The sun., 1893-10-30
THE ORDER or Li IRIIpE.

Recent Uniacation OF It- DivIsions-Live.
OF silence, Fnafina, aud prnJrr-Mrn OF
Wealth nnd Distt,ction who forsnse o
Worldly rienrnrcs for Trnpri,t Cioisters.
LONDON. Oct. lS.--At tho beginning OF this
month was held n council. or chapter. under
the Presidency OF the General Abbot Of the
order Of the Trappsts. 1t was composed OF
the Superiors OF all the m onnsteries OF the con
Gregation. and its object was to consider the
measures taken to insure to La Trappe all
the advantages Of the untflcation voted last
year at the same date in Rome.
The Rov. Father Sebastian Wynrt formerly
| AdIutant- Major in tho Pontlncal Ionavcs.
ia at the head OF all the Trappists in
the world. Already, ilfty- eight years ago.
decisive step had been taken toward
unificaton. whcn decree divided them
into three congregations. one for France
one for Great Britain. and tho other for Bel
gium. Political reasons at that timo stood in
the way OF more absolute unity Another
obstacle had also hitherto existed especinlly
In France. each monastery being firmly at
tached to it's own particular practices. which.
IA a matter OF fact. can be divided into two
rival obscrvances. Among the Trappsts somo
follow the rules OF Val Sainteas instituted by
ST. Benoit. which they have even exaggerated
while the others adopt the somewhat miti-
gated constitution OF the Abbot de lance.
1t was De Ranc6 who. In 1886. established n
branch the order In the Cstcrrian Abbey Of
La Trappe in the Department Of Orne. This
abbey dated from 1l22 when il was known as
the Monastery Of Notre Dame de Ia Maison
Dieu. 1t took its name OF La Trappe from tho
extremely narrow entrance to the valley
wherein it lies and finally this aprellation
superseded the former one. Do EancG sum
moned monks from all tho most strict relig-
ious orders and settled them in the old abbey
which had become lair OF briga n nds .an I'd which
he restored to its original uses. De Rancc was
nominated Superior of his congregation and
fran ed its rules and observances. which were
OF the most trying nature
The Trappists SPEND eleven hours in prayer
and meditation. and the remainder o the time
not given to sleep in heavy agricultural labor.
Every evening they give n few moments to the
digging OF their own graves. They sleep on
straw in a coffin: they 10 to bed at 8. to rise
again at > in the morning. and on Sundays ut
]. On the twelve principal fdtes they get up
at milnight; They are allowed short siesta
stain all the year round: they never touch
meat. eggs. fish. or butter; their food consists
little fruit: they drink only water Their
clothing consists OF coarse robe Girded at tho
%a Th@ observe F9er e G cqT qc Of Sqd
,ss low nr9sh nn{ by 5ne hHTG Snd
greet each other when they meet. Their
thoughts and meditations must dwell on pen
ance and death.
They own nothing personally and must get
attached I" no object. animate or inanimate:
thei- prayer nooks religious works and even
their rQsnries are common property. and II
they lee, that one particular article in their in
or out door life becomes dear to them they
must at once renounce it. Sometimes. ON rare
tion Of silence. and when the tongues OF these
voluntary mutes are loosened, those who are
priSllsEed I" hear them speak. are SURPRISED
perfect contcntment which they have with AS
tonishment noticed on their lnces.. An emf
teries exclaimed: These monks are living
In 1884 the fusion between the Observance
OF st. Ben"t and that OF Rance was virtually
put in operation after n Journey OF the Abbot
fulg g.nce to N9me The pope. Gregory XVI.
had nominated II Special commission whose
members belonged to all the ranks OF the
ii higher ciersy; u seq secular and m"nastic; Among
eow!: redicin, and W"ld. son Of the founder md @ "t
mensc fortune and the llrst English Cardinal
since the reign Of Henry VIII. This conclave
decreeh that each monastery was entitled to fol-
low either o! the two rules provided they re-
lions of the founders; but as to the IiturGical
adopt those OF the Cstercian order.
Although the monaSteries hay. been enfrnr-
hencelorth submitte cd to a SUPERVISION vested
III the Bishops as delegates of The Holy See.
The President OF the CistercianS was nomi-
dor to connect by a visible link the order to he
Roman Church. but conloint!y another chief
which was conferred for AL time on tn. Abbot
Of the parent house OF La rrarpe;. His author
ter to be held every Year at which tSe abbos bots
and priors of all the monssterIes were
fnHa Mss G be The al 5 DessE rssE
at the hands OF Pope Gregory NNI aud became
Vicar eS General q @ the order which possessed
Tranpstines. obcyine the same rules as the
monks. had two aboeys and three converts.
Most Of thes" so, are stu in sxistence today
last tifty years; the monks ir all the localities
where they have settled enjoy great popular
the benefact"Is OF the poor. In 1872 Trap
pist monastery was founded in Algeria at
The hrst general chapter. hell! in Nay 1885.
irrevocably liked tho rules and obligations of
lives spent ip manTSi labor sng
order are NOT. as might be supposed. those
whom poverty. disappointmeDts. or inability
world. On the contrary. there are among them
men who were dashing and distinguished sol
than one hattlefie cid or ner lous expedition men
who are the scions of noble and TITLED races he
fore whom life spread fair and luxurious: men
OF intelligence and culture even OF science:
poets. thinkers. inventors. who joyfuy VOL
unfairly embrace the existence Of privation.
nuTltnlFs. anu Remuneration To Wnlcn
powerful vocation calls them. There is
hardly an example OF a Trapplst leaving tho
monastery before tax ing his final vows be-
cause he has grown faint hearted 1T the rros-
pect Of a lifetime "f the trials he has had to
iace during bis noyiciaie. They are healthy.
curtain and close grating that divides the
stalls OF tho monss from I h body Of the church
strong. fresh youthful voices are lifted in chant,
psalm. or litanv:; and ther. ism Joyous souni in
these pHans OF praise that tell OF happiness
neither frigncd nor. easily disturbed. II is
hard to believe that these eXultant notas pro-
ceed from the silent. dark -hooded figures
that are seen hending. srads in hand. over
their own graves Some OF the greatest and
most illustrious names IN Europe nre merged
in tho short appellaton that distinguishes tho
cowled brothers. and that gives no indication
OF who they were before entering In Trapre.
The situation Of some OF the Cistercinn mon
ssteries Is strangely in keeping with the
wonderful symnathy between tho natural
scenes OF wood and mountain that surround
the abbeys OF La Trappe. and the life Of con
temrlation and isolation led by their inhab-
itants- MpES.
The Vast Ra''o d TrH nc During the Fats.
CHICAGO. Oct 2S.-Chicago roads were busly