Reformed Cistercians

Cisterciensians, Reformed — Abbot Armand-Jean Le Bouthillier de Rancé. Painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud — Abbey of Notre-Dame de la Trappe.
CISTERCIANS OF THE STRICT OBSERVANCE (TRAPPISTS). - A reform of the Cistercian Order that began in 1599 at the abbey of Charmoy in France under Abbot Arnolfini. It was soon introduced also at the abbey of Clairvaux under Abbot Denis Largentier. The movement spread rapidly to other monasteries and was viewed sympathetically by the Abbot of Cîteaux; however, the General Chapter of 1618 was more reserved, concerned to preserve the unity of the Order. Meanwhile, the “strict observance” had arisen, even if not as a distinct congregation, and it exercised a salutary influence on the restoration of discipline throughout the Order. After the death of Largentier, it began to impose itself on the “common observance,” encouraged by Cardinals de La Rochefoucauld and Richelieu. To settle some disputes that had arisen, Alexander VII summoned representatives of the two “observances” to Rome, and the result was the promulgation of the bull In suprema of 19 April 1666, which carefully delineated the discipline in the two “observances,” approved the “strict observance,” and recommended its expansion; it also approved the relations between the two branches. The “strict observance” then numbered more than fifty monasteries of men and some of women.

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, observing the great moderation of the bull In suprema, introduced into his monastery an even stricter reform, reinstating many observances of ancient Cîteaux. The new reform, though criticized, had even more admirers, and many souls found at La Trappe the life ardently desired, full of abnegation and sacrifice. Innocent XI was the first to praise its regulations.

La Trappe thus became a center radiating a severe monastic life until the French Revolution, when Dom Augustin de Lestrange, already master of novices, managed to flee to Switzerland with twenty-four religious and establish himself at the charterhouse of Val-Sainte, which Pius VI erected into an abbey, where Lestrange introduced regulations much stricter than those of Rancé. Owing to the occupation of Switzerland by French troops, he was forced to abandon Val-Sainte, and after many difficulties, upon the fall of Napoleon, he returned to France, where he reoccupied ancient monasteries of the Order, more or less ruined, including La Trappe. In 1808 the monastery of Darfeld in Westphalia, formed by monks from Val-Sainte who followed the regulations of Rancé more than those of Lestrange, was erected into an independent abbey. It made new foundations in France, and thus by 1814 there were already two branches derived from La Trappe. The relations between them, as between monasteries of the same branch, were not well regulated. After the death of Lestrange 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 monasteries of the strict observance were united into a distinct congregation, though still part of the Cistercian Order. The regulations of Lestrange were definitively abandoned, but the union lasted only until 1847, when separation occurred again. In 1856 there arose in Belgium the Congregation of the Strict Observance of Westmalle, an emanation of Val-Sainte–Darfeld. Thus there were 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 merger 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 into an independent Order with its own abbot general. Leo XIII approved this decision, and thus was born the Order of Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, soon changed to: Order of C.R., or of the Strict Observance.

This union proved most fortunate and set out to return as far as possible to the primitive Cistercian spirit, as was clearly manifested in the Constitutions of 1894, approved by the Holy See. These were slightly amended 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 motherhouse of the Order, Cîteaux, which has been able to be reacquired. During the year the Abbot General with the definitorium, resident in Rome, substitutes for the General Chapter. Since 1898 the Abbot General, while remaining in Rome, has been 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 motherhouses and dependent houses: these are founded by those. The houses are autonomous; but the motherhouse has the right of the regular annual visitation of the dependent house, and other rights “sede vacante,” with the consequence of a strict unity of observance. Studies, little esteemed by Rancé, follow faithfully the directives of the Holy See. The return to ancient Cîteaux marks a full renewal in chant, in liturgy, in architecture, and in spirituality. The life of the Trappist is eminently contemplative and the Divine Office constitutes the principal occupation of the monks, who devote five or six hours to it each day, including the conventual Mass; the rest is devoted to spiritual reading and manual labor. The Order numbers more than 60 monasteries spread throughout almost the entire world, with 3,000 religious. In Italy there are the abbeys of Tre Fontane and Frattocchie (Rome). There are also about thirty nuns with more than 1,300 subjects.