REFORM IS GROWING AND SPREADING

by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

When we began our little community of friars less than six years ago, there were very few people talking about the reform of religious life in the Church. It was a little scary. We were out on the end of a dock and there seemed to be very few other people there. We had some contact with the Franciscani Rinovati who had begun a reform among the Capuchins in Sicily. We were befriended by the Marianists of Chaminade High School on Long Island who had started a separate province working toward reform. There were also large numbers of religious who believed in the need for reform, but none of these had been in a position to do anything themselves because of the secularization of religious life and the theological confusion which is so prevalent at the present time.

In just the past year there have been many signs that an awareness of the need for reform is growing among bishops, clergy, religious and especially among members of the Franciscan family. There is more and more evidence that a spirit of reform is growing. During the past two months we have been honored to receive the Father General of the Franciscans of Mary Immaculate, Fr. Stephano Minelli, former provincial of the Conventual Franciscan province of Naples. The friars in this reform community number over seventy and are now working in this country in New Bedford, Massachusetts. We also were visited by a Capuchin friar from Italy, who is starting a third reform movement there. We also heard from Fr. David, OFM who is endeavoring to start a Franciscan community dedicated to Our Lady and working toward reform. We are in touch with two brothers from Quebec who are attempting to begin a reform Franciscan community there, the Friars of the Emmanuel. The members of most of these movements would have preferred to remain in their original jurisdictions, but found it impossible to do so and at the same time pursue effectively the reform of religious life called for by the Holy Father and so clearly required by the Gospel. One friar who remains in his community wrote me a few days before this writing, "my heart is torn in two." We know the feeling.

Recently three friars of our community participated in a small historical event in Europe. It was the first international gathering of reformed Franciscan communities. The meeting was coordinated by Fr. Francesco Ferrari, OFM, a scholar who has written extensively on Franciscan reform. Among sisters there may even be more activity for reform. Along with our own community of sisters there are a number of new communities specifically dedicated to reform and the revival of traditional forms of religious life. In our own backyard, so to speak, we have the new community of Sisters Of Life, founded by Cardinal O'Connor. A new national organization of religious sisters with a clear reform stance, The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, has been recognized by the Holy See.

Two years ago I tried to formulate a theological and scriptural statement about the perennial need for reform in lives of those who would be disciples of Christ, and particularly among Christians in the United States. This book, The Reform of Renewal (Ignatius Press) was enthusiastically received in a number of quarters and positively reviewed in several periodicals. But for the most part it was ignored by those who do not see, at least yet, that the choice is now for reform or decline. It is simply not "PC" (politically correct) to speak about reform.

Then out of the blue came a bolt of lightening. A very professional social and psychological study of religious life was published by two researchers from De Paul University, Sister Miriam Ukeritis, CSJ and Fr. David Nygren, CM. This careful study of a sample of over six thousand religious in the United-States is called, "The Future of the Religious Life in the United States."

REFORM IS GROWING AND SPREADING

Many of the findings of this study corroborate the very goals we set for ourselves when we began our new community of renewal. To simplify but not distort this study, it may be said that a majority of religious believed that there should be a restoration of community identity and apostolates, that there should be a rejection of materialism and a replacement with Gospel values that keep religious from being assimilated by the secular culture. A majority of religious believed in a return to the exercise of real authority in religious life and in the Church. There is a strong belief that people remain in religious life simply to be affiliated rather than out of a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and His Church. To those of our readers who are familiar with the struggle in religious life, these positions may seem rather obvious, but the fact is that in reality they are far from being observed and far even from being appreciated. Four different friends called me about this study to congratulate our community for being ahead of the times, for "getting there first," as one person put it. I appreciated the encouragement but declined the compliment. All that we did was to honestly try to respond to the Gospel message as it is reflected in the life of St. Francis. We hope and pray that reform and renewal will continue to spread. We hope that those who read this article will themselves start pushing for a true Christian renewal in religious life, family life, in society and in the Church at large. Speak up and when necessary speak out. Many people have been bullied by specious ideas from psychology, sociology, theology and even from writings on Sacred Scripture. Reform must begin with the individual. It spreads because a few individuals feel the power of the Holy Spirit calling them to be renewed. Where to start? We start with the words of Christ: The time has come and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news. Let's start now is the advice of St. Francis.