Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 176 the book and always called ‘evangelical,’ since – in the author’s opinion – they were described in the Gospel and extracted from it. The Marian laws, which were adjusted after the Founder’s death to the Rule ratified in 1699, marked the Congregation’s spirituality with Marian characteristics of an imitative kind and greatly impacted not only the spirituality of the Marians, but also promoted Marian devotion and the forms associated with it. It is particularly evident in the Congregation’s first century, especially in the actions taken by the Venerable Servant of God Casimir Wyszyński and his successors, beginning with publishing the work, (i.e., Gwiazda zaranna [The Morning Star] which presented Mary’s life in a manner similar to the Regula decem beneplacitorum) to founding Marian confraternities and building chapels and churches. Elements of their décor clearly promoted the idea of the imitation of the Blessed Mother’s 10 virtues (the church in Goźlin built in 1776 and the monastery church in Balsamão, Portugal, are the most characteristic examples.)46 The writings on the religious life of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński reflect the idea of imitating Mary Immaculately Conceived present on every stage of his pastoral and founding work. While still a Piarist, in a sermon before the members of the Marian sodalities, he spoke of giving honor to Mary – also by Pope Alexander VI had in its title the words secundum virtutes et beneplacita B. Mariae Virginis, used alternatively. However, all the 10 chapters depicting Mary’s conduct are titled exclusively as ‘her pleasures’ (de beneplacito). The second version of 1515, which was ratified by Pope Leo X and containing few changes, has a more technical structure that avoids both definitions. Unlike the previous edition, it has no introduction or conclusion, while its chapters are not titled, they are only numbered (chapter one, chapter two, etc). The contents speak about the virtues without providing any definitions, but only encourage the reader to imitate Mary’s attitude/conduct described by the particular chapter. The third and final edition of this Rule, prepared in 1517, after the death of Joan de Valois († 1505), and ratified by Pope Leo X, is basically a return to its first edition. It has an introduction and a conclusion, while the chapters – just like in the second edition – have numerical values, but also subtitles in which the author names the virtue being discussed by the chapter. It should be added that the Rule approved in 1723 together with theMarian Constitutions is basically the version of 1517 with certain changes and alterations to fit the Marian community. Cf. Règles successives des Sæurs de l’Ordine de la Vierge Marie..., passim; Regula Ordinis BeataeVirginis Mariae..., in: Leges marianae..., pp. 37-55. 46 A. Pakuła, La “Règle des dix plaisirs de la bienheureuse Vierge Marie” dans l’histoire de la Congrégation des Pères Mariens, in: Jeanne de France..., pp. 401-410.
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