
The Bose Monastic Community () is an
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The wo ...
community founded by
Enzo Bianchi in 1965 at Bose, a
frazione
A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...
in the commune of
Magnano,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. In 2020 the Holy See ordered four members, including Bianchi, to separate from the community.
History
On 8 December 1965, Bianchi decided to start living in a rented house in Bose, where he lived alone for three years. He visited several communities during this time, including
Tamié Abbey
Tamié Abbey (''Abbaye de Tamié'' or ''Abbaye Notre-Dame-de-Tamié'') is a Cistercian monastery, located in the Bauges mountain range in the Savoie region of France. It was founded in 1132, as a daughter house of Bonnevaux Abbey, by Peter of Tar ...
,
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the peni ...
, and the Ecumenical
Taizé Community
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical Christian monastic fraternity in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of more than one hundred brothers, from Catholic and Protestant traditions, who originate from about thirty countr ...
. He was also friends with Cardinal
Michele Pellegrino.
On 17 November 1967, the local bishop prohibited public liturgical celebrations in Bose, which the Bose community attributed to be due to the frequent presence of non-Catholics. Pellegrino intervened to remove the interdict on 29 June 1968. In October 1968, two Catholics, a Protestant minister, and another female Protestant, joined Bianchi in Bose.
Pellegrino approved the community's rule on 22 April 1973.
On 26 December 2016, Bianchi announced his resignation as prior of the community, effective from 25 January 2017. Luciano Manicardi, who had been vice-prior, was elected to succeed him on 26 January 2017.
From 6 December 2019 to 6 January 2020, the Vatican conducted an
apostolic visitation
In the Catholic Church, a canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view to maintaining faith and discipline and of correcting abuses. A person delegated to car ...
of the Bose Monastic Community regarding issues of "the exercise of the authority, government management and fraternal climate". The visitors were Guillermo León Arboleda Tamayo, a
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, found ...
abbot, Amedeo Cencini, a
Canossian
The Canossians are a family of two Catholic religious institutes and three affiliated lay associations that trace their origin to Magdalen of Canossa, a religious sister canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
Canossian family Canossian Daughte ...
consultor to the
, and Anne-Emmanuelle Devêche, a
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...
abbess.
Following their investigation, the Holy See issued a decree on 13 May 2020, signed by
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of His Holiness (Latin: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae,
it, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), commonly known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the Holy See's Secretariat of State, which is the ...
Pietro Parolin
Pietro Parolin OMRI (, ; born 17 January 1955) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. A cardinal since February 2014, he has served as the Vatican's Secretary of State since October 2013 and a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers s ...
and approved by
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
, ordering Bianchi and three others to "separate from Bose and move to another place". The community released the contents of that decree on 26 May 2020 indicating that not all of those named had complied.
See also
*
CoEur devotional path
*
Iona Community
The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions within Christianity.
It and its publishing house, Wild Goose Publications, are hea ...
*
New Monasticism
References
;Additional sources
*
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Monasteries in Piedmont
Catholic orders and societies
Christian ecumenical organizations
Christian organizations established in 1965
1965 establishments in Italy
Magnano
Religious buildings and structures in the Province of Biella