RB Reflection: 20 August 2008

Chapter 64. The Election of an Abbot

In choosing an abbot, the guiding principle should always be that the man placed in office be the one selected either by the whole community acting unanimously in the fear of God, or by some part of the community, no matter how small, which possesses sounder judgment. Goodness of life and wisdom in teaching must be the criteria for choosing the one to be made abbot, even if he is the last in community rank.

May God forbid that a whole community should conspire to elect a man who goes along with its own evil ways. but if it does, and if the bishop of the diocese or the abbots or Christians in the area come to know of these evil ways to any extent, they must block the success of this wicked conspiracy, and set a worthy steward in charge of God's house. They may be sure that they will receive a generous reward for this, if they do it with pure motives and zeal for God's honor. Conversely, they may be equally sure that to neglect to do so is sinful.

Since Fr. Elias is now Abbot Elias, we can rest easy that the second paragraph need not be applied. It is not hard, however, to imagine in a rougher time, that a monastery that liked to drink too much might elect a fellow drinker to be their abbot. In that case ... well we already know in that case.

LCG leadership, on the local and national level. This chapter points to the responsibility we have in choosing our leaders. Until the world wide Lay Cistercian movement has some type of regulations on the matter, each monastery and their lay associates, must come up with their own way of leadership. The LCG is too big to easily govern beyond the local level, and it is unreasonable to expect anyone to travel around to each local group for visitation, if you will.

So who is our authority? Is it the executive council? I don't see how that could be, since they exist for purely administrative reasons. What if we were under obedience to the Abbot of Gethsemani? We certainly would not expect him to make the rounds in visitation, but at least there would be some authority to whom we are ultimately answerable. Without obedience that is promised, and kept, what are we?

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.