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Through the ‘Formula Vori’ to the Transalpine Redemptorists We were founded in 1732 (over 270 years ago ) by the great St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori. He formed a little band of poor missionary priests and brothers. Their mission field was the hill country about Naples. Here they preached to the goat-herders and their families. These were poor and, because they had no priests, they were spiritually abandoned. This little community of priests and brothers soon attracted the attention of young men who wished to give themselves to God. On the 25th of February, 1749, Pope Benedict XIV gave the Church’s approbation to the Redemptorist Rules, thereby approving them as a concrete means by which to become a saint. The Church gave the Redemptorists the whole world as their mission field that they might labour for all abandoned souls destitute of spiritual help, in need of conversion and redemption. For over 200 years, from 1749 until 1963, the Redemptorists were governed by the Rule codified by St Alphonsus and approved by Pope Benedict XIV; also by the Constitutions which in the greater part were legislated by the Chapter of 1764, which was presided over by St Alphonsus himself. St Alphonsus said to his Redemptorist sons: “The members of our Institute should be persuaded that unless they look upon the least of these (1200+) regulations as of the greatest importance they clearly show themselves to be unworthy sons of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.” The Rule and Constitutions structured the Redemptorist vocation as it was to remain to the end of time. Mystery of Iniquity and the Formula Vori
Yet, mystery of iniquity, in 1963 the General Chapter of the Redemptorists totally abolished the Rule approved by Pope Benedict XIV and reduced the 1,678 Constitutions to 114. The General Chapter of 1969 wrote new Constitutions based on the last remaining 114 originals. It abolished 60 of the 114 Constitutions. Only 54 remained! And of the 54, “only 28 can be said to have been kept fully in their spirit,” according to the study made in 1973 by Fr Luigi Vori, C.SS.R. Writing of the destruction of the Rule of St Alphonsus he exposed the Novus Ordo Constitutions: “What happened can be compared to this: when, for example, a building is demolished and some small part of the material mixed together with a much larger amount of new material is used in erecting a new building.” By this Fr Vori states that the Redemptorist Rule inspired by Our Lord and codified by St Alphonsus has been demolished and in its place a “new building,” the Novus Ordo Constitutions and Statutes, used today by the modern Redemptorists, has been set up; but that the new Constitutions have only trace elements of the original Rule and Constitutions. To better illustrate this crucial point we apply what we call the “Formula Vori” to a cup of milk and a cup of coffee with a few drops amounting to a 3% addition of milk; Formula Vori illustrates what happened in the General Chapter of 1969. The conclusion is clear: the Novus Ordo Constitutions are based on 2-3% of Our Holy Father’s Rules and Constitutions. They are not the Rules and Constitutions of the Redemptorists founded by St Alphonsus (except in a Formula Vori way of speaking). The Transalpine Redemptorists pray to persevere in living the Rule and Constitutions that in them the prophecy of their Holy Founder will be fulfilled: the Congregation will continue until the Day of Judgment. Before Vatican II The Redemptorists were a remarkably holy Congregation in the Church. Although founded only in 1732 they claimed the greatest number of Servants of God, Venerables, Blesseds and Saints (excluding martyrs) from that year to 1962 when the Council opened. They made saints in their monasteries and were called saints by the people. In Ireland they were known as ‘the holy Fathers.’ The reason is simple: their Rule and Preaching fixed their thoughts on Salvation, Death, Judgment and Eternity; which thoughts inspire the soul with contempt for sin, love of Jesus Christ, hope in Mary and zeal for the salvation of souls. As St Alphonsus said to his sons: “In the Congregation each subject must live solely for eternity. Let us keep eternity before our eyes, and we shall suffer everything in peace and gladness.” [St Alphonsus in The True Redemptorist] After Vatican II With the crisis in the Church the Redemptorist Order was hit badly. Proportionally it lost more priests and brothers than any other Religious Order or Congregation in the Church. The reason is simple: the New Church offered Heaven to all religions, mocked hell and denied the necessity of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Salvation. More than in any other Order these dogmas were the daily preoccupation of Redemptorists whether at home or in the pulpit. The New Beginning Aware of this state of the Congregation His Eminence Cardinal Gagnon, the Papal Envoy to traditional Catholics on 8 December, 1987, expressed his judgment to Fr Michael Mary that the Redemptorists were badly in need of a reform. He said that it could only come about if we did it by living “outside the structures [...] like St Teresa of Avila.” The ‘reform’ was hardly needed because we have simply picked up the old copies of the abandoned Rule and lived it in the spirit of St Alphonsus. Now young men from around the world are preparing themselves on Papa Stronsay to become ‘Apostles Abroad.’ Perhaps God inspires you to join them? †
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