| APPENDIX I
Patent For The Foundation
of Two Convents of Discalced Friars
(excerpt)
The Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
|
We, Friar John-Baptist Rubeo,
prior-general and humble servant
of all the friars and nuns
of the Holy Order of our Lady
of Mount Carmel, the Mother of God,
wish to all
who shall read these,
our letters patent.
the sweet inspirations of the Holy Ghost.
We declare, as in truth we may,
- that the zeal for
the honour of God and
the progress of the friars and nuns
of this ancient Order,
so dear to the glorious Queen of heaven,
unceasingly devoureth us;
- that we ever feel the urgings
of the spurs of spiritual solicitude;
- that we grievously suffer
when we fail to behold
an abundant harvest in that vineyard
planted [by Her] and
watered with the tears
of Her Divine Son,
with the water and blood
flowing from the side,
even with the Blood of His whole body,
and
with the bitterness and anguish
[of His love].
Our desire is that
all the members of this Order were
like mirrors,
like shining lamps,
glowing torches
and
brilliant stars
enlightening and guiding the wanderers
in this dark world;
to which end
- their prayers should be
an intimate conversation with God,
- their meditations should
lead to union with Him,
and
- their mind, albeit living in the flesh,
should dwell in heaven,
serving the body
only through necessity,
giving it strength for
the accomplishment
of a multitude of good works,
unfeignedly and free from hypocrisy,
never seeking its own advantage
with respect to earthly goods
or the commodities of life,
but
- [that they should walk]
in spirit and in truth,
with the prudence of serpents
and the simplicity of doves;
- that they should be
free from everything
that might deprive their soul
of the candour and purity
of an ardent love of God,
forgetful of Self,
but raised above themselves
by raptures
both ineffable and indescribable
for being above the ordinary way
Sometimes these pass swiftly,
at other times
they seem to encompass the soul,
or again
they invest, as it were,
one small point of the soul;
now [the soul] seems
to take flight,
to ascend and
to descend,
leaving the senses
transformed and more exalted
than they generally are in this life;
the eyes are filled
with tears, and
the heart
with a sweet dew producive
of abundant fruit
Such being our desire
we feel bound to reply favourably
to certain requests submitted to us
to the effect
that we should grant permission
for the foundation of some convents
of friars of our Order
where mass may be celebrated,
the Divine office chanted or sung,
where at convenient hours,
prayers and meditations may be held
as well as
other spiritual exercises performed
so as to be
in name and
in reality
houses and convents
of Contemplative Carmelites,
and
where also,
when occasion offers itself,
help should be given to outsiders,
in conformity with
our ancient constitutions
and
such other ordinances
as we shall make;
under obedience to the Provincial
present and to come.
Therefore, moved by a holy zeal,
by the authority of our office of General,
in pursuance of these present
letters patent,
we grant faculty and power
to the Reverend Fathers
Master Alonso Gonzalez,
provincial of our Order in Castille,
and
Master Angelus de Salazar,
prior of our convent of Avila,
to receive in our name
two convents with churches
of our profession,
under our obedience and
of our habit
according to the form which
shall be set forth and
declared in our acts.
In which convents
they shall establish priors and friars
determined
to live under complete Reform, and
to advance in the perfection
of Religious life in all humility.
And that these Religious shall
at all times
be subject to the province of Castille,
. . .
[includes here,
an exhortation regarding obedience
and faithfulness to the Order ]
. . .
an exhortation regarding obedience
and faithfulness to the Order ]
. . .
And in order that all may be done
with due humility and obedience
we ordain that no convent
shall be founded
unless the blessing of the Ordinary
[i.e. the bishop or the Vicar General]
have first been obtained
as the holy Council enjoins
and
let no one of lesser power than ourselves
impede the dispositions
of the said two fathers
jointly according to the tenor
of these present letters patent,
under pain of privation of seat and voice
[in chapter], and of exile
from our province of Castille.
In token of this our will,
we have ordered these present
letters patent
to be written and
to be signed with our sign manual
and
to be sealed with the seal of our office.
On the 16th day of August 1567.
__________________
__________________
The place of issue is not stated
but from other letters
of the same date
it appears
that Rubeo was then at Barcelona.
| End of
APPENDIX I
(excerpt)
Patent For The Foundation
of Two Convents of Discalced Friars
The Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
|
