Reformed Cistercians

REFORMED CISTERCIANS. - Reform of the Cistercian Order that began in 1599 in the abbey of Charmoy in France under Abbot Arnolfini. It was soon introduced also into the abbey of Clairvaux under Abbot Denis Largentier. The movement spread rapidly to other monasteries, and was viewed with sympathy by the abbot of Cîteaux; but the General Chapter of 1618 was more reserved, concerned with preserving the unity of the Order. The "strict observance" had meanwhile arisen, though not as a distinct congregation, and had a salutary influence for the restoration of discipline in the entire Order. After Largentier's death it began to assert itself over the "common observance," encouraged by Cardinals De La Rochefoucauld and Richelieu. To settle certain discords that had arisen, Alexander VII summoned the representatives of the two "observances" to Rome, and the result was the promulgation of the bull In suprema of 19 April 1666, by which the discipline in the two "observances" was carefully outlined, the "strict observance" was approved and its expansion recommended; the relations between the two branches were also approved. The "strict observance" then counted more than 50 monasteries of men and some of nuns.

One of its representatives in Rome had been the abbot of the monastery of La Trappe (diocese of Séez), Armand Jean Le Bouthillier de Rancé (1626-1700), who, having noted the great moderation of the bull In suprema, introduced into his monastery a more severe reform, restoring many observances of the ancient Cîteaux. The new reform, if it had critics, had even more admirers, and many souls found at La Trappe the life they ardently longed for, full of self-denial and sacrifices. Innocent XI was the first to praise its regulations.

La Trappe was thus a radiating center of severe monastic life until the French Revolution, when Dom Augustin de Lestrange, formerly master of novices, managed to flee to Switzerland with 24 religious and to settle in the charterhouse of Val-Sainte, which Pius VI erected into an abbey and where Lestrange introduced regulations much more severe than those of Rancé. Because of the occupation of Switzerland by French troops, he was forced to abandon Val-Sainte, and after many difficulties, at the fall of Napoleon he returned to France, where he reoccupied ancient monasteries of the Order more or less in ruins, among them La Trappe. In 1808 the monastery of Darfeld in Westphalia, formed by monks of Val-Sainte, which followed the regulations of Rancé more than those of Lestrange, had been erected into an independent abbey. It made new foundations in France, and thus from as early as 1814 there were two branches derived from La Trappe. The relations between them, like those between the monasteries of one and the same branch, were not well regulated. After Lestrange's death in 1827, Rome took up the matter with the result of a juridical union of these two branches in France in 1834. It was the first time that the monasteries of the strict observance were united in a distinct congregation, while still forming part of the Cistercian Order. Lestrange's regulations were definitively abandoned, but the union lasted until 1847, when the separation came again. In 1856 the Congregation of the strict observance of Westmalle had arisen in Belgium, an offshoot of Val-Sainte-Darfeld. There were thus three distinct branches of the strict observance: that of La Trappe, that of Sept-Fons and that of Westmalle. Soon, however, the need for a fusion began to be felt, and at a meeting held in Rome on 1 October 1891 all the superiors of the three families decided to unite in an independent Order, with its own abbot general. Leo XIII approved this decision and thus was born the Order of the Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, which was soon changed to that of: Order of the R. C., or of the strict observance.

This union was most happy and set out to return as much as possible to the primitive Cistercian spirit, as was clearly manifested in the Constitutions of 1894, approved by the Holy See. They were slightly changed after the Code and approved by Pius XI on 26 January 1925.

The supreme government of the Order belongs to the General Chapter which meets, as in ancient times, every year on the traditional date of 12 September in the mother house of the Order, Cîteaux, which has been able to be reacquired. During the course of the year the abbot general with the definitory, residing in Rome, replace the General Chapter. Since 1898 the abbot general, while remaining in Rome, is titular of Cîteaux, where he has an auxiliary abbot. According to the ancient system of the Charte caritatis the Order is not divided into provinces, but into mother houses and filial houses: the latter founded by the former. The houses are autonomous; but the mother house has the right of the annual regular visitation of the filial house, and other rights "sede vacante," with the consequence of a strict unity of observance. Studies, little appreciated by Rancé, faithfully follow the directives of the Holy See. The return to the ancient Cîteaux marks a full reflowering in chant, in the liturgy, in architecture, in spirituality. The life of the Trappist is eminently contemplative and the divine office constitutes the principal occupation of the monks, who devote themselves to it for five or six hours a day, including the conventual Mass; the rest is dedicated to spiritual reading and manual work. The Order counts more than 60 monasteries scattered over almost the whole world, with 3000 religious. In Italy there are the abbeys of the Tre Fontane and of the Frattocchie (Rome). There are also about thirty nuns with over 1300 members.

Vincenzo Hermans