This exchange of two long letters gives an insight into Merton's views on changes to the monastic life. He disputes which traditions should be changed or retained, especially in relation to the Chapter of Faults. He also gets into a question with which he was struggling: what is a monks work in the world to be and how can the monastic contribute on battles of civil rights and nuclear disarmament and still be a contemplative? There is one signed letter by Merton and one by Couilleau.
Fr. Guerric Couilleau was a Cistercian monk of Bellefontaine Abbey in France.
Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.
See published letter from Merton to Couilleau in The School of Charity, pp. 212-215.
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"
# | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
1. |
1964/03/07 |
TALS to Merton |
J'ai lu votre article dans le dernier numéro des Collectanea et je veux d'abord vous en remercier. |
|
Dom Leclercq / dissertation topic on Chapter of Faults "Chapitre des Coulpes" / Dom Emmanuel of Timadeuc / article by P. I. Hausherr / Dom E. de Miscaux
«detailed view» |
2. |
1964/04/07 |
TALS from Merton |
Puisque vous avez lu mon article vous devez bien savoir l'anglais, donc je continue sans scrupule |
|
[begins in French but continues in English for most of the letter] monastic renewal / legitimacy of "Chapter of Faults" in the modern context / Dom Emmanuel of Timadeuc / "playing around" vs. seriousness in monastic life / monastic calling for work - involvement in civil rights, nuclear disarmament
«detailed view» |
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