Bottom line if your search for solitude is based on a misanthropic dislike for other people then your love of silence is not healthy. "Love they neighbor as thyself" - Jesus.

Poche, you have a conciliar mind, which attributes bad motive to the Church and Her Saints and Her institutions from before the council. Who is it who has a misanthropic for other people? Lets get specific instead of generalizing. Men have a perfect right to give themselves to God and even to remove themselves from the presence of worldly and sinful men so better serve God.  One can love one's neighbor even if he does not live among them.
The conciliar church demonstrates its religion by acts of social justice and other worldly activities which have nothing to do with communing with the Heavenly Kingdom.

Bottom line if your search for solitude is based on a misanthropic dislike for other people then your love of silence is not healthy. "Love they neighbor as thyself" - Jesus.

Charity is much more than talking to people.
Monks fleeing the world, which implies they leave people, is not "misanthropic".

And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.

Charity is much more than talking to people.
Monks fleeing the world, which implies they leave people, is not "misanthropic".

His holiness did not say that leaving the world to follow Christ was disordered. What he criticized was a motivation that is misanthropic. Those who leave the world to follow Christ in contemplative life will still have to love their neighbor, whether it is someone far and away or the person in the next cell.    

His holiness did not say that leaving the world to follow Christ was disordered. What he criticized was a motivation that is misanthropic. Those who leave the world to follow Christ in contemplative life will still have to love their neighbor, whether it is someone far and away or the person in the next cell.   

He did not say
"It is not healthy to love silence while not practicing charity toward others"
but
"It is not healthy to love silence while fleeing interaction with others"
interaction ≢ charity
(just like "active participation" ≢ "interior participation" in the Mass)

Contemplative Women Must Change Their Lifestyles

Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D.

Francis' latest Apostolic Constitution on Women's Contemplative Life is much more revolutionary than it might appear at first sight. Perhaps that is why it has not received the attention it deserves from the Catholic media, who typically try to avoid reporting the more destructive fruits of Vatican II.

Titled Vultum Dei Quaerere (VDQ), it calls for women religious living in contemplative orders around the world to re-regulate their lifestyles and re-write their constitutions to better conform to the Vatican II guidelines and the changing modern times. The Vatican press release plainly admits VDQ is a “call to implement changes” in 12 areas of the monastic tradition, from formation to cloister and asceticism. In the long term, it is a full re-structuring of contemplative religious orders.

The docuмent is short, if we consider the prolixity of other Francis docuмents, only 21 pages. Despite much flummery and praise for the contemplative life, the tone of Vultum Dei Quaerere is clear: All Catholic religious in contemplative communities – and that means absolutely all: the cloistered, semi-cloistered, those devoted primarily to prayer, etc. – must officially “get with” the Vatican II program and actively engage in adaptation to the modern world. (VDQ art. 2: §1)

 No more exceptions or excuses like “we are following the order’s special charisma.”  The move toward centralization and modernization is mandated by the Supreme Pontiff himself and applies to every order under his jurisdiction, including the traditionalist female contemplative institutions – those linked to Fraternity St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King, the Good Shepherd Institute and, shortly, to those dependent on the Society of St. Pius X, when it officializes its status with Rome.

Forbiddingly, Francis begins by dictating that VDQ abrogates and over-rules all past docuмents with norms governing the lives of religious contemplative women, including the 1983 Code of Canon Law. To make the command crystal clear, he specifically lists the more relevant docuмents starting with Pius XII's Apostolic Constitution
Sponsa Christi (1950) to the Vatican Instruction Verbi Sponsa (1999) on the contemplative life and enclosure of nuns. (VDQ art. 1 )

Therefore, with a sweep of the hand, Francis mandates:
• All contemplative women religious orders must review their aims and rewrite their constitutions to be in better accord with Vatican II;
• All past norms and regulations governing contemplatives including Canon Law are voided;
• The contemplative women religious orders must submit unquestioningly to VDQ and await another set of guidelines to come.
• These new constitutions, once adapted to the new guidelines, still to be issued by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, must be approved by the Holy See. (VDQ art. 14: §2)

It should be noted here that the one appointed to issue these norms is Brazilian Card. João Braz de Aviz. the head of the Vatican's Congregation for Religious Life. Card. Aviz makes no secret that he believes all religious orders should live their lives more “inserted” into the world. 

Addressing the religious formation directors at a Rome congress in 2015, he spoke harsh words against those religious who try to avoid the changes in the Church brought about by Vatican II.

“In fact, those that are distancing themselves from the Council to make another path are killing themselves – sooner or later, they will die,” Braz de Aviz said. “They will make no sense. They will be outside the Church. We need to build, using the Gospel and the Council as a departure point.” (National Catholic Reporter, “
Cardinal to religious: Those who abandon Vatican II are killing themselves,” April 9, 2015)

This is the Cardinal chosen by Francis to issue and regulate the coming specific norms that will direct the contemplative women religious in their task of adaptation to the modern world. I believe it can be fairly said that this does not bode well for the more traditional and conservative orders that have been growing in the past few decades.

Participation in liturgy & new social agenda

While Francis heaps praise on “the life of special consecration,” he is also insisting that these women religious become “women of our time.” (VDQ n. 2) For this, “special attention needs to be given to two great docuмents of Vatican Council II: Lumen gentium and Perfectae caritatis.”

The first of these in effect sets a new definition of Church as “the People of God,” promotes the protestant notion of the priesthood of the faithful and makes a theoretical call to holiness, but in practice exalting the life of service above all others.

How does this translate into transforming the lives of contemplatives? More participation in the liturgy as ”the people of God,” of course, and a prayer aimed toward improving humanity vs. praise of God.

VDQ effectively asks all contemplative women to embrace the social agenda of the post-conciliar Popes, which eschews prayer for conversion to the Catholic Faith and the primary goal of contemplative life in the past: becoming victim souls to appease the just anger of Our Lord for the sins of individuals and nations.

A new signpost is erected: to offer “intercessory prayer for prisoners, migrants, refugees and victims of persecution.” These intercessory prayers must also extend to the unemployed, the poor, sick, drug addicts, AIDS victims and others in such “urgent” situations. That is to say, the contemplative sisters are to change their focus from prayer for conversion and salvation of souls to prayer for the social well-being and health of bodies.  (n. 16)

They can “dirty their hands,” as this Pope akin with mud likes to say, by going in prayer to the most miserable and filthy places. The contemplative religious are thus invited to join the secular orders, who since Vatican II have taken up the mission to help mankind have a better life, disregarding one’s faith or lack of faith, and to destroy the “structures of sin” of Capitalism.

Since now the lectio divina (divine reading) has been “commended to the entire people of God,” the contemplatives must do more to share their “transforming experience of God’s word” with other religious and the laity. “Look upon this sharing as a true ecclesial mission,” Francis instructs them. (n. 19)

Young women in the US are increasingly attracted to the cloistered life

This sharing must especially be present in the liturgy, where Francis emphatically urges the sisters “to avoid the risk of an individualistic approach” and, instead, build “communion.” Since the Eucharist is the heart of consecrated life, then, for “this profound mystery to take place and shine forth in all its richness,” each “celebration of it” must be carefully prepared and “all should take part in it fully, faithfully and consciously.” (n. 22)

It is a call to a full “participation” of the “people of God' “– including the consecrated contemplatives – in the Mass, now labeled “the Eucharist.”  The sisters should also take advantage of the “biblical renewal” stimulated by Vatican II, utilizing the new methods and “existential interpretation of Sacred Scriptures” in their scriptural readings and prayers (Divine Office).

But this is more than just a call to participation, DVQ mandates it: "Community celebrations must be reviewed to see if they constitute an authentic and vital encounter with the Lord." (art. 4 § 2) The new federations this docuмent establishes will have the final word on the matter, effectively forcing the traditionalist orders into compliance with participation. Only the purposely naïve or simple-minded could imagine differently.

In the next article, I will look at the provisions of VDQ on the formation of sisters and the centralization of the contemplative communities by placing them into federations that will ensure conformity with the spirit of Vatican II. 

Posted September 5, 2016

---

As noted in my last article, the new set of guidelines of Vultum Dei Quaerere (VDQ) directed to the 4,000 contemplative communities of women around the world calls them to implement changes that will better insert them into the modern world following the spirit of Vatican II. Another more detailed legislative text is yet to be issued, but VDQ gives some ground rules that show the progressivist direction Francis intends the nuns to take.

A review of mission, a revision in rules and participation in liturgy are mandated for each institution, as well as a change in emphasis in prayer, which will affect those communities still resisting the post-Vatican II social agenda: The focus must be on marginalized and persecuted people.

Formation & cloister

Many of the contemplative institutions have already undergone a “self-discernment” and altered their rules to either partially or totally eliminate cloister life.  Such communities have also already found “ways to involve the local church more” and allow their nuns to “participate in its life,” as VDQ mandates (art. 6, §1, art. 8 §1). 

But other institutions, like the conservative (albeit Novus Ordo) Poor Clares of Roswell (NM), Conceptionists in Quito (Ecuador), or traditionalist orders (where the Latin Mass is said) like the Discalced Carmelites of Elysburg (PA) and Sisters Redemptoristine Nuns (Brazil) want to lead lives totally separated from the world and dedicated to a life of prayer, silence and work. They would clearly need to make “adjustments.”

How will these contemplative sisters join the “intense and fruitful journey taken by the Church in light of the teachings of Vatican II”? (n. 8)

VDQ instructs that new and “suitable structures” must be inserted into the convents “to give special attention to ongoing formation.”  (art. 3 §1)

An external ongoing formation is requested for sisters to better understand the post-Vatican II Church and to reinvigorate their communities, pouring
new wine into old wineskins.  To this end, “sisters charged with the sensitive task of formation” should attend “specific courses on formation outside their monastery.”  This break with strict cloister is, of course, an invitation to others, which, as noted above, have already been installed in the more progressivist contemplative communities.

VDQ also mandates that even chapels under papal enclosure be opened to both men and women for Eucharistic adoration: Each monastery “is to set aside appropriate times for Eucharistic adoration, also inviting the faithful of the local Church to take part.” For the communities of strict cloister life, here is another departure from their rules.

We have seen the disastrous results of the “liberation” of sisters in regular religious orders after Vatican II. Now, VDQ calls for that process to begin for the contemplatives who still live in complete silence and strict obedience, asking permission for even the smallest items or change in routine.

VDQ instructs that contemplative communities should foster an “environment of freedom and responsibility,” thus promoting personal and “communal discernment” and “truthful communication of what each member does, thinks and feels.” The “plan of community life” should eschew “uniformity” – which is “not the same as unity and communion” – and encourage the sharing of feelings and thoughts on the Gospel and “experiences of God.” (19, 26, 27, art 7 § 2)

The contemplatives are also invited to join the cyber-revolution as part of their ongoing formation and to promote sharing and cooperation between monasteries. (art 3, § 2)

So, after the contemplatives have broken cloister life for formation classes, begun to share their spiritual experiences and feelings, and allowed the laity to join them in Eucharistic adoration, they are ready to start their outreach programs.

VDQ explains the goal of Vatican II “communion”: “Since sharing the transforming experience of God’s word with priests, deacons, other consecrated persons and the laity is an expression of genuine ecclesial communion, each monastery is to determine how this spiritual outreach can be accomplished.” (art. 5 § 2)

We have yet to see what exactly this “outreach” will be in the rules to be issued by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life.

Centralizing ’federations’

The most conspicuous element of VDQ is its centralizing intent. The docuмent mandates that every community join “federations” to be governed by Presidents and Councils chosen by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life.  (art. 9 §3) These new federations will redirect authority from independent, autonomous religious communities back to Rome.  An article clearly states that “all monasteries are to be part of a federation.” (art. 9 §1) Only the Holy See itself can give an exemption, after careful study by a "competent authority."

Up until now, the convents that were striving to avoid the Vatican II adaptations to the modern world found ways and means to form their own mother houses autonomous from the major orders like the Franciscans, Dominicans or Benedictines that have followed the progressivist road.
This will no longer be possible, as VDQ specifically notes that the federation is “an important structure of communion” to ensure that communities not “remain isolated.” In effect, it will become impossible for upstart traditionalist institutions to sprout and take root.
 
To ensure the sisters are receiving a uniform formation, VDQ instructs that monasteries “should promote common houses for initial formation.”  This provision also does not bode well for contemplative communities whose identity relies on a pre-Vatican II formation.  The specific norms have yet to be issued by the Congregation's head Cardinal Aviz, who has repeatedly stated his objective that all religious embrace the spirit of Vatican II.

VDQ professes to be very concerned about the “genuine automony of life” of each contemplative community. To ensure it, however, it places restrictions that will close many convents. It mandates that a minimal number of sisters is required (art. 8); further, the majority “must not be elderly.” This alone will close many contemplative convents.

To deal with the influx of postulants from India, the Philippines and some countries of Africa, VDQ makes another requirement: “The recruiting of candidates from other countries with the sole purpose of establishing their own monastery must be absolutely avoided.” (art. 4 §1) This will affect many communities that draw postulants from other countries.

Rounding up the strays

When cattle graze in the open fields, the cowboys round up the herd when it is time to move on. But there are always a few scattered heifers or steers that have hidden in a grove of woods or wandered downstream and been left out. So an experienced cowhand is sent out to “round up the strays.”

It seems that something similar is taking place with the docuмent Vultum Dei Quaerere. Most of the 4,000 contemplative communities have already compromised their cloister life and have accommodated to the modern world.  Some contemplatives have even left their habits and adopted New Age-style programs.  VDQ will have little to no effect on these waning institutions that no longer attract the youth. 

No, this docuмent is being sent out to round up those stray conservative contemplative convents that still try to follow the pre-Vatican II norms and the original rules of their founders and bring them into the progressivist fold.  These stray convents, far from having declining numbers and a geriatric population, are filling with pious, dedicated young women who want to give glory to God through their prayer and offer their lives as victim souls for the conversion of sinners.

To achieve this destructive goal, Francis has issued VDQ to round up the last of the strays and bring them into the Vatican II religious fold, which, as anyone who has read the Collection on Vatican II by Atila Guimarães knows, is essentially a whole different Church.

Posted September 9, 2016

Monasticism is a form of communism. It is the only form of communism that has survived for all these years.

The little c is what makes it different. The Big C is the one that murders millions.

Here's what he wrote:I wonder how he explains Mt. 6:6:

183. The papal cloister, established in 1298 by Boniface VIII, is that "in conformity with the norms given by the Apostolic See”[116] and excludes external works of apostolate.
184. If Pius XII had distinguished it in major and minor papal cloister,[117] the Code of Canon Law recognizes only one type of papal cloister, which is observed in the monasteries of nuns entirely dedicated to the contemplative life[118].
185. Papal cloister for nuns means the recognition of the specificity of an entirely contemplative life which, by individually developing the spirituality of the marriage with Christ, becomes a sign and realization of the exclusive union of the Church Bride with her Lord.
186. A real separation from the world, primarily marked by silence and solitude[119], expresses and protects the integrity and identity of wholly contemplative life, so that it may be faithful to its specific charism and to the sound traditions of the Institute.
187. A wholly contemplative life, to be considered of papal cloister, must be fundamentally ordered to the attainment of union with God in contemplation.
188. An Institute is considered to be of wholly contemplative life if:
a) Its members direct all activities, both interior and exterior, to the intense and continuous search for union with God in the monastery and to the contemplation of His face;
b) It excludes external and direct tasks of apostolate and ordinarily, physical participation in events and ministries of the ecclesial community. This participation, subject to the consent of the Conventual Chapter, must be permitted only on special occasions by the diocesan Bishop or by the religious Ordinary of the monastery;
c) It implements separation from the world, according to concrete modalities established by the Conventual Chapter, in a radical, concrete, and effective way and not simply symbolic, in accordance with the universal and proper law, in line with the Institute's charism.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/docuмents/rc_con_ccscrlife_doc_20180401_cor-orans_en.html#III._The_Cloister

This doesn't look like they are making anybody give up a life of contemplation and communion with Christ.