THE VISITATION
OF THE NUNNERIES
The Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
| Contents: 1. Humility. —
2. Temporals. —
3. The visitor must be firm. —
4. Danger of slight relaxations.—
5. Time brings laxity. —
6. Humility. —
7. The visitor must be strict. —
8. And remove unfit prioresses. —
9. Of the endowed houses. —
10. The houses unendowed. —
11. Handi-work of the nuns
not to be passed over. —
12. Extravagance. —
13. The monasteries not
to be large houses. —
14. Of the interior arrangements. —
15. The inquisition to be strict. —
16. Of the interior discipline
of the house. —
17. The nuns may not go from one house
to another to please themselves. —
18. Particular friendships. —
19. Of nuns who find fault. —
20. Importance of keeping
the Constitutions. —
21. The visitor to be told everything. —
22. Sincerity in the visited. —
23. Innovations strictly forbidden. —
24. The admission of novices. —
25. Profession. —
26. Lay Sisters. —
27. The number of nuns. —
28. Indiscreet devotions. —
29. Of the singing in choir. —
30. Precautions against negligence. —
31. All faults to be manifested. —
32. The visitor to keep the secret. —
33. Especially from the prioress. —
34. Poverty to be strictly observed. —
35. Necessity of exactness in the visitor. —
36. The obligations of nuns
under the visitation. —
37. Of the confessor. —
38. Economy. —
39. Of the dress. —
40. And language. —
41. Lawsuits to be avoided. —
42. The admission of novices. —
43. The visitor to be cautious
in his conduct. —
44. And diligent in his visit. —
45. Entertainment of the visitor. —
46. Fray Jerome of the Mother of God. —
47. The visitor must not be too friendly
with the prioress. —
48. Self-deceit. —
49. Difficult to overcome. —
Letter to Father Jerome Gratian.
|
J. H. S.
1. Humility. —
1.
First of all,
I confess my imperfection
when I began this work,
in the matter of obedience,
for, while desirous of the possession
of that virtue above all others,
my mortification has been very great
and
my reluctance strong.
May it please our Lord
that I may say something to the purpose,
for my only trust is
in His compassion,
and
in the humility of him
(Fray Jerome Gratian)
who has ordered me to write; [1]
for the sake of which,
God, being all-mighty,
will do the work without regard unto me.
2. Temporals. —
2.
Though it may be considered unseemly
to begin with the temporal,
I think it
of the utmost consequence,
in order that the spiritual may always
make greater progress,
though it does not seem so in monasteries
founded in poverty:
besides,
order is necessary everywhere,
and
the government and arrangement
of everything
must be considered.
3. The visitor must be firm. —
3.
I take it for granted,
in the first place,
that it is in the highest degree necessary
for a superior to carry himself
towards his subjects in this way —
On the one hand
he should be
gentle with them ,
and
show them affection ;
and
On the other hand
he should make them feel
that he will be strict in essential matters,
and
never yield to their caprice.
I do not believe
that anything in the world
does so much harm to a superior as
- the not being feared,
and
- that his subjects should think
they can deal with him
as with an equal,
especially when women are concerned;
for if they once see such softness
in their superior
as makes him
overlook their shortcomings, and
change his mind
lest they should be made uneasy,
the government of them
will be a very difficult matter.
4. Danger of slight relaxations.—
4.
It is very necessary they should feel
- that there is one above them
without mercy for anything
that weakens the observances of religion,
and
- that the judge should be
so upright in judgment
as to convince them
he will never swerve from that
which tends
to the advancement
of the service of God,
and
to greater perfection,
even if the world were to come to an end.
He should be gentle
and affectionate with them,
but only so long as he discerns
no falling away;
for as it is necessary for him
to show himself
gentle and
like a loving father
— which helps much
to console them and
to keep them
from being estranged from him —
it is necessary also to be strict,
as I have just said.
If he fails in either of these two conditions,
it is beyond comparison
better he should fail
in gentleness
rather than
in strictness;
for, as the visitation,
in order to
correct affectionately and
root out imperfections gradually,
is made but once a year.
Unless the nuns understand
that their faults will be
redressed and punished
at the year's end,
- one year after another may pass away,
and
- religious observances may be so relaxed
as to make it impossible
to restore them at will;
for, even if the fault be in the prioress,
the nuns themselves have become
accustomed to relaxation,
and thus,
by degrees and
by little things,
irreparable wrong may be done to religion.
But the superior
who shall not redress it in time
will have a fearful account to give unto God,
5. Time brings laxity. —
5.
I think that in speaking of such things
I am doing a wrong to the monasteries
of the Virgin our Lady,
when, by the goodness of our Lord,
they are so far from needing this severity;
but I am driven to say it
by the fear I am in,
- that time, as usual,
will bring laxity into the monasteries
through a disregard of these principles,
and also
- because I see the monasteries,
by the goodness of God,
grow more and more daily,
in some of which, perhaps,
some flaw might be found
if the prelates were not to see
that observed of which I am speaking,
namely,
- a severe correction of small faults,
and
- the removal of prioresses
found to be unfit for their places.
6. Humility. —
6.
It is necessary in this matter,
above all things,
to be without pity,
for there are many nuns
who are great saints,
but yet unfit for the place of the prioress:
that must be seen to at once;
For in an Order
wherein there is so much mortification,
and
wherein the exercise of humility
is so constant,
no nun will consider it
a wrong done to her:
Should she do so,
she will thereby show plainly
that she was not fit for the office,
for the government of souls
aiming at a perfection so high
is not for her
who is so imperfect herself
as to wish to be a prioress.
7. The visitor must be strict. —
7.
The visitor must have
the fear of God continually before him,
and also
the graces bestowed on these houses,
- that they may not be lessened
through him,
and he must cast aside
certain feelings of tenderness
which, for the most part,
the devil stirs up for some great evil.
Not to do so
is the greatest cruelty towards his subjects.
8. And remove unfit prioresses. —
8.
It is not possible
that every one
whom the nuns may choose for prioress
should be possessed of the gifts
which the office requires,
and
if it should be found to be so,
a year must not pass by
on any account
before she is removed:
She may not do much harm in one year
but in three
she may ruin the monastery
by allowing imperfections to grow
into a custom.
It is so extremely important
that this be done,
and though the visitor be distressed at it
because
- he thinks her a saint, and
- that she has no bad intentions,
he must
- do violence to himself,
(force himself to act against
his own will)
and
- not allow her to remain in office.
I entreat him to do so
by the love of our Lord,
and
if he shall see that those
who have to elect a prioress
are under the influence
of any prejudice or passion
— which God forbid —
he must
- quash the election, and
- name a prioress
from other monasteries of ours
whom the nuns are to elect;
for an election made that way
can never come to any good.
9. Of the endowed houses. —
9.
I do not know
whether what I am speaking about
is temporal or spiritual.
What I wished to speak about at first
was this —
- the visitor must look closely and carefully
into the accounts of the house,
and
- he must not pass them lightly.
It is very necessary,
especially in the endowed houses,
that the outgoings be according
to the incomings,
let the nuns live as they may, for,
God be praised !
all of them are so well endowed
that they can live very well
if they are at all careful:
Otherwise,
if they begin to run into debt
they will be ruined by little and little,
for if they should be in great want
the superiors will think it cruel
not to let them have the fruit
of the work of their own hands,
or
not to let their kindred provide for them,
or
something of that sort
not hitherto allowed among us;
for I would
much rather see
the monastery broken up
than see it come to such a pass.
This is why I said
that great harm is wont to come
to the spiritual from the temporal,
and
in that sense
it is a most important matter. [2]
10. The houses unendowed. —
10.
In the monasteries founded in poverty,
they must look to it,
and take care that they make no debts;
for if they have faith and please God
He will not abandon them
if they are not wasteful.
In these houses,
as well as in the others,
the visitor must make most minute inquiries
concerning
the food of the sisters, and
the treatment they receive;
concerning
the sick also,
and he must see
that they are sufficiently supplied
with whatever is necessary for them,
which our Lord never fails to furnish
if the prioress is courageous and attentive;
and experience has already shown it
to be so.
11. Handi-work of the nuns
not to be passed over. —
11.
To notice the work done
in the monasteries of both foundations,
(both the endowed and unendowed)
and further
to take into account
what the nuns have made
by the labour of their hands,
serves two good purposes;
- one is,
that the nuns who have done much
are encouraged and rewarded;
- the other is,
that in those monasteries
where so much attention
is not given to handiwork,
because the necessities are not so great,
the nuns may be told of
what nuns elsewhere have gained
for themselves;
For this attention paid to their work,
setting aside the temporal advantage,
profits greatly in every way.
Besides,
it is a comfort to the nuns
when at work
to know that the superior will see it;
for, though that is not of any importance,
still that comfort should be given
to women
so strictly enclosed,
and
whose whole pleasure consists
in pleasing their superior,
coming down at times
to the level of our weakness.
12. Extravagance. —
12.
The visitor must inquire
if any costly presents have been made.
Such an inquiry is
more especially necessary
in the endowed houses,
for they are able to do more in that way,
and
monasteries usually come to ruin
through that which seems to be
of slight importance.
Prioresses, if wasteful,
may leave their nuns without food
that they may have something to give away,
as may be seen in some places:
Hence the necessity
- of considering
what the community may do
out of its income,
and
what it may give in alms,
and
- of having everything done
within the bounds of discretion.
13. The monasteries not
to be large houses. —
13.
The visitor must not allow the houses
to be excessively large, [3]
and
they must not get into debt
by adorning them
or
by adding to them
except under a pressing necessity:
To secure this,
it will be necessary to command
that no work shall be done
without first giving notice to the superior,
with an account of the means
for doing it,
in order that he,
according to circumstances,
may give or withhold his sanction.
This is not to be understood of little matters,
which can do no great harm;
But it is better
to bear the inconvenience
of being in a house
that is not a very good one
than to go about
disquieting themselves,
become a scandal
because of their debts,
or
be without food to eat.
14. Of the interior arrangements. —
14.
It is of great consequence always
- to examine the house thoroughly,
in order to see
that enclosure is observed,
because it is well to take away
all opportunities of evil,
and
- not to trust the goodness that is visible,
how great soever it may be,
for no one can tell
what it will be in times to come;
and hence it becomes necessary
to think of all the evil that may arise,
for the purpose of removing,
as I have just said,
all opportunities for it.
The parlours must be looked into particularly,
of which the grating should be double,
an inner grating
and
an outer one,
through neither of which
should it be possible
for anybody to thrust his hand.
This is of great importance;
and the visitor must
look into the confessionals,
and
see that
- the curtains thereof are nailed,
and
- the little window for communion small.
As to the outer door,
he must see that
it has two bolts,
and
there are two keys
to the door of the cloisters,
as the chapter acts prescribe,
one of which shall be kept
by the portress,
the other by the prioress.
It is so at present,
I know,
but I set it down here
that it may never be forgotten
— for these are all matters
which it is necessary
to look into always —
and
that the nuns may see
it will be looked into,
that no negligence may creep in.
15. The inquisition to be strict. —
15.
The visitor must
make inquiries
about the chaplain and the confessor,
and
see that there is
not too frequent a communication
between them and the nuns,
but only that which is necessary;
and on this point
he must make very special inquiries
of the nuns, and
about the observance
of enclosure in the house.
If a sister becomes infatuated
he must hear her patiently,
for though very often
she will
think things to be other
than they are,
and
fall into exaggerations,
yet he may receive hints from her
which will enable him
to find out the truth
from the others,
laying his commands upon them
to speak it;
and afterwards
he shall chastise the fault with severity,
that they may be afraid to repeat it.
16. Of the interior discipline
of the house. —
16.
If any sisters,
when the prioress is not in fault,
shall dwell on trifles,
or
make much of little things in their story,
severity is necessary in dealing with them,
and
they must be made to see
their own blindness,
that they may not live on
in their restlessness;
For when they shall see
that they gain nothing by it,
and
that they are found out,
they will become quiet.
When the things complained of
are not of grave importance,
the visitor must always take the part
of the prioress,
though he does correct what is amiss,
because the simplicity
of perfect obedience
tends greatly to the peace of the subjects;
for the devil may be tempting
some of them
- to think that they understand the matter
better than the prioress, and
- to continue always
on the watch for trifles,
whereby great harm may ensue.
The superior, in his discretion,
will apply himself to this,
so that when he departs
he may leave them in a better state:
if, however,
they be given to melancholy,
he will have enough to do.
He must not be gentle with melancholy nuns, because they will
never be at rest,
nor will they cease from being troublesome
if they think they can have
their own way in anything;
on the contrary,
they should be made to feel always
that they are to be corrected,
and
for that end the visitor must
take the part of the prioress.
17. The nuns may not go from one house
to another to please themselves. —
17.
If a sister chance to make any attempts
to get herself removed
to another monastery,
she must be answered in such a way
that both herself and every one else
shall for ever feel it to be impossible.
Nobody, indeed,
unless it be one who has seen it,
can know
the very grave inconveniences that arise,
and
what a door is opened
for the devil to tempt them,
when they think they can leave the house
for the weighty reasons which,
for that purpose,
they are sure to urge.
And, though it might be that
they are to be removed,
they must
- not be allowed
to know it
or
to feel
that it is done because they wished it,
- but it must be brought about
by some other means;
for a nun of this kind
will never be settled anywhere,
and
great harm will be done to the others
if they are not made to see
that the nun
who wishes to leave her house
is one whom the superior
will never trust in anything;
and even if he had meant to remove her
— I mean for some necessary work
or for another foundation —
he should never do so
for that very reason.
And, moreover,
it is right thus to act,
for these temptations never attack any
but nuns given to melancholy,
or
nuns who are naturally useless
for any great work.
Perhaps it would be as well,
before a nun speaks
of her wish to be removed,
for the visitor
- to make a discourse
on the subject,
showing
how wrong it is,
and
how ill he thinks of any one
caught in the toils of this temptation,
and
- to explain the reasons,
and
- to say how impossible it is now
for any one to leave the house she is in,
none of them being any longer
necessary anywhere out of their houses.
[4]
18. Particular friendships. —
18.
The visitor must inquire
whether the prioress has a special friend
among the nuns
for whom she does more
than for the rest,
for unless she does so
there is no reason for adverting to it,
if the friendship be not excessive
— the prioresses being always
under the necessity of conversing
more with the wiser and discreeter nuns.
But, as we naturally
do not see ourselves as we really are,
we all of us think ourselves
as good as anybody else,
and accordingly the devil may tempt
some of them in this way;
For in the absence
of serious troubles from without,
Satan stirs up trifles within,
that we may
- be always at war
and
- gain merit by resisting his assaults,
whence it comes that a sister may think
that this sister or those sisters
rule the prioress.
If the friendship be in excess
it should be checked,
because it is a great temptation
to the weak,
but not wholly forbidden,
because those
who are the objects of it
may be,
as I have just said,
such as may make it necessary;
but it is always well
to insist upon the absence
of any special familiarity with any one.
The nature of it will soon be known.
19. Of nuns who find fault. —
19.
There are some
who in their own opinion
are so excessively perfect
that they consider everything they see
to be a fault,
being always themselves
the very persons
who have the most faults,
but, seeing none of them,
they lay the whole blame
on the poor prioress
or
on the others.
And so
may make the superior
foolishly torment himself
in searching for a remedy
for that which is right.
It is therefore necessary,
in order to be safe in correcting,
not to trust the testimony
of one nun by herself,
as I said before,
but to make inquiries of the others; [5]
For in a community
where so much austerity is practised,
it would be insufferable
if every superior, or
the same superior at every visitation,
were to make new decrees; [6]
and therefore,
except in grave matters
— and, as I said before, [7]
after inquiries made
of the prioress herself and
of the others
concerning
that which is to be corrected,
and
why
and
how —
the visitor must not make decrees,
for he may make so many
that the nuns,
unable to endure them,
may fail to keep the substance
of the rule itself. [8]
20. Importance of keeping
the Constitutions. —
20.
What the superior has to insist on
is the keeping of the constitutions:
and
wherever there shall be a prioress
who for trifling reasons
shall take so great a liberty
as to break the constitutions,
or
shall habitually do so,
thinking the observance of them
on this point
and
on that
to be a matter of little moment,
let it be clearly understood
- she is doing the community
a grievous wrong, and
- time will show it,
though it may not seem so at present.
This is the reason
why monasteries, and even orders
are so fallen in some places;
Slight things are slightly regarded,
and
hence the most grievous falls. [9]
21. The visitor to be told everything. —
21.
The visitor must publicly warn them
that they are to tell him
of every fault
of this kind in the monastery,
and
if he find any
of which nothing is said
let her who has not told him of it
receive a most severe correction.
This will make the prioresses
afraid and cautious.
He must never compromise matters
with the prioresses,
whether they are distressed or not,
but they must be made to understand
• that so matters must always be,
and
• that the chief reason
why they are in office is
- that they are to see
that the rules and constitutions
-- are kept;
-- not to take away from them
-- nor to add to them
of their own head;
and
- that there must be one
to see to this, and
to tell the superior of it.
22. Sincerity in the visited. —
22.
I consider it to be impossible
for that prioress
to have discharged
the duties of her office aright
who has done anything
which she shall be sorry for
if it comes to the knowledge of the visitor,
for that is a sign
that the service of God
has not been carried on aright,
if anything therein has been done
which I do not wish him to hear of
who stands in His place.
The visitor, then, must consider
whether what is told him
is told him simply and truly:
if not,
he must
rebuke with severity,
and
contrive to have the truth told him
through the prioress
or the officers,
or in some other way;
for, though the nuns may not have told him
what is untrue,
they may yet have hidden
some things from him;
nor is it reasonable
that he should not know everything
who is the head,
and
under whose direction
they are bound to live,
for the body can hardly
do anything that is good
without the head,
and
that is what the nuns are doing
when they hide from the visitor
that which he ought to correct,
I end with this:
Everything will go on well
- provided the constitutions are kept;
and
- if great care be not taken
herein, and
in the keeping of the rule,
visitations will be of little use
— for that is the meaning of them —
unless
the prioress be changed
and even the nuns too,
if that be the custom of the house,
which God forbid,
and other nuns he brought in
who shall perfectly keep the rule
— which is nothing less
than making a new foundation
in the house —
and the community be dispersed
among other monasteries,
for one or two of them
can do little harm
in a community
that is well governed.
23. Innovations strictly forbidden. —
23.
It is to be observed
that there may be prioresses
who will ask leave to be at liberty
to do certain things
contrary to the constitutions,
and
who probably will give
what they perhaps think sufficient reasons
to justify them,
because they know no better,
or
because they wish to make the superior
understand it to be necessary.
And, though what they ask
may not be contrary to the constitutions,
still it may be such
as will work mischief if allowed,
for as the visitor is not present on the spot,
he does not know
what evil results may follow,
and we all of us overrate
what we wish to have.
The best course therefore is,
not to open the door to anything
unless it be
in accordance with the present discipline,
seeing that everything is going on well,
as experience also tells us:
that which is certain is better than
that which is doubtful. [10]
In these cases
the visitor must be firm,
and
he must
not mind saying ' No,'
but rather maintain
that freedom and holy authority
of which I spoke in the beginning,
regardless of any pain or pleasure
he may give either prioresses or nuns,
about anything which
in the course of time
may lead to inconvenience;
and it is enough that it is a novelty
not to make a beginning.
24. The admission of novices. —
24.
As to permission to admit nuns,
it is very important
(that) the superior should not grant it
before he receives
a minute account of them,
and
if he should be in a place
where he can make inquiries himself
he ought to do so:
for there may be prioresses
- so fond of admitting nuns
as to be very easily satisfied,
and
- when the prioress wills a thing,
and says that she has made inquiries,
her subjects almost always yield
to her wishes;
- and it may be that she is led
by friendship for one, or
by kinship, or
by some other considerations,
thinking she is doing right,
while at the same time
she is doing wrong.
25. Profession. —
25.
Mistakes in admitting novices
may be more easily corrected;
but the very greatest care is necessary
in receiving their profession,
and the superior,
during his visitation,
ought to ascertain
if there be any novices,
and
how they behave themselves,
that he may know,
when the time is come
for sanctioning their profession
whether it should be made or not.
It is possible
- that the prioress
may be fond of a novice,
or
have an interest in her,
and
- that the nuns, her subjects, dare not say
what they think of her,
but yet would tell the visitor;
It would be better, therefore,
- to delay the profession,
if about to be made,
till the superior makes his visitation,
and
- for him, besides,
if he should think it right,
to bid them give their votes secretly,
as at an election.
So important is it
that there shall be nothing in the house
which shall be
a life-long vexation and trouble,
and
every care taken
to guard against it
is well bestowed.
26. Lay Sisters. —
26.
Great carefulness is necessary
in admitting laysisters;
Almost all prioresses are very fond
of having many lay sisters,
burdening the houses
with them,
and sometimes
with such as are able to do
little or no work.
It is, therefore, very necessary
not to yield at once herein,
unless he should see
that there is a great want of them;
He must also make inquiries concerning those
who are already in the house,
for great harm may come
if great caution be not had,
because there is no limit
to the number of lay sisters.
27. The number of nuns. —
27.
In every house,
care must be taken
not to fill up the number of the nuns;
but to leave room for more,
for a nun may offer herself
whom to receive would be good
for the house,
and that at a time
when it cannot be done:
the superior must never consent
to allow the number to be exceeded
on any account whatever,
for that is to open the door to,
and
means nothing less than,
the ruin of the monasteries.
It is better, therefore,
to hinder the gain of one
than to do harm to all the others.
A nun may be removed from her own house
into a monastery that is not full,
to make room for another;
and
if she brought a dower with her,
or any alms had been received with her,
let it be given back to her,
for she is going away for ever,
and thus the difficulty will be met.
But, if this cannot be done,
let the house lose what it may,
but do not let us begin
a practice so hurtful to everybody.
It is necessary the superior should be told,
when he is asked
to allow a nun to be received,
how many there are in the house,
that he may judge
of the fitness of doing so,
for it is not reasonable
to trust a matter of such importance
to the prioresses.
28. Indiscreet devotions. —
28.
It is necessary to ascertain
whether the prioresses add
to the obligations of the nuns,
either in the matter of prayers
or in their penances.
It may happen
that each prioress may add something
at her own pleasure,
of so special a nature,
and
be so severe in exacting it,
that the nuns, overburdened,
may lose their health,
and
be made thereby unable to discharge
their real obligations.
This is not meant as a prohibition
of all additions,
if on any particular day
some special need should be felt;
some prioresses, however,
may be so unwise
as to make almost a habit of it,
as it often happens,
and the nuns dare not speak out,
thinking, if they were to do so,
that it would show them
to have but little devotion:
nor is it right
they should speak to any one
but the superiors.
29. Of the singing in choir. —
29.
The visitor must see to the office in choir,
both the singing and the saying:
he must inquire
if the pauses be observed,
and
if the chanting be in a low tone,
and edifying,
as our profession requires
— there being two inconveniences
in singing in a high tone;
one is,
that it does not sound well,
as we do not sing in harmony;
the other is,
that it destroys the modesty and spirit
of our way of life.
If this be not insisted on,
there will be of necessity, disorder,
and
devotion will be ruined in those
who listen:
the singing should be that
of persons given to mortification,
rather than that of those
who would be thought to sing well
by people who hear them:
that is now almost universal,
and seemingly beyond redress,
having become a custom:
it is necessary, therefore,
to insist strongly upon this.
30. Precautions against negligence. —
30.
It will be a great help
if the visitor were to order
one of the nuns in office,
in the presence of the prioress,
in virtue of obedience,
to write to him whenever the latter fails
in any of the important matters
he may have charged her to observe;
and the prioress should be made
to understand
that the nun must not fail to do so.
This will have the effect
of the presence of the visitor
in some degree,
and the prioress will be
more watchful and cautious
about giving way on any point.
31. All faults to be manifested. —
31.
It will be well,
before entering on the visitations,
to explain very distinctly
how wrong it is for prioresses
to entertain a dislike for those sisters
who tell the visitor of the faults
they may observe:
though the faults may not really be
what they think they are,
they are bound in conscience
to speak of them;
and, in a house
where life is one of mortification,
the doing of this
should be pleasing to a prioress,
because it enables her the better
to discharge her office and
to serve God;
but if it causes her to be vexed
with the nuns
it is a certain sign
that she is not fit to govern them,
for they will not dare
to speak another time,
seeing that the visitor goes away
while they remain
in their trouble themselves,
and
all the discipline of the house
will be weakened.
He must not trust the sanctity of the prioress,
whatever it may be,
as a reason for omitting
to warn the sisters of this,
for we are naturally inclined to evil,
and
the enemy,
when he has nothing else to lay hold of,
will lay his hands upon us here,
and
perhaps gain what he may be losing
in other ways.
32. The visitor to keep the secret. —
32.
It is necessary
- that the visitor should keep
all he hears
profoundly secret,
and
- that the prioress should not know
who has given him his information
because, as I have said before,
they are still in this world,
and,
if secrecy does nothing else,
it removes certain temptations;
much more, then, is it necessary
when such knowledge can do great harm.
33. Especially from the prioress. —
33.
If the things told of the prioress
be unimportant,
she may be cautioned about them indirectly,
without letting her feel
that the nuns have spoken of them;
the more
she can be made to think
that they had nothing to say,
the better.
But if the things are important,
it is of more consequence to redress them
than to please her.
34. Poverty to be strictly observed. —
34.
The visitor must ascertain
if any money is received
by the prioress
of which the keepers of the keys
have no knowledge.
This is a matter of great consequence,
for a prioress may keep it
without thinking of it,
and
she may possess nothing at any time
otherwise than as the constitutions direct.
This must be looked to also
in the houses founded in poverty.
I think I have spoken of this before, [11]
and
there may be other things said
in the same place to the same effect;
but, as it was some time ago,
I have forgotten it,
and
I cannot go back to read
what I have written.
35. Necessity of exactness in the visitor. —
35.
It is a heavy burden for the visitor
to attend to all these little things,
but he will have a heavier burden to bear
when he shall see the state of the nuns
if it be not done;
for, as I said before, [12]
let the prioress be ever so saintly,
it must be done.
What is necessary above all things
in the government of women,
as I said in the beginning, [13]
is that they must feel
they have one who is above them
— one who will not be moved
by any consideration whatever,
but who himself keeps,
and compels others to keep,
all religious observances,
punishes those who do not,
and
sees that it is done
with special carefulness in every house
— one who
not only must visit them every year,
but who must also know
what they are doing each day.
If this be done,
the nuns
will grow in perfection
more and more,
and
will not go back,
for women in general
are reverent and timid.
All this will have a great effect
in keeping them from becoming careless;
and now and then, whenever necessary,
not only is this to be told them,
but also acted upon,
for they will all take warning
if one be punished.
If at first, [14]
when faults are few,
if the visitor should,
out of tenderness
or on some other ground,
act otherwise,
he will be forced later on
to proceed with greater severity,
and his tenderness will become
the most grievous cruelty,
and the account he will have to give
to God our Lord
will be very heavy.
36. The obligations of nuns
under the visitation. —
36.
There are nuns
whose simplicity is so great
that they think it very wrong
to tell the faults of the prioress
in matters which should be corrected:
though they may regard that telling
as something mean,
they must be reminded of their duty,
and
they must also humbly warn
the prioress beforehand
if they see her about to fail
in the observance of the constitutions
or
in any important matter,
for it may be
that she is not aware of it.
These very nuns,
although they may have told the prioress
she might do what she is doing amiss,
will accuse her of that at a later time
when discontented with her.
There prevails great ignorance
as to that which ought to be done
during a visitation,
and
therefore is it necessary
that the visitor should continue to
advise and teach them with discretion.
37. Of the confessor. —
37.
It is highly necessary
that the visitor should make inquiries
about the confessor,
not of one nun nor of two,
but of all,
and about his influence in the house;
for, as he is not and ought not
to be the vicar,
and as the office of vicar
is withheld from him
that he may not govern the nuns,
it is necessary
that all communication with him
should be under great restraints,
and the less it is the better. [15]
Great caution must be observed in
making presents and
giving entertainments to him,
unless very slight,
though now and then
something of the kind
becomes unavoidable.
Let them pay him
more than the salary of the chaplaincy
rather than be subject to anxiety,
for there are many inconveniences herein.
38. Economy. —
38.
It is also necessary to warn the prioresses
not to be prodigal and wasteful;
they must remember
that they are bound to watch
over the expenditure of the house,
for they are no more than stewards:
they must spend nothing
as if it were their own,
and they must
be reasonable and cautious,
and
be careful that there is nothing wasted;
for, setting aside the obligation
they are under not to give scandal,
they are also bound
to this in conscience,
and
to watch over the temporals of their house,
and
to have nothing of their own
more than any of the rest,
unless it be the key of a drawer
or a writing-desk for keeping papers in
— I mean by that
letters, and especially
instructions given by the superior,
it being but reasonable
that these things,
or others of the kind,
should not be seen by everybody.
39. Of the dress. —
39.
The visitor must see
whether the habit and the headgear are worn
according to the constitutions;
and if there should be anything at any time
— which God forbid —
that seems fine or not quite edifying,
he must have it burnt in his presence;
for an act of this sort
makes them afraid,
they correct themselves at once,
and
remember it for the informing of those
who are to come after them.
40. And language. —
40.
He must also regard their way of talking,
which should be
simple, plain, and religious,
like that of hermits,
and of persons
who have left the world
without using novel expressions
— niceties of speech,
I think they call them —
as is done in the world,
where there is always some novelty.
Let them prefer common expressions
to those which are more refined.
41. Lawsuits to be avoided. —
41.
The sisters must
avoid lawsuits
as much as possible
and
go to law
only when they cannot help it;
for our Lord will give them
in another way
what they may lose by yielding.
The visitor must
lead them to do
that which is the most perfect,
and
command them to be
neither plaintiffs
nor defendants
without the knowledge
of the superior,
and
without a special order from him.
42. The admission of novices. —
42.
And, as to the novices to be admitted,
the visitor is to persevere
in reminding the prioresses
that they must
- look
more to their gifts
than to any dowry
they may bring with them,
and
- accept none
for any consideration whatsoever
otherwise than as the constitutions direct,
and
that more especially
if they have any faults of character.
43. The visitor to be cautious
in his conduct. —
43.
It is necessary to carry on
what is now done by the superior
whom our Lord has given us
— I speak to those
who shall come after him —
from whom I have learned
much of what I have said
by observing his visitations,
especially on this point;
He must
not be more intimate
with one sister
than with another,
nor be alone with
nor write to any one,
but, as a true father,
show the same affection for all;
for the day when in any monastery
he shall show a particular affection
for a sister,
though it be like that
of S. Jerome and S, Paula,
he shall not escape detraction
any more than they did;
and he will wrong
not only that house,
but every house of the order,
for Satan will at once publish it abroad
that he may gain something by it,
and
the world,
because of our sins,
is so lost to shame in this matter
that many inconveniences will ensue,
as we see at this time.
The visitor on that account
is less respected,
and that general affection,
if he is what he ought to be,
which all should bear him always,
and
which they bear him now,
is lost,
for the nuns will think
that he gives all his affection
to one only;
and it is a great advantage
to be very much loved
by them all.
This is not meant
of that showing of affection
which may be occasionally necessary,
but of an affection
but of an affection
which is notorious and excessive.
44. And diligent in his visit. —
44.
When the visitor enters the house
— I mean the monasteries —
he must look
to the observance of enclosure;
this he must always do,
and carefully inspect the whole house,
as I said before: [16]
He must go through it,
having
his companion always by his side,
with the prioress
and
some of the other nuns;
and he must not
on any account whatever,
even if he be there early,
remain for dinner within the monastery,
though the nuns might press him
to do so;
let him regard
that for which he has come,
and
then depart forthwith.
If he has anything to say,
he had better say it at the grating;
for, though that may be done
in all honesty and simplicity,
yet is it a preparing the way
for some one
perhaps, at a future time,
to whom
no such liberty ought to be given,
and
who may take more.
May it please our Lord
never to suffer it,
and
that all things tending to edification
and everything else
be ever done as they are done now.
Amen !
Amen !
45. Entertainment of the visitor. —
45.
The visitor must not allow any excess
in the food they provide him
on the days he is making the visitation,
accepting nothing
but that which is fitting;
and if he sees anything wrong
he must rebuke them severely for it,
because it is unbecoming the profession
of the superiors,
which is poverty,
and that of the nuns as well:
there is no good whatever in it,
for they eat only
what is sufficient for them,
and it does not minister that edification
which becometh nuns.
46. Fray Jerome of the Mother of God. —
46.
For the present nothing can be done,
I believe,
because the superior we have,
even if there be any excess,
does not observe
whether what they give him is
much or little,
good or bad,
and I do not know
that he could observe it
unless he were to give
special heed to the matter.
He regards it
as of the most serious import
that he
who makes the inquiry
should be alone
— without his companion —
because he will not have him
know the faults of the nuns,
if faults there be:
It is an admirable plan
to keep the follies of nuns
from being known,
and
if they do fall into any
— at present, to God be the glory,
they will not do much harm,
for the visitor regards them
with the eyes of a father,
and as a father keeps it secret,
and,
because he is standing
in the place of God,
God reveals to him the degree
of gravity of the faults.
Any other than such as he is
will perhaps think
that to be serious
which is but a trifle,
and,
as it does not concern him personally,
he will not care to be silent about it,
and
the monastery loses its good name
without cause.
May our Lord grant our superiors
the grace
always to consider this,
and
always to act in the same way.
47. The visitor must not be too friendly
with the prioress. —
47.
It is not right in the visitor to show
that he has a great affection
for the prioress,
or
that he has a good understanding
with her,
at least in the presence of the community,
for that will cow the nuns,
and
they will not dare to tell him of her faults.
He must also keep well in mind
that it is necessary
they should feel
that he will make no excuses for her,
but correct whatever there may be
in need of correction.
But no discouragement can reach the soul
which has a zeal
for God and
for the order:
when such a soul
is distressed
at the sight of the order falling away,
and
is waiting for a superior
who shall come to its succour,
and yet sees matters continue
in the same way,
it turns towards God,
and resolves to be silent for the future
— seeing how little good
has been done by speaking —
even though everything should fall to ruin.
The poor nuns
are listened to but once,
when summoned by the visitor;
and the prioresses
have time enough to
make excuses for, and
give explanations of,
their shortcomings,
and
of lessening the number of them,
and perhaps
of creating some suspicion
that the nun
who has made the complaint
was moved by passion;
for, though they are not told
who she was,
they almost always find her out,
and
the visitor cannot be a witness
of what is going on,
and the explanations are given
in such a way
as to make him think
it impossible to reject them,
and
thus everything remains as before,
for if he could be an eye-witness
within the house for many days
he would ascertain the truth:
the prioresses never imagine
that they are not telling it,
but such is our self-love
that we very rarely
accept the blame
or
know ourselves.
48. Self-deceit. —
48.
This has often happened to me,
and
with prioresses
who were very great servants of God,
in whom I had such trust
that it seemed to me impossible
for things to be otherwise
than as they represented them.
But when I remained some days
in the house
I was amazed to see everything
so different from the account
they gave me,
and
that in a matter of some importance,
I have been told
that the complaints were
the effect of temper,
and almost half the community
agreed in that,
and yet it was the prioress
who did not know herself,
as she afterwards
came to understand.
I believe, myself,
that Satan,
not having many opportunities
of tempting the sisters,
tempts the prioress in some things
to think differently from the rest;
and it is a cause
of thanksgiving to our Lord
to see the way they bear it all.
Accordingly, I have made up my mind
never to trust any one
before I have made inquiries enough,
that I may make her
who is thus deceived
feel that she is deceived;
for if that be not done
what is wrong can hardly be set right.
49. Difficult to overcome. —
49.
All this does not take place
in grave matters,
but out of them
great evils may arise
if we do not proceed with caution.
I am amazed
when I consider the cunning of Satan —
how he makes every one think
she is telling the greatest truth
in the world:
that is why I said
that the prioress is
not to be altogether trusted,
nor any one of the nuns either,
but inquiries should be made of many,
if the matter be of importance,
in order that a certain remedy
might be provided.
May our Lord send us always a visitor
who is wise and holy,
such an one His Majesty will enlighten,
so that he shall
understand us and make no mistakes,
for so shall every monastery be governed
in the best way,
and souls grow in perfection,
to the honour and glory of God.
______________________
Letter to Father Jerome Gratian.
I entreat you, my father,
in return for the mortification
which the writing of this
has been to me,
to mortify yourself
by writing certain instructions
for the visitors.
If in this
anything has been done
as it ought to have been done,
it may be put into better order,
and
will be of service;
for I shall now begin
the end of the Foundations [17]
and it may have a place there,
for it will be very useful.
I am afraid, however,
that there never will be another
so humble as he
by whose commandment I write,
who will be willing to make use of it.
However,
it is God's will,
and
I could do no less,
for if these houses are visited
in the way usual in the order
very little good will come of it,
and
it may be that the harm
will be greater than the good.
Inquiries still more minute
must be made,
of which I have not spoken,
because I do not understand it all,
and
because now I cannot remember;
but the greatest care will be necessary
only at the beginning,
for if the nuns see
that the visitation is to be thus exact
there will be no great trouble
in the government of the house.
May you, my father,
do what you can
to carry into execution these instructions,
as you are doing at present
in your visitations;
for our Lord will supply the rest
in His compassion,
and
through the merits of the sisters,
seeing that their object throughout
is to render Him true service,
and for that end
to be instructed.
Foot Notes:
[1]
Fray Jerome Gratian
of the Mothcr of God,
Provincial at the time.
_________________
[2]
See § 2 above.
_________________
[3]
See Foundations, ch. xiv.
and Way of Perfection, ch. ii. 7.
_________________
[4]
The Saint,
in a letter to Fray Jerome
of the Mother of God,
then, by decree of the nuncio,
visitor of the order,
writes as follows: —
'Attend to this, my father, and
believe me
I understand the caprices of women
better than you do:
it is not good
either for prioresses
or their subjects
that you should let them know
it is possible for any one to be removed
from one house to another,
except when new foundations are made.
Even the expectation of that change
really does harm,
and I have often wished
that no more foundations were made,
that every one may be settled
where she is.
Believe me,
— and if I die do not forget it —
Satan wants nothing more than
that cloistered women should think
anything possible.
I have much to say about this,
for, though I have leave
from our father-general
— I asked for it —
to remove a nun when I saw
the climate did not agree with her,
I have since then seen
so many inconveniences ensue
that, were it not for the good of the order,
I should not do it,
for it is much better
that some nuns should die
than that all the nuns should be injured '
(Letter of the end of 1575).
_________________
[5]
See § 15.
_______________
[6]
In the Margin is written:
"This is very important".
_______________
[7]
See § 15, 16
_______________
[8]
The Saint was very much afraid
of the friars on this point,
and had complained
of this heavy burdening of her nuns
to Fray Jerome of the Mother of God,
as early as 1576.
In a letter written to him
19th November of that year,
she cries out against the heavy burdens
which Fray Juan of Jesus had laid
upon his friars.
The austere friar seems
to have forbidden the religious
who communicated in the morning
to appear at the recreation,
at which the Saint, in her indignation,
asks what are the priests then to do ?
' This is what my nuns are afraid of :
they are afraid of harsh visitors
who will overwhelm and crush them . . .
It is strange nobody thinks
he has made a visitation
if he has not made decrees.
If there is to be no recreation
on the days of communion, and
yet mass is said daily,
there will be then no recreation at all.
If the priests do not observe such a rule,
why should other poor people
have to keep it r . . .
The mere reading of these decrees frets me:
what should I do if I had to keep them ?
Believe me,
our rule cannot bear austere men:
it is austere enough as it is.'
The visitor had laid down this rule
only for those
who were not in priests' orders
— lay brothers and clerics —
but the Saint and her nuns were afraid
he might introduce it also
among themselves.
____________
[9]
Ecclus. xix. I.
Qui spernit modica, paulatim decider.
_________________
[10]
On 21 St February 1581
she thus writes to
Fray Jerome of the Mother of God,
about a fortnight
before the chapter of Alcala
at which the constitutions
of both friars and nuns were drawn up:
'I wish we had the constitutions printed,
for they are not everywhere alike,
and
there are prioresses who,
without thinking they are doing anything,
add or omit what they please
when they copy them.
Let a clear decree be made,
that no one is to
add to thcm or
take anything from them,'
_________________
[11]
Perhaps the Saint was thinking
of what she had said in § 12.
____________
[12]
See §31
_____________
[13]
See §4
____________
[14]
See § 4, above.
_________________
[15]
See Way of Perfcction, ch. v. 4.
________________
[16]
See § 14.
_______________
[17]
This paper is generally inserted
among the letters of the Saint,
and as she says
that she is about to begin
the ' end of the Foundations '
it has been placed among those
of March or April 1582,
but it was more probably written
in August or September 1576.
At that time there remained indeed
several chapters to be added
to that work
(see supra, ch. xxvii. 21)
but as the series of foundations
had been interrupted by the troubles
which had overtaken the Reform,
Saint Teresa could not foresee
that at a later period
more convents would be founded,
necessitating the addition of other chapters
with a happier conclusion to her book.
|
| End of
THE VISITATION
OF THE NUNNERIES
The Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
|
