Letter 37
To my colleague in the episcopate,
The situation at the convent you describe — the abbess who lacks the education necessary to guide the spiritual lives of her sisters with any depth — is one that raises a larger question I think we have not addressed adequately: what do we actually require of women who govern religious houses?
We require, as a practical matter, that the abbess be capable of administration: managing the property, maintaining the discipline, overseeing the daily rhythm of prayer and work. Many abbesses are very capable administrators. What is less consistently present is the theological and scriptural formation necessary to guide the spiritual development of women who may be living the religious life for decades.
I have in mind a practical suggestion: the regular visitation of female monasteries should include, as a standard element, a session in which the bishop or his representative engages the community in some form of scriptural instruction. This is not to imply that the abbess is inadequate; it supplements what she provides, and it connects the community to the broader theological life of the diocese. It also gives the visiting bishop a sense of the community's spiritual health in a way that purely administrative inspection does not.
On the specific case: I think you must address it gently but directly. The abbess may be more aware of her limitations than you suppose, and a conversation that is framed as offering support rather than criticism may be well received.
Braulio
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.