Regula, caput XVII
The Friday Chapter of Faults
Christ commands a weekly chapter meeting through the abbess, imposing penance on all nuns—sick, healthy, and dying—for possessing private property against their profession.
Christ commands that a chapter meeting be held every Friday through the abbess, and here he imposes penance on the nuns — on the sick as well as the healthy, and even on those who are dying — for having what is their own against their profession. Every Friday a chapter is to be held at which, if anyone has done wrong in some matter, she is to be corrected.
Penance for the Sick and the Self-Accused
A sister who is ill or who confesses to having something of her own receives absolution from the confessor but must complete the full penance once she recovers.
A sister who is discovered to be in failing health or confesses to having kept something of her own is indeed to be absolved by the confessor, but once she has regained her health, let her undergo and complete the penance that is due.
Discipline for the Unrepentant Sister
A healthy sister convicted of secretly keeping private property on three witnesses' testimony endures two days of public humiliation—sitting on the floor, bread and water, exclusion from church, silence, and prostration—before being led to the altar by the abbess at Vespers and restored to her place after absolution.
But one who is in good health and is found to have kept something of her own without betraying herself, once convicted on the testimony of three witnesses, is to sit on the floor and will remain there on the first day of chapter — that is, Friday — receiving her portion like the other sisters, and on Saturday she is to be on bread and water. On these two days she is not to enter the church or the hours at which the service of God is celebrated, but is to remain in the cloister, speaking to none of the sisters, and she is to prostrate herself at the feet of all as they leave the church. When Vespers have been said on Friday, as the community leaves in its proper order, the abbess, following the community, is to come to her as she lies down, raise her up, and taking her by the hand, lead her to the altar in the choir of the sisters while the community follows and prays for her. Once she has received absolution, let her return to her place.
Prayers for the Unconfessed Dead
If a sister dies with unconfessed private property, her body is laid before the church doors where the abbess pronounces her grievous sin and the community prays for God's mercy; after the 'Hail Mary' she is absolved, her body is placed in the choir, and at the end of Mass the brothers carry her away for burial.
If, however, one of the sisters dies while having kept something of her own and without having made confession, once her body has been washed and placed in a bier, it is to be carried before the doors of the church, and the abbess is to say in the presence and hearing of the community: 'Through private ownership, under the deception of the devil, she has sinned grievously against God and the order; let us pray that God forgives her this sin, for he is merciful.' And when all have said 'Hail Mary,' she is to be absolved. Then let her body be placed in the middle of the sisters' choir, and around the end of Mass let it be carried by the sisters to the church door; once it is open, the brothers who are entering will carry the body away and it will be buried in the customary manner.
Read the original Latin
Christus precipit hic, quod omni quinta feria teneatur capitulum per abbatissam, et ponit hic penitenciam monialibus tam infirmis quam sanis quam eciam morientibus, habentibus proprium contra professionem suam.
"Omni quinta feria habeatur capitulum, vbi, si qua deliquerit in aliquo, corrigatur. Soror, que in infirmitate deprehenditur aut confitetur aliquid habere proprium, absoluatur quidem a confessore sed penitenciam debitam sustineat et compleat recepta sanitate. Illa autem, que sana est et deprehenditur habere quid proprium nec seipsam prodiderit, tribus testibus conuicta sedebit in pauimento habitura prima die capituli, scilicet quinta feria, prebendam sicut alie sorores et feria sexta sit in pane et aqua. Istis duobus diebus non ingredietur ecclesiam et horis, quibus celebratur opus Dei, in ambitu manens et nulli sororum aliquid loquens omnium exeuncium de ecclesia vestigiis se prouoluat. Vesperis autem dictis in sexta feria, exeunte conuentu in ordine suo abbatissa sequens conuentum, cum ad iacentem venerit, erigat eam et data manu ducat ad altare in choro sororum sequente conuentu et orante pro ea. Vbi absolucione percepta reuertatur ad ordinem suum. Si aliqua autem moritur habens quid proprium nec confessa fuerit, loto corpore eius et posito in feretro portetur ante fores ecclesie et dicat abbatissa presente et audiente conuentu: 'Hec per proprietatem fallente dyabolo grauiter contra Deum et ordinem peccauit; oremus pro ea, vt remittat ei Deus peccatum hoc, quia misericors est.' Et dicto ab omnibus 'Aue Maria' absoluatur.
Deinde corpus eius statuatur in medio chori sororum et circa finem misse portetur a sororibus ad ianuam ecclesie; qua aperta fratres ingredientes deferent corpus et debito more sepeliatur."
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