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Trouble in the Carmelite Order?

7/5/2018

10 Comments

 
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Hello Everyone:
Being July, we will touch on a few Carmelite topics. This one is more on information than formation. Did you know that when St. Teresa reformed the Carmelite Order -the Constitutions were a return to Tradition? This was done at the request of Our Lord Jesus, Himself.  In the late 1980's, during the reign of Pope John Paul II, there was a request from Rome to all the Orders to "update" or modernize their Constitutions. This sat well with the Carmelite friars since they were already well on the road to modernizing and are still bearing much fruit because of it; namely, lost vocations and closed monasteries. But some of the cloistered nuns knew that St. Teresa gave a strict command to keep their Constitutions. We have St. Teresa's following words -

"Let them beware, for the devil through very small things,
drills holes through which very large things enter.
May it not happen that those who are to come say:
'These things are not important; don't go to extremes.'

Oh, my daughters, everything that helps us advance is important!"

St. Teresa of Jesus
[i]Foundations[/i], ch.29, 32

And on her deathbed, St. Teresa exhorted her sisters thus (these were her last words to them):

"My daughters and my ladies,
for the love of God I beg that you will take great care
with the keeping of the Rule and Constitutions,
for if you keep them as faithfully as you ought to,
no other miracle will be needed for your canonization."

John Paul II approved the work of the minority of Carmelite nuns which desired to keep the old Constitutions by renewing them according to the directives of Vatican II. On December 8, 1990, the updated 1581 Constitutions were approved and promulgated by John Paul II. The following year, the new Constitutions for the nuns written by the Discalced Carmelite Order were also approved promulgated by John Paul II. Thus two sets of Constitutions for the Discalced Carmelite Nuns were approved, and the individual Carmels were given a choice on which ones they would follow. (note: Carmels still have a choice, and can request to change over)


Under the 1990 Constitutions, the nuns are directly under the jurisdiction of the Holy See. Under the 1991 Constitutions, the nuns are under the jurisdiction of the modernized Discalced Carmelite Father General, and associated with the modernized friars. St. Teresa had wanted the Order to be united. But she also wanted a strict rule and enclosure for her nuns set out in the Constitutions of 1581.

The majority of Carmels chose the 1991 Constitutions, and a few were given permission to follow the 1990's in all ways, except that they would be under the jurisdiction of the OCD Father General. I believe it's 16 out of the 60 something OCD Carmels in the US that are under the 1990 Constitution currently. There may be more if they switched just in the last few years since the below article was written. (link below).

As written a month or so ago, there are Traditional Carmelite Friars springing up! Thanks be to God!! We have Traditional Carmelite nuns as well! These will flourish and those who are lax are dying out. A renewal is on the way! May we pray for its steady growth and grace to be brought back to the world!!

May we pray for the Carmelite Order - First, Second and Third Orders. May Our Lady of Mount Carmel bring us back to Tradition and to holiness.

Below are the links to more information:

1990 vs. 1991 Constitutions
Disunity among Carmelites
Death of the Modernized Carmelite Friars
10 Comments
mary
3/22/2019 04:03:21 am

Dear Fathers'Brother/ Sisters...
Because I did not know who wrote this text. I really wanted to know more about 1990 constitutions.
As I knew that the Sisters in 1990 constitutions still keep discipline. So I want to know what's the Church thinking about discipline. Doeus the Church accept ? I want to enter the 1990 carmel, but think about discipline, I do not know, it is right or not with our age. Can you give a time to explain for me ? I will thankfull with that.
Thank you.
Mary.

Reply
Lee
10/26/2019 09:40:01 pm

"Death of the Modernized Carmelite Friars" is terribly misleading, because it completely overlooks the vocations boom among the Discalced Carmelite friars' provinces in Asia, Africa, and South America. Poland is still attracting solid new vocations, too... read Communicationes!

Reply
Michael Carroll
6/20/2020 01:53:54 am

The growing number of vocations is a red herring and irrelevant. It is whether or not the monastery is upholding the rule which will lead to Christian perfection and union with God which is the only thing which is relavent.

Reply
Bernadette Porter
6/20/2020 06:35:51 am

Hi Mike - the trouble is that we have turned away from what was previously used as the Carmelite Rule. On this website, the pre-Vatican II Rule is posted - "The Way of Perfection for the Laity". If you read this you will see how what is practiced now is not what was practiced then.

Very sad because St. Teresa of Avila noted that the Rule is not to be changed. Whether there are vocations or not - the Rule is critical.

http://www.catholictradition.org/francis-prophecies.htm

This talks about what would happen to the orders in the end times (with a false Pope - Francis)

God bless!!

William Lorenzo
8/9/2020 01:49:54 am

Hello. I am searching for a book “St. Elias and the Carmelites” written by A.E. Farrington, O. Carm published by James Duffy (Dublin) in 1890. I have tried the Amazon website which yielded negative results.
Would you know anyone who has a copy of this publication?

Reply
Bernadette
8/9/2020 06:58:17 pm

Hi William - It is always a difficult task trying to find books out of print - I would just suggest you contact used book sites and put in a request that when and if the book shows up - they will contact you.

Sorry I can not help in this regard. Take care and God bless!!

Reply
Stephen Arabadjis
2/9/2022 05:35:48 pm

To whom it may concern,
My name is Fr. Stephen Arabadjis.  I am a member of the Society of St. Pius X.  But I am in my 7th year of Sabbatical.Therefore I was hoping your group could do a 54 day rosary novena for my intentions.  But any prayers and sacrifices would be greatly appreciated.  I know Our Lady will reward you generously for this.
In Our Lady,
Fr. Arabadjis
P.S. Thanking you in advance, since I don't always get all my communications.

Reply
Bernadette Porter
2/10/2022 10:47:38 am

Hello Father Stephen...

I believe you posted a comment with this request in the past and I did mention it in my next article...

I will mention it again and I have been praying for you...hang tight...the Church and the world is in turmoil.

Our Lady and Her Rosary will get us through. Have confidence in her love and attention to your needs. We love you and need your service....I hope you come back to serving as a priest -- the world needs you.

Be assured of my prayers and I will post this in my next article at the bottom for you to get more participants in this Novena. (Mine is ongoing for you!)

My email is ...bernadetteofmary@protonmail.com if you would like to write there. Take care and God bless you through the intercession of our good Queen and Mother!!

Reply
Anthony
12/15/2022 02:05:17 pm

Hello!
The lord has placed in my heart a desire to discern a vocation with a traditional Discalced Carmelite Friary, could you direct me to options in the United States?

I'm aware of the monks, but I'm not entirely convinced this is where I should discern... My attraction to the Carmelite order has actually sprung up due to the Carmelite Monastery where I live, and the apparent holiness of the nuns who live a cloistered life there. Two years ago, the Mother Prioress made the decision to revert to what I would assume to be the 1990 tradition, and go "TLM only", which immediately attracted me; I made it a regular habit to attend the Mass there when it was made open to the public, and continue to be drawn to them in my spirituality as is evidenced by my growing love for St. Therese.

I've had the opportunity to altar serve several Masses for the nuns, and was even blessed with the chance to process with Father and the Blessed Sacrament throughout the cloister last year on the feast of Corpus Christi.

Reply
Bernadette Porter
12/16/2022 05:11:20 am

Hi - May you be greatly blessed with graces to answer your call. May our good Queen and Mother watch over you and lead you. I know of the Wyoming Friars...https://www.carmelitemonks.org and also a group in Pennsylvania that observes the Rule of St. Albert...https://www.edcarm.org/charism/

Both seem to live very austere lives and it looks like the latter is growing in more areas if you look at the website. This is a great sign.

I pray you find your little niche in which to give God praise at a time in the world when evil is growing at a rapid pace.

May Our Lady watch over you! God bless!!

Reply



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    Bernadette Porter is a Traditional Catholic, a wife of 42 years with 6 adult home-schooled children and 6 grandchildren. A sincere devotion to Mary, the Mother of God leads me to want to share "The Church's best kept secret" - Mary!

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  • Home
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