Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 96 of Marian Fathers upon these religious Constitutions, without an obligation to accept a religious rule, previously ratified by the Church. Since this intention failed to secure the Church’s approval, it had become necessary, following the acceptance of the Regula decem beneplacitorum, to make amendments and modifications in order to adapt Norma vitae to the new rule. The thus edited Statuta were ratified by Pope Innocent XIII in 1723. However, they did not fully preserve the composition of Norma vitae as per Saint Stanislaus Papczyński’s version. In place of the chapter, De Charitate, they contain De oboedientia, paupertate et castitate, while the contents of the chapter De Charitate in their much poorer theological reading were placed in chapter VII, entitled De mutual Charitate et correctione fraterna.198 Other elements that were characteristic of Norma vitae were scattered throughout the remaining chapters. Unlike the purely Marian sources, Regula decem beneplacitorum dedicates decidedly less attention to the problems of the communal life. This is due in part to the character of that document whose main purpose is to deepen the spiritual aspect of a religious community. On the other hand, its vision of the religious life is marked by a verticality with an emphasis on a life in union with God and in imitation of Mary. The author of this Rule discusses the matter of charity as the essence of the communal life more extensively in chapter IX entitled De virtute pietatis sive CharitatisMariae Virginis. He states, among other things, that all those who make their vows upon this Rule “must be sure to strive [to possess] the virtue of charity to a more perfect degree.” Seeing that all religious order members belong to Christ, they should love one another and bring peace just as He brings peace everywhere. In addition – the Rule states – it is “only through love” (ex sola charitate) that one can please God and that “everything that is done without love is forfeited.” These principles allowed the author of the Regula to draw practical conclusions concerning the instructions about the communal life, namely: that the religious should “conduct 198 Cf. Statuta, VII, 1-6.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mw==