PASSIONISTS
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PASSIONISTS
Foundation. — The founder was St. Paul of the Cross,
called in the world Paul Francis Danei. The saint
was born 3 Jan., 1694, at Ovada, a small town in the
then Republic of Genoa. He spent his youth at Cas-
tellazzo, in Lonibardy, where his parents had taken up
their residence when Paul was only ten years old.
This was his father's native place. It is to Castellazzo
we have to turn our thoughts for the beginnings
of the Passionist Congregation. There Paul received
his inspirations concerning the work for which God
destined him. There he was clothed by his bishop in
the habit of the Passion, and there wrote the Rules of
the new institute.
The Rules were written by St. Paul while yet a lay- man and before he assembled companions to form a community. He narrates, in a statement written in obeflience to his confessor, how Our Lord inspired him with the design of founding the congregation, and how he wrote the Rules and Constitutions. "I began", he says, "to write this holy rule on the second of Decem- ber in the year 1720, and I finished it on the seventh of the same month. And be it known that when I was writing, I went on as quickly as if somebody in a professor's chair were there dictating to me. I felt the words come from my heart" (see "Life of St. Paul of the Cross", H, v, Oratorian Series). In 1725 when on a visit to Rome with his brother John Baptist, his constant companion and co-operator in the foundation of the institute, Paul received from Benedict XIII viva vocis oraculo, permission to form a congregation according to these Rules. The same pope ordained the two brothers in the Vatican ba- silica 7 June, 1727. After serving for a time in the hospital of St. Gallicano they left Rome with permis- sion of the Holy Father and went to Mount Argen- taro, where they established the first house of the institute. They took up their abode in a small hermit - age near the summit of the mount, to which was at- tached a ehapcl dedicated to St. Anthony. They were soon joined by three companions, one of whom was a priest, and the observance of community life according to the rules began there and is continued there to the present day. This was the cradle of the congregation, and we may date the foundation of the Passionists from this time.
Formation and Development. — By an Apostolic re- script of 15 May, 1741, Benedict XIV approved the Rules of the institute, whose object, being to awaken in the faithful the memory of the Passion of Christ, commended itself in a special manner to him, and he was heard to say, after signing the rescript, that the Congregation of the Passion had come into the world last, whereas it ought to have been the first. Clement XIV confirmed the Rules and approved the institute by the Bull Supremi Apostolatus of 16 Nov., 1769, which concedes to the Passionist Congregation all the favours and privileges granted to other religious or- ders. The .same pope afterwards gave to St. Paul and his companions the Church of Sts.John and Paul in Rome, with the large house annexed to it on Monte Celio, and this remains the mother-house of the congregation to the present day. Before the holy founder's death the Rules and the institute were again solemnly confirmed and approved by a Bull of Pius VI, " Pra;clara virtutum exempla", 15 Sept., 1775. These two Bulls of Clement XI\' and Pius VI gave canonical stability to the institute, and are the basis and authority of its rights and privileges.
After the congregation had been approved by Ben- edict XIV many associates joined St. Paul, some of whom were priests; and the new disciples gave them- selves up to such a life of fervent penance and prayer that upon Mount Argentaro the .sanctity of the ancient anchorites was revived. Before the death of the founder twelve houses or "retreats" of the congrega- tion wereestablished throughout Italy and formed into three provinces, fully organized according to the
Rules — a general over the entire congregation, a
provincial over each province, rectors over the several
houses, a novitiate in each province. These superiors
were to be elected in provincial chapters held every
three years and general chapters every six years.
Distinciive Spirit. — The congregation embraces both the contemplative and the active life, as applied to re- ligious orders. The idea of the founder was to unite in it the solitary life of the Carthusians or Trappists with the active life of the Jesuits or Lazarists. The Passion- ists are reckoned among the mendicant orders in the Church. They have no endowments, nor are they al- lowed to possess property either in private or in com- mon, except their houses and a few acres of land at t ached to each . They therefore depend upon their la- bours and the voluntary contributions of the faithful.
The end of the congregation, as stated in the Rules, is twofold: first, the sanctification of its members; and secondly, the sanctification of others. This twofold end is to be secured by means of their distinctive
spirit, namely the practice and promotion of devotion
to the Passion of Our Lord as the most efficacious
means for withdrawing the minds of men from sin and
leading them on to Christian perfection. To this end
the Passionists at their profession add to the three
usual religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedi-
ence, a fourth — to promote to the utmost of their
power, especially by such means as their rules point
out, a devotion to the Passion of Our Divine Saviour.
Recruiting and Training of Members. — The Passion-
ists have no colleges for the education of seculars, and
have no young men or boys under their care, except
those who wish to become members of the congre-
gation, and those who are novices and professed stu-
dents. They depend therefore for their subjects upon
the attraction which the spirit and work of the con-
gregation exercise upon youths who come to know
them. The congregation admits of two classes of re-
ligious: choir brothers and lay brothers. The former,
unless priests already, are to give themselves to study
for the priesthood. The latter are charged with the
domestic duties of the retreat. The conditions for the
reception of novices are, besides those common to all
religious orders: (1) that they be at least fifteen years
of age, and not over twenty-five (from this latter the
father general can dispense for any just and sufficient
reason) ; (2) that they show special aptitude for the life
of a Passionist; (3) if they are to be received as clerics
they must have made due progress in their studies and
show the usual signs of vocation to the priesthood.
After profession and the completion of their classical
and intermediate studies, the students take a seven
years' course of ecclesiastical studies >mder the direc-
tion and tuition of professors, or lectors as they are
called, in philosophy, theology. Holy Scripture etc.,
and when they have passed the required examinations
