Hermit Clubs: Is Hermit Vocation Endangered?

nothing has been observing and pondering, maybe like Andrew the Heron seen at a distance, perched on a rock. Perhaps his reflection is of more interest than his actual image, or maybe neither are real, or both.

Is the hermit vocation endangered of losing its charism of simplicity?

nothing has noted from internet blogs, articles and updates, that there is a growing trend among some hermits, mostly the canonical approved variety, that some through much wordage and repetition, based upon assumed authority, or even stated expertise, have begun to make regulations by setting precedence. What can evolve are rules, laws, set ways of how this or that must be done, called Precedent Law.

Noticed a few Dioceses have bought into it, adopted the regulations and are
imposing them. Perhaps without even knowing from whence they came.

nothing is reminded of childhood. Something innate in little girls to want to organize, set up and play house, make a club. Sometimes they can find a little boy or two to come and play with them. Tell him what to do, and some do it. He is the daddy or baby brother to the little girls' house roles. Lots of rules. Do this. Do that. I'm the mommy. Do as I say.

Elementary age girls like to make clubs. Sometimes they convince a boy or more to join. Most don't. By then boys are busy doing boy things. If they join a club, often it is Boy Scouts, and they are busy building trails and such. Or sports, a kind of club, and they are busy running with balls and learning plays and following the coach's directions to hopefully win the game. Sometimes boys are in gangs, dictatorial clubs. Not positive. But girl clubs often become dictatorial in less violent ways. Girls make rules, though, and insist on them being followed, with subtle or active consequences if not followed.

nothing recalls college sorority and fraternity life. The women in sororities are a bit more sophisticated in how they develop the club. There are higher levels--national, regional, district--in which those who have graduated are still wanting to be in the club or sorority, and they make rules for everyone, or change rules for everyone, and tell it how it is supposed to be. At college level, the girls follow along with what had been established, not sure when or how, but they learn it when they become pledges. They are told all kinds of things and have to obey the older girls who are already initiated and full members. They learn the secret passwords, the ways of doing this and that, go to meetings, have authority, responsibility, know the rules, make up little changes to rules, create rules, maybe get the regional and national to adopt these rules and impose them on everyone else.

Or they just keep doing things, making up new ways of doing things--stuff the original club of girls way back when hadn't made up, but maybe would have made up, if they'd thought of it back then, too! If someone does not go along with the rules, does not do as the initiated girls say to do, then those persons are reprimanded, ostracized, corrected, and given chances to stay. But sometimes they are kicked out if they don't leave on their own--result of verbal rebukes, intimidation, even shunning.

These more highly developed, highly educated clubs and club makers even create certain ways the others are initiated. They develop ceremonies, and certain clothing to be worn, or at least to have a pin to wear, and a handshake and lots of people at the ceremony. And then certain parts of the ceremony, and words said, certain words, and pledges, and then they are identified by certain letters after their names, as belonging to this or that club, and then they are to have certain body positions at certain times, and then publication of who is in the club or sorority. Everyone can know who is this or that, and some members and some clubs are very important indeed, more important than other clubs or other members of other clubs.

Or in the hermit vocation? Is that what CL603 has in mind for hermits? Where did all this hoopla come from? Who is making up these rules? Is it one person, or a handful? By what authority and right?

When this hermit state of affairs was described to a wise old holy priest, he laughed and replied, yes, it sounds like a sorority or fraternity! A wise holy confessor commented, "It is being institutionalized."

But, he added, "not ALL dioceses are doing it."

Thanks be to God.

While in the current review of online literature re. the Catholic hermit topic, there were notices of some hermits being canonically approved. Two stood out as different. Does gender play a role? Two men in different dioceses, they did not have involved ceremonies. No titles. No rings. No videotaping. No identifying letters after their names.  A private Mass. Repeated simple vows, like a simple statement of intent. The Bishop or Archbishop made a simple statement in response. That was it.

In fact, the hermits were not interviewed, did not give personal particulars. In one case, the hermit was not involved in article; it was posted weeks later.  No photos. Eight people were at the chapel Mass. Would not want even this much to be publicized, if anything at all. Someone else posted. The event was simple, concise. Hidden. Private. The vows made and accepted via the Diocese ordinary [technically making it a public profession], in keeping with that provision in CL603.

The bulk of hermits, canonical and non, thankfully won't even read this blog. Won't  need to. They are busy being simple, silent, hidden, prayerful, sacrificial, more stricter-removed from the world in assiduous prayer and penance.

For those who may be called to the hermit vocation, or for those who are called and are hermits, please consider these matters. Pray about it. Much is at stake. Is the hermit vocation destined to be what it was never intended to be? Is it being herded into a kind of spiritual club, a sorority or fraternity with oodles of rules and regulations, all created by some few who may feel divinely called (or more likely by temperament and personality style) to make the fleshing out of hermit life into a complex, institutionalized snare of publicized, promoted, presumptuous regulations? A distracting desecration?

The bulk of these made up "thou shalt do it this way" and "thou shalt do it that way" trends are NOT sacrosanct. While some Dioceses--a very few it turns out--adopt the guidelines and rules made up by a handful of (typically) women hermits, inclusive of online clubs and networks, not ALL dioceses do. And hopefully, prayerfully, they will not.

It is interesting to note that much of the ceremony and traditions from which these few have written the current guidelines were gleaned and embellished from medieval anchorites--then created and written by, yes, women mostly, who somehow innately tend toward organizational details, rules, symbols, ceremonies, and notice. (St. Francis de Sales admonished St. Jane de Chantel at one point, to not be so strict on the women in the Visitation who did not follow her desire for austerity in dress, for he noted that females always have liked to preen themselves like peacocks, so it is a natural tendency....)

The centuries-old examples of the hermit vocation (consider the Old Testament hermits, often prophets) is that of individuality, freedom, and simplicity in the call to hermit life. The basics of CL603, just two small paragraphs, and sections 920, 921 of the Catechism reflect the kernal of hermit life. Read these. Absorb. Pray them. Live it.

We don't have to accept, obey, or adopt what opinions are out there, no matter how authoritative, reasoned, educated or otherwise they may seem. Some may seem good ideas. But they are ideas... perhaps turned opinions, somehow threatening to turn into regulations. By whom? For what? Why?

Asking all hermits, canonically approved and privately professed--are these hermit-club trends a positive direction? Will hermits forevermore be institutionalized? Turned into a form of religious life that may be well and proper for orders and congregations, but antithetical to the hermit call?

nothing does not intend to write more, nor to further research the online movement for now. Was doing it for a specific reason and was not expecting these findings. However, it does seem of value to present an opposing reality--that the Catholic hermit vocation does not have to be complicated or rule-imposed. No, am offering a hermit reminder of the simple call and simple life. (Truly, if a Bishop or designated priest cannot review, oversee, and correct any given hermit who may be abusing the concise CL603, then God help us all.)

Well, God help us all, anyway.
Oh forevermore. For pity's sake. Lord have mercy on us.
Our Lady of Hermits...ora pro nobis.