Part I

The beginnings (1843)

The origins of the Congregation are due to the initiative of Fr Pietr Francesco Casaretto. Born at Ancona (Italy), on February 10th 1810, he joined the Abbey of S. Maria del Monte near Cesena, of the Cassinese Congregation, at the age of 17 years old. He made profession on August 17th 1828. After his ordination to the priesthood and for health reasons, his superiors could see no way but to suggest to him to ask for an exclaustration “ad nutum Santae Sedis”.

In 1841 be was asked to take in charge, in the name of the Congregation, the parish of St Benedict of Pegli (Genova). He accepted on the condition that a community would be settled there following this program summed up in two points : “Integral common life” and “the exact observance of the Benedictine Cassinese Congregation’. In a context of decadency, this was generally regarded as an act of courage. Casaretto’s work began with good omens, especially because he obtained the confidence of Pope Pius IX and the support of Carlo Alberto, King of Piedmont.

The first steps

The canonical visitation Abbot Romarico Flugi d’Aspermont made in 1846 was of primary importance as, in some way or other, it granted an official approbation to the initiative of Fr Casaretto. Besides, in the final report, there appears one point of observance absent from the Cassinese tradition : the recitation of Matins at 2 o’clock at night. In the meantime, other events were taking place. On April 28th 1846, Casaretto obtained the approbation from the Holy See of the 18 articles he had prepared to be the actual basis of the new community life. Enthusiastic for the Missions, he opened in the same year, near to the Monastery of St Giuliano d’Albaro (Genova), a seminary where the younger monks destined for the Missions abroad would be trained. This was a step even further away from the Cassinese observance.

A Province of Subiaco (1850)

On May 28th 1850, a new Province called “Of Subiaco” was created and put under the immediate authority of the Holy See, while still being part of the Cassinese Congregation. It included the monasteries of S. Giuliano (Province of Albaro), Finalpia (Province of Savona), St-Scholastica of Subiaco (Province of Rome).

Towards the separation (1851-1867)

As time went on, and particularly after the General Chapter of the Cassinese Congregation of 1858, the eventual separation appeared more and more probable. Three reasons seem to have been determinant : the differences in the observance, the missionary trend and, finally, the internationalization, after the foundation of Ramsgate (Britain) in 1858, the aggregation of the monasteries of Dendermonde (Belgium) in 1858, of La Pierre-qui-Vire (France) in 1859, and of Montserrat (Spain) in 1862.

Congregation « ad experimentum » (1867)

Around 1867, several circumstances, for example the absence of a proper authority inside the Congregation, suggested to Casaretto that time for facing the breach had now come. He called an extraordinary Diet which decided, not without causing much suffering to many, to break with the Cassinese Congregation. This decision was approved by the Holy See for a period often ten years. The new congregation would be called “Cassinese Congregation of the Primitive Observance”. It would include four Provinces : Italian, French, Spanish and Anglo-Belgian, and would be governed by an “Abbot General”. The abbeys would be governed by Superiors called no longer “Abbots”, according to the ancient tradition, but “Priors”, and would be elected by the Provincial Diet for a period of three years only. Among the observances, Matins at 2 at night, perpetual abstinence from meat and, finally, the practice of common life and of the vow of poverty were particularly stressed. The new dispositions were not accepted unanimously. Some blamed the members of the Diet for operating an excessive centralization, like the Jesuits and for the suppression of some of the masterpieces of the ancient and glorious tradition of the Cassinese Congregation.

Definitive approbation (1872)

Anticipating the delay, Fr Casaretto obtained from the Holy See the definitive approbation of the new institute after only five years. The Constitutions remained essentially the same as during the first five years. And so ended the rather eventful story of the first thirty years.

Part 2