The official rule of life for the Brothers has had a number of iterations. The rules adopted at the end of the Brothers retreat in 1694 remained in effect until 1717. The earliest written copies date from 1705 and 1713 (both manuscript copies). In 1718, De La Salle provided what came to be known as the “Second Rule” which was based on the 1717 General Chapter results. The first printed version appeared in 1726. The first major revision of the Rule was published in 1947. In 1967, the post-Vatican II Rule “ad experimentum,” approved by the 1966 “Special Chapter of Renewal” (General Chapter), replaced the 1947 version. This was itself replaced in 1976 by a “revised and improved” edition “approved by the majority of members” of the 1976 General Chapter. Subsequent special commissions provided further revisions for the 1986 General Chapter, which adopted the Vatican-approved 1987 Rule. Most recently, that version was updated to the current official, Vatican-approved Rule of 2015, which had been adopted and submitted by the 2014 General Chapter.
The 2015 Rule, along with the other historical Rules, are helpful written contexts for any historical research, since they represent a specific style of life that informed the thoughts and actions of the Brothers of the time.
Publisher: BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS 476, Via Aurelia – CP 9099 Aurelio – 00165 Roma Italy 2015
