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Consecrated life
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Consecrated Life in the Christian tradition, especially the Roman Catholic Church, but also the Anglican Church and to some extent other Christian denominations, is "a stable form of living by which faithful, following Christ more closely under the action of the Holy Spirit, are totally dedicared to God who is loved most of all, so that, having dedicared themselves to His honour, the upbuilding of the Church and the salvation of the world by a new and special title, they strive for the perfection of charity in service to the Kingdom of God and, having become an outstanding sign in the Church, they may foretell the heavenly glory" (cf. The Code of Canon Law, 1983, canon 573).
The Consecrated Life in the Roman Catholic Church comprises the following forms:
- Religious Institutes, being societies "in which members, according to proper law, pronounce public vows either perpetual or temporary, which are to be renewed when they have lapsed, and live a life in common as brothers or sisters" in order to "bring to perfection their full gift as a sacrifice to God by which their whole existence becomes a continuous worship of God in love" (cf. The Code of Canon Law, 1983, canon 607).
- Secular Institutes, being "institutes of consecrated life in which the Christian faithful living in the world strive for the perfection of charity and work for the sanctification of the world especially from within" (cf. The Code of Canon Law, 1983, canon 710).
- The Eremitic Life "by which the Christian faithful devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance" (cf. The Code of Canon Law, 1983, canon 603 §1), a hermit being recognized in the law of the Roman Catholic Church "as one dedicated to God in a consecrated life if he or she publicly professes the three evangelical counsels, confirmed by a vow or other sacred bond, in the hands of the diocesan bishop and observes his or her own plan of life under his direction" (cf. canon 603 §2).
- The Anchoritic Life (as under "Eremitic Life" above).
- The Order of Virgins who "committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church" (cf. The Code of Canon Law, 1983, canon 604).
- Consecrated Widows/Widowers (cf. 1 Tim 5:5, 9-10; 1 Cor 7:8) who "through a vow of perpetual chastity as a sign of the Kingdom of God, consecrate their state of life in order to devote themselves to prayer and the service of the Church" (cf. "Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata of the Holy Father John Paul II on the Consecrated Life and its Mission in the Church and in the World", Rome, 25 March 1996, §7.3). Canon 571 of the Code of canons for the Eastern Churches (CCEO) specifically allows consecrated widows/widowers.
- The Code of Canon Law, 1983, also makes a provision for the Apostolic See approving new forms of consecrated life (cf. canon 605). The parallel canon in the CCEO is canon 571.