The Rule of Saint Augustine in the History of the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross by C. P. H. van Dal, OSC This document was first published in Volumes 38, 39, and 40 of Clairlieu, a European Crosier publication in 1980, 1981, and 1982. L. Fransen of Brazil and James Remmerswaal, OSC, provided the translation from Dutch to English. William McNiff, OSC, Greg Poser, OSC, Tom Enneking, OSC and Glen Lewandowski, OSC, provided helpful editing. 2 The Rule of Saint Augustine in Crosier History “From 1100 on, Augustinian asceticism completeness here: the evidence is so revived in the bishopric of Liege, and abundant that it has been necessary to make budded forth in new monastic families.” a selection from the sources available. The (De Fisen) ascetical documents we have at hand will be described in due course; in this article, Introduction however, we shall consider chiefly Vestis From the beginning of their organization as Nuptialis by Petrus Pincharius. This work is an independent monastic Order, the Brethren important because of its antiquity and of the Cross based their religious life on the because it gives a nearly complete view of Rule of Saint Augustine. During the first the religious life of the Brethren of the decades, in fact, it was the only officially Cross. Other important ascetical authors of approved law for their community: the the Order (Van Lith, Hertzworms, de Vrese, Statutes (or “Constitutions”) were not Woestenraedt) will be considered in an approved until 31 December 1248. associated article. To understand the original spirit of the 1. The “Exordia” Order, one must trace the influence that Carmen (MS.6.L.21, in the library of the Augustine’s rule has had upon the Great Seminary in Liege, published by Fr. institution. A. van Asseldonk OSC) is perhaps the Studying the Exordia can be a great help in oldest existing document of the origin of the discovering the extent of this influence. Order. The basic story: Five clerics from the These documents not only show that the region of Liege go together to the Pope in Brethren of the Cross really followed order to get his approval for the monastic Augustine’s Rule in the first years of their life they are practicing. The Pope approves existence, but they help determine the their apostolic way of life and prescribes reasons for the Brethren’s decision to use that they follow the Rule of Augustine to this Rule – which is of course extremely them. The text of this pericope is: “Unde important in coming to understand the (Papa) sibi designavit et signando spirituality of the group. The objection may confirmavit regulam canonicam, iuxta quod be raised that the Exordia were written to pertitulavit Augustinus et locavit vitam edify rather than to present an historically apostolicam.” “Hence he (the Pope) accurate picture of the Order; however, it is assigned and confirmed with a seal the the fact that the brothers themselves canonic rule, in accordance with that which considered the Exordia so important that Augustine has called and established as the they included them in one form or another in apostolic life.”1 all the books of privilege of the various The oldest prose Exordium, which appears monasteries. This fact indicates that these in the same manuscript, also tells the story documents are important sources for of the group’s journey to Rome under the understanding the Brethren’s spirituality. patronage of the Cardinal Legate, and adds In this work, we will use several documents that the Pope, together with the holy that confirm the canonical character of the College, received the Brethren of the Cross Order, and various ascetical documents of with joy, and decided that “through the said the Brethren of the Cross that indicate the canons, the Order of the Holy Cross in influence of Augustinian spirituality. Data question should flourish again all over the derived from relicts of general and regional world, and that they ought to live under chapters and from surviving relicts of Augustine’s Rule as Canons Regular…in visitations of monasteries confirm that in community, according to the Rule changing circumstances the Order has established during the apostolic time, and attempted to keep faithful to the ideals of the support themselves by their own first foundation. We make no claim to resources.”2 3 The Rule of Saint Augustine in Crosier History These two accounts from the Exordia are of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 4). This ideal found in a manuscript dating from the fascinated Augustine; he would have liked beginning of the 15th century. Drawing as to live that model with his brothers, and later they do on an existing older tradition, they also with his clergy when he was bishop of give us some valuable insights. In the first Hippo: “One in heart and spirit together on place, it is clear that, according to the early their way to God”. He appealed expressly to tradition of the Order, Augustine’s Rule was this ideal in defending his community at the norm for its religious life prior to the Hippo; he returns to it again and again in his approval of the Constitutions of the Order writings and many times in his sermons.5 on 31 December 1248. This image also fits perfectly into the history Further, one may deduce from these of the contemporary religious culture in accounts that Augustine’s Rule was formally which the Order came into being. In the chosen at the prompting of Rome. This beginning of the 13th century, the pious would be in keeping with the history of the people in the Low Countries, and especially Church: the Lateran Council permitted the those in the region of Liege, aspired to this formation of new orders only when they “vita apostolica”, this “vitae primitivae accepted an already existing monastic rule. Ecclesiae” with enthusiasm and persistence. Both Exordia also say that the Brethren of Fisen writes, “From 1100 on, Augustinian the Cross accepted this rule because it is a asceticism revived in the bishopric of Liege, return to the apostolic life, the “vita and bud forth in new monastic families.” He primitivae Ecclesiae” (the life of the believes that the ideas of Augustine primitive Church), the “vita apostolica of influenced this movement toward apostolic the canons regular.”3 poverty and encouraged the foundation of Augustinian monasteries. The term “apostolic way of life” does not refer primarily to the Church’s apostolate. Extensive studies by Alcantara Mens, Rather, it was what Jacob of Vitry has called OFMCap., support this opinion. It seems the mode of life of the Apostles, the conduct significant that so many religious of the primitive church as described in Acts foundations were basing their community (4, 32-35), to which Augustine refers life on Augustine's Rule. Did the first explicitly in his Rule. This is why the Brethren of the Cross come to accept the Exordium mentions “the Rule laid down Rule because it suited their ideal of the “vita under the Apostles.”4 communis,” or did they come to their vision of the common life through the Rule chosen for them? It is impossible to answer the “Vita apostolica” meant much the same as question. The lines from Carmen quoted “vita communis”, the life of a completely above indicate that the Pope specified this voluntary personal poverty combined Rule as the means for them to realize their with community of property, such as the ideal of community. Although the account in earliest Christians practiced in the the prose Exordium seems to suggest that primitive church of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 4). they might already have been living under Augustine’s Rule, it does not rule out the Carmen version. It is entirely possible that We do not want to deny the Brethren of the as seculars the Brethren had already been Cross an apostolate in the present meaning attracted to the apostolic manner of life, then of the word; however, for them “vita settled on the Rule of Augustine later apostolica” meant much the same as “vita because they found in it the model they were communis”, the life of a completely seeking. Dr. H. van Rooyen, OSC, and voluntary personal poverty combined with Father Mens have established the fact that community of property, such as the earliest there was at that time a yearning for a more Christians practiced in the primitive church simple existence: for simple personal 4 The Rule of Saint Augustine in Crosier History poverty and a more vital monastic life. And according to the specified Statutes and the in the 12th century Augustine’s Rule, notable Rule of Saint Augustine” (Ann., 2,68,71). for its clarity and brevity, had come to be On 4 January 1249, the Cardinal Legate considered the ideal model for the life of Petrus of San Giorgio in Velabro gave some canons.6 faculties to “the beloved in Christ Prior and Both the Carmen and the prose Exordium Brethren of the Cross of the Order of Saint are important documents in helping us Augustine” (Ann., 2,72). The bishop of understand the spirituality of the first Liege used the same title for the Brethren of Brethren of the Cross: these men clearly the Cross at Namur, when giving them title practiced personal poverty, but did not adopt to a private cemetery (Ann., 2, 74). These the Franciscan ideal. It is clear that they terms are used repeatedly in the papal preferred to live the pattern of jointly-held documents of the 13th, 14th, and 15th property specified in Augustine’s Rule.7 centuries -- for instance, in the confirmation of the foundation of the Order at Namur on 2.