Fr. Urban Voll asks Merton if he would contribute an article for a theological encyclopedia on the changing role of the religious life. Fr. Voll was concerned about some attacks on the traditional role of the religious life and the conflating of new roles with old ones, for example the idea of restoring deaconesses with the current role of women religious. Merton shared the fear that monasticism would lose its ability to remain detached from the world yet maintain the ability to be critical of it. He would like to be part of such a dialogue on the future of religious life, but is unsure whether he is the person to write an encyclopedia article on the subject.
Fr. Urban Voll was a Dominican priest and an editor for the Catholic Theological Encyclopedia. He writes from Washington, D.C.
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# | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
1. |
1967/03/06 |
TLS to Merton |
The enclosed material will, I hope, on your perusal elicit your sympathy, prayers and possibly |
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«detailed view» |
2. |
1967/03/21 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Thanks for your good letter of March 6th. I entirely agree with your approach to the religious life |
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«detailed view» |
3. |
1967/03/22 |
TLS from Lefebure, H. P., Mrs. |
Thank you for your gracious letter of March 21 to Father Voll. He left for Rome just twenty-four |
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[from Mrs. H. P. Lefebure, secretary, on behalf of Fr. Voll]
«detailed view» |
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