Why this new column? There are a number of new Church Documents addressing religious which we should be aware of. MAGNET is grateful to an experienced professor of Catechetics who has volunteered to present the theme and outline of these documents in a clear and systematic manner, so that individuals and communities can be up-to-date in this area. Thank you, Fr. Gilbert! – Editor.
New Wine in New Wineskins
At the beginning of the Year of Consecrated Life (November 30, 2014-February 2, 2016), the Plenary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life met at the Vatican to discuss the theme, New Wine in New Wineskins. In the light of this Gospel phrase, the participants reflected on consecrated life in the present-day Church, fifty years after the Constitution Lumen Gentium and the Decree Perfectae Caritatis. This document was published by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on 6 January 2017.
- Preliminary Information
- Title: New Wine in New Wineskins
- Authorship: Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
- Type: Guidelines
- Year of Release: 6 January 2017
- Aim: Presenting the Consecrated Life and its ongoing challenges since Vatican II
- Major Source of the Document: Plenary Session of the Dicastery during 27-30 November 2014 on theme: “New Wine in New Wineskins: Consecrated Life 50 years after Lumen Gentium and Pefectae Caritatis.”
- Documents that Influenced: Potissimum Institutioni (1990),Fraternal Life in Community (1994), Starting Afresh from Christ (2002), The Service of Authority and Obedience Faciem Tuam (2008) and Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church (2015)
- Tagline: Our ideals and doctrines need to become real in our community lives. “Realities are more important than ideas (EG 58).”
- Structure of the Document: There are three parts.
- 1. For New Wine and New Wineskins (The Biblical Verse and post conciliar developments: Situating the Past (Jesus’ words), Present (last 50 years) and Future (Challenges ahead).
- Ongoing Challenges: Issues in religious life today (Vocation, identity, formation, Gender issues, Obedience)
- Preparing New Wineskins: Proposals for the future (Faithfulness, Formative models, formation of the formators, Multicultural dimensions, service of Authority)
- Major Themes
- The Verse: New Wine, New Wineskins
The new wine contains the teachings and actions of Jesus. There is a temptation to go back to the old wine (“The old is good,” Lk 5:39) as a secure life. There is a need to create structures to preserve, breathe and then share the new challenges of life.
- Spiritual Renewal since Vatican II
Chapter VI of Lumen Gentium, and the Perfectae Caritatis set the tone for renewal and adaptation. There was a an exhortation for all the Religious in the form of “Creative Fidelity” after the Code of Canon Law (1983) and Vita Consecrata (1990). Consecrated life centred on Trinitarian mystery, community and mission was focused in Vita Consecrata.
- New Paths So Far
Rich multiplicity of diakonia that was expressed by Religious in the present times is noteworthy. There was an attempt to work together the charisms for service. New communities were established beyond cultural barriers. Religious Life has embraced other cultures, languages and races apart from the culture of its origin.
- Challenges Today
- Temptation of the security: There is a temptation of staying in the past.
- Gen-Gap: Basic cause of many leaving religious life is the result of inauthentic community life (sometimes due to lack of inter-generational dialogues in the community). There is a gen-gap between traditional elders and young religious from other cultures. Religious life faces several hindrances to de-Westernise and de-Europeanise consecrated life (13).
- Formation Issues: Formation tends to be more informative than performative. Formation is not a fine blend of spiritual and human dimensions. Young religious are more oriented to professional degrees than theological courses (12, 14).
- Ongoing Formation: On-going formation is at times reduced to religious tourism (visiting places of origin or pilgrim centres), attending some theological courses and lacking reflection and revision (16).
- Women’s Role: There is a failure to recognise the gift of the genius of women in the Church (Vita Consecrata 58). “The twentieth century is the century of women. It is one of the signs of times” (John XXIII, Pacem in Terris 22). There are moments of oppression from male chauvinistic clergy (towards Consecrated women) and at times from consecrated women themselves (17,18). Lack of mature relationship between consecrated men and women is often characterised by reserve and phobia.
- Service of Authority: At times, the service of authority is exercised vertically, avoiding subsidiarity. Some superiors maintain the status quo (“we have always done this way”) (19). Among recently founded institutes, there have been moments of manipulation of the freedom and dignity of religious depriving them of their basic rights, promoting forced dependence, etc. (20). Authority exercised through infantile behaviours (asking permission for everything) of members—something more common among women religious (21).
- Flexibility in Mission: Some hold leadership roles for too long (a common practice among women religious). This is due to a lack of specific general norms to diminish their duration (22).
- Religious Brother: Clericalisation of consecrated life has reduced the number of lay religious members (23).
- Cause of Leaving: Superiors give more importance to the institution than to its members. Hence, many leave their congregation due to lack of fraternal life (24).
- Proposals
- Religious need to follow the sermon of the mount more seriously (removing the old and bringing the new). “You have heard that it was said… now I tell you…” (29)
- There is a need for adequate continuous formation and formation of the formators.
- Superiors need to be close to the members and accompany them with a fraternal attitude (36).
- Women religious need to be more exhorted on service in evangelical freedom than servitude (39).
- The gap between authority and members (among women religious) needs to be bridged on matters of decision-making, personal and community resources (40).
- A serious reflection on the document, the Service of Authority and Obedience (2008) to be done (43).
- Need for mutual dialogue and listening among old and young religious (47).
- Representation to the Chapters (especially General Chapter) is to be proper and proportionate from various cultures and generations in a fair and balanced way (48, 49, 53, 54).
- Some quotes
- “No authority figure, not even a founder, must claim to be an exclusive interpreter of the charism” (20).
- “The ancient wisdom of monastic tradition: by the Lord’s inspiration, it is often a younger person who knows what is best” (20).
- “The twentieth century has been defined as the century of women, mostly because of the awakening of the female conscience in modern culture, which was identified fifty years ago by Saint John XXIII as one of the most evident signs of our times” (17).
- “The substitution of wineskins does not happen by automatism, but requires effort, skill and willingness to change” (22).
- “Young female vocations carry within them a naturally distinct feminine consciousness” (18).
- “We must not form administrators and managers, but fathers, brothers, traveling companions (Francis).” (34)
- “Formation is a work of art, not a police action (Francis).” (34)
- “No sister should be relegated to a state of subjection; something that, unfortunately, happens frequently. This state encourages dangerous infantilism, can hinder a person’s overall maturation” (40).
III. A Few Observations
- Most of the references are for Women Religious.
- Several references are from the Instruction, The Service of Authority and Obedience.
3. The Document discusses more on community life than any other area of Religious Life.
Fr. Gilbert Choondal SDB
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