Frater Alban (shown
at right) receives
his religious name during
ceremonies conducted
by Dom Daniel
Augustine, CRNJ.
PROLOGUE
“The
Spirit, Who at different times has inspired numerous forms of
consecrated life, does not cease to assist the Church, whether by
fostering in already existing institutes a commitment to renewed
faithfulness to the founding charism, or by giving new charisms to men
and women of our own day so that they can start institutions
responding to the challenges of our times. A sign of this divine
intervention is to be found in the so-called new foundations, which
display new characteristics compared to those of traditional
foundations.
“…These [new] communities are sometimes inspired by one or other
traditional form adapted to the needs of modern society. Their
commitment to the evangelical life also takes on different forms,
while, as a general rule, they are all characterized by an intense
aspiration to community life, poverty, and prayer.” (Vita
Consecrata, ¶ 62)
“…It
is necessary to safeguard the significance
of an institute’s own charism, to foster community life, to be attentive to the needs of
both the universal and particular Church, to show concern for what the
world neglects…New situations of difficulty are therefore to be faced
with the serenity of those who know that what is required of each
individual is not success, but commitment to faithfulness.
What must be avoided at all costs is the actual breakdown of the
consecrated life, a collapse which is not measured by a decrease in
numbers but by a failure to cling steadfastly to the Lord and to
personal vocation and
mission.” (Vita
Consecrata, ¶ 63)
“Institutes of consecrated life are thus invited courageously to
propose anew the enterprising initiative, creativity and holiness of
their founders and foundresses in response to the signs of the times
emerging in today’s world…all must be fully convinced that the quest
for ever greater conformity to the Lord is the guarantee of any
renewal which seeks to remain faithful to the institute’s original
inspiration. In this spirit there is a pressing need today for every
institute to return to the rule since the rule and
constitutions provide a map for the whole journey of discipleship, in
accordance with a specific charism confirmed by the Church.” (Vita
Consecrata, ¶ 37)
“There
is also a need to rediscover the ascetic practices typical of the
spiritual tradition of the Church and of the individual’s own
institute. These have been and continue to be a powerful aid to the
authentic progress in holiness. Asceticism, by helping to
master and correct the inclinations of human nature wounded by sin,
is truly indispensable if consecrated persons are to remain
faithful to their own vocation and follow Jesus Christ on the way of
the cross.” (Vita Consecrata, ¶ 38)
“…To
say “yes” to the Lord’s call by taking personal responsibility for
maturing in one’s vocation is the inescapable duty of all who have
been called…
“Formation should therefore have a profound effect on individuals, so
that their every attitude and action, at important moments as well as
in the ordinary events of life, will show that they belong completely
and joyfully to God…total self-giving…must be the principal objective
of formation.
“…formation should involve the whole person, in every respect of the
personality, in behavior and intentions…
“…it
must include every aspect of Christian life. It must therefore provide
a human, cultural, spiritual and pastoral preparation which pays
special attention to the harmonious integration of all its various
aspects…formation, understood as a process of development which passes
through every stage of personal maturity – from the psychological and
spiritual to the theological and pastoral. In the case of those
studying for the priesthood, this initial formation coincides with and
fits well into a specific course of studies, as part of a broader
formation program.” (Vita Consecrata, ¶ 65)
These
citations from Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation, Vita
Consecrata, lay out certain principles which are fundamental to
the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem, a clerical institute
of consecrated life founded in the present era in view of its specific
charism and pastoral mission. As Vita Consecrata stresses, the
usefulness of any community to the Church relies not on success but
rather on the fidelity of its members to their vocation.
The vocation to religious priestly consecration in this new institute
is the ascetic pursuit of holiness lived within the context of a
communitarian and liturgical life, with a specific work in view for
the good of the Church and for the good of the members who
undertake it. Holiness and community life are not mere
window-dressings for more pressing concerns: they constitute the
irreducible foundation of a vocation to life in this institute.
“The
followers of Christ, called by God not in virtue of their works but by
His design and grace, and justified in the Lord Jesus Christ, have
been made sons of God in the baptism of faith and partakers of the
divine nature, and so are truly sanctified. They must therefore hold
on to and perfect in their lives that sanctification which they have
received from God. They are told by the Apostle to live as is
fitting among saints (Eph. 5:3), and to put on as God’s chosen
ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, loveliness, meekness,
and patience (Col. 3:12), to have fruits of the Spirit for their
sanctification (cf. Gal. 5:22; Rom. 6:22)”. (Lumen Gentium, ¶
40)
The
foundation of the Christian life itself is an objective consecration
to the love and service of God effected through the grace of Baptism.
This imparts a fundamental call to holiness and constitutes the
principle requirement of faith, rooted in the grace of Christ and
cooperation of His subjects. This Baptismal call to personal sanctity
is the foundation for any particularized vocation in the Church and
underlies every other work and undertaking of the Christian person.
True
holiness is a process of perfection in charity, necessarily
encompassing the whole of the human person and his nature. Given the
fallen condition of man, mastery over what is unruly and disordered is
indispensable to spiritual perfection. Thus the practice of
asceticism, which derives from voluntary self-renunciation,
remains an integral requirement in the growth of the love of God and
neighbor. In an era of widespread self-indulgence, the consecrated
religious priest shows forth in a particular way the value of
self-denial in the pursuit of perfection:
“Many
men and women…pursue more closely the Savior’s self-emptying and show
it forth more clearly by undertaking poverty with the freedom of God’s
sons, and renouncing their own will: they subject themselves to man
for the love of God thus going beyond what is of precept in the matter
of perfection, so as to conform themselves more fully to the obedient
Christ.” (Lumen Gentium, ¶ 42)
“Guided by the Holy Spirit…from the God-given seed of the counsels a
wonderful and wide spreading tree has grown up in the field of the
Lord, branching out into various forms of religious life lived in
solitude or in community. Different religious families have come into
existence in which spiritual resources are multiplied for the progress
in holiness of their members and for the good of the entire Body of
Christ.
“Members of these families enjoy many helps toward holiness of life.
They have a stable and more solidly based way of Christian life. They
receive well-proven teaching on seeking after perfection. They are
bound together in brotherly communion in the army of Christ. Their
Christian freedom is fortified by obedience. Thus they are enabled to
live securely and to maintain faithfully the religious life to which
they have pledged themselves. Rejoicing…they advance on the road of
love”. (Lumen Gentium, ¶ 43)
From
these texts the following priorities of religious life are set in
view:
1.
For those who embrace it, religious life is a
particularization of their means towards the universal call to
Christian holiness received in Baptism.
2.
It is achieved through a
stability of life.
3.
It encompasses teachings regarding the pursuit
of holiness which are themselves well-proven by the wisdom and
experience of the Church. These teachings can not ignore the
necessity of ascetic self-denial as integral to the pursuit of
holiness.
4.
A constitutive element in the pursuit of sanctification
is the fraternal association of fellow religious in a
binding communion among themselves, itself ordered to the work
they perform together in service of the Lord.
5.
The freedom of the religious in his fraternal service
to Christ is strengthened by the virtue of obedience, which he
practices in view of the free choice he has
made through his vows.
6.
As the end in every human action is first in intention
and last in execution, the singular motivation in undertaking
religious consecration is the ongoing pursuit of perfection –
growing in mystic love of Jesus and in the love of others for His sake.
As
Baptism induces a call to holiness, so too it imparts a power for
responding in the first work of faith: the worship of God. By an
adoration of latria the believer returns to God, albeit unworthily, a
measure of that divine glory which is His due. Adored in His
transcendent majesty and glorified for His divine goodness, the Most
Holy and Sublime Trinity is approached in love as the source and end
of the total life of the believer. The call to holiness is
ontologically bound to the work of worship and this union finds
its most perfect expression in the public liturgical acts of the
Church. Therefore holiness expresses itself through liturgical
worship with particular love and longing by the consecrated
religious. In this worship he offers to God an adoration which, fed
by Him, becomes the real cause of that secondary conversio ad Deum
expressed in the full spectrum of all other Christian works.
Too
often in modern life the essential obligations of religious
consecration are overshadowed by secular paradigms of productivity.
The Christian value of exterior works is real only when such works are
truly derivative of an actual pursuit of holiness
nourished within the context of a consciously lived
liturgical worship. This is why the Church describes the liturgy
as the:
“…summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed [and] the
fount from which all her power flows. For the goal of the apostolic
endeavor is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism
should come together to praise God in the midst of His Church to take
part in the Sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper.” (Sacrosanctam
Concilium, ¶ 10)
The
Council continues, spelling out the intrinsic relationship of worship
to sanctity:
“The
liturgy, in its turn, moves the faithful filled with the “paschal
sacraments” to be “one in holiness”; it prays that “they hold fast in
their lives what they have grasped by their faith”. The renewal in the
Eucharist of the covenant between the Lord and man draws the faithful
and sets them aflame with Christ’s insistent love. From the liturgy,
therefore, and especially the Eucharist, grace is poured forth upon us
as a fountain, and the sanctification of men in Christ and the
glorification of God to which all other activities of the Church are
directed, as towards their end, are achieved with maximum
effectiveness.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, ¶ 10)
It is
important to note that the Council has quoted from the liturgy itself,
the Church’s first contact with Holy Scripture and principal
font of revealed religion. But most fundamentally, in it – through
its living experience – God touches men and “sets them aflame”. Little
wonder then that the Church refers to the liturgy as a fountain.
But in drinking from this source the Christian finds not only the goal
of his life, he finds the cause of his union with others as well. In
the public worship of Christ, the Church is bound together as a whole,
and simultaneously, provides an inexhaustible food which nourishes
that genuine union of charity which must bind religious brethren
together in their common life and work. What bears reiteration is
that this unity involves an ontological call to a genuine and
pervasive pursuit of perfection, the ascetic practice of virtues and a
caritas non ficta. This is that imitation of the “insistent
love of Christ” which must be the conscious pursuit of every believer.
For
these reasons the consecrated state, above all others, must have as
its particular foundation an active and consciously pursued love
of God lived in and through communitarian life. This reflects
that communion of love which exists preeminently in the Most Holy
Trinity and is so wonderfully reflected in the Mystical Body, the
Church. Within the Church the religious has a particular vocation to
give living witness to this communion of love. It manifests itself
primarily through that Christian love
which religious have for one another in their life together:
Ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum. (Psalm
132)
This
love is expressed through the interpenetrating graces of ascetic
virtue and liturgical worship as lived and manifest in the
conduct of the religious towards God and each other in a stable and
on-going community life. From that integrated foundation alone
fruitful works ad extram are made possible while
safeguarding the individual religious from the real
dangers of isolation, overwork and spiritual fatigue brought on by
incessant activity.
The
primary pursuit of holiness in charity must be jealously guarded by
religious in their corporate vocation no matter what the urgency of
other demands. The constant call for activity is such that it can
easily and rapidly erode the supernatural foundation on which the
vocation of consecrated priesthood is essentially and necessarily
founded. This danger will be avoided among the Canons Regular of the
New Jerusalem by recognizing in a particular way the primacy of
the perfection of charity in its members, the wisdom of the Church
employed in the integral formation of the whole of their persons, the
fundamental call to community life, the role of worship and the place
of the canons’ work and vision within the larger framework of the
Church as a whole. By recognizing these priorities in the Prologue
of the CRNJ’s constitutions, there is established that explicit
substrate required for the unfolding of their entire vocation and
charism. It is to the whole of its charism that each member of
the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem is called in radical fidelity.
By faithfully observing the whole of the Constitutions the members of
this institute will be assured of the authenticity of their life and
work in the eyes of God and the Church. Through this faithful
observance the patrimony of the CRNJ will remain always fresh
and fruitful, a gift received from God, and a return to Him in the
fullness of Love answered by love.
CONSTITUTIONS
I.
FUNDAMENTAL ORIENTATIONS:
A. The Nature of the Institute:
1. The
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem (CRNJ) is a clerical institute
of consecrated life whose members (known as canons), according
to the terms of law, pursue the proper apostolic ends of their
religious society. By pronouncing the ancient vows of Stability,
Conversion of Life and Obedience and living a common life according to
the specific form of the institute, each member consciously strives
towards the perfection of charity by faithful observance of these
Constitutions. (cf. Canon 573 § 1)
2. The vow
Conversion of Life engages the canon to an ongoing pursuit of
Christian virtue and religious perfection. This vow confers the
obligation of consecrated religious celibacy and poverty as practiced
in the canonical tradition and the specific observance of the
institute.
3. The
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem live under the Rule of Saint
Augustine, the Constitutions of the institute, the Directory of
Discipline appended to the Constitutions and other directories and
customals as approved and appended to the Constitutions.
4. The
Vita Canonica as lived by this institute consists of a
regular observance wherein contemplation and liturgical worship
provide the foundation for other works exterior and secondary to the
common life of its members.
5. As an
expression of canonical life, the institute and its members give
particular witness to the perennial values of an authentic priestly
life and work. As canons they engage themselves to the regular,
solemn, public offering of the Church’s Liturgy as well as service to
the Bishop and the Diocesan Church according to the norms of these
Constitutions.
6.
Community life is enjoined as the irreducible
norm within which members of the institute pursue their life and work.
B. Its Spirit:
7. The
Divine Liturgy, in the august Eucharistic Sacrifice, Divine Office and
other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, constitute the summit
toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the
fount from which all her powers flow (Sacrosanctum Concilium, ¶
10). For this reason the worthy celebration of the Church’s worship
of the Most Holy Trinity is at the heart of the spirituality and work
of the CRNJ. The effectiveness of personal sanctification and
apostolic works will stem from each member’s faithful participation in
the offering of the Church’s liturgy particularly in their own daily
celebration of the Sacrifice of Redemption.
8. The
CRNJ places itself under the protection of the Glorious and Blessed
Virgin Mary in the mystery of her Annunciation. As the Mother of
Jesus, Mary is Mother of the Church to whose service canons are
especially ordained. In exemplifying her Son, Mary reveals to each
canon the motives for his love of the Lord and His Mystical Body, the
Church. Mary is also that special advocate and model who gives the
profound example of a holy, chaste love for the Lord. In imitation of
her prayer and purity each member of this institute finds the holiness
and richness of his consecrated celibacy, the favored condition for
the unfolding of his priestly life and witness.
9. The
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem is founded according to the
spirit and letter of the Motu Proprio, Ecclesia Dei Adflicta,
of His Holiness John Paul II, July 2, 1988. The institute as a whole
and each of its members profess fidelity to the Roman Pontiff, the
successor of Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, Vicar of Christ,
head of the whole Church, the Father and Doctor of all Christians
(VC I, Pastor Aeternus; VC II, Lumen Gentium, ¶ 22). Each of its
members is held to obey the Supreme Pontiff as his highest superior.
(Canon 590 §§ 1 and 2)
C. The General and Specific End of the Institute:
The general end:
10. The
general end of the CRNJ is the sanctification of its members through
the exercise of their Solemn Vows as practiced in the tradition of
canons regular. This entails a life-long commitment to asceticism and
virtue, community life and the exercise of a faithful and authentic
Roman Catholic priestly life (cf. Presbyterorum Ordinis) in the
perfection of charity. The entire work is undertaken for the greater
glory of God and the sanctification of the Church and the world.
11. As
public ministers of the teachings and Sacraments of Jesus Christ,
members of the CRNJ will always bear in mind that as grace supposes
nature an effective ministry will begin by first cultivating
those virtues which are rightly held in high esteem in human
relations. Such qualities are goodness of heart, sincerity, strength
and constancy of mind, careful attention to justice, courtesy and
others which the Apostle Paul recommends when he says: “Whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”,
Phil. 4:8 (Presbyterorum Ordinis, ¶ 3). This will be made
possible by the assurance of an effective formation which will involve
the whole person, in every aspect of the personality, in behavior
and intentions (Vita Consecrata, ¶ 65), carried out according to
the traditional wisdom and norms of the Church. Following the example
and teaching of their holy father, Saint Augustine, each canon will
strive to be a Christian gentleman in his life as a religious priest.
The explicit end:
12.
The explicit end and apostolate of the CRNJ is as
follows:
a.)
Fostering an authentic Roman Catholic
priestly life and spirituality within the context of religious
consecration and community. This includes the exercise of public
ministry in which all members of a particular house participate.
b.)
The
entire work is carried out within the context of an educated and
faithful observance of the “liturgical and spiritual traditions” of
the Latin Church according to the disposition and directives of the
Motu Proprio, Ecclesia Dei Adflicta. This liturgical dimension
of the CRNJ’s life includes the following:
1.)
The
more worthy celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice by a careful
observance of the 1962 typical edition of the Missale Romanum
in conjunction with the Pontificale, Rituale and
Breviarium pertaining to that same
edition.
2.)
The faithful observance of all those
fasting disciplines presupposed in the aforementioned liturgical
texts.
3.)
Study and implementation of the liturgical principles
set forth in Tra Le Sollecitudini, Mediator Dei, Musicae Sacrae
Disciplinae, De Musica Sacra and Sacrosanctum Concilium (as
applicable) concerning the laity’s actual, active and integrated
participation in public worship.
4.)
A careful preparation of all that is
necessary, spiritually and materially, for the worthy celebration of
public worship. This will include an active cultivation and use of
that cultural patrimony of the Latin Church which the CRNJ holds in
particular regard and which constitutes a treasure of inestimable
value in the service of God.
c.)
Cultivating an understanding of the intrinsic value of
the historical Gregorian Liturgy as codified in the 1962 edition of
the Missale and its related books, in their effect on faith and
practice both in the lives of the CRNJ and upon the faithful who have
recourse to their ministry. This is to be assiduously carried out
within the institute’s houses and assigned missions and without
prejudice to the normative rites of the Church.
d.)
Understanding and promoting the cultural patrimony of
the Roman Catholic Church according to the mandates of the Second
Vatican Council through the active teaching, sanctifying and
governmental responsibilities conferred on the CRNJ in its works. (cf.
SC, ¶¶ 112-129, with particular attention to the education of
candidates for the priesthood and educating the laity concerning their
role in public worship.)
e.)
The pursuit of higher theological studies by its
members. Particular emphasis will be placed on studies in Scripture,
the Church Fathers, Spiritual Theology, the principles, history and
development of the liturgy and the patrimony of western Catholic
culture. These studies are necessary ancillaries to the promotion of
the CRNJ’s spiritual and liturgical apostolate as well as its mission
to the Church. Members are to undertake serious research and
publication in their respective fields of study whenever possible.
f.)
Undertaking public ministries with the consent of Ordinaries among
those Catholics who wish to avail themselves of the pastoral
provisions of the Motu Proprio, Ecclesia Dei Adflicta.
D. Achieving the Aims:
13. The
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem devotes itself to all the
works necessary for the religious and priestly formation of its own
members. This may include other candidates for ordination who with the
permission of appropriate superiors and the candidates’ bishops are
deemed suitable for inclusion within the CRNJ’s life and formation.
Preparation for the priesthood comes to fruition through the integral
formation of the entire person. In philosophical studies the
candidates will be thoroughly imbued with that philosophical
patrimony which is forever valid (Optatam Totius, ¶ 15). Theology
will be founded, therefore, on the principles and method of Saint
Thomas Aquinas conforming to the intent often renewed by Church
authority. In this manner the members of the CRNJ will receive a solid
intellectual foundation as a fundamental necessity in the pursuit of
holiness and priestly formation, thus avoiding errors both in
philosophy and theology. (cf. Pius X, Pascendi: AAS 40 (1907) 596 ss;
Pius XII, Humani Generis: AAS 42 (1950) 561 ss; Paul VI, Mysterium
Fidei: AAS 57 (1965) 753 ss.)
14. The
formation of priests will conform to the dispositions of the ratio
studiorum promulgated by the Holy See. In conformity with
universal law a directory will specify the curriculum of seminary
studies and its role within the life and spirituality of the institute
as a whole.
15. To
assist the sanctification of other priests, the Canons Regular of
the New Jerusalem may offer retreats and days of recollection. An
association for priests will offer them a means of spiritual union
with the CRNJ and its life and prayer. Publications may be undertaken
for the advancement of the sanctity and intellectual life of priests.
Without prejudice to the interior life of the community, the CRNJ will
come to the aid of priests in need whenever feasible.
16. The CRNJ
will encourage vocations of lay persons who contribute to the work of
worship: servers, musicians and sacristans. This will include a
related catechesis: everything necessary for a richer understanding
and celebration of the Divine Liturgy as well as promoting the laity’s
understanding and integral participation in it. Every member of the
institute will actively strive towards excellence in the matter of
public worship. This derives from the priestly and liturgical
spirituality at the heart of the canonical vocation. As priests of
the Church, canons seek to render to God the glory and honor which is
His due by essence and right. In this regard, the exterior
preparation and enactment of public worship is of the greatest
importance, publicly and personally, and requires a committed
discipline in the pursuit of holiness.
17. In the
measure possible, the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem will
undertake the foundation of educational institutes, free from all
secular influence, in accordance with the law of the Church (cf. Canon
796 and following). From such schools will come vocations and
Christian families, the deepening of Catholic faith and culture as
well as the advancement of other sciences.
18. Public
pastoral works will by undertaken by the CRNJ with the permission of
the local ordinaries provided that the integral charism of the
institute is assured and maintained. Such works are undertaken
according to the outline given in the appendix.
II.
GOVERNMENT OF THE CRNJ:
A. Concerning the Role of Superiors:
19. The
superiors of the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem will
fulfill their functions according to the mind of the Church, the
prescriptions of universal law (Canons 617 – 619) and the
constitutions of the institute. They will keep in mind the grave
responsibility of an authority rightly exercised in a prudent spirit
of service in holiness to the community as a whole and members in
their individuality. Authority rightly demands obedience while
carrying a debt of accountability for the manner in which it is
exercised:
Superiors will have to render an account of the souls committed to
their care, (Heb. 13:17), they should exercise authority in a spirit
of service of the brethren, thus giving expression to God’s love for
them. . .Superiors ought to listen to their subjects willingly and
ought to promote cooperation between them for the good of the
institute and the Church, retaining, however, their own authority to
decide and to prescribe what is to be done.
(Perfectae Caritatis, ¶ 14)
When I am frightened by what I am to you, then I am consoled by what I
am with you. To you I am the bishop, but with you I am a Christian.
The first is an office, the second a grace; the first a danger, the
second salvation. (Saint Augustine, Sermon 340, 1: PL 38, 1438)
20. Since
superiors will be solicitous of their subjects, they will seek out
means for understanding them and their needs. A spirit of openness and
free communication will be fostered between superiors and subjects at
all times and at every level of community life and formation. This is
an expression of the Augustinian spirit which pervades the whole
charism of the CRNJ and draws all of its members into the charity of a
single heart and soul: cor unum et anima una.
B. The Supreme Moderator and His Council:
21. The
Major Superior (Canon 620) and Supreme Moderator (Canon 622) of the
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem are one and the same person.
He holds supreme office, rank and title according to an abbatial form
of government employed by the majority of Augustinian canons. Until
his death, definitive debilitation or voluntary retirement, the
founder of the CRNJ is its Supreme Moderator.
22. Upon the
death, definitive debilitation or voluntary retirement of the founder,
the Supreme Moderator of the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem
will be, from then on, instituted by canonical election (Canon 625
§1).
23. The
Supreme Moderator is elected for life. Two Assistants and two
Consultors are also elected for six years, the number of terms not
being limited. The Supreme Moderator will have a Vicar, chosen by
himself from among the solemnly professed members of the institute.
24. The
Supreme Moderator, his Assistants, and Consultors are elected from
among members of the institute who have been solemnly professed for at
least six years.
25. The
Supreme Moderator is aided in his work by the Supreme Council,
consisting of himself, the two Assistants, and the two Consultors. His
Ordinary Council is comprised of himself and the two Assistants. The
two Consultors may also attend in order to give counsel regarding any
question considered of major consequence according to the judgment of
the Supreme Moderator.
26. From
among the solemnly professed members of the institute the Supreme
Moderator will designate as members of the Supreme Council a Secretary
General and a Treasurer General. These will serve for a period of
three years, the number of terms not being limited. These may also
attend sessions of the Supreme Moderator’s Ordinary Council as he
deems fit.
C. The General Chapter and Its Functions:
27.
a.) The General Chapter of the Canons Regular of the New
Jerusalem possesses supreme authority according to the norms of
universal law and the Constitutions:
Canon
631 § 1: In an institute the general chapter
has supreme authority in accordance with the constitutions. It is to
be composed in such a way that it represents the whole institute and
becomes a true sign of its unity in charity. Its principal functions
are to protect the patrimony of the institute mentioned in Canon 578
and to foster the appropriate renewal in accord with that patrimony.
It also elects the supreme Moderator, deals with matters of greater
importance, and issues norms which all are bound to obey.
b.) The patrimony of the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem
is, before all else, the consecrated life and perfection of charity
lived by its members according to the canonical tradition as expressed
by the will of the founder and the norms of these constitutions.
Devotion to the public worship of God, zeal for understanding and
promoting the rich treasure of Catholic faith and Latin culture are
principal among works indivisible from its charism. Following upon
the general responsibilities of the members and superiors of the
institute to foster its set purposes, it is the special responsibility
of the General Chapter to ensure the continuity and integrity of the
CRNJ’s life and work. The patrimony of the Canons Regular of the
New Jerusalem is the whole of its charism incarnate in the full
content of its corporate life, work and witness.
28. The
General Chapter is composed of members by law and elected delegates as
determined by capitulary regulations. Delegates are elected according
to a proportional representation and constitute at least half the
members of the Chapter. There should be no more than 35 members in the
Chapter, except to assure the proportional representation.
29. Upon the
death, definitive debilitation or voluntary retirement of the founder,
the role of the General Chapter is to elect the Supreme Moderator of
the institute. Its permanent role is also the election of the two
Assistants and two Consultors; to regulate the most important business
concerning matters spiritual, apostolic and administrative; to propose
and modify the constitutions without any substantial change to the
institute’s charism; to revise the decisions of the previous
Chapter; to keep directories up to date; to be informed by reports of
the superiors. Directories are normative documents other than the Rule
or Constitutions (cf. Canon 587 § 4). The Directory of Discipline is
of primary importance in the actual governance and lived observance of
the institute.
30. With the
exception of those laws particular to the CRNJ itself, the rules
governing elections and deliberations are those of universal law. The
manner in which the General Chapter functions, the organs of
preparation, their composition and choice and the way in which they
function will be regulated by the Chapter itself and established in a
capitular directory.
D. Foundations:
31. When
deemed feasible for the institute and its ability to serve the Church,
the Supreme Moderator may undertake the establishment of foundations.
These will be done with the written consent of the diocesan bishop
(cf. Canon 733 § 1). The Supreme Moderator will ensure the material
necessities for each house according to the prescriptions of Canon 610
§§ 1 and 2.
32. Each
foundation will include a minimum of three persons, at least one being
a priest. Each must include an adequate residence which is, in
conjunction with the community living there, capable of supporting a
completely observant canonical life. The local superior will be a
priest.
33. Local
superiors will be appointed by the Supreme Moderator for a convenient
and determined period of time. The needs of the CRNJ may allow for a
change of position in mid-term.
34. From the
consent of the diocesan bishop to make a foundation comes the rights
and obligations foreseen by universal law (cf. Canon 733 § 2), the
right to lead a life corresponding to the ends of the institute, the
exercise of proper works of the apostolate according to the
established agreement and the exercise of the sacred ministry
according to universal law and the particular laws of the CRNJ.
35.
Canonical visitations to houses of the CRNJ will be carried out by the
Supreme Moderator or his delegate according to Canon 628 § 1. Such
visitations are to occur once a year and take into consideration the
quality of community life, spirituality and the welfare of the canons
in their life and work in that place. The Visitator and each member
of the house will speak in a spirit of openness and fraternal
charity. The findings of visitations will reflect upon the integrity
of the CRNJ’s life and spirit present in each of its dependencies.
36. The
closing of a particular house will be decided by the Supreme Moderator
after consultation with his Council as well as the superior and
members of the place involved.
III. MEMBERS
OF THE INSTITUTE:
A. Composition of the Institute:
37. The
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem, being a consecrated clerical
institute of diocesan right, is composed of members who are either
clerics or aspiring to the clerical state. Deacons and priests are
incardinated into the diocesan presbyterate according to the norms of
universal law.
B. Membership
38. Any male
Catholic may apply for admission to the Canons Regular of the New
Jerusalem provided he possess the required qualities and be free
of impediment (Canons 642 – 645). The institute’s particular law
limits admission to men between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusively.
The Supreme Moderator may grant dispensation from this latter
requirement for serious cause provided the general welfare of the
community is not jeopardized. Particular importance is placed on the
personal and social maturity of each aspirant, mindful of his
suitability for the community context into which he will be introduced
(cf. Canon 641, 642).
39.
a.) The essential characteristic of the Canons Regular of
the New Jerusalem is that it is a clerical institute. As
such, it will not have brothers. From the first instant of its
juridical erection, and constitutionally, the CRNJ possesses the right
and use of the 1962 Missale Romanum and that Pontificale,
Breviarium and Rituale pertaining to it.
These books constitute particular liturgical law to be
faithfully observed and assiduously fostered by the institute as a
whole and each member in it. In view of the priestly spirituality
inhering in and flowing from the liturgical and sacramental forms
contained in these books, that characteristic essential to the CRNJ’s
canonical vocation is imparted by the rite of clerical Tonsure. This
principle and practice is a particular law of the institute. Clerical
Tonsure is the first and necessary gateway to all other orders, minor
and major, imparted in and through the Canons Regular of the New
Jerusalem.
b.) For purposes extrinsic to the life and spirituality of the
CRNJ, and in view of universal law, the clerical state is recognized
as conferred, absolutely speaking, at reception of the Sacred
Diaconate (Canon 266 § 1).
40. Initial
incorporation into the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem
takes place at the conclusion of a suitable period of postulancy
(usually between two and six months duration) and marked by the rite
of religious Tonsure, vestition in the canon’s habit and reception of
a name in religion. These outward signs indicate the candidate’s
commitment to faithful observance of the CRNJ’s Rule, Constitution and
entire way of life. Religious Tonsure and vestition mark formal
entrance into novitiate.
41. Novitiate
formation is two years in length. This includes the time of postulancy
unless determined otherwise by lawful authority.
42. The
first 12 months of novitiate formation comprises the juridical
novitiate prescribed by Canon 648 §1 (cf. Canon 649 §1 regarding
absences). Studies during this twelve month period will only include
subjects serving religious formation (cf. Canon 652 §5). Academic
studies for priesthood may only commence at the conclusion of the
juridical year of novitiate. The entire two years’ novitiate consists
of human, spiritual and intellectual formation (cf. Canon 652 §2).
43. At the
conclusion of two years’ novitiate the candidate makes simple
profession for a period of three years (Canon 655). For serious
reason the duration of simple profession may be extended to six years
or more. In any case the duration of simple profession will never
exceed nine years (Canon 657 § 2).
44. Solemn
profession (cf. Canon 756) will take place immediately prior to the
expiration of a candidate’s simple profession. Solemn profession
establishes the candidate as a permanent member of the institute.
45. Clerical
Tonsure, Minor and Major Orders are to be conferred at appropriate
intervals during progress towards full membership and academic studies
proper to the different grades of ordination.
46.
a.) In view of the particular law of the CRNJ, clerical
Tonsure, Porter, Lector, Acolyte, Exorcist and Sub-Diaconate will be
conferred only after suitable preparation. b.) The
norms of universal law will be observed concerning studies and
reception of the Sacred Orders of Diaconate and Priesthood.
47.
Candidates may only be admitted to each degree of membership and/or
ordination after effective training and testing in community life, the
principles of spirituality and asceticism, completion of all necessary
studies and the positive judgment of the Supreme Moderator following
his consultation with appropriate superiors. He must also consult the
General Chapter regarding admission of candidates to solemn
profession.
48. The
Diaconate and Priesthood may only be conferred on solemnly professed
members of the institute. This may be dispensed by the Supreme
Moderator provided he receive explicit approval from the ordinary in
whose diocese the cleric is incardinated.
49.
a.) Candidates not wishing to advance to Sacred Priesthood but
judged called to the life and work of the institute may be admitted to
solemn profession. In such cases the Supreme Moderator and his
Council will determine to which of the Orders the candidate may be
advanced. Such members will regularly exercise the Orders which they
have received in the course of the community’s liturgical worship.
b.) No one is to be admitted to the Diaconate without moral
certitude that he will be advanced to the Priesthood.
50.
a.) Diocesan clerics or members of other institutes (in the
wide sense of the term) may be accepted as candidates for membership
in the CRNJ. Such men, even if already deacons or priests, will pass
at least one full year of probation and formation in the institute.
The substance of that formation will be determined by competent
authority in view of the particular circumstances of each aspirant.
Definitive profession of such men is possible after a minimum of four
years from initial entrance. The universal prescriptions regarding
permission for transfer as well as the excardination/incardination of
men in Sacred Orders will be carefully observed.
b.) Definitive incorporation of such candidates into the
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem is to be marked by public
expression of solemn profession or the juridical acceptance of one
already under equivalent vows transferring from another institute of
consecrated life. In the latter case, a public expression of fidelity
to the Rule and Constitutions will be made in addition to the
juridical act of transfer.
51. Other
clerics may collaborate with the work of the CRNJ with the consent of
their ordinaries. Although these are not members of the institute
they will pronounce a public commitment of fidelity to the Rule,
Constitutions, community life, spirituality and work of the CRNJ.
Such associates must be incorporated into a house of the institute and
share completely in the internal life of its members. Such clerics
will be required to follow a suitable course of formation in order to
understand and cooperate fully with the whole of the CRNJ’s spirit and
work.
C. Separation of Members from the Institute:
52. A
candidate for membership may leave the CRNJ of his own will at any
point during postulancy or novitiate. He may also freely leave at the
expiration of his simple profession. The Supreme Moderator may grant
dispensation from temporary vows according to the norms of universal
law.
53. The
Supreme Moderator may grant an indult of departure from the CRNJ to a
definitively incorporated member according to the prescriptions of
Canons 691 § 1 and 693. Following the same procedures, he may also
grant permission for a member to transfer to another institute. If
applicable the member’s incardination will be regulated between the
ordinaries involved. The member’s right to return to the institute is
lost upon his definitive incorporation into the new institute.
54. For the
dismissal of a member the norms of universal law will be observed in a
spirit of justice and equity.
IV.
PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE INSTITUTE:
55. By
virtue of their vocation and these Constitutions, members of the
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem are held to the perfection of
charity pursued within the context of community life and a sustained
discipline of public worship.
56. The end
of perfection is growth in the love of God and others for His sake.
This is made possible by each canon sincerely striving to observe the
Rule, Constitutions, Directory of Discipline and continuous growth in
the practice of his vows.
57. Those
who are at various stages moving towards vows and full membership are
held, no less than full members, to faithful observance of the Rule,
Constitutions and Directory of Discipline. They are also bound to
pursue the virtues that lead towards the vows they will eventually
pronounce.
58.
Following the strong tradition of observant canonical life, this
institute recognizes the virtue of poverty to be the first operative
principle in its religious consecration. Poverty is the willing
renunciation of personal possessions and represents the renunciation
of goods evident in the virtues of chastity and obedience. Such
poverty is essentially the free sacrifice of one’s own will,
the necessary condition of cooperation with grace in true
self-perfection, community life and service to others.
59.
Vows are not a repudiation of things material because they are evil
but freely chosen means by which one abandons lesser goods for those
which are eternal. Through his vows the religious priest freely
engages himself to a lifelong pursuit of charity in its every
dimension.
60.
Self-renunciation, the heart of asceticism, finds its perfect exemplar
in Jesus Christ Who, pouring Himself out to do the will of His Father,
freely undertook the poverty of the Incarnation, submitted to human
authority, gave Himself into the hands of His enemies and underwent
death on the Cross. His motivation in self-renunciation was to
glorify the Father and give fallen man means for sharing in the divine
life of the Most Holy Trinity.
61.
a.) That this grace not be in vain, members of the Canons
Regular of the New Jerusalem will understand and practice
self-renunciation. Through his vows each member will enter into a
particular union with Christ crucified. In the Cross, the Lord
manifests the mystery of life through death: buried with Him in
death (Romans 6: 4) the canon dies to this world so that with
Christ he may rise to a new and wondrous life with the Father in the
Spirit.
b.) In religious consecration this death encompasses an
intensified training of the will: the renunciation of certain goods
and cultivating mastery over lower nature for a greater foretaste in
this life of the glory to come. The practice of stability, conversion
of life and obedience include fundamental acts of self-renunciation
through which the canon is rendered more free to the working of grace,
the love of God and service to His Church.
62. An
indispensable aspect of self-renunciation is ascetic discipline. By
certain exterior acts the unruly impulses of lower, fallen nature are
more effectively mastered and harnessed for higher, spiritual reasons.
Thus growth in the love of God and others is the motivation for
religious discipline. Understood as such, denial is not an end in
itself but a means to that new life in Christ which the religious
priest is vowed to pursue in a particular way.
63. The
ascetic discipline of members of the Canons Regular of the New
Jerusalem rests principally in their fidelity to the daily
requirements of their consecrated state. In this way the fruits of a
spiritual martyrdom may be realized through obedience shown towards
the Rule, Constitutions, Directory of Discipline and lawful
authority. Essential to such obedience is purity of heart and
religious discretion. It also includes a disciplined constancy
in prayer and liturgical worship. Mastery over the flesh is developed
through generosity in physical work, bodily modesty, fast and
abstinence. All of these aspects of asceticism are outward practices
developing and reflecting inward dispositions that cooperate with
grace. Asceticism is undertaken within the greater context of the
institute’s consecration and witness and is an integral part of its
vocation to the perfection of charity.
64. The
Directory of Discipline establishes obligatory laws of fast and
abstinence binding everyone incorporated into the CRNJ’s community
life: postulants, novices, professed, clerical students and priest
associates living within the community but not members of the
institute. For just cause in single instances, local superiors may
grant dispensations; permanent or long-term dispensations may only be
granted through the Supreme Moderator after consultation with his
ordinary Council.
65.
Community life is absolutely enjoined on every member of the
institute. No one will live apart from community nor will priestly
assignments be made without the assurance of a regular canonical life
according to the constitutional norms.
66. The
Directory of Discipline establishes an horarium to be followed in the
institute and its various houses. A general uniformity among houses
will be established, the norm of community and liturgical life being
modeled on that of the principal foundation. Slight variations may be
permitted with the approval of the Supreme Moderator.
67. A
religious habit as described in the Directory of Discipline will be
worn at all times within houses of the institute. The use of clerical
street dress generally will be determined by diocesan norms in those
places where houses are located. A reasonable non-clerical attire will
be used for recreational activities.
68. In the
spirit of religious vows and the tradition of observant canonical
life, members will not receive salaries, stipends, honoraria or other
forms of payment for work or sacramental services. All payments,
whether goods or money, are to be received by the community itself
according to set practices. The CRNJ will provide all material needs
of its members. A modest allowance will be dispensed for small
personal needs.
70. The
obligations of clerics, as laid down by universal law, will be
fulfilled through the more encompassing disciplines of the institute
itself.
V.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOODS:
71. The
Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem is constituted a juridic
person (cf. Canons 113 and 114) and as such is capable of acquiring,
possessing, administering and alienating goods. The norms of Book V
of the Code of Canon Law will be followed in this regard.
72. The CRNJ
will act in accordance with civil law concerning the registration of
goods. Canonical prescriptions also apply to those things which are
goods of the Church.
73. Under
the direction of superiors, treasurers will administer the goods of
the institute and will give regular account of their management to
them.
74. The
Supreme Moderator will name a Treasurer General to serve on his
council for a period of three years. Local treasurers will be named
in each house to serve for a determined period of time. When
possible, the local treasurers will be other than the local
superiors.
75. All
treasurers will observe universal and local law concerning the
distinction between ordinary and extraordinary administration.
76. The
manner and condition of operations, particularly with regard to
expenses, will be fixed in a directory of financial management.
77.
Nothing concerning the management of goods is permitted that would
detract from the essential orientations, spirituality or community
life of the institute.
Mandatum novum do vobis, ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos,
Ut et vos diligatis invicem . . . (Jn. 13: 34)
