Letter (number unidentified). To Father Gracian, Alcala, Palencia, February, 1581

The nuns veils. Confessors are not to be chosen Srom the vicars or the priors. Father Hernandez? Constitutions regarding confessors. The future Provincial.

... Will your Paternity have the charity to settle the rules about the veils for all the convents. You can say that, in spite of their retired life, the nuns themselves have asked for it, which is the truth.

I lay great stress upon the point that their vicars are never to be their confessors. This is of such importance for our houses that, though it is a great advantage for the sisters to confess to the friars, as your Paternity says and as I have seen for myself, yet I would rather that things should remain in their present condition and that the nuns should not have Discalced confessors than that each confessor should become the vicar of the convent. There are many drawbacks to it, as I will explain to your Reverence when I see you. Trust me on this subject, for the question was carefully examined into by myself and other people when St. Joseph’s? was founded, and it was partly to avoid this condition that the convent was put under the jurisdiction of the Ordinary.

There are a great many drawbacks, as I have seen in places where the confessor is also the superior, but it is enough for me that, if the vicar likes a nun, the prioress cannot prevent his talking to her as long as he wishes because he is the superior, which causes a thousand evils.

The same objection, besides many others, exists to the sisters’ being subject to the priors. A prior who is not very discreet may give orders which will disturb a whole community, for no one is like my Father Gracian, and we must provide for the future, profiting by our lon g experience and avoiding all occasions of danger. It is best for the nuns to speak of nothin g but their sins to the confessors. It suffices that the latter should watch over the sisters’ seclusion so as to render an account of it to the Provincial. I have stated my opinion in order to see whether you or the Father Commissary ¢ difter from it. I do not think he will decree to the contrary, for the fathers confess the nuns in many convents of his Order’ without being their superiors. Everything depends upon preventing any chance of mistaken devotees, misleadin g the brides of Christ. We must foresee the worst that could happen, so as to remove any chance of its occurring, for the devil enters unnoticed by this means. This, and allowing the communities to become too numerous, are the dangers I have always dreaded.® I ask your Paternity, as a personal favour, to insist on directions your Reverences qualified for them. It is necessary for several reasons, and recourse need not then be had to the General. However, I abandoned the idea when your Reverence told me the Commissioner’s authority only extended to assisting at the Chapter and making Constitutions.

It seems to me that all we asked for has not been granted, though it would have been a great advantage not to be obliged to have recourse to Rome again every few years. A very humble letter ought to be written at once by the friars to the General,? givin g him an account of what has been done, and submitting to him as his faithful subjects, for this is due to him. Your Reverence ought also to write to Fray Angel, thanking him for his kindhess to you, and begging him always td consider you as his son. Be sure to do this.

Now let us consider what your Reverence says about not wishing to be eleéted or confirmed in your charge. I will write on the subject to the Father Commissary but I own, my Father, that I clearly recognize that my wish to see you freed from the office came more from my love for you in our Lord than from any thought of the good of the Order. From this comes a natural weakness which makes me keenly sensitive at some of the religious not realizing what they owe to you and how you have laboured, nor can I endure hearing a word against you. Still, when I think of the future, I care most for the general good.

Supposing that Father Nicolas were elected and