APPENDIX III
The Provincialship
of Fray Alonso Gonzalez
Care and Direction of the Nuns
The Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
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APPENDIX III
The General
to Fray Alonso Gonzalez,
provincial of Castille.
Nothing pertaining to our office
should be neglected by us,
particularly in matters concerning the
guardianship and protection of our nuns,
to whom it is necessary very frequently
to offer consolation and assistance,
partly by the sacred ministry
of the sacraments,
partly by whatever else is conducive
to the perfection of the conventual life,
so that by means of spiritual exhortations,
the spiritual wickedness,
suggested by the old serpent,
may be driven off
or at least for a time neutralized.
In order that all this
may be duly carried out,
we command you,
Reverend Master Alonso Gonzalez,
who on account of your merits
are the provincial
of our province of Castille,
- to take great care of our nuns,
professing the primitive rule,
both of convents
already founded
as of others to be founded hereafter;
- to watch over them
as their superior,
and
in virtue of these present letters,
emanating from our generalship
- to govern, rule, order and direct them,
not, indeed,
according to your likes and dislikes,
not after the lines
of the mitigated rule,
but as already has been said
after the directions of the primitive rule
and
according to our constitutions
which were drawn up in harmony
with the said rule.
We grant you this faculty and authority
not because you are provincial,
but inasmuch as you are
our own special commissionary
chosen and commissioned by us
to this end.
You shall continue to
fill this office
and
enjoy this authority
until
we shall make some other arrangement;
and
so long as you are not deprived of it
by ourselves,
even after the expiration
of your provincialship,
no one may deprive you thereof.
And
should anyone,
of lesser dignity than ourselves,
attempt directly or indirectly
to molest you on account of it,
we hereby declare him
- deprived of seat and voice in chapter
and
- altogether unfit for the offices
of the Order,
and
should he not withdraw
from his presumption
we strike him, as rebel,
with the sword of excommunication.
We command to all the nuns,
professing the first rule
(as far as they are subject to us),
to pay you,
in virtue of the Holy Ghost,
that obedience
which they have solemnly vowed
to God
and
to the Superiors of the Order,
from which they cannot withdraw
without incurring the judgment of God,
and
we oblige them to render you
such obedience
not less promptly
than if we ourselves were present.
— In testimony
whereof, etc.
Given in Rome in our monastery
of Santa Maria
Traspontina, this 15th day of May 1569.
Foot Notes:
Note:
The provincialship of
Fray Alonso Gonzalez
expired 23rd September 1570,
when Fray Angel de Salazar
succeeded him.
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End of
Appendix III
of the
Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
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