The Vatican has suppressed a Cistercian abbey in Rome.
The abbey of Santa Croce in Jerusalem, associated with the Roman
basilica of the same name, was formally suppressed in March, by a decree
from the Congregation for Religious, signed by the prefect, Archbishop
Joao Braz de Aziz.
The Cistercian monks living in the monastery were
given two months to relocate to another abbey.
The Vatican has not made a public announcement of the unusual move, nor
have officials of the Holy See offered an explanation for the decision.
The suppression follows an apostolic visitation of the Cistercian
community in Rome.
There had been reports of liturgical and doctrinal abuses at the
Cistercian abbey, and the suppression of the venerable
institution - established in Rome in 1651 - appears to be the final outcome
of a long conflict with the Vatican.