Cherie Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Are there any articles that relate what has been going on with this community? I've been out of the loop, and I'd really like to read up on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ark Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Rotate caeli blog. Eponymous Flower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-franciscans-of-immaculate-volpi-era.html "The Franciscans of the Immaculate: 'the Volpi era' is over." Correspondenza Romana Roberto de Mattei May 13, 2015 Sic transit gloria mundi. For the Franciscans of the Immaculate, the Institute founded by Father Stefano Maria Manelli, ( externally commissioned on 11th July 2013) the “era of Volpi” , which will certainly be remembered as one of the saddest in the history of this religious order, is over. Father Fidenzio Volpi, assigned by the Congregation for Religious as Apostolic Commissioner to liquidate Father Manelli’s order, is in fact in a Roman clinic, after suffering a cerebral ischemia, followed by a hemiparesis, which has seriously compromised his health, forcing him to renounce, irrevocably, his appointment as Commissioner. In February 2014, “Corrispondenza Romana” had gathered 8000 signatures, sent to the Holy See, asking for the Capuchin’s resignation as Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. “In the space of five months – we wrote in December 2013 – Father Volpi has shattered the Institute, creating chaos and suffering inside it, scandal to the faithful, criticism from the press, discomfort and perplexity in the ecclesiastical world. It is of little importance whether Father Volpi is the artificer or the executer of the destruction plan. What is certain is that if the plan is not stopped, the consequences will be disastrous and it is to avoid one disaster upon another that Father Volpi must be dismissed.” Commissioner Volpi has not been dismissed by the Congregation for Religious, but by the mysterious designs of Divine Providence. Furthermore, his health has never been that good, and the tensions that he underwent after accepting the task of Commissioner, were very burdensome indeed, not only for the rupture which immediately opened with the Franciscans of the Immaculate, of whom 70% remained faithful to Father Manelli, but also for the contrasts created with Father Alfonso Bruno, who brought disaster on the Institute after the commissioning. Together with these, there were added tensions with the Congregation for Religious, which disapproved many of the initiatives taken by the Commissioner; like the attempt to condemn some friars without proceedings, after they had asked for a dispensation or exclaustration and who are now under the protection of many bishops in Italy, Great Britain and the Philippines. Furthermore, Father Volpi’s credibility was compromised by the arrangement of February 12th 2015 at the Tribunal in Rome, initially undersigned, then retracted by Father Volpi himself, wherein the Commissioner had admitted defaming Father Manelli’s family members, accusing them of taking possession of real assets belonging to the Institute. The accusation that the Franciscans of the Immaculate had set aside illicitly some millions of Euros revealed itself to be a great big bluff. The investigations came about because of the contrast between the friars on the one side aligned to Father Volpi and Father Bruno and on the other the lay-faithful associations, faithful to Padre Manelli. The first claim the availability of the properties that are legitimately owned by the second; from this, accusations, investigations and the singular decision of the judicial authorities to entrust the provisional care of the properties to Father Volpi (who is one of the parties in the law suit) until the magistrate announces his verdict. The fact remains, however, that for almost two years, no-one has yet answered a basic question: what are the true reasons for the external commissioning of the Franciscans of the Immaculate? The hypotheses made are rather diverse, but so far the true reasons for the commissioning have never been clarified. We offer our best wishes to Father Volpi, now definitely out of the picture. In the meantime, Father Stefano Maria Manelli is also in hospital at San Giovanni Rotondo, surrounded by the esteem and affection of many friars, nuns and lay-people, belonging to the spiritual family he founded. Now the Holy See will have to nominate a new Commissioner. It is the hope of everybody that the same errors of the previous one will not be repeated and that a new season opens with a different result. [A Rorate translation by Francesca Romana.] Labels: de Mattei, FFI under intervention Posted by New Catholic at 5/15/2015 02:08:00 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dUSt Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Sounds like a lot of whining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cherie Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Yikes, any...neutral...articles that describe what happened from start to now? Why were they assigned someone for oversight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Yikes, any...neutral...articles that describe what happened from start to now? Why were they assigned someone for oversight? Yes, I am sure there are some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritasluxmea Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Yikes, any...neutral...articles that describe what happened from start to now? Why were they assigned someone for oversight? The reasons behind it are complicated and internal; Catholic religious orders don't have same value of transparency that, say, an American business has. I think we can all agree that the intervention was badly carried out, and that's putting it lightly. However, no one outside the leadership in the order can really say it was/wasn't unnecessary, a persecution, this or that. Heck, if their leadership's a mess they probably don't even know. I'm very sympathetic to traditional orders and wary of bias against traditionalism too- it may be true that plays a part here, but that's not all there is to the situation. Suffice it to say I have personally spent time with the sisters and spoken to an adult who has spent time with the friars, and there's... room for improvement. Actually, there are some very concerning issues with them- I personally think it might be the province of God to prevent them from getting worse and end up coming out stronger and better many years down the road, with their charism intact. Or maybe not. *shrugs* It's one thing to be accountable and aware of what's going on, it's another to want the details of the whole order's politics and mess. At the end of the day, religious orders don't owe all the laity a detailed explanation of their internal politics and struggles. Also, Fr Volpi has stepped down as commissioner due to health reasons. Another one will be appointed at some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary+Immaculate<3 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I kinda wish the world could work without money...you know, the way St. Francis wanted his brothers to live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I kinda wish the world could work without money...you know, the way St. Francis wanted his brothers to live. You always have to sacrifice something you do have in order to get something you do not. For as long as there is scarcity of any type there will be trade, and currency is simply the most efficient means by which we coordinate trade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary+Immaculate<3 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I'm a dreamer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I'm a dreamer... I have had discussions in the past about the concept of a post-scarcity society. It is kind of a science fiction/futurology idea, but perhaps some day, many many centuries from now... It is certainly conceptually possible to develop an energy source which is abundant enough that it might as well be free. Not practically possible yet, but who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritasluxmea Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I personally think it might be the province of God to prevent them from getting worse and end up coming out stronger and better many years down the road, with their charism intact. Sorry, I was typing fast and that came out wrong. I meant to say: "I personally think it might be the province of God to prevent them from getting worse and they may end up coming out stronger and better many years down the road, with their charism intact." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I have had discussions in the past about the concept of a post-scarcity society. It is kind of a science fiction/futurology idea, but perhaps some day, many many centuries from now... It is certainly conceptually possible to develop an energy source which is abundant enough that it might as well be free. Not practically possible yet, but who knows. Have you read Stranger In A Strange Land? It's been a while but I vividly remember a scene in the one dude's utopia/harem where they have bowls of money at the door, and everybody just took what they needed and money stopped having this huge symbolic power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Have you read Stranger In A Strange Land? It's been a while but I vividly remember a scene in the one dude's utopia/harem where they have bowls of money at the door, and everybody just took what they needed and money stopped having this huge symbolic power. I think I have..... but it was so long ago that I cannot remember it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cherie Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I'm not wanting a detailed explanation of their internal affairs; that's not my business. Having been in religious life myself for several years, I'm simply interested to know what is going on, hopefully from a non-biased source, since I have no real idea. New communities particularly are susceptible to a LOT of problems that are not known--and don't need to be known--to the outside world. My first inclination--while knowing hardly anything about it--is that someone was assigned to help iron out these kinks in formation, since the community has seemingly gotten so large, before it turns into a problem that can't be fixed. I'm just curious as to why there's such a hullabaloo. Because people think it's all about the Latin Mass? That certain leaders in the Church are trying to clamp down on traditional-leaning communities because of their affinity for tradition? That's so superficial, and IMO, it's probably not anything to do with that, per se. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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