tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622917811567969872.post753344327798162272..comments2022-10-10T18:12:28.137+02:00Comments on Just a Brother: Eleven Years After, part 2JABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04105516457156795165noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622917811567969872.post-28082693439958526752007-10-10T08:12:00.000+02:002007-10-10T08:12:00.000+02:00Both of you make valid points. As societies become...Both of you make valid points. As societies become more educated, we friars need to do the same in order to speak to people at their level. At the same time, like rashfriar I am uncomfortable with excluding someone from religious life on the basis of his or her ability/desire to do higher studies. Is there really no longer any room in the Order for someone whose spirituality comes from his close contact with the Lord in prayer, rather than from a textbook? <BR/>What really worries me is that many jurisdictions have introduced minimum educational requirements for acceptance into the Order with little or no discussion of these policies in a wider context. We should at least talk these things through before implementing them.JABhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04105516457156795165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622917811567969872.post-68855171429629774472007-10-10T00:02:00.000+02:002007-10-10T00:02:00.000+02:00Br. Mark,My comments come from growing up in a Cap...Br. Mark,<BR/>My comments come from growing up in a Capuchin parish and my current work as a lay minister. I work along side Holy Cross Brothers daily in a Catholic high school in the United States. While most of these brothers have the initials "M.S." after their names for advanced degrees in social work, education, or chemistry; they are still expected to be theological experts because of the initials "BR" in front of their names. I believe the era of the "simple" lay brother has passed from public view along with the office of questor. Most people's experiences of lay brothers in the United States is of teaching orders of brothers. Even with this education or work training, I believe a certain level of theologic or even religious knowledge is a must. Most people don't know the difference between a brother and a father (I myself am frequently referred to by either of these titles.) and expect a member of the hierarchy (as they understand it), whether priest, deacon, brother, or sister, to at least know more than them on the subject. Continued studies even at the undergraduate level in contemporary Catholic theology and modern Biblical interpretation should be a most for all religious formation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622917811567969872.post-40041608536543281842007-10-08T04:30:00.000+02:002007-10-08T04:30:00.000+02:00Peace! A thoughtful post. Of course, one of the is...Peace! A thoughtful post. Of course, one of the issues it raises is the connection between Capuchin formation/life and formal education. Do people need formal theological studies of some sort to be good Capuchins? The past would say no, in seeing so many of our saints were lay brothers who received no formal theology. Some, however, would say that modern times demand it. I can see both points, but I always have hesitated to tie a Capuchin vocation to formal studies of any sort, especially when we make a certain number of years of college a requirement for entrance into the Order. These things should be addressed. God bless!Rashfriarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444837205144101667noreply@blogger.com