1. The Study of the Spirituality of the Religious Congregations

Understanding Fr. Berthier and his contributions or influences to the spirituality of the members of his Congregation remains a fundamental question to be answered. Is there anything from him that could generate a particular spirituality? Which spiritual way or appropriation of Christian life did he offer?

Since 1912-1920s, far from the Vatican II Council there have been interesting scientific studies made by a number of religious congregations regarding their spiritualities. The big Congregations such as Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites and Jesuits, since then have marked the beginning of the study of their spiritual traditions.

Some aspects of Fr. Berthier’s spiritual life that have been demonstrated by Fr. Egon in this occasion could bring us to the conviction that from Fr. Berthier we can learn something as basis to construct a MSF spirituality. After Vatican II we are continuously reminded to return to our identity. The renewal from the Vatican II, particularly in Lumen Gentium (1964), and Perfectae Caritatis (1965), followed by various Instructions such as, Renovationis Causam (1969), Evangelica Testificatio (1971), and so forth, has shown on one hand the expectations and the ideas of the universal church regarding all religious congregations and their place in the Church. On the other hand there was a call to all religious congregations to study their particular spiritualities. The important issue is that every religious congregation has to be understood as a fruit of God’s work to enrich the entire Church. For this reason it has been our concern to see that so many religious Congregations from time to time experienced inharmonious relationship with the local Churches (bishops) regarding contracts and so forth. The presence of a religious Congregation should be understood and experienced by the bishops or members of a Congregation as a contribution and enrichment to the people of God in the local Churches.

In order to construct a particular Berthinian/MSF spirituality it is necessary for us to learn from other Congregations on how they have been growing in their spiritual traditions as Franciscans, Dominicans, Ignatians, Salesians, etc. We could see how every Founder of these institutes inherited some spiritual elements as basis for their particular spiritualities. There we can find the dynamic interpretations and implicitly how they use methods or ways to maintain what they have received from their Founders. From these kinds of models we hope to be inspired in our effort to construct a particular spirituality on the basis of our heritages from our Founder.  

2. Some Models of Spiritual Traditions

a. Franciscan Spirituality

Since 1912 the Franciscans have marked the beginning of scientific study of their spirituality. They were asking questions such as: Does the Franciscan family as a whole (from the first order to the third order and all institutes that were inspired by Francis of Assisi) have common doctrines and traditions that could be defined as “Franciscan spirituality”? What is spirituality? Is there any particular Franciscan spirituality? If so, what is it? 

After more than eight centuries of their existence the Franciscans affirmed the existence of doctrines, traditions, customs or ascetical practices that have bound them as a Franciscan family. They then formed a “Franciscan school,” that is to say a Franciscan spiritual life.

Throughout the centuries the Franciscan family have undergone changes, losses, accessions, new emphases, obscurities, mistakes and so forth. However, it could be argued here that these experiences are part of their history and of the future of this spiritual family.  

The main and the first sources that have been the “teacher and model” of that particular spirituality are a) Francis of Assisi, b) the circle of his friends as Leo, Giles, Clara of Assisi, etc., c) Franciscan saints as: St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Angela da Foligno, Anthony of Padua, Bonaventure ect. It is a long tradition of sanctity which has shaped the Franciscan spirituality till today.[1]