Chittilappilly had been working in New Zealand as an assistant priest in Mercy Parish South Dunedin since January 2020.

However, following a complaint of sexual harassment from an adult woman, towards the end of last year, he was stood down from working in ministry and residing in the Dunedin Diocese.

He left the diocese late last year.

In March the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, Michael Dooley (pictured) told the Otago Daily Times (ODT) the church's procedures began immediately once the complaint was made and the Church's authorities were engaged in an investigation of the complaint and that included the Church's National Office for Professional Standards (NOPS).

NOPS reported back to Dooley.

However, in a move that surprised some, Dooley announced the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has directed him to conduct a further investigation into the priest's behaviour.

Dooley provided the update to the ODT on Sunday.

Dooley told the ODT the further church investigation will involve taking statements and examining evidence.

It would be undertaken by canon lawyers — men and women in the church who are trained in canon law.

"The lockdown in Auckland has unfortunately delayed the process but I am hopeful that it will be completed as soon as possible," he added.

The ODT Sunday report does not say why a second investigation is necessary nor specifically how it will differ from the Church's NOPS process.

The NOPS process has been agreed to by all the New Zealand Catholic Bishops and leaders of New Zealand's religious orders.

Sources told CathNews Chittilappily had complied with the initial investigation and subsequently done what was asked, did not engage in ministry and lived outside the Dunedin diocese waiting to hear the final result of the NOPS inquiry from Dooley.

However, on Sunday, Dooley told the ODT that Chittilappily had left New Zealand in September and returned to India because his visa to remain in New Zealand had expired.

"He is now living in a Rosminian house in India, under supervision, and is not involved in any public ministry until the investigation is concluded," Dooley confirmed.

Source

• Otago Daily Times
• Image: NZ Herald

The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life determined the Regina Pacis Community was to be "suppressed," citing problems with a lack of "maturity" in its charism and institutional structure, which would have been necessary for "a healthy development in the future," according to the decree, quoted by Bishop Giuseppe Zenti of Verona.

Visitations and oversight of the community showed there had been "institutional weaknesses, especially in governance" as well as difficulties in relations between members, the bishop said in a written communique sent to members of the diocese.

Read More

Spanish Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, spoke about his office's work overseeing religious congregations in an interview July 30 with Vida Nueva, a Spanish weekly magazine on religion.

The most common allegations involve abuse of power or conscience, financial corruption or problems associated with "affectivity," Carballo said.

He said the church has very "clear and precise criteria" in discerning the authenticity of a religious charism when determining whether to approve a new congregation or religious order.

Among these criteria, he underlined: "Communion with the church; the presence of spiritual fruits; the social dimension of evangelization; high regard for other forms of consecrated life in the church; and the profession of the Catholic faith."

"Sadly, it must be confessed that, at times, it is difficult to discover the authenticity and originality of a charism in some realities," the archbishop said.

He said that the congregation is currently investigating about a dozen founders of institutes that come under his office's authority.

"In most cases, these are associations whose canonical recognition is underway," he said without naming the founders or the communities involved.

However, he said, in addition to that number, some institutes had already been canonically recognized. Some whose founders are being investigated, too, "so the number increases significantly."

"All of this does a lot of damage to consecrated life and to the church itself," he said. "Therefore, much more attention should be paid when discerning the need, benefit and usefulness for the church. Especially when approving associations whose canonical recognition is underway."

It is a bishop's right to approve such associations, he said. "But it is also a grave responsibility," and discernment is needed.

Sources

Crux

They were presented by Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo who is the secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

"Cor Orans" ("Praying Heart") provides instructions on how to apply Pope Francis's 2016 Apostolic Constitution - "Vultum Dei Quaerere" ("Seek the Face of God").

In Cor Orans, Pope Francis calls for changes to be implemented in 12 areas from prayer life to work habits.

The 34-page document also "intends to make clear the provisions of the law, developing and determining the procedures in the execution" of the apostolic constitutions in "Sponsa Christi Ecclesia" published by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

The world's 38,000 cloistered nuns will be directly affected by the new instructions.

The most significant change is the obligation for individual monasteries, though autonomous, to belong to a federation of monasteries.

These monasteries would be connected either through a similar charism or through geographical location.

Monasteries have one year to comply. After this, the Vatican's office for religious life will assign monasteries to federations.

Carballo says this is due to many problems which have come about in the last few decades.

These stem from "the isolation of some monasteries ... and from the importance of walking, even in monastic life, towards an ecclesiology of communion."

Another change is the requirement that individual monasteries have at least five members. Three of these must have made professed vows for the monastery to remain open. Formerly at least four professed members were needed in a monastery.

The document says the suppression of individual monasteries is a solution which is "painful as much as necessary."

Additionally, if the number of community members with solemn professed vows drops to five, the monastery loses the right to the election of its own superior.

In these cases, the president of the monastery's federation is obliged to inform the Holy See.

The new document aims to "clarify the provisions of the law, developing and determining the procedures for its execution" Caballo says.

It provides precise guidelines regarding all the practical, administrative, legal and spiritual aspects pertaining to the founding and running of monasteries for contemplative nuns.

Souce

• Vatican News
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Sisters of Carmel. com

Pope Francis has appointed Sister Carmen Ros Nortes, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation, to the role.

The 64 year-old has degrees in theology, catechetical pedagogy and humanities. She also studied in Rome for a licentiate in theology, specialising in Mariology.

Carmen took her perpetual vows in 1986.

She teaches at "Studium," the Congregation's school of theology and law for consecrated life.

In 1992, Carmen was an official at the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

The Congregation has had a woman religious as undersecretary since 2004.

In April 2017, the Vatican says the Church has over 670,000 consecrated women and 188,000 religious-order priests and brothers.

Source

• Catholic Herald
• Crux Now
• Image: A Catholic Life