The Renewal of the Order redone 2018

27 Introduction The Congregation made three essential amendments to the draft. First, the Marian writer of the law entitled his draft: “Institute of the Marian Brothers Under the Title of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Virgin Mary.” In accordance with that title, all members of the Congregation, both priests and non-priests, were supposed to belong to the same category and enjoy the same rights. 79 Among the officers, only the General 80 and his Deputy 81 had to be priests, and it was also appropriate that the Novice Master be a priest. 82 That was the expression of the democratic views of Rev. Matulewicz. According to this innovation, all priests began to sign their name preceded by “Brother.” Even General Sekowski switched to this style. However, the Congregation for the Religious, in accordance with the Marian tradition (as a clerical order) and the existing law, deleted those sections, introducing two categories of monks: priests and brothers, whereby only the clergy had both active and passive voting rights in the community. 83 Secondly, the Congregation included in the constitutions a clause from the old Marian Rule concerning special support for souls in Purgatory, 84 as one of the purposes of the Marian Order. However, the Marian Spirituality as Reflected in the Marian Constitutions of 1930], Rome 1965. For the complete picture, two worthless and even misleading publica- tions, largely based on insinuation and groundless allegations should be noted: M. Kolodziejski, Zakon OO. Marianow a Zgromadzenie Ks. Ks. Marianow (Kontrowersyjne problemy tzw. odnowy) [The Marian Fathers Order and the Congregation of Marian Priests (Controversial Problems of So-called Renewal], Rome-Torun 1980; J. Muniak, Mons. Jerzy Matulewicz i jego dzieje w swietle faktow [Rev. J. Matulewicz and His History in the Light of Facts], Rome-Krakow 1980. 79 Institutum Fratrum Marianorum sub titulo Immaculatae Conceptionis Beatissimae Virginis Mariae , St. Petersburg, 1910, section 6. 80 Ibid., section 253. 81 Ibid., section 261. 82 Ibid., section 339. 83 ACIVCSVA, p. 26, Vol. 1, Constitutiones Instituti Fratrum Marianorum..., section 6. It was only Vatican II which went in the direction proposed by Rev. Matulewicz ( Perfectae caritatis No. 15 ). 84 ACIVCSVA, p. 26, Vol. 1, Constitutiones Instituti Fratrum Marianorum. .., section 5.