The Spiritual Writings of Venerable Pio Bruno Lanteri A SELECTION MA'RIA The Oblates of the Virgin Mary The Spiritual Writings Of Ven. Pio Bruno Lanteri Copyright © 2001 by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary St Ignatius Province 1105 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts USA 02215 (617) 266-5999 Printed in Italy Acknowledgements We owe a large debt of gratitude to all those who have had a hand in the production of this volume. And so our special thanks go to the following: Fr. Timothy Gallagher for the Introduction and the translation of Part 1 "Personal Spirituality," Part 3 "Marian Devotion," and the "Spiritual Directory to be used with Lay Women." Fr. David Kosmoski for his translation of "On Spiritual Joy" and "On Prayer." Fr. David Beauregard for his translation of "The Mirror of the Soul" and "Three Methods of Meditating Well." Mr. John Carey for his translation of the "Letters to Ricasoli." Miss Nancy Sullas for her help with the translation of some difficult Latin passages. Miss Carol McGinness for her expertise in formatting the final text. The Oblate novice class of 2000 for reading and correcting the manuscript. To all we are most grateful. David N. Beauregard, OMV General Editor Our Lady of Grace Seminary Boston, Massachusetts April, 2001 Table of Contents Abbreviations Introduction: The Spiritual Heritage of Lanteri 1 Part 1 Personal Spirituality 25 I. Spiritual Directory 26 II. "His Divine Majesty wills something special from me" 56 III. The True Spirit ofa Sacred Minister 58 IV. Spiritual Combat 59 V. "J will gofr)rthfrom the altar as ifbreathingfrre" 66 VI. Practice ofthe Imitation of Christ 68 VII. "This Adorable Mystery" 71 VIII. Letters of Marquis Michael de Cavour 72 Part 2 Spiritual Doctrine 75 I. The Mirror ofthe Soul 75 II. On Spiritual Joy 90 III. On Prayer 105 rv. Three Methods of Meditating Well 131 Part 3 Marian Devotion 145 I. Act of Consecration 145 II. TTioughts on the Virgin Maiy 147 III. "He was enamoured ofthe Virgin Mary" 148 IV. Prophecy concerning the Future of the Oblates of the Virgin Maiy 149 Part 4 Spiritual Direction 151 I. Spiritual Directory to be used with Lay Women 151 II. Letters to Ricasoli 160 Abbreviations Aa AmiciziaCrisriana,a secrct association ofJesuit inspiration for a better formation ofcandidates to the priesthood. Ai Amitie, French form for Amicizia. Amis Friend, member of the Amicizia. AOMV Archive of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. ASCR Archive of the Sacred Congregation of Religious. Bona Bona, C., Le "Amiciv^e": Sodeta segrete e rinascita nligiosa (1770-1830), (Torino, 1962). Carteggio Carteggio delVenrabik Padre PioBruno Lanleri (1759-1830), fondatore della Congrega^one degli Oblati diMaria Vergim, ed. Paolo Calliari (Torino, 1976). Cf. Confrere, member of the 'Aa'. CR Costitur^oni e Rego/e (1826). DES Direttorio degli Eserci^Spirituali DOMS Direttorio degli Oblati diMariaSantissima. DS Direttorio Spiriiuale. ET Evangelica Testificatio. Gallagher Gallagher,T., Gli Eserci;^ diS. Igna^onella spiritualita e carisma difondatore di PioBnoio Lanteri(lloma, 1983). Gastaldi Gastaldi, P., Dellavitadelservo di DioPioBnawtie lanterifondatore della Congrega^one degli Oblati diMaria Vergine (Torino, 1870). Guerber Guerber,J.,LeralBement duckr^jmncds a lamorale Sguorienm (Roma, 1973). MR Mutuae Relationes. PC Perfectae Caritatis. Positio Frutaz, A., Pinerolien. Beatificationis et Canoni^tionis Servi DeiPii Bmnonis LanteriFundatoris Congregationis Oblatorum M. V. (1830). Positio superintroductione causae etsupervirtutibus ex officio compilata (^omx, 1945). Romano Romano, A., I Fondatoriprofei^a della storia (Milano, 1989). RHP Religious and Human Promotion. S Series of numbered documents in AONW SE SpiritualExercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Un*esperiema LJn'esperient^ dello Spirito. Pio Bruno Lanteri, II suo carisma nelle sue parole (Cuneo, 1989). Translator's Note: In order to avoid overburdening the text, references for a quote are given simply as a number betweenparenthesis, for example: (205) indicates the page in the book Vn'esperien;(a dello Spirito. Pio Bruno Lanteri, II suo carisma nelle sue parole (finnco 1989). Introduction The Spiritual Heritage ofLanteri A. THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Preparation 1.1 Youth Bom into a profoundly Christian family and raised in a deep atmosphere of faith, Pio Bruno Lanteri begsin life solidly equipped for his future journey of grace through life. Faced with the death of his mother at the age of four, he showed a first sign of that special attachment, that intense devotion, that reverent love of the Virgin Maiy which would surface again and again throughout his entire life (Gastaldi, 20). In attempting to enter the Carthusians at the age of seventeen he manifested his attraction to what he would later call "silence and seclusion" (DOMS), that spiritual climate that fosters a profound experience of prayer and study. In the course of these early circumstances he came to understand that, without renouncing this spiritual attraction, he was called to the active life of priestly ministry in the world. 1.2 Father Nicholas von Diessbach While pursuing his studies in Turin as a seminarian he came into contact with the Jansenist-inspired theology of his day and, through his providential encounter with Fr. Nicholas von Diessbach, was introduced to a very different set of principles which would become the fundamental orientation of his entire spiritual and apostolic life. ^ • The meeting with Fr. Diessbach... gave new direction to his life" (Bona 46). "It was there (in Turin] that he became associated with Fr. Diessbach, a former Jesuit, and this meeting was the decisive event which determined the direction of his entire life," Guerber, 111; see also Positio, 78. PIO BRUNO LANTERI Under the apt instruction of Diessbach, a Jesuit until the suppression of the Society in 1773, Lanteri committed himself to "an entire, sincere, and inviolable obedience to the authority of the Holy See, and a total adherence to its teaching" (CR 1826). Diessbach's guidance strengthened in him that spontaneous affection and generous spirit of service to the Roman Pontiff, which would always be operative in his life. From Diessbach he came to know and to love that goodness and mercy of God, which are expressed in the works of St. Alphonsus: "have no doubts, follow Liguori in all his teaching" (Bona, 507). He learned "always to treat everyone, especially the most needy, with the utmost gentleness and kindness" (DOMS). The energetic Diessbach introduced him to the ministry of the confessional such that Lanteri conceived a heartfelt enthusiasm for that apostolate of divine mercy, which is exercised in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.2 In company with Diessbach he walked the porticos of Turin to meet the poor, the wretched and the abandoned, feeding and clothing them, teaching them catechism and preparing them to receive the sacraments.3 Diessbach, moreover, introduced Lanteri to ministry with books and with the Exercises of St. Ignatius: "Acquaintance with Diessbach for twenty years, always dealing with Exercises and books....Under the skilled guidance of Diessbach Lanteri came to a profound conviction of the value of these apostolates and would dedicate a great part ofhis energies to promoting them. In taking Diessbach as his personal spiritual director Lanteri entered the world of Ignatian spirituality, penetrating its richness to such a degree that he would 2 "He [Diessbach] taught him a love for the ministry of the confessional, such that as often as possible Fr. Lanteri went with him to the prisons and hospitals, or waited in the Churches and at home to confess as many as would present themselves," Antonio Ferrero, PosUio, 599. 3 Posmo, 599. •* Personal notes of Lanteri. He continues: "Acquaintance with Fr. Diessbach for nearly twenty years, during which he always insisted on the importance and the necessity of preparing to give and of giving well the Exercises of St. Ignatius," AOMV, S II. 206 bis.; Positlo. 560. In spreading good literature Lanteri would always give particuleur importance to the works of St. Alphonsus. INTRODUCTION become in his own turn a much sought after director in the things of the Lord. 1.3 The "Amicizie" ("Friendship" Groups) All this took place within the two "Amicizie" founded by Diessbach. The first of these, the "Cristiana" ("Christian Friendship"), was £in organization of both clergy and laity (men and women) apostolically centered on upholding Christian values through spreading good literature. The second, the "Sacerdotale" ("Priestly Friendship"), provided formation for young priests aimed at leading them to holiness, and trained them to give the Spiritual Exercises and parish missions, to work in spreading books with sound Christian values, and to promote the reception of the sacraments, preparing these young priests for the ministry of the conifessional. In the "Amicizie" of Diessbach we find the essential (though not exclusive) setting in which the identity of Pio Bruno Lanteri as future founder of the Oblates would take shape.5 In this context Lanteri dedicated himself intensely for a space of thirty years (1780-1811) to the apostolates characteristic of these groups: the Spiritual Exercises, the distribution of books promoting values of faith, the formation ofyoung priests (evident also in his participation in the "Aa"®), the defense of the Holy Father, confessions, spiritual direction... growing in a sense of his own spiritued and apostolic identity in the Church. His work in the "Amicizie" came to an end with his forced exile from Turin (1811-1814) by order of the French police who suspected him - and rightly so - of being active on behalf of the imprisoned Pius VII. In the three years of his confinement to his country home there surfaced once again his continuing attraction to the contemplative dimension of the spiritual life: to silence and solitude as means to foster a profound life of prayer and study. Two further initiatives 5 Lanteri would even call Diessbach the "founder" of the work his Oblates would cany out: This project is not ours, the founder is Fr.