Kauno seserų benediktinių vienuolyno pertvarka 1918–1926 m. [I d.]

Abstract

Dviejų dalių straipsnyje nagrinėjama Kauno seserų benediktinių vienuolyno pertvarka. Tai gali padėti pažinti praeitį ir geriau suprasti dabartinę šios bendruomenės būklę. Seserys daugiau negu 50 metų laiko savo bendruomenę apaštalinio gyvenimo būdo, vyskupijos teisių vienuolija. Vis dėlto Vatikano pašvęstojo gyvenimo kongregacijos laiškai šią vienuoliją įvardija kaip popiežiškosios teisės, t. y. kontempliatyvaus gyvenimo, vienuolyną. Tad kokių teisių vienuolija tuomet yra ir kokį gyvenimo būdą seserys turėtų gyventi? Šios problemos priežastis ir pradžia – 1918–1926 m. pertvarka. Ji analizuojama istoriniu, regulos, teisiniu, seserų suvokimo požiūriais, kad būtų galima suprasti šiandieninę vienuolyno būklę ir seserų poziciją nagrinėjamais klausimais

The Act of Independence of Lithuania signed in 1918 brought some confusion to the Convent of Benedictine Sisters in Kaunas, who had just recovered after the czarist persecution. The Sisters of Polish descent, forming the majority of the community had no concern to turn the convent into a hearth of Lithuanian culture. In 1919, due to the escalation of national relations, the convent was visited by the bishop Karevičius. His visit marked the initial stage of the convent’s political-material reform. The discontent Polish sisters complained to the Holy See and in 1920 the convent was already under irrevocable papal jurisdiction. Thereby the community of diocesan subordination became that of papal enclosure. According to the apostolic visitor A. Ratti, when the Polish nuns had opposed the establishment of a Lithuanian school at the convent, the conflict came to a sharper point. Later, according to the visitor A. zecchini, the issue attracted the attention of some European countries, as well. Consequently, it was decided to separate the Polish nuns who settled in Kolainiai in 1924. Then the apostolic visitor archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis took care about the second spiritual reform. In Vatican the convent was entitled as a congregation, whereas in Lithuanian records it existed as a convent. The change of the title does not, however, result in the change of jurisdiction. The Congregation of St Scholastica (USA), the Constitution of which was adopted by the Benedictine Sisters in Kaunas, is that of papal enclosure. The responses of the present day Benedictine Sisters in Kaunas to the questionnaire reveal that the reform of Jurgis Matulaitis resulted in the annulment of the papal enclosure and the reestablishment of the diocesan subordina-tion. Thus, the convent became a congregation, Yet, it must be mentioned, that the above mentioned fact is not in accordance with the Benedictine tradition. [...]