Review for Religious

Review for Religious

January 15, 1943

STANDARDS for the teaching and other professions are high in the United States, and demand long years of careful preparation. It is not surprising then to find religious superiors eager to have their subjects continue their studies as soon as possible after entering religion. Hence arises the practical question: what about studies during the novitiate? We shall try to learn the mind of the Church through a brief study of her legislation on this subject.

Legislation of the Church

I. On June 28, 1901, the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars issued a set of regulations called Normae for the government of religious institutes with simple vows. Article 73 of these regulations forbade all studies during the first year of novitiate in all cases, that is, whether one or two years of novitiate were had. Article 74 allowed a moderate amount of study during the second year for those institutes which had two years of novitiate. Nothing was prescribed regarding the nature of these studies.

II. In 1908 Pope Pius X reorganized the Roman Curia and divided the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars into two new Congregations, the second of which was called the Sacred Congregation of Religious and was given complete and exclusive jurisdiction over all religious, both of orders and of congregations. On August 27, 1910, this new Congregation, with the explicit approbation of Pope Pius X, issued an instruction, Ad Explorandurn Animum, regarding studies during the novitiate in all orders and congregations of men. In a preamble the Instruction first stated that the purpose of the novitiate is to test the mind of the novice and gradually to imbue it with the spirit of religious perfection by means of various spiritual exercises. Then a common experience was cited: namely, the fact that the constant practice of pious exercises, even though they be varied, tends to tire the mind, especially in the case of young people, and, when exercised continually in the course of the day, is apt to render the will less attentive to them. Finally the advantages of a moderate amount of study during the novitiate were called to mind: for the novices, by helping them to retain what they have already learned; for superiors, by giving them some idea of the talents, aptitude, and diligence of the novices. In order that this moderate amount of study might safeguard the novices from the strain of the constant practice of spiritual exercises, and in order to obtain the benefits just mentioned, the Instruction laid down the following regulations which were made obligatory for all:

1) Novices should devote themselves to private study one hour each day, except Sundays and feast days.

2) The master of novices, or his assistant, or one of the professors of humanities, should supervise these studies. This same person might give instruction to the assembled novices for one hour, three times a week at most, over and above the daily hour of private study.

3) While these instructions given in common were not to be considered as regular classes (veri nominis schola censeri nequeat), still they should not be a mere exercise in mortification. Hence the novices should apply themselves seriously so as to derive real profit from them. Studies taken up should correspond to the nature of the order or congregation. The vernacular, Latin and Greek were recommended, either by way of repetition of what the novices had already learnt, especially in the matter of grammar, or by way of reading selections from the works of the Fathers and ancient ecclesiastical writers outstanding for their literary style. Ambrose, Jerome, Lactantius, John Chrysostom, and Eusebius, as well as the Greek texts of St. Luke's Gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles, were cited as examples of such readings. Written and oral exercises were also recommended.

4) The instructor presiding over these studies should give a written report on the diligence and progress of each novice to the superior general or provincial before the novices were admitted to the profession of vows.

III. The Code of Canon Law, which was promulgated on Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 1917, and which began to bind one year later, Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 1918, has this brief statement concerning studies in the novitiate: "During the year of novitiate the novices . . . are not to devote themselves (dedita opera vacate) to the formal study of letters, sciences, or arts" (canon 565, § 3). The Code, therefore, does not retain the obligations of either the Normae or the Instruction. However, these documents, particularly the Instruction (which is cited as one of the sources of the canon), may be used in interpreting the present legislation. In the light of this former legislation, we may say that it is within the spirit of the present law to allow a moderate amount of time for study in the novitiate, provided such study does not interfere with the principal purpose of the novitiate which is "to form the novice in the mould of the religious life by prayer, meditation, the study of the rules and constitutions, instruction regarding the vows and the virtues, exercises suitable to the acquiring of virtue and the uprooting of vice, as well as to regulating the movements of the soul (canon 565, § 1)." IV. Pope Pius XI sent an Apostolic Letter, Unigenitus Dei Filius, dated March 19, 1924, to all superiors general of orders and congregations of religious men, regarding the selection and training of subjects. Two paragraphs of this letter are pertinent to our subject. The first pertinent paragraph contains the studies to be required of candidates for admission to the novitiate of a clerical institute. It reads as follows: "You must see to it, therefore, that after the young candidates for the religious life have been seasonably and prudently selected, they receive, along with such training in piety as is suited to their age, instruction in secondary studies which are usually given in schools and colleges; so that they do not enter the novitiate until they have completed the curriculum of the so called 'humanities,' unless in individual cases rather grave reasons make it advisable to provide otherwise." For the United States this is interpreted as meaning the completion of High School studies, including Latin. For the duration of the war, owing to the present draft laws, superiors would be justified in admitting candidates to the novitiate who have not completed their High School studies. Such studies, however, should be completed after the novitiate, before the study of philosophy is begun. This is prescribed in an Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Religious, dated December 1, 1931, regarding the training and testing of religious candidates for the priesthood.

The second paragraph of the Pope's letter pertinent to the subject under discussion insists on devoting the time of the novitiate to the exclusive spiritual training of the novices. He says: "Putting aside all worldly amusements and studies of all branches whatsoever, let the novices devote themselves, under the wise direction of their master, to the exercises of the interior life, and to the acquirement of virtue, especially of those virtues which are closely connected with the vows of religion, that is, poverty, obedience and chastity."

V. Finally we have an Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Religious, dated November 25, 1929, regarding the teaching of Christian Doctrine to all members of lay institutes of men and women. The part referring to novices reads as follows: "During the time of probation and novitiate the young men and women shall review their Christian Doctrine and learn it more thoroughly, so that each one shall not only know it by heart, but also be able to explain it correctly; nor shall they be admitted to take the vows without a sufficient knowledge thereof, and a previous examination." Norms for Present Practice Taking into consideration all the documents quoted above, we may formulate the principles regarding studies during the novitiate as follows: Christian Doctrine must be studied by all novices of lay institutes for the purpose of reviewing what they already know as well as of acquiring a deeper knowledge of their holy religion. In order to attain this end, it is very desirable that formal classes in which the Christian Doctrine is explained by a capable teacher be held once or twice a week. The teacher may be either a priest or an older, experienced religious.

No other studies are of obligation in the novitiate. However, it is not contrary to the mind of the Church to devote a moderate amount of time to such studies, privately or in class. In fact, this may be positively encouraged, provided the purpose of these studies be kept in view and all harmful effects be eliminated.

The purpose of these studies is to benefit the novices by helping them to retain the knowledge they have already acquired, as well as by providing them with some necessary relaxation from the strain of multiple religious exercises. A secondary consideration is the information made available to superiors regarding the talents and diligence of the novices.

Such studies must not be made a major item in the daily order of the novitiate, nor may they be allowed to become a source of distraction or detriment to the spiritual life of the novice. Hence it seems obvious that no formal courses of instruction may be allowed whose sole purpose is to impart knowledge with a view to credits.

Some Practical Suggestions

Such are the principles to be followed in making plans for studies in the novitiate. In the application of these principles, superiors may find the following suggestions helpful:

1) The study of the English language is generally useful. In this connection, some few classes at least in spelling may be necessary, since this subject has become a lost art for many of our young people.

2) For clerical institutes, as well as for lay institutes in which the Divine Office or the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin is recited in Latin, a moderate study of that language is recommended. Its purpose should be to ground the novices in the essentials of grammar and simple composition.

3) The fundamentals of Bible and Church History may be given either separately, or in conjunction with the study of Christian Doctrine.

4) Training in Gregorian Chant is desirable for all novices. Two half-hour periods per week would not seem too much for this important subject.

5) Some practice in penmanship for those whose writing is hardly legible is to be encouraged.

6) As to foreign languages, it is certainly desirable that the novices should not forget what they have already learned; and each novice should be encouraged to keep up any one of these languages to which he has already devoted one or more years of study. This may be done by private reading or, if the numbers warrant it, by some classes held during the summer months. It does not seem to be in keeping with the mind of the Church for a novice to begin the study of a modern language.

7) Ten to fifteen minutes of setting up exercises daily will prove helpful to all novices, provided these exercises are given for reasons of health, and not to impart the science of physical education.

8) Courses in pedagogy and education, as well as in the sciences, mathematics, and profane history, are out of place in the novitiate.

9) As to the fine arts, they have no place in the novitiate curriculum. Specially gifted novices who have had considerable previous training might be allowed a moderate amount of practice in music or drawing during the second year of novitiate. Amount of Time to be Devoted to Study Exclusive of the classes in Christian Doctrine and Plain Chant, not more than five hours a week should be devoted to private study, and not more than three hours a week to class work. This is the norm laid down by the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Religious and approved by Pius X. In place of three periods of sixty minutes each, it may be found more convenient to have four class periods per week of forty-five minutes each. At the most, relatively little time may be given to study during the novitiate, and it is evident that only one or the other subject suggested above can be satisfactorily treated. It is much better to concentrate on one or two subjects than to try to get a smattering of four or five in the time allotted. Non multa sed multum applies here if anywhere.

Conclusion

Religious superiors should ever keep in mind that the sole purpose of the novitiate is the religious training of the novices. Let them ponder the words of Pope Pius XI in the letter of March 19, 1924: "Let the novices never forget that they will be for the rest of their lives such as they were in the novitiate, and that ordinarily it is most useless to hope that a novitiate once made with little or no fruit, can be supplied later on by a renewal of the spirit of the novitiate." It is, therefore, a very shortsighted policy, and one detrimental to the best interests of the religious institute as a whole, to attempt to introduce into the novitiate any kind of formal courses of studies with a view to professional standing in later life. As we have seen, the reasons for allowing any study at all in the novitiate are to help the novices retain the knowledge they have already acquired, and to add a certain amount of pleasant variety to the regular order of spiritual duties and exercises, thus helping them to avoid any overstraining of the nervous system which may result in physical or mental exhaustion, and may manifest itself in scruples or melancholia. Let superiors be convinced that after a fervent novitiate the young religious will devote themselves wholeheartedly to their studies, and in a short time make up for any apparent loss due to a lack of formal study during the novitiate.