Spirituality of the Religious Life According to Saint Stanislaus Papczyński and the Early Tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers
Andrzej Pakuła, MIC, PhD Spirituality of the Religious Life According to Saint Stanislaus Papczyński and the Early Tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers Translated by Marina Batiuk Joseph Roesch, MIC MAR I AN H E R I TA G E STOCKBRIDGE, MA, USA 2022
Original title: Duchowość zakonna według Stanisława Papczyńskiego i wczesnej tradycji marianów Copyright © 2022 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. All rights reserved worldwide. Editing and proofreading: Joseph G. Roesch, MIC Contributors: Stephen Camara, MIC; Andrew R. Mączyński, MIC Project coordinator and cover design: Andrew R. Mączyński, MIC Page layout: Kathy Szpak The image on the cover: The First Coat of Arms of the Marians designed by St. Stanislaus Papczyński Imprimi potest: Most Rev. Fr. Andrzej Pakuła, MIC, PhD Superior General of the Congregation of Marian Fathers Rome, July 12, 2022, No. 141/2022 ISBN 978-1-59614-575-7 First edition. Printed and bound in Poland
Table of Contents List of Abbreviations .................................................................................... 7 Preface ........................................................................................................... 11 Introduction . ............................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER I: Charity as the Basis and Source of the Spirituality of the Religious Life.............................. 29 1. The Concept of Supernatural Love ............................................ 30 2. Ways of growing in charity........................................................... 48 2.1. Imago Dei est anima tua – purgation. ....................................... 49 2.2. Anima tua resplenduit sicut sol, a Sole increato illuminata – illumination . ............................................................................... 64 2.3. Divine amicitia – unity and friendship with God .................. 81 3. Charity – the essence of the communal life and the organizing principle of a religious community. ....................... 94 CHAPTER II: The Trinitarian Context of Spirituality.............109 1. . God the Father in the spirituality of the religious life .......... 111 2. Sequela Christi ............................................................................. 121 2.1. Ways of presenting Christ ......................................................... 122 2.2. Imitation of and Conforming to Christ .................................. 135 3. The Holy Spirit as the Author of the Religious Life .............. 145 CHAPTER III: The Immaculist Character of Spirituality.......159 1. . Maternal presence of the Immaculate Virgin ........................ 160 2. Imitatio virtutum Beatae Virginis Mariae ............................. 175 3. Spreading devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary . ............................................ 190
CHAPTER IV: Means of Spiritual Formation.............................209 1. . Prayer and mortification ............................................................ 210 1.1. Prayer ............................................................................................. 211 1.2. Mortification ................................................................................ 224 2. The Sacraments . .......................................................................... 232 2.1. Penance . ........................................................................................ 234 2.2. The Eucharist . .............................................................................. 239 3. Religious vows .............................................................................. 250 3.1. Obedience ..................................................................................... 253 3.2. Poverty ........................................................................................... 258 3.3. Chastity .........................................................................................263 CHAPTER V: Ecclesial Dimension of the Spirituality of the Religious Life..................................................269 1. . The Image of the Church ........................................................... 270 2. Teaching simple folk the truths of the faith ........................... 279 3. Suffragium defunctorum ............................................................ 291 4. The Sign of the Kingdom of Heaven ........................................ 304 CONCLUSION: .................................................................................... 319 Bibliography ...............................................................................................333
7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AMG G eneral Archives of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, Rome. CP Papczyński, S., Christus Patiens, Septem Discursibus Quadragesimali Paenitentiae accomodatis, Devotae Piorum considerationis Propositus…, Critical Ed. C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, Varsaviae, 1998; English Translation: The Suffering Christ, in: St. Stanislaus Papczyński Selected Writings, Warszawa-Stockbridge 2022, pp. 753-806. DIP Dizionario degli instituti di perfezione, I-VIII, Roma, 1974-1988. DSAM Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique, I-, Ed. M. Viller, Paris, 1937EK Encyklopedia Katolicka, 1-, Ed. F. Gryglewicz and al., Lublin, 1973FDR Papczyński, S., Fundatio Domus Recollectionis, Crit. Ed. C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, in: ScriptaHistorica, Varsaviae, 1999; English Translation: The Foundation of the House of Recollection, in: Selected Writings, pp. 900-913. IC Papczyński, S., Inspectio cordis. Stanislai a Iesu Maria Congregationis Immaculatae Conceptionis Clericorum Recollectorum, ex Scholis Piis Praepositi REcollectiones pro Dominicis et Festis totius anni et Menstruis exercitiis tumulturaria[=tumultuaria?] opera consutatae, Crit. Ed. C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, Varsaviae, 2000, English translation: Examination of the Heart, in: Selected Writings, pp. 111-561. NV Papczyński, S., Norma Vitae Religiosae Congregationi B.V. Mariae sine labe Conceptae Eremitarum Marianorum fidelibus defunctis praecipue Militibus et peste sublatis Suffragantium Proposita, Crit. Ed. C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, in: Norma Vitae et alia
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 8 Scripta, Varsaviae 2001, English Translation: Rule of Life, in: Selected Writings, pp. 49-77. OC Papczyński, S., Orator Crucifixus sive Ultima septemverbaDomininostri IesuChristi, totidempiis discursibus exposita…, Crit. Ed. C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, Varsaviae, 1998; English translation: The Crucified Orator, in: Selected Writings, pp. 679-739. Positio Sacra Congregation pro Causis Sanctorum, Officium Historicum, Poznaniensis Beatificatonis et canonizationis Servi dei Stanislai a Iesu Maria Papczyński, Fundatoris Clericorum Regularium Immaculatae Conceptionis B.V.M. († 1701), Positio super Introductioni Causae et super virtutibus ex officio concinnata, Romae, 1977. PRA Papczyński, S., Prodromus Reginae Artium sive Informatio Tyronum Eloquentiae, Crit. Ed. C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, Varsaviae, 2001. PZ Papczyński, S., Pisma zebrane, Warszawa, 2007. Regula Regula [decem beneplacitorum] Ordinis Beatae Virginis Mariae..., in: Leges marianae. Codices legis Congregationis Clericorum Marianorum ab eius fundatione usque ad nostra tempora, Romae, 1723, Ed. W. Makoś, MIC, Roma, 1999, (mps AMG). RT “Roczniki Teologiczne,” Lublin, 1991/1992RTK “Roczniki Teologiczno-Kanoniczne,” Lublin, 1949/1991. Statuta Statuta Patrum Marianorum Ordinis Beatae Virginis Mariae..., in: Leges marianae. Codices legis Congregationis Clericorum Marianorum ab eius fundatione usque ad nostra tempora, Romae, 1723, Ed. W. Makoś, MIC, Roma, 1999, (mps AMG). STV “StudiaTheologica Varsaviensia,” Warszawa, 1963TDM Papczyński, S., Templum Dei Mysticum quod in Homine Christiano demonstravit..., Crit. Ed. C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, Varsaviae, 1998; English
List of Abbreviations 9 Translation: The Mystical Temple of God, in: Selected Writings, pp. 569-672. VC John Paul II, Aspostolic Exhortation Vita consecrata. VF M. Leporini, Vita Fundatoris Congregationis Polonae Ordinis Immaculatae Conceptionis Beatae Mariae Virginis synoptice elucidatur, Positio, pp. 634-650.
11 PREFACE In modern times, problems of the consecrated life, especially those concerned with spiritual theology, become of greater importance. This way of life – a fuller realization of the baptismal consecration – is a sign of the Church as a community of believers. In his post-Synodal exhortation Vita consecrata, dedicated to the consecrated life and its mission in the Church, St. Pope John Paul II expressed a wish for the entire Church – and consecrated persons in particular – to reflect on the religious vocation and to respond with their lives to the continuously emerging new challenges. At the same time, St. John Paul II reaffirmed that the consecrated life was at the “very heart of the Church.” This lifestyle matches the essence of the Christian calling “and the striving of the whole Church as Bride towards union with her one Spouse” (VC, 3). John Paul II also indicated a need “for fidelity to the founding charism and subsequent spiritual heritage of each Institute” (VC, 36). The study of the spirituality of the individual religious families demonstrates the wealth of the Church as a charismatic community, enriched with various gifts of the Holy Spirit. Among those who enriched the 17th-century Church with a new form of the religious life in Poland, Saint Stanislaus Papczyński († 1701) – the Founder of the first native (Polish) religious congregation – stands out as a prominent person. It is fortunate that the task of researching the problem of the spirituality of the religious life according to S. Papczyński and the early tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers was undertaken also by a Marian, Fr. Andrzej Pakuła. From the relative wealth of the source materials, he extracted the fundamentals of this community’s spirituality of the religious life. According to the Author’s conclusions, the concept of the spirituality of the religious life, defined by Saint Stanislaus Papczyński and the early Marian tradition, is based upon sound Christian spirituality and possesses individual, specific features. The religious rules in particular, that is S. Papczyński’s Norma
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 12 Vitae, situating the religious life within the context of Christian love, demonstrate a good deal of originality. The ways of developing the religious life, such as the puragative, illuminative, and unitive, about which the Church has been teaching since ancient times, occupy an important place in this concept. Next to the Trinitarian aspect, the author underscores the prevailing element, which is the focus on the Person of Jesus Christ as the evangelical norm and rationale of the religious life. By the sacrifice of His own life, Christ freed men from sin and gave them hope to unite all things anew in Christ as the Head (cf. Eph 1:10). This work accentuates the Marian character of the newly created Institute, envisioned by its Founder in the aspect of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, especially in regard to the community’s main goal; whereas he perceived the mystery of the conception of the Mother of God in categories, generally accepted and recognized by the Church of the day. The monograph notes that the early Marian tradition of spirituality had a derivative character, especially following the adoption of the Rule of the Ten Virtues of the B.V.M. This fact greatly impacted the character of the Marian devotion and its forms promoted by the Institute. Examining the originality of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński’s thinking, the author realized the Founder’s certain reliance on the Ignatius school of spirituality. He also concluded that religious vows had been perceived as the most perfect form of the Christian life, the prototype of which had been demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Supported by the source documents, the author demonstrated that the primary goals of the new religious Institute founded by Stanislaus Papczyński were the instruction of the simple and poor folks in an easily understood manner and the prayerful assistance of the dead, especially the victims of wars and epidemics. Moreover, the author argued the influence of Franciscan spirituality on the concept of the Marian spirituality of the religious life. He closed with a correct conclusion that – in the light of his research – Saint Stanislaus Papczyński appeared as one of the prominent 17th-century Polish theologians of spirituality.
Preface 13 It seems that Fr. Andrzej Pakuła, MIC succeeded in demonstrating in a clear, profound, and relevant manner the analyzed issues of the spirituality of the religious life. Noteworthy are the source materials and various scholarly studies which were scrupulously collected and competently used by the author. The evidence of this is found, among other ways, in the exhaustive footnotes, further developing the ideas presented in the individual chapters. The author writes in a good Polish language and his statements are clear and comprehensible. Each chapter has a brief introduction and a closure with conclusions. The monograph is solid and rooted in the source material; it delivers subtle reasoning because of the issues raised. The views of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński and the Congregation’s early tradition were interpreted correctly and presented clearly and understandably. The exceptional importance of this monograph for the history and theology of Polish spirituality is noteworthy. It sheds light on the making of the spirituality of the religious life, especially because Fr. Papczyński was the first founder in the history of Poland of a native male religious congregation. It should be recognized that Fr. Andrzej Pakuła, MIC, has become, thanks to this monograph and his other works, one of the best experts on Marian spirituality. The present monograph is a great and important contribution to the development of the history of spirituality, especially of Polish spirituality of the religious life. It is a fundamental instrument for studying the process of the shaping of the Marian school of spirituality. Fr. Jerzy Misiurek, PhD Professor at the Catholic University of Lublin Lublin, September 17, 2009
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 14
15 INTRODUCTION Due to its very nature, the religious life is meant to express the deepest desire of the human heart, moved by grace: a complete dedication to the dearly beloved God through the profession of the evangelical counsels. It is a closer imitation of Christ, allowing one to become united with Him. From the beginning of Church history, this aspiration took on various forms, referring to the words and example of the life of our Savior, the Apostles, the Fathers of the Church, and Saints of various ages who also frequently were founders of religious communities. The diversity of the institutes raised in the Church by the Holy Spirit, expresses, on the one hand, the riches of Christian spirituality. On the other hand, it shows the multitude of forms of the religious life and the diversity of the spirituality of the religious life that always drew from the same sources of faith, but found their concrete form in the experience of the founder (and of his disciples) and the historical circumstances (religious, cultural, social) that impacted the forming of a religious community. The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, founded by Saint Stanislaus Papczyński in 1670, testifies to both this variety and the manifestation of the evolving forms. In the time period when Saint Stanislaus called this new religious community into existence, there already existed institutes of the old type (monks, canons regular, mendicant orders) within the borders of the Commonwealth of Poland, as well as the new ones (Jesuits, Piarists, Missionaries, Oratorians). The Marians were established as the last institute of the new type, when the legal and organizational structures of the clerics regular had long since been defined. Some aspects of the Marian Founder’s biography, also containing elements of his spirituality, have been already examined and presented in works of uneven merit. Noteworthy primarily are: the first academic and pioneer work of S. Sydry, MIC, entitled Czcigodny sługa Boży o. Stanisław od Jezusa Maryi Papczyński i jego dzieło w świetle dokumentów (Warszawa, 1937);
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 16 G. Navikewičius’s doctoral dissertation Stanaislao di GesùMaria Papczyński (1631-1701), Scolopio e Fundatore della Congregazione dei padre mariani (Roma, 1960); and two recent works, of which one belongs to W. Makoś, MIC, O. Stanisław od Jezusa Maryi Papczyński, Badania i refleksje (Warszawa, 1998), and the other to T. Rogalewski, MIC, Stanislaus Papczyński (1631-1701), Founder of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, Inspirer of the Marian School of Spirituality (Stockbridge, 2012). These two works were largely based on the work of C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, Sacra Congregatio pro causis Sanctorum, Officium Historicum, Poznaniensis Beatificationis et Canonizationis Servi Dei Stanislai a Jesu Maria Papczyński, Fundatoris Clericorum Regularium Immaculatae Conceptionis B.V.M. († 1701), Positio super Introductione Causae et super virtutibus ex officio concinnata (Romae, 1977), produced as part of the Founder’s beatification process. The state of the research on the legal and organizational structures of the Institute founded by Saint Stanislaus Papczyński is slightly worse. Previous research is basically in its infancy. J. Kałowski, MIC’s essay Początki mariańskiego ustawodawstwa, which appeared as part of the introduction to the Founder’s Pisma Fundacyjne [Founding Writings] (Warszawa, 2007, pp. 13-76), discusses the Marians’ first by-laws in general and their dealings with the Reformed Franciscans in the context of the aggregation and acceptance of the Regula decembeneplacitorum. The 1930 doctoral thesis by S. Sydry, MIC, called Organizacja Zgromadzenia Księży Marianów w XVIII wieku [Organization of the Congregation of Marian Fathers in the 18th century], was published by the Marian Historical Institute (Puszcza Mariańska, 2004) under an altered title: Zgromadzenie Księży Marianów w XVII wieku [Congregation of Marian Fathers in the 18th century], as the first part of a book entitled Zgromadzenie Księży Marianów od założenia do odnowienia [Congregation of Marian Fathers from Origin to Renovation]. The authors’ names were given as S. Sydry and J. Totoraitis. Because of the confusing way of giving the titles and authors’ names, this work of S. Sydry is nearly impossible to find, while it remains of importance to a historian, especially because some documents, to which the
Introduction 17 author refers, perished in the fires that destroyed the Warsaw archives during World War II. The greatest number of studies, usually of a theological and a popularized theological character, dealt with various issues of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński’s thought. Most frequently, these works were written as articles, treating some individual aspect. Chronologically, the first is the doctoral dissertation by C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, entitled Stanislaus a Jesu Maria Papczyński O. Imm. Conc. (1631-1701). Magister studii perfectionis (Romae, 1963, typeset). The work systematizes elements of the Marian Founder’s teachings (except those for Inspectio cordis, discovered only in 1971), in theological and moral categories. T. Rogalewski, MIC’s research was similar in character. It was originally dedicated to Stanislaus Papczyński only in part; it was released as Teologiczne podstawy życia chrześcijańskiego w nauczaniu Założyciela i Odnowiciela Zgromadzenia Księży Marianów (Lublin-Warszawa 1996), [translated as Theological Foundations of the Christian Life in the teachings of the Founder and the Renovator of the Congregation of Marian Fathers (Stockbridge, 2012)]. Later, his research focused fully on the writings of St. Stanislaus and appeared as Koncepcja życia chrześcijańskiego w pismach ojca Stanisława Papczyńskiego (Warszawa-Lublin, 2004). Also noteworthy are: the book by D. Kwiatkowski, MIC, Niepokalane Poczęcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny według ojca Stanisława Papczyńskiego (1631-1701), (Warszawa-Lublin, 2004), which is an attempt to deepen the Marian Founder’s teaching on the Immaculate Conception of the Most B.V.M.; a collective work entitled Mąż Boży. Szkice teologiczno- duczpasterskie o Ojcu Stanisławie Papczyńskim (Warszawa, 2007), containing a series of articles which provide a pastoral and theological reflection on the life and work of the Marian Founder in view of his beatification; K. Klauza’s study of the Fr. Papczyński’s Templum Dei Mysticum published under the title of Człowiek świątynią Boga; Teologia symboliczno-ascetyczna Błogosławionego Stanisława Papczyńskiego (in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Mistyczna świątynia Boga, Warszawa, 2007, pp. 9-135), as the introduction to the Polish translation of that work. Also, there
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 18 are articles dealing with more specific issues on Mariology, eschatology, the theology of the Cross, and rhetoric. Unfortunately, there still is no written work on the spirituality of the religious life according to Stanislaus Papczyński and the early tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers. Sporadic mentions of the subject appeared in works dealing with some individual biographical issues of theMarian Founder or his theological thought. However, being marginal in character, they are introduced as part of a thesis or a period of the Founder’s life under discussion. They frequently omit the source documents which were important in the forming of the Institute’s spirituality. It should also be noted that no other publication has been known to deal with the theological and spiritual aspects of the religious life as presented in the writings of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński. Neither is there any work on the source documents of the early Marian tradition, that is, the time of the Congregation’s origin. Thus, the basic question still remains unanswered about the theological and spiritual core of this religious institute, founded over 300 years ago. This question is of great importance primarily for the identity of the Marians themselves. Whereas the Church documents on the consecrated life indicate the need for a “fidelity to the founding charism and subsequent spiritual heritage of each Institute” (VC, 36), it is not possible to positively respond to this need without theologically describing the Institute’s original spirituality. Also, the beatification of Fr. Stanislaus Papczyński in 2007, nearly 300 years after his death, seems to confirm the importance and relevance of the example of his life and message, which define the Institute he founded. Furthermore, theological studies on the Marians’ spirituality, especially of its earliest period, considerably impact the studies on the history of Catholic spirituality in Poland. Some of the researchers are of the opinion that Stanislaus Papczyński is the creator of a new trend of the inner life and that the Marians’ spirituality is illustrative – in the broad sense – of the Polish school of spirituality.1 1 Cf. K. Górski, Zarys dziejów duchowości w Polsce, Kraków, 1986, p. 219; W. Słomka, Duchowośći szkoły, EK 4, col. 316; S. Urbański, Teologia życia mistycznego. Studium
Introduction 19 For the above reasons, the undertaking of the topic Spirituality of the Religious Life according to Stanislaus Papczyński and the Early Tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers is not merely justifiable but also necessary. The main goal of this work is to interpret the Marians’ source documents and to extract the fundamentals of the spirituality of the religious life. While clearly the subject of this study fits into the broad understanding of Christian spirituality2, it has its individual form consistent with the state of life in the Church. This state’s distinctive elements flowing from the nature of the religious life – proper to all institutes (such as the consecration of the person, religious vows, the communal life, public witness to Christ and the Church, and separation from the world3) – are imbued with the spirit of the Founder and other factors, highly relevant to the rise of the community. What elements of the spirituality of the religious life are essential and specific to Saint Stanislaus Papczyński and the early Marian tradition? What are their basic traits and what has been particularly emphasized? In what way have the basics of the spiritual life such as prayer, sacraments, and asceticism been interpreted? Is it viable to speak of an original approach to spirituality? Those are the main questions which the present work shall attempt to answer. polskiej mistyki (1914-1939), Warszawa, 1999, p. 9; J. Misiurek, Polska Szkoła Duchowości, in: Leksykon duchowości katolickiej, Ed. M. Chmielewski, Lublin, Kraków, 2002, p. 488; same author, Mariańska Szkoła Duchowości, in: Leksykon duchowości katolickiej, p. 488. 2 At this opportunity, let us provide its definition given by the [Polish] Catholic Encyclopedia: “Christian Spirituality is a form of the spiritual life of a faithful striving towards unity with God through Jesus Christ; it is shaped and fulfilled in accordance with His teachings, example of life, and salvific work in Christianity. It embraces all manifestations of a Christian’s life that are part of the Christian ethos and which find their expression in religiosity, asceticism, and mysticism. Together with them, spirituality is a subject of study by a special branch of theology.” Cf. M. Daniluk, Duchowość chrześcijańska, EK, 4, col. 317. The issue of the unity of Christian spirituality understood in a different manner (as Christian holiness) in a broad (and highly useful for persons in charge of beatification processes) perspective is also discussed by I. Wierbiński in: Problemy i zadania współczesnej hagiologii, Toruń 2004, pp. 19-91. 3 Cf. M. Daniluk, Encyklopedia instytutów życia konsekrowanego i stowarzyszeń życia apostolskiego. Pojęcia, terminy, instytucje, dokumenty, czasopisma, Lublin 2000, pp. 100-101, 405.
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 20 The title of this research defines its timeframe, which also includes Saint Stanislaus Papczyński’s lifetime († 1701), as the period of the “early tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers.” It covers the first 50 years of this religious community’s history from 1673 (the year of the bishop’s approval of the first Marian monastery in Puszcza Korabiewska) until 1723, when Pope Innocent XIII ratified the Marian by-laws or Constitutions entitled Statuta PatrumMarianorumOrdinis B.V.M.... adapted to the Regula Ordinis Beatae Virginis Mariae quam Patres Mariani Congregationis Polonae... (alternate title: Regula decem beneplacitorum), adopted by the Marians in 1699. While the papal decision closes the period of the Marian community’s development as an institute of Clerics Regular, where Stanislaus Papczyński was the first to profess solemn vows before theApostolicNuncio Francisco Pignatelli in 1701, (his confreres made their professions into the hands of the Founder afterwards), there still were noConstitutions adapted to the Rule. Furthermore, Norma vitae written as early as 1672, was intended by the Founder as his new Institute’s one and only principal law, according to the principle constitutiones pro regula4 that the Church used back in the day in spite of dissimilar formal legal requirements. However, circumstances surrounding the rise of the new community soon forced Stanislaus Papczyński to modify his Norma vitae to fit the eremitical status, in which the Congregation was initially established (as the only possible form of installing a congregation of simple vows based on diocesan law). The Norma vitae (released in 1687) was edited and ratified in 1694 by Cardinal Leandro Colloredo on behalf of the Holy Congregation for Religious and Bishops. The text of this document – as we know it today – is the version adapted for the Marians’ status as hermits. In time, it also proved necessary to accept a rule previously recognized by the Church. The Marian Founder, who died in 1701, did not live to adjust his Norma vitae to the accepted Regula decem beneplacitorum, which was the necessary requisite. This work was performed by his successors. 4 Cf. J. Kałowski, Początki mariańskiego ustawodawstwa, in: Bł. Stanisław Papczyński, Pisma fundacyjne, Introduction by A. Pakuła, J. Kałowski, translated by K. Krzyżanowski, Warszawa, 2007, p. 62.
Introduction 21 The primary sources for this study were Saint Stanislaus Papczyński’s writings addressed to his confreres and closely dealing with the rise of the Congregation of Marian Fathers.5 It should be noted that all extant works of our Fr. Founder were recently released as a critical edition through the efforts of C. Krzyżanowski, MIC, and then translated into Polish by a group of people with A. Pakuła, MIC as the editor; this one-volume publication appeared in Warsaw in 2007, as Pisma zebrane. Among Saint Stanislaus’s works on the spirituality of the religious life, we shall mention Norma Vitae Religiosae Congregationi B. V. Mariae sine labe Conceptae Eremitarum Marianorum fi delibus defunctis praecipue Militibus et peste sublatis Suffragantium Proposita et ab Eminentissimo et Reverendissimo Domino Domino Leandro Cardinali Colloredo ex Commissione Sacrae Congregationis Regularium et Episcoporum Correcta Romae Anno Domini 1694 (critical Latin edition in: Norma Vitae et alia Scripta, Varsaviae 2001, pp. 11-64; Polish edition: Reguła życia, transl. by C. Krzyżanowski MIC, in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma zebrane, Warszawa 2007, pp. 33-76); these are the first Marian laws establishing the main principles of life for the Marian Institute, adjusted to the eremitical status, binding the Marians in 1694. In addition, worth noting is: Inspectio cordis, Stanislai a Iesu Maria Congregationis Immaculatae Conceptionis Clericorum Recollectorum, ex Scholis Piis Praepositi – Recollectiones pro Dominicis et Festis totius anni et Menstruis exercitiis tumulturaria opera consutatae [1679-85] (critical Latin edition: Varsaviae 2000; Polish edition: Wejrzenie w głąb serca, transl. by 5 This work gives quotes from Norma vitae and the Statutes according to the chapters and points because those works are legal documents. Since the author refers to a concrete translation, he gives the respective versions in the list of abbreviations. Sometimes, the original Latin text was also needed; therefore, the list of abbreviations gives this version, as well. The author of the present work always quotes the Statutes in his own translation, since they exist in Latin only. It is similar in the case of the Regula decem beneplacitorum, because the Polish translation in Pisma zebrane does not conform to the text of 1723. Therefore, all of the quotes from the Regula are given in A. Pakuła’s translation. The quotes are referenced by page number, not by chapter and point (as was done for the Norma vitae and the Statutes) only because the 1723 text has no points, but only fairly lengthy chapters. When quoting from the Norma vitae, the author used the translation published in Pisma zebrane. However, sometimes his own translation and/or text in the original Latin also appear (note of the Editor).
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 22 W. Makoś MIC, in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma zebrane, pp. 5951063), – a work meant exclusively for the religious, which treats in the form of meditations (before and after Holy Communion, as well as topical and daily reflections) the basic aspects of a life in God that leads to religious perfection. Also, the Oblatio (critical Latin edition in: Scripta Historica, Varsaviae 1999,pp. 25-30; Polish edition: Ofiarowanie siebie, transl. by C. Krzyżanowski MIC, in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma zebrane, pp. 1421-1423), is significant for the present work because it was Saint Stanislaus’s first public declaration of his intent to found the Congregation of Marian Fathers and the definition of its main goal. Of no lesser importance is the Fundatio Domus Recollectionis (critical Latin edition in: Scripta Historica, Varsaviae 1999, pp. 75-96; Polish edition: Założenie domu skupienia, transl. by C. Krzyżanowski MIC, in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma zebrane, pp. 1454-1469), a document describing the beginnings of the Institute and Saint Stanislaus’s first founding actions. The present study will mention other short writings of Saint Stanislaus, which occupy an important place in the process of creating the Congregation of Marians and shaping their spirituality of the religious life. Likewise, references will be made to other writings of the Founder, not specifically addressed to his confreres, which would afford a better understanding of the theological and spiritual matters, should our study or the analysis of the theological issues so require it. These works have been only briefly mentioned in religious documents, but they occupy an important place in the concept of the spirituality of the religious life. This is especially the TemplumDei Mysticum quod in homine christiano demonstravit R. P. Stanislaus a Iesu Maria Presbyter Polonus (critical Latin edition: Varsaviae 1998; Polish edition: Mistyczna świątynia Boga, tłum. W. Makoś MIC, in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma zebrane, pp. 1065-1188). By presenting man symbolically as a mystical temple of God, this treatise demonstrates a model of holiness for people in all walks of life. Two other important works comprising sermons (meditations) on the Passion of Christ and the resulting applications to the Christian life are: Orator Crucifixus sive Ultima Septem Verba Domini nostri Iesu Christi, totidem
Introduction 23 piis discursibus exposita per R. P. Joannem Papczyński, Presbyterum Polonum (critical Latin edition: Varsaviae 1998; Polish edition: Ukrzyżowany Mówca, transl. by R. R. Piętka, MIC, in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma zebrane, pp. 1189-1263) and Christus Patiens, Septem Discursibus Quadragesimali Paenitentiae accomodatis, Devotae Piorum considerationi Propositus per Patrem Stanislaum a Iesu Maria Sacerdotem Polonum (critical Latin edition: Varsaviae 1998; Polish edition: Ukrzyżowany Mówca, transl. by R. R. Piętka, MIC, in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma zebrane, pp. 1265-1334). Documents of the early tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers make up a second group of recently published source materials; however, the quality of their editing varies. Vita Fundatoris Congregationis Polonae Ordinis Immaculatae Conceptionis Beatae Mariae Virginis, written ca. 1705 by Mansueto Leporini, OFMRef, later included in the documents of the beatification process and published as a critical edition in Positio (pp. 634-650), is the first, fairly brief biography of Stanislaus Papczyński. Produced soon after his death, it is arranged in chronological order and gives facts from the Founder’s life, his virtues, and exceptional graces. The work has a narrative character, with its constant point of reference being the perspective of faith and growth in holiness of the depicted person. Other significant documents on the Marian tradition are the religious by-laws ratified by the Holy See in 1723. They were published under the title Leges marianae; Codices legis Congregationis Clericorum Marianorum ab eius fundatione usque ad nostra tempora (in a typescript format) by W. Makoś, MIC, (Romae 1999). They are Statuta Patrum Marianorum Ordinis B.V.M... (in: Leges marianae..., pp. 73-96), or the religious Constitutions adapted to the Regula decem beneplacitorum (given as Regula Ordinis Beatae Virginis Mariae quam Patres Mariani Congregationis Polonae... (in: Leges marianae..., pp. 41-55). It is important to indicate here that the Regula decem beneplacitorum, translated into Polish and published in Pisma zebrane under the title of Reguła dziesięciu upodobań, czyli dziesięciu cnót Błogosławionej Dziewicy Maryi (in: Bł. S. Papczyński, Pisma
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 24 zebrane, pp. 1526-1543), is based on the Latin version of the same Rule that appeared in print in 1930 along with the Marian Constitutions. That version has some alterations as compared to the Rule published in 1723, which is the basis of the present work. While these differences do not change the essence of the document, they are important and worth noting. To give an example: The Prologus from the Rule of 1723 states: “Necesse habeatis ea scire, quae Evangelio dicit Virginem habuisse, cogitasse, dixisse vel fecisse. His quatuor modis offertur in Evangelio vobis Virgo...” while the version of 1930 says: “Necesse habeatis ea scire, quae Evangelio dicit Virginem cogitasse, dixisse vel fecisse. His tribus modis offertur in Evangelio vobis Virgo...” The word “habuisse” which indicates that what the Blessed Virgin possessed is omitted; consequently, the attention was diverted to the “threefold manner” of presenting Mary instead of the “fourfold” one. It is necessary to add that the 1723 text is closer to the Rule which the Holy See approved in its final version in 1517 (earlier papal approvals were: by Alexander VI in 1502 and by Leo X in 1515).6 In order to understand the Marians’ spirituality of the religious life, it seems absolutely obligatory to take into account both of the religious by-laws of 1723; however, it should be noted that they have been extremely rarely discussed in works on Marian identity and spirituality. Surely, this is a shift made in recent decades, not dictated by the renovation of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, accomplished by Blessed George Matulaitis-Matulewicz and his companions. The first reformers were deeply mindful of the Marian history and heritage, including the sources of the spirituality and identity which had to be preserved from disappearing. This is confirmed, for example, in the Circular Letter on the Constitutions of the renewed Congregation, issued in 1933. In it, Francis Bučys, MIC, the then General Superior of the Marians, wrote: “The second part 6 Cf. Règles successives des Sæurs de l’Ordine de la Vierge Marie. 1502-1515-1517. Texte latin et traduction Française-Néerlandaise, Westmalle-Peyruis 2002, pp. 1-10, 53-73, 123-129; Constitutiones Congregationis Clericorum Regularium Marianorum, Romae 1930, pp. 331-347.
Introduction 25 of this book [meaning, the Constitutions – Fr. Pakuła’s note] includes numerous supplements, the first of which is the Rule of the Ten Virtues. For quite a long time, our Congregation drew its spirit from this Rule, although it was not written by our Founder, the Venerable Servant of God, Father Stanislaus Papczyński. Nevertheless, it preserved his spirit and that of his sons. Notwithstanding the fact that it does not now possess the force of law, it should nevertheless be a delightful spiritual nourishment for our community, so that the 10 virtues beloved by the Blessed Virgin Mary might take shape in us. And just like the Order of St. Benedict venerates their Rule, so we, also, should appreciate and love the Rule of the Ten Virtues.”7 In addition to the aforesaid documents, the fulfillment of the subject of this dissertation will necessitate considering other source materials on the early tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers that contain information valuable to the topic at hand. Moreover, it will be advisable to recall something that is very significant in the history of the Marians, the biography of Stanislaus Papczyński written by the Servant of God Casimir Wyszyński and entitled, VitaVenerabilis Servi Dei Patris Stanislai a IesuMaria Qui Congregationem ReligiosorumMarianorum (...) instituit, Composita per Patrem Casimirum Wyszyński (1754) (Positio, pp. 660-717; The Polish text is in: Stróż duchowego dziedzictwamarianów. Wybór pismo. KazimierzaWyszyńskiego, transl. and ed. by Z . Proczek, MIC, Warszawa-Stockbridge 2004, pp. 49-142). Although this work does not belong to the period under discussion, it has a special impact: it is the very first and purposeful interpretation of the Founder’s life and spirituality, as well as of the character of his Institute, and it draws practical conclusions for the Marians’ work. The book has the character of a hagiography. For this paper, we will use a method suitable for researching the theology and history of spirituality, i.e. an analysis of the source documents and the works on the subject and organized 7 F. Bučys, Circular Letter regarding the Constitutions, in: Konstytucje Zgromadzenia Księży Marianówpod wezwaniem Niepokalanego Poczęcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny, Kraków 1933, s. XIV.
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 26 as a conference on the basic theological ideas contained therein. Since we intend to set the research within a historical context potentially leading to determining the originality of the analyzed opinions, the findings of this study will sometimes be measured – by comparison – against the general situation of the Polish spirituality of the day. Because the source documents have been written only in Latin, in order to uncover the significance of their statements and to more precisely interpret the meaning, including the implicit one, we shall use their original language as this work’s primary reference language, even though some of the documents may have been already translated into Polish. For the same reason, the work will quote characteristic original Latin terms or phrases that deepen the theological sense of the problems being discussed. The work is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is dedicated to an examination of charity as the basis and the source of the spirituality of the religious life. After discussing the concept of supernatural love, we will show customary ways of growing in love/charity (purgation, illumination, union), and this love’s essential meaning for the common life and the organization of a religious community. The second chapter will attempt to interpret the Trinitarian context of the spirituality of the religious life according to the examined documents. In other words, it will show the place of God the Father and the hallmarks of the religious person’s relationship to Him, followed by an analysis of the characteristic features of relating to Christ with the goal of following in His footsteps (sequela Christi) and becoming like Him. We will indicate the causative role of the Holy Spirit in the initiation of the religious life in its communal and individual dimensions. In the third chapter, will consider the relationship with the Mother of God from the immaculist perspective, but particularly, the aspect of Mary’s maternal presence, the imitation of her virtues and the fulfillment of the basic aim for which the Institute was founded. The fourth chapter will discuss the means of formation of the spirituality of the religious life which were clearly emphasized in the analyzed documents, namely: prayer and mortification, the meaning of
Introduction 27 the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist, the religious vows of obedience, poverty and chastity. The goal of the fifth chapter is to examine the spirituality of the religious life in an ecclesial dimension. Therefore, an attempt will be made to interpret the image of the Church in light of the analyzed sources, to define the meaning and scope of service to the Church, especially in providing Christian teaching to the simple people and supporting the dead with prayer and penance. Then we will extricate the meaning of the religious life as a sign of the kingdom of heaven. The conclusion will provide a summary of the research results as well as the conclusions for spiritual theology in both the context of the Congregation of Marian Fathers and the history of Polish spirituality.
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 28
29 Chapter I CHARITY AS THE BASIS AND SOURCE OF THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE The central character of supernatural charity as the essential and unifying factor of the spirituality of the religious life is clearly noticeable in all of Stanislaus Papczyński’s writings, as well as in the important documents of the early tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers. The Marian Founder outlined his new community’s general and specific goals in the first chapter of his Norma vitae, indicating supernatural charity (charitas) at once as the means for their realization. Let us note that this interpretation gives an original view on the religious life – also expressed in a legal manner (the religious constitutions) – and an emphasis on the spiritual and evangelical contents. Without a doubt, we may consider this to be Fr. Papczyński’s personal contribution to the concept of the religious community, because “up until the 19th century, neither the tradition nor the Holy See came up with any guidelines for composing a religious order’s constitutions.”1 Furthermore, Fr. J. Kałowski, MIC, believes that such a structure in the Norma vitae suggests that Fr. Papczyński might have modeled his work after some earlier religious rules, such as the Rule of St. Augustine, the Camaldolese constitutions or the rule of the Ferriolacensis monastery. However, all these works set charity in the background and give it a slightly different meaning. Fr. Papczyński’s other writings on the spirituality of the religious life treat the topic of love/charity similarly, emphasizing its fundamental importance for the comprehensive idea of the spirituality of the religious life. This is true for his Inspectio cordis, as well as for his less extensive works.2 The author of the Regula 1 J. Kałowski, Norma vitae. Pierwsze konstytucje Zakonu Marianów, in: “Prawo Kanoniczne” 26(1983) nr 3-4, p. 122. 2 It seems necessary to mention here that the matter of supernatural love, as the essential goal of the religious life, has not only a theoretical and programmatic character for Papczyński, but also a vital and practical character, meaning that it
Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 30 decem beneplacitorum also centered the perspective of the evangelical life on love/charity – following the example of Mary – as a reference point for consecrated persons. The concept of charity must be understood in a proper manner and, therefore, it requires explaining and defining. It has a meaning that regulates a proper understanding of individual growth in the spiritual life. The process is described as a path, on which a person goes through subsequent stages from purgation to illumination, to union and friendship with God who is Love (1 Jn 4:8). Ultimately, charity takes on a social character that regulates the life of a religious community. We shall also note that the aforesaid, clearly present dimensions of charity, understood as the basis and source of the spirituality of the religious life, are not shown in a fully systematic manner either in the writings of our Founder or in any other documents of the early tradition of the Marian Fathers. 1. The Concept of Supernatural Love The concept of evangelical love – charitas – as a certain plan for the religious way of life – was clearly presented by Papczyński in the second chapter of Norma vitae. He centers the spirituality of the religious life in its external, organizational, and legal aspects exactly around this very charity. This perception of the spiritual life becomes more evident if we consider the entire structure of the religious by-laws of the first Marian Fathers as proposed by our Founder. Discussing various aspects of the religious life, Fr. Papczyński reiterated that the love of God should be the has a bearing on him personally, as well. At the time of the dispute with the Piarists that led to Papczyński’s departure from that Order and the subsequent founding of a new religious community, Saint Stanilaus gave – as one of the reasons for leaving – his love of the religious life (charitas), understood as a love for the community to which he belonged. This was corroborated by the decree of the heroic virtues, which states that “completely taken by true love [...] he asked in 1669 for permission to leave the Order of the Piarist Fathers, which was given on the base of the apostolic breve of Dec. 11, 1670.” Cf. Bl. S. Papczyński, Apologia wystąpienia z Zakonu Szkół Pobożnych, PZ, p. 1448-1450; Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Decree [...] The canonization cause of the Servant of God, Stanislaus of Jesus Mary Papczyński, Founder of the Congregation of Marians under the title of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1631-1701), in: Lest You Remain without Work in the Vineyard of the Lord. Proceedings of the Committee of the Congregation of Marian Fathers in Charge of Preparations for the Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God, Fr. Stanislaus Papczyński, Ed. A. Pakuła, Warszawa-Stockbridge 2006, p. 95.
Charity as the Basis and Source of the Spirituality of the Religious Life 31 only motivation and the objective of the religious’ every aspiration. However, neither the Norma vitae nor any other work of St. Stanislaus provides a definition of love/charity or even a description that could fulfill this purpose. Consequently, the concept of love takes on various meanings in his works. He wrote in Latin and therefore used different nouns to define love (charitas, dilectio, amor) as well as verbs (amare and diligere), basically attaching the same meaning to them; yet, while using the word charitas, he frequently refers directly to mercy.3 Wishing to indicate another content of the concept, he usually added a descriptive: amor spiritualis, amor carnalis, amor divinus. A similar manner of using Latin concepts is found in Regula decem beneplacitorum, although its author, talking about love, in most cases used amor and amare. Other works from that period do not add any new information to the topic at hand. In the Christian tradition, the above-named definitions were meant to describe individual kinds of love/charity.4 They were synonymous in the early documents of the Marian Fathers’ tradition, which becomes even more noticeable when we consider their use in a sentence. It seems that the reason lies mainly in the character of the analyzed works: they weren’t intended as systematic treatises on love/charity, but as practical, theological, and ascetic directives for growing in the spiritual life and religious formation. We should not exclude an additional possible factor: the impact of St. Augustine’s theological doctrine on the theological and spiritual thought of our Founder – as well as the author of the Regula decem beneplacitorum – and other works of the period. It is known that the Bishop of Hippo’s focus was not on terminology, but on the internal intentions of human actions and he regarded various definitions of charity/ love as synonymous.5 3 Cf. A. Pakuła, Miłość jako podstawa życia zakonnego według “Inspectio cordis” Stanisława Papczyńskiego OIC (1631-1701), RT 42(1995) z. 5, p. 109-119. 4 Cf. F. Prat, Charité, DSAM, t. 2, Paris 1953, kol. 508-530; F. Drączkowski, Miłość syntezą chrześcijaństwa, Lublin 1990, p. 13-28; R. Coste, Miłość, która zmienia świat. Teologia miłości, przeł. M. Stokowska, Rzym-Lublin 1992, p. 15-20. 5 Cf. F. Drączkowski, ibid., pp. 22-23. It is noteworthy that Papczyński, educated by the Jesuits and the Piarists who mainly taught Thomistic scholasticism (like
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