History of the Rule of life

On 2nd May 1875, wrapped in ecstasy, Sister Mariam a Carmelite from Pau heard a voice saying to her: “Tell Fr Estrate (Betharramite) and Fr Bordachar (secular clergy) that they must go to Rome during this month; there they will obtain the grace which they will not get later on”.
Fr Estrate and Fr Bordachar set out immediately for the Eternal city. They could rely on no kindly friend to introduce them; their mission consisted in going to the Secretariat for the Sacred Congregation for Bishops and to present the documents which they had with them, then to withdraw and wait their turn. They were supported only by the assurance given by Sister Mariam that this was the favourable moment.
The outcome was going to justify the prophecy of the Sister and explain the intervention of Fr Bordacher in something which didn’t concern him at all. Since he was chaplain to the Dominican Sisters in Mauleon he had been entrusted with a message from these Sisters for Fr Bianchi, Procuror General of the Dominicans; our two travellers went to La Minerve to deliver the message. They had no idea of what was awaiting them
After kindly greeting them, Fr Bianchi wanted to know what they were doing in Rome. When he heard that it was a question of obtaining approval for Constitutions. “Give them to me” he said, “it so happens that I am one of the consultants for the Sacred College of Bishops. I shall examine them myself and shall make it my business to be the reporter.”

From
The Life and Work
of the Venerable Michael Garicoits
by Basilide Bourdenne

The two messengers appointed by the Seer of Carmel handed over the Betharram Rule to Fr Bianchi, OP, Prefect to the Sacred College of Bishops and Regulars, who undertook to have it approved. As a matter of fact things went quickly and the Laudatory Brief was signed on 23rd July.

But when it came to reviewing these Constitutions so as to match them with the legislation from Rome, Fr Bianchi made a certain number of changes: “Our constitutions have been profoundly changed.” wrote Fr Etchecopar on 18th August 1875.
The Congregation, while it retained its own special character, had been placed by our Founder in the wake of the Society of Jesus. Towards the end of his life he used to have passages from the Institutum of the Jesuits, copied, with the idea of adopting it as the Rule for Betharram. He died before this work was finished. The Summary and the Common Rules were already part of the way of life of the Betharramites. By the end of the century they were already using the Spiritual Exercises and the Lancicius Meditations, and would continue to do so for many years to come. The Rules brought to Rome in 1875, despite the inexperience of their authors in matters of legislation, were inspired by the same school.
Perhaps Fr Bianchi under the pressures of his work didn’t understand this. Or else the mentality reigning at the Sacred Congregation at the time was otherwise. The fact is that the text as modified was gradually moving away from the Jesuit line. The new Constitutions were placed under the patronage of the Rule of St Augustine. Furthermore the text was almost completely cleared of its spiritual contents. For the “Curial Style” which already laid down the law and which was going to find its summit in the 1902 Normae, decreed that all religious constitutions should only deal with juridical matter. Anything spiritual was to be more or less brushed out. The lovely chapter on the “Spirit of the Institute” disappeared to be replaced by a short chapter entitled “Devotions special to the Institute”.
Fr Etchecopar spoke of his surprise to Fr Magendie on 18 November 1875:

“We would never have imagined that such alterations could be made to the Constitutions. It was God’s will.”

However, at that time, the Fathers were more impressed by the fact that they were bound up with Rome with the Laudatory Brief than by some alterations to the legislation. The new text was accepted without discussion.
Never the less, Fr Etchecopar was worried. He was afraid that this new orientation would cause the Institute to veer away from the thoughts of Fr Garicoits.
To these objections Fr Bianchi replied that the Constitutions were on trial, that approval by the Holy See would only be given after three years; meanwhile he suggested that the Fathers should list the alterations which they wished to see included, and he promised to have them examined graciously. For his part Fr Etchecopar undertook to keep a watchful eye on the whole question. He bore this in mind during the whole of 1876. As soon as it was pointed out to him that the three year delay could be curtailed, he got down to the revision.

Pierre Duvignau, scj

(continuation)