END OF FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF THE IMACULATE?

[Kateri89]

​Is Pope Francis on solid ground? 

 

​I believe so.  Especially since neither traditionalist nor liberal Catholics can claim he is on their side.  I believe he is much more objective than most people like to admit.  Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you trying to defame our Holy Father?  Certainly he isn't without sin but please don't go dragging his name through the mud.

[Ark]

​I believe so.  Especially since neither traditionalist nor liberal Catholics can claim he is on their side.  I believe he is much more objective than most people like to admit.  Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you trying to defame our Holy Father?  Certainly he isn't without sin but please don't go dragging his name through the mud.

​No I am not trying to defame him but he has said and done many questionable things. He remains our Holy Father and we revere his office. 

[dUSt]

http://www.catholic.com/blog/michelle-arnold/pope-francis-and-the-franciscan-friars

 

[Ark]

http://www.catholic.com/blog/michelle-arnold/pope-francis-and-the-franciscan-friars

 

​First comment on that article has some food for thought:

"Michelle ,the superior and founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate supported celebrating the tradtional liturgy. It is very strange that a disobedient small group should get help from the Vatican. In the normal course of things the dissendent group has to be obedient to their superior or leave. Also, the FFI order is being destroyed. No ordinations for a year, the third order forbidden to meet, the publications of the order not to be distributed which contain traditional Catholic spiritual direction. It is not right what Fr. Volpi who has the complete trust of Pope Francis is doing to that order. Pope Francis recently told a group of FFI friars to cooperate completely with Volpi.
The Legion of Christ was founded by a criminal and they are allowed to reorganize without any such dissolution or stopping of ordianations.

January 10, 2014 at 4:51 pm PST

[Benedictus]

Peace and Good!

Consisted me that Pope Francis ordered the closure of a seminar of the Franciscan Friars of the Imaculate.
Will it be the end of the congregation?
And what about the Poor Clare Sisters of the Immaculate?
We all know that there are many congregations based in the Franciscan message, but each has its own charisma.
All are lacking.

​I know some FFI fathers through their Marian outreach work, they are very good. I have lots of love and respect for them, as I also do for the Conventual Franciscans I know. My understanding is that they are still taking vocations and doing very well. A seminary was closed and all seminary students will transfer or be sent to pontifical universities/seminaries instead for the time being. I don't know the exact reasons, and there could be a mix, but it's probably a good thing until the internal issues are resolved. I suspect the order just cannot ensure or form new members well enough whilst this is going on and they want to prevent future problems being festered through poor formation. Those in current formation aren't being denied of anything as they will still have a well rounded formation and be integrated with other seminary students.

My understanding is that some of those in formation, possibly under the influence of a faction, would refuse to perform or particpate in the OF and or develped views that were concerning and divisive in the order. I think, partly as the order wasn't meant to be exclusive in this way, it caused division among some of those in perpetual vows. It is diffficult to oversee formation of a candidate, and challenge them, if there are those that encourage them to think/act differently. I suspect that was part of the problem.

It is my opinion that a priest or religious shouldn't get to the stage where they are permitted to refuse, under any and all conditions, to ever perform or particpate in the OF. An order or person can have a preference, and their own norms, but not to totally reject a mass and be detached like that from the church. That, at least in part, was what was being corrected. I suspect that once this is sorted out they may also have more freedom, as is typical, to also say mass in the EF.

[Benedictus]

​First comment on that article has some food for thought:

"Michelle ,the superior and founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate supported celebrating the tradtional liturgy. It is very strange that a disobedient small group should get help from the Vatican. In the normal course of things the dissendent group has to be obedient to their superior or leave. Also, the FFI order is being destroyed. No ordinations for a year, the third order forbidden to meet, the publications of the order not to be distributed which contain traditional Catholic spiritual direction. It is not right what Fr. Volpi who has the complete trust of Pope Francis is doing to that order. Pope Francis recently told a group of FFI friars to cooperate completely with Volpi.
The Legion of Christ was founded by a criminal and they are allowed to reorganize without any such dissolution or stopping of ordianations.

January 10, 2014 at 4:51 pm PST

​The Legion of Christ were under investigation for at least 5 years. They had to resubmit new constitutions and documents at least twice to the Vatican, the latest in 2014.. Their situation isn't the same as the FFI though, so the article is probably being over dramatic and unfairly simplistic.