Opera Omnia

INSTRUCTION XII
STUDY FOR THE BROTHERS
A Note on the three Pauline devotions

God's wisdom and love willed to entrust the Pauline Family with a precious mission. It is of the utmost importance for the Church and the whole of humanity:
a) To know, imitate, pray and

preach better on Jesus Christ, our one Teacher. It is in him that everything is summed up and brought together, omnia instaurare in Christo - In ipso omnia constant - Magister vester unus est Christus.¹
b) To know, love, pray and preach better on Mary, specifically as Regina Apostolorum.
The first devotion to Mary was that made by Jesus who honored her as his Mother; the second was that of the Apostles who showed their love for her, venerating her as Queen of the Apostles.
c) To know, imitate, pray and preach better on Saint Paul, Vas electionis, doctor gentium, martyr;² our Father and Teacher.
We are grateful to the Lord for this threefold gift. Every year a step ahead: it is the Lord who wills it, who helps with his grace and prepares for us a great reward.

* * *
Art. 142. Superiors shall see that all Religious make their confession at least once a week.
Art. 143. Besides the regulations laid down in articles 47, 48, and 191, in every house of the Society there shall be appointed several lawfully approved Confessors, in proportion to the number of the members.
Art. 144. Moreover, for the peace of his conscience, every Religious may approach any Confessor duly approved by the local Ordinary, and the confession made to him is both licit and valid.
Art. 145. Provided they observe all the requirements of the law, Religious Superiors who have the faculty

may hear the confessions of those of their subjects who, of their own free will and choice, ask for it. Without a grave reason they shall not do so habitually. Superiors must also beware of inducing - either personally or through others - any of their subjects to come to them for confession, whether by force, fear, persistent urging, or in any other way.
Art. 146. All Religious Superiors are strictly forbidden to induce their subjects in any manner to manifest to them the state of their conscience. The subjects, however, may, of their own free will and choice, manifest their interior life to the Superiors. In fact, it is proper that the subjects should approach their Superiors with filial confidence, and reveal to them their doubts and anxieties.

Preparing oneself for life

The time of youth is a preparation for life, for the type of life one intends to embrace.
Likewise those who want eternal happiness in heaven prepare themselves by way of a good Christian life.
Again, a quite different study preparation is involved for the person who wants to be a doctor, or a lawyer or a career soldier and so on.
Each person will be happy and successful in life to the degree he has prepared himself in his specific field.
The role of the Pauline priest, apart from his ministry, is mainly in preparing work for publishing. His study preparation will thus be in that area.

The Brother's role is twofold: technical work and promotion. Only if he is prepared for this twofold role will he conform to his vocation, be esteemed and sanctify himself. No one can pretend that he be a politician, a musician, an accountant, a doctor, or a lawyer. He is, instead, a good Brother if he is a good technician and a good promoter. These are his necessary requirements.
Therefore his studies must be completely geared to train him as such. First, he needs the basic and common notions of religion, language, geography, arithmetic, and so on; second, he needs extensive specialist technical and practical knowledge in technical work and promotion.
The technical part, in accordance with our Pauline apostolate, concerns the press, radio, television, and so on. Similarly the promotion is different for each of the various areas of the apostolate.
The programs followed in Italy at present are the following (indicative for other countries):

STUDY PROGRAM FOR STUDENT BROTHERS

Class I
ITALIAN:
Grammatica by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
Di giorno in giorno by Japichino, vol. I, Ediz. Signorelli
Dizionario by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
MATHEMATICS:
Practical Arithmetic by Boari, Ediz. Lattes
Intuitive Geometry by Boari, Ediz. Lattes
HISTORY:
Le vicende della patria by Mozzati, vol. I, Ediz. SEI
GEOGRAPHY:
L'uomo e il suo regno by Gribaudi, vol I, Ediz. SEI
RELIGION
CHANT
APOSTOLATE

Class II
ITALIAN:
Grammatica by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
Di giorno in giorno, vol. II, Ediz. Signorelli
Ulysses (ed.) Paperini, Ediz. SEI
Dizionario by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
MATHEMATICS:
Practical Arithmetic by Boari, Ediz. Lattes
Intuitive Geometry by Boari, Ediz. Lattes
ENGLISH:
Grammatica by Russo, Ediz. Signorelli
Dizionario by Orlandi, Ediz. Signorelli
HISTORY:
Le vicende della patria, vol. II, Ediz. SEI
GEOGRAPHY:
L'uomo e il suo regno, vol. II, Ediz. SEI
RELIGION
CHANT
APOSTOLATE

Class III
ITALIAN:
Grammatica by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
Di giorno in giorno, vol. III, Ediz. Signorelli
I promessi sposi, Ediz. Paoline
Odyssey (ed.) Paperini, Ediz. SEI
Dizionario by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
MATHEMATICS:
Practical Arithmetic by Boari, Ediz. Lattes
Intuitive Geometry by Boari, Ediz. Lattes
BOOK-KEEPING:
Computisteria by Pietro della Casa, vol. I, Ediz. SEI
ENGLISH:
As in second, continuing the program
HISTORY:
Le vicende della patria, vol. III, Ediz. SEI
GEOGRAPHY:
L'uomo e il suo regno, vol. III, Ediz. SEI
DRAWING
RELIGION
CHANT
APOSTOLATE

Class IV
ITALIAN:
Grammatica by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
Gerusalemme liberata, trans. Rizzi, SEI
Di giorno in giorno, vol. III, Ediz. Signorelli
I Promessi sposi, Ediz. Paoline
Dizionario by Palazzi, Ediz. Principato
ALGEBRA:
Elementary Algebra by Boari, Ediz. Lattes
BOOK-KEEPING:
Computisteria by Pietro della Casa, vol. II, Ediz. SEI
SCIENCE: Scienze naturali e fisiche by Onorato Darbesio, vol. I, Ediz. SEI
Scienze naturali e fisiche by Onorato Darbesio, vol. II, Ediz. SEI
ENGLISH:
Texts as in Class II
RELIGION:
Da Adamo a Gesù by Galli-Grandi, Ediz. Paoline
CHANT
APOSTOLATE

NOVITIATE OF THE BROTHERS
Year I
Constitutions - Italian text - Directory - The San Paolo
Catechism of the Vows - by Pietro Cotel S.J.
Catechism of Saint Pius X - by Fr Dragone
Liturgy and Ceremonial - by Fr Ferdinando Maccono - Getting to know the Missal
Gospel commentated
Apostolate - L'Apostolato dell'Edizione by Primo Maestro
Sacred Chant

Year II
Constitutions - Italian text - Directory - The San Paolo

Catechism on the Religious State - by Lodovico Fanfani
Catechism of Saint Pius X - by Fr Dragone
Ascetical Theology - TANQUEREY: Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology
A Letter of Saint Paul commentated
Apostolate - L'Apostolato dell'Edizione by P.M.
Sacred Chant

Meditations
(Year I and II together)
1. - Meditations on the Novitiate (from the Directory, from the Practice of the Vows and Practice of the Rule by Colin)
2. - Practices of Piety
3. - Improvement - various defects
4. - Vows - one month for each vow
5. - Virtues - humility, charity, and so on
6. - Devotions to Our Lady - on Saturdays
7. - The Last Things
8. - San Paolo - articles by P. Maestro
9. - Month of May to the Queen of Apostles
10. - Month of June - Saint Paul
11. - First week of the month: the devotions.
N.B. a) For the aspirants to the priesthood some subjects are changed: study of Saint Paul (letters and life); study of Mary's title Regina Apostolorum.
b) For the aspirants to the priesthood some subjects are to be studied more deeply.
c) The choice of school texts is left to the Novice Master.
d) The Novitiate for Italy accepts the aspirants to the priesthood coming from the various houses (Regions) with their diverse characters, spiritual preparation, study and so on. Results obtained are a merging of minds, a levelling out with the help of study lessons, a definitive orientation for life.

SCHOLASTIC PROGRAM FOR THE BROTHERS
IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF PROFESSION
RELIGION: One hour a week on Fundamental Theology and Sociology.
Study is scheduled on a rotation basis: two years of Fundamental Theology and one of Sociology.
Texts - For Fundamental Theology use can be made of Ragione e fede by Cardinal Massimi.
For Sociology the text of J. Alberione can be adapted, with the development of the main social encyclicals.
Technical apostolate and promotion: 2 hours.

PHILOSOPHY. One hour a week especially on questions of knowledge, anthropology, ethics.
Dezza and Giampietro (published by Ferrari)
Study is scheduled on a rotation basis for three years.
Texts - Much depends on the teacher to develop these issues to a greater or lesser extent. Thus, besides the texts already noted and adopted for philosophy students, use can be made of:
1. SOFIA VANNI-ROVIGHI - Elementi di Filosofia (vol. II, Metaphysics and Natural Theology - Editore Carlo Marzorati - Milan).
2. PAOLO CAROSI - Ente in genere ed ente finito - Dio - Gnoseologia (correspond to n. 4-5-2 of the philosophy texts published by the house of Rome).

LITERARY STUDIES. One hour per week is scheduled for the three years with an essay once a month.
Texts - Poetry and Prose by Consonni (Ediz. SEI - Turin) Grammar and Syntax (Free choice of any text).

HISTORY. One hour a week is scheduled for the three years: Ancient History - Middle Ages - Modern and Contemporary Age. Study in rotation.
Texts - Gesta maiorum by BARBADERO and MONTANARI (Ediz. Le Monnier). Three volumes.

SCIENCES. Scheduled for the three years, in rotation:
1. Chemistry
2. Physics
3. Book-keeping
One hour lessons a week over the three years.
Teachers may choose their own texts.

For each year: SCHOOL OF APOSTOLATE.

This program is to be continued and completed in the two years in Rome, with the following subjects:
School of Apostolate (Promotion): 2 hours weekly in each year.
Dogmatic Theology and Moral Theology
Church History
Human Physiology and Psychology
Theory and Practice course on Graphics, Publishing, Promotion (Apostolate).
Constitutions - Concepts of Ascetical Theology.

As well as the regular classes over the whole five-year period, there needs to be a constant check-up with lesson recital, as well as some written work, and a regular examination at the end of the scholastic year.
There is a great deal of diversity between one country and another; just as there is a great diversity of intellectual preparation among the Aspirants who enter. For each Province, the Provincial Superior, with his respective local Superiors, will set out a program that suits the particular circumstances.

Consequences: No intelligence discrimination

1. Candidates to the Brotherhood are to have an average intelligence: the outcome of our apostolate, the technical and the promotional side as well, depends as much on intellectual qualities as on moral qualities.
A good Superior writes in this regard: One of our youths, Alberto González, who is in the fourth year of high school, has been insisting for about eight months that he has a vocation to be a Brother. What is significant is that he is always top of his class, from every point of view, and is exceptionally gifted, having a way with words, a spirit of enterprise, and no lack of self-confidence. We gave him six months to reflect so that he wouldn't regret his decision. We have, however, now allowed him to choose the vocation which is, at this point, clearly apparent to both him and us. While remaining among the Brothers, he will continue to follow the same curriculum as before (facilitated because the group of student brothers is, at present, with that of the student clerics).
The fact in itself is significant for us; the evidence supports what the Founder has always repeated:
The vocation of the Brother is not determined by intelligence and capacity discrimination. We are sure that this will have a positive effect on the Brothers' group. Pray that he will persevere!

2. The teacher-assistant must have a great love for the student brothers; the Brothers must love their priest teacher. Good Brothers

give such consolation and joy when they realize they are loved, understood and encouraged.
The teacher must also be demanding. Study, in general, is harder than work. The student must be encouraged, whether it is lesson recital, or correcting his study work, or at the half-yearly and final examinations.

3. United in a religious Family, the good of each one is the good of the others and the good of all. Let the Brother be thankful to his priest teacher. Thankfulness pleases the Lord; it pleases the teacher; it is a source of merit. Thus the words of Saint Paul: Grati estote: Be thankful [Col 3:15].