Writings Concerning the Franciscan Order

Second Encyclical Letter (1266)

Second Encyclical Letter (1266) A space of nine years separates Bonaventure's first encyclical letter from his second. During this time as General Minister he h a d traveled widely, familiarizing himself with conditions in t h e Order and gaining a wealth of experience in dealing with its problems. This letter, harsher in tone than its predecessor, reveals that several undesirable tendencies in the brotherhood were still widespread. Evident when Bonaventure assumed office in 1257, they were more distressing to him now. The constitutions passed a t Narbonne six years earlier were intended to recall the friars to t h e fundamentals of religious observance, but their spirit had clearly not yet caught on. According to Olivi, Bonaventure made an emotional plea at the Paris chapter, stating "that there was no time since he became minister general when he would not h a v e consented to be ground to dust if it would help the Order to reach the purity of Saint Francis and his companions."1 The delegates apparently agreed that good legislation alone could not do the job; what was needed was renewed determination on the part of t h e superiors to enforce it. Lest the problem areas they enumerated continue to fester, they urged a stricter policy towards the offenders. This letter was not as widely diffused as its predecessor in t h e manuscript tradition; it was printed in the Quaracchi edition (VIII, 470-71).2 1Cited in Burr, p. 78. 2The six known extant manuscripts unanimously attribute this letter to Bonaventure; although none of them specify a date, two do say "given at Paris at the time of the general chapter." The Pentecost chapter of 1266 was the only one held there under Bonaventure's presidency, a date confirmed by the reference to Pope Clement IV. This translation largely relies on that of Regis Armstrong and Gregory Shanahan published in The Cord 33 (1983): 342-46. 226 / Dominic Monti, O.F.M. 1. Brother Bonaventure, General Minister and servant of the Order of Friars Minor, to his dearly beloved friend in Christ, Brother Joscelin, Minister of Provence:3 greetings and everlasting peace in the Lord. A superior's solicitous care should be directed first of all to the flock in his charge, so that he might foster the growth of worthy virtue, prevent the entry of vice, and give instruction in proper conduct. Therefore, after careful deliberation, the definitors of the general chapter, as well as myself, decided that I should send a letter to each of the ministers on certain matters which were examined and discussed there, asking them to be especially diligent in confronting specific abuses that have to be uprooted, because these are infecting our Order's integrity, lowering our high standards of perfection, and darkening the radiance of our holiness. Until recently, the height of evangelical perfection we practiced captured both the attention and hearts of the world, making us worthy of every respect and honor. But now, what do we see? - large numbers of brothers on a downward trend, an everincreasing laxity towards these tendencies by those in charge, abhorrent deviations springing up like briars. These are the things that are causing many people to see this holy and venerable brotherhood as something despicable, burdensome, and odious, turning into a stumbling block what ought to be a pattern for all to follow. 2. Too much running about and importunate begging are making us cheap and oppressive. For, you see, when we are no longer content with little and start putting up costly buildings, what we are really doing is directing our whole attention on base things, while foolishly missing out on the truly higher realities. The extravagant construction of walls is breeding the destruction of 3The original copies of this letter were personally addressed to each provincial minister in the Order; the manuscript favored by the Quaracchi editors was addressed to Joscelin, minister of Provence from 1262 to 1272. See Pierre Péano, "Un destinataire de L' 'Epistola ad omnes Ordinis ministri provinciales de Saint Bonaventure': Frère Jaucelin de Provence," Studies Honoring Ignatius Charles Brady, Friar Minor, ed. Romano S. Almagno and Conrad L. Harkins, Franciscan Institute Theology Series No. 6 (St. Bonaventure: The Franciscan Institute, 1976), pp. 409-19. Second Encyclical Letter (1266) / 227 morals;4 raising houses on high is causing souls to be cast down to the dust. Moreover, I shudder...