"Absolute War" Against the Franciscans of the Immaculata?

scidive

How ironic that we have a situation that the order most closely following st francis is being persecuted by the church since Pope Francis has taken over as Pope. This order Like the Seraphic Father St. Francis, the Franciscans of the Immaculate strive to be perfectly conformed to the poor, humble, crucified Jesus through a life of charity, supernatural charity and poverty.

The very topics that Pope Francis speakes about, poverty, humility and Evangelization are at the very core of this order and this order should be hailed as an example by Pope Francis as the way the church should be going. Instead of proclaiming the order the church is in fact destroying the order.

Father Stefano Maria Manelli, the worthy and pious founder of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) was placed under charges that he had led the brothers away from their founding charism, without explaining this to date; then, the priests' celebration of the old rite was prohibited, a ban that applies to this day. Father Stefano Manelli was deposed as Superior General and exiled and even though he has met all instructions and guaranteed absolute obedience, even his closest relatives are forbidden to visit him, and it is forbidden to make phone or receive phone calls and any contact with the outside world is denied to him. Director of the Theological Seminary and Guardian of the Cloister Roma-Boccea was dismissed and sent to Portugal, as the Order's Superior of Florence was dismissed and sent to Austria; then Father Settimio Manelli and Father Siano, were dismissed as Rector and Vice Rector of the Order Seminary and sent to Africa. The new director refused that the Tertiaries to wear their robes.

Only last week Francis stated “In her joy, the church, the bride of Jesus, becomes a mother, the pope said, giving birth to new sons and daughters of God, "transmitting this joy to the children she gives birth to and raises." Where is the joy in the treatment of these humble servants ?

Are we looking at double standards even hypocrisy from the highest ranks in the church ? Sadly it looks that way to me.

Festus

I'm not familiar with this so I defer to someone who is.

http://taylormarshall.com/2013/07/the-latin-mass-and-the-franciscans-of-the-immaculate.html

scidive

Festus wrote: »

I'm not familiar with this so I defer to someone who is.

http://taylormarshall.com/2013/07/the-latin-mass-and-the-franciscans-of-the-immaculate.html

I don't agree with the bloger marshall viewpoint. To say that were 'dealing with abit of franciscan infighting ' and 'The pope has taken this piece off the game board' to resolve matters is abit of an understatement.

The church has leaned entirely to the modernists which I can't imagine there were many in the order and treated the traditionalists very heavy handed.

Not only have they banned the latin mass but exiled most of the Order's Superiors and founding members placing the Superior General in some sort of confined prison in exile and even banned the wearing of the orders habit.

Its like a leaf out of the book of acts in the Bible were the Jewish Sadducees hunted down and exiled christian apostles.

Festus

scidive wrote: »

I don't agree with the bloger marshall viewpoint. To say that were 'dealing with abit of franciscan infighting ' and 'The pope has taken this piece off the game board' to resolve matters is abit of an understatement.

The church has leaned entirely to the modernists which I can't imagine there were many in the order and treated the traditionalists very heavy handed.

Not only have they banned the latin mass but exiled most of the Order's Superiors and founding members placing the Superior General in some sort of confined prison in exile and even banned the wearing of the orders habit.

Its like a leaf out of the book of acts in the Bible were the Jewish Sadducees hunted down and exiled christian apostles.

Agree or not, and as it happens I disagree with the way you are presenting the issue.

They have not been banned from using the Latin Rite, however they must ask permission before doing so. That is not clear in what you are stating.
You appear to be promulgating an untruth.

Because of this I am urging any other responders to do their homework and seek the truth of what the issue is. I presented one example. There are others.

Peregrinus

Scidive, you're ramping this up beyond all reason, and giving scandal/

A quick bit of googling shows that even the friends of the traditionalist cause are characterising this matter as a dispute within the order which has got out of hand, and led to an appeal by some members of the order to Rome, which in turn led to the appointment of an administrator. There is no way an internal dispute within the order can be parlayed into "absolute war" on the order by Rome.

Secondly, as Festus has already pointed out the members of the order have not been banned from using the Extraordinary Form; they have been required to get permission before using it, because it appeared to the administrator that the use of the EF had become point of division within the order. Again, googling shows many instances where permission has been granted, and presumably acted upon.

You'll do your cause no favours by bandying about words like "modernist" for one side in this dispute. The concern expressed is that within the FFI the preference for the EF has become a symbol of ideological rejection of the OF. Plainly, it's unwise to use language which is likely to intensify that impression.

scidive

Peregrinus wrote: »

Scidive, you're ramping this up beyond all reason, and giving scandal"

Its not me ramping but I'm posting artlces from those much closer and more knowlegeable as to whats going on. Such as a recent article from reporter Antonio Socci of Libero on January 5, 2014 states

"Does the Pope know what they are doing (in his name) to the “Franciscans of the Immaculate”? Just two days ago Francis rightly stated that “the Gospel is not proclaimed with beatings, but with love and kindness.”

Yet, without reason or wrongdoing on their part, the Franciscans of the Immaculate have been stormed, thrashed and trashed. They are razing to the ground one of the few religious orders which is orthodox and full of vocations (and which was esteemed and supported by Benedict XVI).

The worst thing is that the destruction is being perpetrated in the name of Francis. But is it possible that the Pope of kindness approves of these methods and persecution?

Moreover, the “Franciscans of the Immaculate” in the all-over disaster of religious orders (without vocations, often in doctrinal and disciplinary crisis, with many well-known errors) should be held as an example: in fact they live radically in poverty – living by charity, they have many vocations, lead a tough ascetic life, they do many works of charity for the poor and outcast, proclaim the Good News with missionary zeal and are obedient to the Church (during these past months of repression they have suffered everything in meekness and silence).

Many of the faithful have been shocked at the great tenacity by which the FFI have been targeted. There are people who are crying because of the forced removal of these good friars from the communities where they had been working up until now. "

Doc Farrell

Taken from not exactly a modernist website.
http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2788/hype_and_hope_for_the_ffi.aspx#.UtHjYn8gGSM

I'm not sure why you are expending so much emotion here on boards. I'd remind you that Fr Volpi is a Capuchin, not the wicked witch of the west.

scidive

Not content with ruining the order of Franciscans of the Immaculata the ' modernists ' have set their sights on the sisters of St Francis of the Immaculata as reported by the web site Rorate Caeli :

"Corrispondenza Romana reports that the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, also founded by Fr. Stefano Manelli FI, has been placed under visitation by Cardinal Braz de Aviz. The visitation was announced on May 19 with immediate effect.

Perhaps our readers remember that in December of last year, the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate had issued an official statement courageously attacking Fr. Volpi's accusations against them as totally unfounded: a statement that has been all but ignored in the rush of certain sectors to justify every step and every measure taken against the Franciscans of the Immaculate.

This tragic news comes on the heels of Rorate's reporting last week that a large number of Friars are seeking to be released from their pontifical vows.
..................................................................................................................................................................
Salus animarum suprema lex?
by Roberto de Mattei.

There can be no further doubts for anyone who still had any. There exists a plan for the systematic destruction of the Franciscans of the Immaculate and Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, the two Religious Institutes founded by Fr. Stefano Maria Manelli currently caught up in the storm. "