PASTORAL DIMENSION OF MIXED COMPOSITION (MC) RESPONSE TO THE DOCUMENT OF FR. J.M. ARNAIZ

Transcription

1 PASTORAL DIMENSION OF MIXED COMPOSITION (MC) RESPONSE TO THE DOCUMENT OF FR. J.M. ARNAIZ By E. Maximin Magnan, sm. 1. [1] As way of introduction, I would start from the naïve and innocent perception I had about Mixed Composition when I joined the SM, since we are all apprentices of MC when we join (cf. 67]. [2] When I was searching my way for the form of consecration that I should do, I was in touch with a first group of Marianists that were able to draw me in and whom I finally ended up joining. From the outside, it would have been difficult to say what kind of hierarchy existed between the members and how it was expressed. The Director of the Collège was a brother; another brother animated the community. And the chaplain worked with both of them, besides providing all the technical and manual work for the students, and of teaching at a very high level of High School Math and Science. He was the only priest among a dozen religious, all of them teachers. And these religious impressed me, as each one being aware of taking up part of a work that involved all of them, so that all the students would be well educated. [3] Later on, having already become a Marianist, another group of religious, which I was part of on another continent, finished by convincing me about the matter of equality of rights and duties, often described as a fundamental characteristic value of our MC. Every religious in this group seemed to be ready to go on all fronts, whether he be a priest or a brother: whether in the workshop, classroom, kitchen or the ambo, he knew how to communicate convincingly the theme of his discourse. [4] These type of experiences, lived very early, toward the beginning of my Marianist religious life, gave me a concept of Mixed Composition (MC) with similar outlines, with some close nuances, to what J.M Arnaiz wrote [58]: Same possibilities of basic formation for all the religious up to a certain level; let us say, up to perpetual vows. After perpetual vows, the same possibilities of specialization for all, according to the mission of the community and of personal aptitudes, with orientation to the priesthood being a specialization like any other. Every special formation is determined by the particular mission that the community is dedicated to (teachers of Math or Science, chaplains, directors of practical works, office workers, nurses or doctors, etc., not to mention the examples we find in the area of the schools); and none of these jobs is more worthy than the others, because they are all necessary for the success of the common mission. 4-3b (en) JM_Arnaiz_Response Magnan-eng.doc 1

2 [5] With such a concept of MC to begin with, we can feel a little uncomfortable when we speak of a subject that we tend to consider as the job of one of the members that of the priest on this instance as some particular thing to be treated apart. If we want to talk about specializations that are needed for our mission to fully fan out, it would be necessary to do so in a global way and in the context of religious life. The job of a priest is special in the bosom of the Church. The priesthood is a service and a job like any other, in the bosom of Marianist Religious Life, which is lived out within the Church. So, to deal fairly with the subject of MC, I think it would be wise to break down the two contexts and demystify the priesthood. Only thus will be able to compare our different jobs, without any of them seeming to have more value or being more appealing than any other one. [6] This is where I am at, before tackling the reading of the rich document written by Fr. José María Arnaiz. In the following pages, I will only set out to comment about some sections of the document that caught my attention and which spark a short supplementary contribution. The rest of the document is impressive for its import and its almost exhaustive nature, demonstrating the wealth of experience of its author who was able to combine his accomplishments as Marianist religious, leader, pastor and theologian. This provides us with some basic elements for a reflection which is proving to be vital for all of us. This document opens our eyes to the outline of a subject that I did not know much about, and about which perhaps I had a faltering concept. With that, I would like to begin with a word of thanks regarding the author. 2. Ministry and Religious Life [7] To begin with, J.M. Arnaiz wrote: El ejercicio de algunas tares no es suficiente razón para entrar en la vida religiosa. Ahora los ministerios cuentan en la definición vocacional pero hay otros elementos que pesan mucho más (The exercise of certain tasks is not sufficient reason to enter religious life. Ministries now count, in the definition of vocation; but there are other much more important elements) [5]. [8] This seems to effectively constitute one of the cruxes of the problem, and the author did well to point it out at the beginning of his purpose. In order to determine the issues of MC, we must begin by establishing the setting well and by ensuring that we all perceive the matter of religious life in itself correctly. For this reason, it would have been good if Arnaiz could have developed this idea even further by telling us more. In fact, if the tasks exercised are not the only elements that determine the choice of Religious Life, it would be good to dare bring out what other aspects he considers as being decisive. Once these fundamentals are brought to light, it is easier to distinguish the tasks that we exercise and which are only means among some of the others. [9] Religious life is, in fact, much more than the various ministries we carry. It is a way of life characterized even more by what one is than by what one does. This is way of life is founded on the appeal of the person of Christ, who calls us to follow him and who opens the fullness of life to us. Master Eckhart wrote: people should not worry so much about what they should do; they would do better to worry about what they should be. If we ourselves and our way of being are good, what we do will shine. Hence, the importance of this ethic of being, above that of action. Being a religious is a way of life; it is not a job. 4-3b (en) JM_Arnaiz_Response Magnan-eng.doc 2

3 [10] This is so much more important to bring out that currently, in our various countries, the call to ministry and to the service of the Church takes on a new way among the laity; they are even more called, while a different way of thinking and of working on the mission is being developed. If our religious life is only about the work we do, we risk ceasing to exist before this phenomenon. And the religious who because of age, illness or other circumstances are not able to work, would no longer have a reason to exist. No, our reason for being in religious life is not to be placed in work. It is somewhere else. And our Founder said that enough, since he teaches us that it would be better to quit a job where the requirements would take away time for prayer and for praying. [11] A Marianist should then be happy to be a Marianist, not because this gives him status, but because it is a particular manner of offering himself and of being with Christ. The religious are there, and that is all ; their life has no other meaning than announcing the end of times, this meeting with God. They are like those people waiting at a bus stop. The single fact that they are waiting there, indicates that the bus should certainly arrive. Just like the empty tomb announces the Resurrection. [12] Everything previously said should be kept in mind at the time of analyzing MC and of listing the current works that we should dedicate ourselves to, according to our respective states [29]. I think this is effectively addressed to all the members of the SM in the same degree [7], more than to any given category. 3. The matter of proportions [13] J.M. Arnaiz wrote [17] : Con el correr del tiempo ha habido distintas proporciones entre religiosos y sacerdotes: ahora estamos en 67% RL y 33 % RS. Pr supuesto esto varía de una Provincia a otra y de una cultura a otra. Yo he conocido al ingresar en la SM un 15% RS y un 85% RL. Para mi la proporción casi da lo mismo (Throughout time, there have been different proportions between brothers and priests: we now have 67% brothers and 33% of priests. This, varies, of course, among Provinces and among cultures. When I joined the SM, there was 15% of priests and 85% religious. The proportion does not matter to me ). It is true that at certain times, when discussing the matter of Mixed Composition, one is tempted to think that it would be simpler to establish a certain quota of priests not to be exceeded, and everything would be regulated. Nevertheless, it is not so obvious, that if we do this we could really solve the problem and, above all, return to the thought of the Founder. [14] To finish the reflection developed by Arnaiz, we might enjoy putting ourselves in Fr. Chaminade s shoes in the context defined by him, and to imagine how it would have worked. If, returning from Saragossa, Fr. Chaminade had found in France only churches without shepherds, but where sheep in search of shepherds had found refuge, he would have probably called and directed disciples primarily to evangelize in the parishes and churches, and, therefore, care for the rest of other sheep that were lost and in a state of shock among them. In that case, we would perhaps only be a clerical institute today. If he had only found schools with young people without guides and without educators, or young people without educational structures, he could have gathered companions only for Christian and scholarly instruction. If Fr. Chaminade had found a field ready to harvest in the streets, with young people 4-3b (en) JM_Arnaiz_Response Magnan-eng.doc 3

4 who were lost and who had lost their bearings, street children deprived of education, he would have probably favored apostles of a different type, more adapted to the accompaniment and to the re-introduction of these poor lost, abandoned ones. [15] But, instead of any one of these situations, everything seemed to indicate that Chaminade had to deal with a very different situation that inspired him. The work he felt called to, seemed to require a whole mix of apostles of varying profiles and aptitudes, encompassing those of a priest and also those of a religious: a truly mixed group, with a degree of mixture that goes beyond a mere combination of religious-order-priests and religious-order-brothers. [16] This logic, allows us to think that the needs of the Church and service of the people of God should be the defining elements to have for this type of mixture, rather than individual preferences, first, or the needs of the local communities. This mixture will concern the proportion of priests and of brothers; but, it can go further and also be about the diversity of professional aptitudes that should characterize the group of workers that we constitute, and which must be placed at the service of the people of God, in order to give witness to the primacy of the Kingdom. [17] The consequences of this approach about the matter of priests-brothers proportion are immediate: the priests-brothers proportion could be 1-9 and reach 9-1, according to times and places, without this truly bringing a theoretical attack to our identity as children of Father Chaminade and without distorting the originality of our mission. In that, I could also share two opinions expressed by J.M. Arnaiz: Mi opinión personal es que no puede ser buen RL quien no puede ser RS, ni puede ser un buen RS quien no puede ser RL (my personal opinion is that he who cannot be a good brother cannot be a good priest, nor can someone be a good priest if he cannot be a good brother) [48]. The possibility of our ability to consider inviting and encouraging according to the times the places and the needs of the people of God, and even more, of the religious to embrace the state of a priest or the opposite (cf 57]. 4. Can we be indifferent to the state of priest or of brother? [18] J.M. Arnaiz reacts to this problem in a different manner: En algún momento de nuestra historia se pensó que sería mejor que los que fueran a ser sacerdotes se les llamara aun sin que ellos lo pidieran; pero esa idea no cuajó (At some point in our history, it was thought that it would be better that those who were going to be priests should be called without their requesting it themselves; but this idea did not gel) [57]. [19] A priori, I would be inclined to hold that this would not be important for all religious and they could accept one or the other state of priest or of brother without much trouble. But the actual reality seems to be different and more complex. [20] Therefore, this is an orientation that could be well justified. The service of priests is a noble and sacred service to which one may be called. This service takes on its own character, 4-3b (en) JM_Arnaiz_Response Magnan-eng.doc 4

5 because of the stature of Him who instituted the priesthood and who calls. Thus, priests have no need for religious life for their own existence, or for receiving a certain recognition. If a person who knows all this embraces religious life anyway, it means that the values common this state of life are of decisive importance for him. From there, it is these values meaningful in themselves, which must determine and guide the journey to follow for all of the members. If for a given person, the sacred nature of his job (the priesthood) is primary, he should know that there are other cadres and other ways to live it out. A person does not need religious Life to live out the priesthood, which is a self-sufficient job. [21] Having said this, the call to the common vocation of brother is always manifested first, within the SM, and it involves one s whole being and has its own sense of fulfillment. Outside the SM, and especially in our countries of Western and Central Africa, it sometimes surprises people that the brothers can be religious without being priests. It is because religious life is more spontaneously attributed to women [cf. 17], who, do not have access to ordination themselves. This should be precisely one more reason why there should be men choosing this form of religious life, to contribute, to give it worth. [22] And then, let us not quickly forget our addition, on the part of the General Superior in his Circular No. 4, about the notion of brother and of father. A religious who is a priest in the SM is a brother among his brothers and he should be careful to behave as such. The title of brother should matter to him more than that of father, which is sometimes attributed to priests (despite Christ s warning: Mt 23,9). It is not merely a question of name; it leads to a manner of living that can be perceived in the collaboration. To be placed as a brother leads to a behavior different than that of a priest. [23] This being the case, we need priests and religious-order-priests, who live the priesthood in the state of religious life. But a good dose of indifference and a good basic discernment could better serve this cause. Lo que sí es importante precisar hasta qué punto esta inclinación y motivación para ser RS o RL viene de la misión o de los ministerios de Provincia o viene de la forma de organización y la espiritualidad de la SM. No es fácil la respuesta (What is important to determine is up to what point this inclination and motivation to be either a priest or a brother comes from the mission or the from the ministries of the Province, or comes from the organizational form and the spirituality of the SM).[57] 5. Finding the Values that nourish and support MC [24] If our Mixed Composition is to survive in an authentic manner, it would be necessary to bring to light the characteristic immutable values that nourish and support it. These values should have something to do with: [25] Father Chaminade and his original inspiration. «Se parte todos, también, de un don carismático común recibido» (They all start, also, from a charismatic gift received communally) [28]. As disciples of Father Chaminade, we need to better understand and identify with what he would say to us today, or what he would have written if he had had to write a presentation about the matter of MC; what was the intuition and where did it start from? [26] The Mission of the Church and service of the people of God. Basically, it is the Mission of the Church and service of the People of God which seem to be decisive, each of us becoming part of this People. If we merely hold to the idea that the confreres are the 4-3b (en) JM_Arnaiz_Response Magnan-eng.doc 5

6 ones that need to call to the priesthood, for example we could come to not have any more priests in the SM. According to the communities, the service of a priest to his brothers can be limited to very few things, such as saying the daily Mass. Outside of that, none of them seems to need specific services from a priest confrere, to the point that we could also think that a non-marianist chaplain could also be sufficient for the community. [27] Religious life: Father Chaminade did not gather his disciples into nondescript associations. For a category such as the SM, he wanted to have people bound by the vows of religion, no matter what their initial jobs (priests, educators, barrel makers ). So this should also count. [28] The human person in his individual and communitarian dimensions. Currently, those that are recognized and esteemed are those who live their mission with humanity and competence, humility and a spirit of service. No matter whether priests or brothers. It is not a spirit of considering one vocation as superior to the other. We learn to decide in cooperation and in the experience of community life that is part of the requirements of our state and can only help us to live our mission in that fashion. [29] The concepts we use. The concepts we use to back up this notion of MC that is particular to us, should be sufficiently wise and transmit a feeling of belonging and of being part of a body, rather than highlighting our differences or our apostolic works. Unfortunately, things are not always very clear: cf [14] and [37]. Paragraph [37], for example, sees the role of the priests ad intra ; while that of the brothers as only ad extra. Is not the mission of priests and brothers both ad intra and ad extra at the same time? [30] Type of activities carried out by the religious. Even if the SM is open to different ministries (RV73), in different places of the document [29, 53, 56, 62] following our Rule of Life (RV 74), it is recognized that there is a preference for educational works, because they best promote the involvement and collaboration of all in the shared mission. If such is the case, why would we not work to give priority, care for and multiply this type of ministries instead of losing ourselves in fields where there is an obvious risk of diluting and falsifying our MC? If we work in the same field not necessarily doing the same thing we will face the same challenges and concerns; even more, we will share and nourish our community life. The directive, Do whatever he tells you, is not addressed to individuals, but to our group, as a community, Province or Institute. [31] The Three Offices. We can also ask whether the history of the Three Offices, which constitutes one of the bases for our administrative organization, has something to teach us about the matter of composition of the members of the SM and the diversity of their occupations. I think that this organization, which tends to reflect an aspect of our composition since the beginning, can also be included in this account. 6. [32] In conclusion: J.M. Arnaiz brings to light some important challenges to take up. We will only be able to respond if we offer mutual trust and encouragement to one another. A structure as complex as the SM can communicate pessimism and a sense of defeat, and it can just as well be a network of hope, where each member helps another to imagine and to open new ways for the future. We will be able to respond to all these challenges if we are daring enough to let go of certain old concepts and practices and are free to integrate new approaches, even at the risk of failure. 4-3b (en) JM_Arnaiz_Response Magnan-eng.doc 6