis of vocations manifests itself not only in people’s decision against joining religious communities, but also in the departures from the communities either externally or internally. There is a considerable group of brethren who – still remaining in a community, and even fulfilling to an extent its communal daily practices, but whose vocation – in reality – is only skin-deep: they do not deeply believe in the values of their vocation and remain strangers within a religious communi- ty. These are people who have failed to overcome the routine, disappoint- ments, individualism, and to escape from the challenges of the new times (VC 70). An observation of everyday life gives plenty of evidence of the 8 See: St. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelica testificatio , June 29, 1971.