Regula, caput XVIII
No Gifts Received
Christ forbids the nuns to receive any gifts and restrains the abbess from granting permission, lest she be defiled or appear in costly attire before the others.
Christ forbids the nuns here to accept any gifts, and restrains the abbess from granting permission to accept them. She also forbids it, lest she herself be defiled by this sin, or appear conspicuous in costly attire before the others.12
Renunciation of Ownership
Gifts from parents or friends are not to be received by any nun, the abbess must not grant permission to keep private property because ownership destroys unity, and the abbess must guard against abusing her authority.
If any gifts from parents or friends are directed to a particular person, they are by no means to be received, on account of your vow and holy profession. Nor should the abbess herself—even though pressured by parents of any standing—grant permission to keep anything of her own, because just as fire grows from a spark, so does damnation from ownership, which tears apart what would be praiseworthy unity in monasteries and corrupts common fairness. Let the abbess therefore be carefully on her guard, so that she doesn't take pleasure in this sin as if she were free to exercise power, or stand out in her dress before the others, because the more she is set above them, the more carefully she ought to observe the precepts of the rule.
Read the original Latin
Christus prohibet hic monialibus dona aliqua recipere et inhibet abbatisse licenciam recipiendi concedere. Vetat eciam, ne ipsa isto peccato commaculetur aut notabilis in habitu precioso pre ceteris appareat.
"Si aliqua dona a parentibus vel amicis directa alicui fuerint, nequaquam suscipiantur propter votum et professionem sanctam. Sed nec ipsa abbatissa, licet a parentibus cuiuscumque dignitatis sollicitata, licenciam habendi aliquid proprium admittat, quia, sicut a scintilla augetur ignis, sic a proprietate dampnacio, que laudabilem in monasteriis rescindit vnitatem et communem corrumpit equitatem. Caueat ergo sollicite ipsa abbatissa, ne quasi libera vtens potestate hoc delectetur peccato aut notabilis in habitu pre ceteris appareat, quia, quanto prelata ceteris, tanto sollicicius debet precepta regule obseruare."
Notes
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