Many of the modern documents of the Carmelite Order articulate beautifully the spirituality which underpins our way of life. Below are listed some of the official documents produced by the Carmelite Family in recent years.
The Carmelite Order produces Constitutions periodically that reflect on how Carmelite life and the Rule of Saint Albert are to be lived in the present age. The latest Constitutions were approved by the 1995 General Chapter of the Order and contain a wealth of spiritual reflection on the Carmelite tradition, as well as legislation governing the Order today.
The Ratio is a document setting out the principles and methods for initial and ongoing formation in the Carmelite Order. The latest edition for the friars was published in the year 2000, under the title Carmelite Formation: A Journey of Transformation. Though aimed at friars, it contains much material applicable to other branches of the Carmelite Family.
Although all branches of the Carmelite Family look to the Rule of Saint Albert as their foundational text, the Third Order has had a distinct Rule of Life since the seventeenth century, which effectively serves as a set of Constitutions expounding Carmel’s spirituality for its lay members. The latest Rule for the Third Order of Carmel was published in 2003 with the title Living the Carmelite Way.
- Constitutions of the Corpus Christi Carmelites (awaiting upload)
- Constitutions of The Leaven Secular Institute (awaiting upload)
- Ratio of the Carmelite Nuns (awaiting upload)
