Chapter 14
The secretary was a blend of competence, warmth, and intelligence. She knew that she was in charge and so did you. Despite her tender years, about thirty-five, she ran that office well. She put down the phone and said: "The Bishop will see you now, Abbot Francis."
"Thank you very much." Francis stood up and moved toward the Bishop's door. The door opened and the tall, thin shepherd of the diocese greeted Francis warmly.
"Please, please come in. I love to have monks in my office. It makes me feel close to God."
"Thank you, Bishop. Being called to your office makes me feel close to something as well; I'm not quite sure what it is yet." They sat on couch and chair with a little coffee table in front of them, not too far from the Bishop's large and highly polished wooden desk.
"You and I have always had a good rapport," the Bishop went on. I welcomed you to this diocese in 1987 when you were considering leaving your original order, and then encouraged your major superiors to give you a three-year leave--what do you people in monastic life call it again?
"Exclaustration, Bishop."
"That's it--permission to live out of your original cloister for another purpose. After those three years, the Holy See granted you an Indult of Departure from your original order so that you could remain in your newly founded monastery as a Salesian monk and it's been a warm and happy relationship for both of us. Is that not so?"
"That's right, Bishop. It has been and I hope it will continue."
"So do I, Abbot Francis, so do I. But you are in the middle of two murders and people are talking. It's on the front pages of the newspaper; it's on the radio and the television.
Now, I know some new religious communities in the Church opt to go the non-canonical way, that is, to live their life as best they can without seeking Church approval. Some live very much in accord with the Church and others stray from our teachings in one way or another. You have opted to remain a canonical entity and even belong to a Fellowship of Emerging Religious Communities consisting of religious from both America and Canada. I believe that there are about seven hundred groups which are in the beginning stages as new religious orders, communities, monasteries, whatever you want to call them in North America alone. You are like a tender shoot, a new plant, and you need support."
"That's true, your Excellency. You sum up our situation beautifully and you and the diocese have been kind enough to give the support you mentioned to me over the years."
"I trust your spiritual aspirations and your pastoral and professional integrity but just want to warn you that if this thing goes too far, I may have to rescind diocesan approbation because of the possibility of scandal. We don't want to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around our necks, now do we? I don't want to rescind your approbation and will try my hardest not to, but you need to know where I stand."
"That's not good news to hear, Bishop, but I respect the fact that you have been kind and honest enough to tell me this."
"Francis, that traditional Catholic group is a hot spot in the diocese. They are not under my jurisdiction but a lot of disgruntled Catholics are going there and the theologian who was murdered is also another focal point of a lot of heat, and you are involved with both of them. I must admit I've never been able to figure you out. Sometimes you appear to be living out the tradition of centuries of monastic spirituality, and at other times you seem to be forging ahead far beyond where we are."
"Bishop, I'm really not trying to do either. I look to the life of Christ for guidance and this is what seems to occur. Forgive me if I've caused you any trouble. You have enough issues to deal with these days, what with the shortage of clergy, and scandals, and money problems, and above all trying to be a spiritual presence for the People of God."
"Thank you for understanding that, Brother, it helps. Please don't take our meeting as a reprimand. To be completely honest, I admire your openness to journey with these people and try to find the truth. Most of us, probably even me, would run in the other direction. Now is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Yes, Bishop, you can give me a million dollars and some additional land, a few cars, and the time to pray, which is why I founded the monastery in the first place."
"Very well," the Bishop chuckled, "mention it to my secretary on the way out. She's a real ball of fire and I'm sure she'll make it happen. Now, let's do lunch in our dining room."