SOURCE MATERIAL FOR ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS

THE 1741 TEXT

The text “Regole e Costituzioni da osservarsi dalla Congregazione dei minimi Chierici Regolari scalzi sotto l’invocazione della Santa Croce e Passione di Gesu Cristo” (Rules and constitutions to be observed in the Congregation of the Least Discalced Regular Clerics concerning the invocation of the holy cross and passion of Jesus Christ) was approved by Benedict XIV in a papal rescript after it had first been confirmed by a commission appointed by the Holy See.  The rescript itself was written in such a way that, although the Rule had been approved, the Congregation was not as yet recognized as an ecclesiastical institution. Also, the new Congregation still did not have the right of exemption, its members being subordinate to the ordinary in the locality of their monastery.  Neither could its members make solemn vows, a right which St. Paul of the Cross had so wanted and struggled to obtain.

THE 1746 TEXT

Because of the Congregation’s spread, as evidenced by its new foundations, St. Paul of the Cross decided to apply again to the Holy See for approbation of the Rule by papal brief.  In December 1744, the pope convoked a commission which consisted of three cardinals who were asked to review the Order’s Rule.  Their study completed, the cardinals gave an affirmative response in March 1746.  On April 18, Benedict XIV issued the brief entitled “Ad pastoralis dignitatis fastigium”.  Thus, the Rule and Constitutions were once more approved.

The text, translated into Latin, was entitled “Regulae et Constitutiones observandae a clericis discalceatis Passionis Domini Nostri Iesu Christi” (Rules and constitutions to be observed by the Discalced Clerics of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ).  Although many clarifications and additions were introduced into the text, its content presented very few basic differences from the 1741 version.

THE 1760 TEXT

On June 6, 1760, at the beginning of the pontificate of Clement XIII, St. Paul of the Cross again tried to obtain the privilege of solemn vows for his Congregation.  The commission called to approve the Rule and to respond to Paul’s request decided that the severity of life demanded by the Rule and constitutions militated against making solemn vows.  The vote of November 23, 1760, but the members of this commission called for the addition of five supplementary stipulations to the text of the Rule. On November 25, 1760, Pope Clement XIII issued a rescript that confirmed the 1746 version along with the outcome of the vote by the commission of cardinals.  Although the original papal rescript and the cardinals’ vote have not been preserved, there is a document in the archives entitled “An authentic transcript of our Rule, which had already been approved by Pope Benedict XIV himself, in the year 1746, with additions provided by an extraordinary commission and again approved by Clement XIII by pontifical rescript of November 23, 1760.”

THE 1769 TEXT

The founder of the Passionists saw God’s providence at work in the election of his intimate friend Cardinal L. Ganganelli as Pope Clement XIV. As pontiff, Clement became a resolute protector of the Congregation.  In May of 1769, only ten days after assuming the pontifical throne, he received Paul in a private audience.  On that occasion, Paul handed the new pope a petition in which he presented his still unfulfilled desires for the Congregation, although by now he no longer asked for the special privilege of solemn vows.

Clement XIV received the petition favorably and sent it to the Curia for an examination and ecclesiastical opinion of its contents.  About forty days later, two examiners, having completed their work, handed the pope their “consultative vote”. The pontiff have his approval and ordered that a brief be prepared along with a bull by which the Rule of the Congregation was to be officially confirmed.  These drafts were then to be sent to the founder for his approval.  These pontifical documents are of great importance because they definitely demonstrate the protection afforded St. Paul of the Cross and his Congregation by Clement XIV.  All requests made in Paul’s petition were fulfilled.

On November 15, 1769, the apostolic brief “Salvatoris et Domini Nostri” was signed. The Rule of the Congregation received solemn approbation, and complete authority to present and interpret this rule in a clear way was given to the General Chapter. Thus all of St. Paul of the Cross’ efforts in seeking papal approbation of his Congregation over the course of forty-eight years were crowned with success.  On November 16, Pope Clement XIV issued the bull “Supremi Apostolatus”, which gave official approval of the Passionist Congregation as a pontifical institute having simple vows.  The text of this Rule, as approved in the brief and in the bull, has been published in a critical work by Fr. Giorgini.