SOURCE MATERIAL FOR ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS

THE 1775 TEXT

The original of this text, preserved in the archives of the Generalate, was first published by the Vice General Fr. John Baptist of St. Vincent Ferreri in 1776; it is divided into thirty-eight chapters.  Not completely satisfied with the 1769 edition, St. Paul of the Cross undertook a revision of the text, adding more exact definitions and changes.  In this work, he was spurred on by a desire of conceiving “lasting rules to be put into practice by the strong and weak alike”.

Discussed and approved by the participants of the General Chapter of May 15-20, 1775 (held in the church of SS. John and Paul),  this modified form of the Rule was again submitted to the Holy See by St. Paul of the Cross for its approval.  On September 15, 1775, Pope Pius VI issued the bull “Praeclara virtutum exempla”, which recognized the modified Rule in an official way. The 1775 text is preserved for its historical and inspirational value in the latest edition of the Congregation’s Rule.
 

3.  THE LETTERS OF ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS

Undoubtedly, the preserved letters of Paul of the Cross constitute a source of data superior to all other sources and are most helpful in reconstructing an exact and authentic picture of his doctrine.  The approximately two thousand letters contain such a quantity of detail that, put together, they are like a mosaic revealing the characteristic features and principles of his thought.  Nevertheless, these letters represent only a part of those written by the founder during his long life.  Using the saint’s own statement that he customarily wrote twenty-four or even thirty letters a week, we can easily assume that he may have written at least ten thousand letters in his lifetime. Fortunately, the vast majority of his letters which are preserved are originals, written by Paul himself.

That only a relatively small proportion of letters have been preserved may be explained in part by the founder’s instructions to his correspondents to burn his letters. Consider, for example, Rosa Calabresi, who had in her keeping more than five hundred letters written to her by Paul over an eight-year period.  During a time of severe illness, she personally burned all of them upon an order of the saint, who feared they might be read by others. Similar instructions were given to others.

Given the numerous works accomplished by the saint, his apostolic involvement and the tasks associated with founding a Congregation, it is easy to understand why he often used night hours for his correspondence.  From hints dropped in his letters, it is also apparent that Paul, being pressed for time, often wrote in a hurry. In many cases, even the quality of his penmanship betrays this haste. Not infrequently, writing so many letters imposed a hardship upon him, especially during times of poor health, which was the case more often than not.

Those with whom Paul corresponded belonged to various social strata and held a variety of positions.  For instance, among his correspondents are found an equal number of popes, cardinals, and influential figures in society and politics along with people in ordinary walks of life, e.g., mothers and fathers of families and young men and women.  The greater part of his letters, however, are addressed to priests and religious, among whom the brothers and sisters of his Congregation occupy first place.  It is amazing to see the founder’s intuitive grasp of the concrete and respective situations posed by each of his correspondents.

Two categories of letters can be distinguished on the basis of content, i.e., those concerned with the management and spread of the Congregation and those written for the purpose of spiritual direction.  Undoubtedly, the establishment of twelve monasteries, the number of missions conducted by Paul during his lifetime, and the repeated papal approbations of the Rule necessitated innumerable letters.  Nevertheless, the majority of the preserved letters are those written for the purpose of providing guidance and spiritual direction. These latter are of two types:  those containing pithy bits of information or advice; and those of much greater length which, for the most part, deal with situations involving the religious or mystical life of the correspondent.  It is not unusual for such letters to extend to three, four, or five printed pages.

It is noteworthy that the salutations of Paul’s letters connoted not just acquaintanceship but deep friendship. Too, it was not uncommon for him to speak quite openly about his spiritual life, both his cares and troubles and his joys and consolations. Obviously the founder had a pronounced need to open himself to others.

This readiness to communicate his interior life effected a sense of trust in everyone directed by Paul, the result being wholehearted submission to his direction and disclosure of even the smallest stirrings of conscience.  These friendships and relationships rooted in trust were for Paul not ends in themselves but rather means by which he served those he directed and drew them more closely to God.

Since the greater part of the preserved letters are those written for the purpose of spiritual direction, we can easily reformulate Paul’s thinking on different aspects of the spiritual life.  Because of the amount of detailed information contained in the letters, it is also possible to identify characteristic features of his own personality.  In fact, because the founder’s letters are so distinctly colored by his own personal thoughts and feelings, they may be considered a reflection of his personality.  Although from a literary standpoint there is nothing extraordinary in these letter, they represent the single most important source of information on his thought.