Religious Life

The central Middle Ages saw a wave of foundations of convents for women who desired to live the religious life secluded from the material world. In reality, however, convent life was never entirely secluded. Convents maintained relations with the outside world -be it to priests, who ministered to the nuns' spiritual needs; the nuns' families, whose dynastic interests could cause intervention; or the town that was home to the convent. This panel explores select convents and their relations to the outside world, relations that inform us of both the factual power of high medieval convents and the tensions that arose from the realities of women's religious life.

This paper argues for the essential historical reliability of the account of the community of goods amongst the early believers in Jesus in Jerusalem given in the Acts of the Apostles (2:42–27, 4:32–5:17 and 6:1–6). It summarises some of the exegetical and historical research of the author's doctoral dissertation (PANTA KOINA: Early Christian Community of Goods in its ancient Jewish and hellenistic contexts, PhD, Cambridge University, 1986). It argues that, while Utopian stylising is evident in Acts 2:44 and 4:32/34, there is clear evidence on an early tradition which used the vocabulary of the Essene yachadh community form known from the Rule of the Community from Qumran Cave 1. The paper also argues that the phased entrance procedure to the yachadh community form was employed in the earliest Jerusalem community of believers in Jesus. It is especially argued that Peter's words in Acts 5:4, 'Is it not the case that while it remained, it remained yours, and sold/handed over it remained in your power' reflect the 'blocked account' of 1QS VI:20. It is further argued that the probable presence of an Essene community near both the 'Gate of the Essenes' on the south west hill of Jerusalem and the traditional site of the 'upper room' (the 'Cenacle' of Christian tradition, part of the fourth century church of Hagia Sion), location of the events of Pentecost and the community of property amongst Jesus' post-Easter followers, explains the passage into the community of Essene language and legal forms relating to the community of goods, and with other evidence suggests the probable presence amongst the many converts to the Jesus movement at this time of Essenes who were already participating in community of goods arrangements and of others from the Essene movement who were intending to enter upon this form of religious social life.

En este artículo desarrollaremos el tema de la comunión de los santos, que siendo uno de los artículos del credo apostólico y por tanto objeto central de nuestra fe, es sin embargo poco reflexionado a nivel teológico y espiritual, al no formar parte del credo niceno-constantinopolitano, que es el que normalmente profesamos.
El dogma de la comunión de los santos, en nuestra vida cotidiana, queda prácticamente relegado a un tema de predicación en la fiesta de todos los santos y en la conmemoración de todos los fieles difuntos, en donde, de modo marginal, se hace un mero recuerdo de aquel dogma como justificación de la oración a los santos y de los sufragios a los difuntos. Este dogma nos proyecta súbito a sentir a la Iglesia como una comunidad que va más allá de la Iglesia peregrinante en el mundo, poniéndola en comunión con los hermanos que se purifican en el purgatorio y con los hermanos que gozan ya de la gloria en el Cielo.
Intentaremos en estas páginas tratar de un modo más amplio la riqueza de este dogma de fe del cual se derivan las consecuencias escatológicas de la intercesión de los santos y de los sufragios por los difuntos, pero que no queda reducida a solo estos aspectos. Buscaremos que sea no una reflexión académica y erudita de carácter expositivo, sino más bien un ensayo, una reflexión viva y rica de ideas más o menos novedosas o inesperadas que abran nuevos caminos para la vivencia de nuestra vida religiosa.

La chasteté, comprise comme l’abstinence sexuelle volontaire pour des raisons religieuses, a toujours suscité beaucoup de suspicion. Les récents scandales qui frappent l’Église semblent donner raison à ceux qui y voient un mirage ou une imposture. Mais est-ce si vrai ? Ne serait-ce pas plutôt qu’il faut comprendre cette même chasteté dans un élan de vie consacré où la sexualité n’est pas amputée, refoulée, mais transcendée. Mais alors comment ? À quel prix ? Et par quels moyens ? L’enjeu spirituel de la chasteté est-il de l’ordre de la conformité à un modèle ou de l’humilité ? Une réflexion concrète où la frustration s’efface devant la transfiguration. Il ne s’agit pas de tuer le désir, mais de le vivre autrement.

A religious institute or monastery is decreasing in its number of brothers/ sisters and asked: What is the minimum number of brothers/sisters we need in governance in the congregation? Note: The number of brothers or sisters in governance is governed by the 1983 Code of Canon Law and by the constitutions of the institute.

La Congregación para los Institutos de Vida Consagrada y las Sociedades de Vida Apostólica ha venido promoviendo en los últimos años una reflexión sobre el sentido de los bienes temporales en los institutos y sobre los modos para mejorar su gestión. En este contexto se sitúa el presente documento. No se trata de un documento normativo sino de unas orientaciones. El documento, además de invitar a una seria reflexión sobre la economía en los institutos religiosos y sociedades de vida apostólica, llama a recuperar el carisma como instrumento de
gestión clave. En su segunda parte el documento ofrece interesantes orientaciones acerca de la praxis económico-administrativa seguida por la Congregación y sobre los modos de dar cumplimiento a la ley canónica. El autor sostiene que el interés del documento se proyecta más allá de la vida de los institutos de vida consagrada y las sociedades de vida apostólica y alcanza a todas las personas jurídicas públicas en la Iglesia.

The Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the
Societies of Apostolic Life has been very active in promoting in recent years a reflection on the meaning of the temporal goods within the institutes, and about ways to improve their management. In this context is located this document. It is not a policy document but guidelines. The document, in addition to invite to a serious reflection about economy within the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, calls to recover the charisma as key management
instrument. In its second part, the document offers interesting guidelines on the economic-administrative praxis of the Congregation, and about ways to fulfill canon law. The author holds that the interest of the document is projected beyond the life of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life and affects to all public juridical persons in the Church

Esta nota tiene como objeto presentar y comentar la reciente carta circular de la Congregación para los Institutos de Vida Consagrada y las Sociedades de Vida Apostólica Líneas orientativas para la gestión de los bienes en los Institutos de Vida Consagrada y en las Sociedades de Vida Apostólica, de 2 de agosto de 2014. En el documento la Congregación insta a los Institutos a una recuperación del carisma como elemento inspirador y herramienta de evaluación de la gestión patrimonial de los mismos. La Carta pide a los Institutos la adopción de las mejores herramientas técnicas, singularmente los balances, y aun estos auditados, para la consecución de una gestión eficaz, eficiente y transparente. De especial importancia son las determinaciones que la Carta realiza para la recepción del concepto «patrimonio estable de la persona jurídica». Finalmente, y como herramienta básica para la consecución de estos fines, anima a emprender programas de formación adecuados a todos los niveles.

Presentation and canonical commentary on the circular letter guidelines for the management of goods, of the congregation for institutes for consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, august 2, 2014

In this paper I present and comment the recent circular letter Guidelines for the management of goods, of the Congregation for Institutes for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, August 2, 2014. In the present document the Congregation invites the Institutes to reconsider the charisma as an inspiring element and an evaluating tool of their patrimonial management. The Letter demands the Institutes to adopt the finest technical tools, in particular balances, even the audited ones, to achieve an effective, efficient and transparent management. Of a special importance are the declarations of the Letter relating to the reception of the concept of «stable patrimony of the juridical person». Finally, and as a basic tool to achieve those goals, encourages to carry out the suitable formation programs at all the levels.

Testamento e rinuncia ai beni sono due istituti giuridici previsti dal diritto civile che l’ordinamento canonico assume come legge sussidiaria per regolare la posizione patrimoniale dei religiosi. L’esame del can. 668 ci mostra che i religiosi, pur appartenendo alla stessa forma di vita consacrata, possono differenziarsi radicalmente per il voto di povertà che in alcuni istituti permette al professo perpetuo di continuare a essere proprietario di beni personali fino al termine della vita disponendo di essi tramite il testamento (can. 668 §1). Altri religiosi, invece, prima della professione perpetua devono fare la rinuncia piena di quanto possiedono perché viene loro richiesto il voto di povertà radicale (can. 668 §4) che li rende inabili a possedere e a porre ogni atto contrario a esso (can. 668 §5). Il testamento è uno strumento giuridico incompatibile con il voto di povertà radicale perché lascia il professo perpetuo nella proprietà dei beni fino alla morte. Il criterio per distinguere tra voto di povertà in genere e voto di povertà radicale è dato dalla “natura dell’istituto” quale punto di discrimine (can. 668 §§4 e 5).
ABSTRACT: The making of a will and the renunciation of goods are two legal arrangements valid in civil law, which canon law incorporates as a subsidiary law to regulate questions of ownership in the case of religious. An analysis of canon 668 shows that religious, while living the same consecrated life, differ radically as to their vow of poverty, which in some cases allows the perpetually professed to continue to own personal goods until death, and to make dispositions concerning them by the making of a will (canon 668 §1). Conversely, other religious must renounce their goods totally before their perpetual profession, as required of them by their vow of radical poverty (canon 668 §4), whereby they lose the capacity to acquire goods or to validly act in any way contrary to the vow (canon 668 §5). A will is a juridical instrument incompatible with the vow of radical poverty because it leaves the perpetually professed in ownership of goods until death. The criterion for distinguishing between a vow of poverty in a broad sense and a vow of radical poverty is to be found in the “nature of the institute” (canon 668 §§4; 5).

Análisis de la problemática canónica originada por el cierre de comunidades religiosas y las modificaciones canónicas operadas en Institutos Religiosos, con especial atención al destino de los bienes temporales.
Analysis of the canonical problems caused by the closure of religious communities and the canonical modifications operated in Religious Institutes, with an special attention to the destination of temporal goods.

El presente trabajo se acerca a la relación mantenida por San Juan de Ávila con diversas formas de vida consagrada, partiendo de su propia experiencia personal para plantear luego la conciencia que él tiene de la vida regular. La principal aportación de este trabajo es el acercamiento a formas de vida consagrada por medio de votos públicos y, también, privadas. Entre estas últimas sobresalen particularmente los beaterios, tema poco estudiado hasta el presente.

Abbiamo scelto la forma 'honoris gratia' consueta nel mondo accademico, legittimati e motivati, nello spirito di volontariato del nostro Centro, dalla stima e dall’amicizia che da oltre tre decenni ci rendono familiare la singolare vivacità intellettuale di Romeo De Maio per sintonia di 'curiositas' e affinità di arguzia. Il desiderio di festosa condivisione, maturato in occasione del suo ottantesimo genetliaco, ha suggerito di convocare ad un ideale simposio studiosi a vario titolo accomunati dalla ricerca storica intesa come percorso di coscienza etica e di mente libera.

[...] La bibliografia degli scritti di Romeo De Maio palesa la perspicacia del maître à penser che educa a scorgere e perlustrare campi storiografici inesplorati, per i quali appaiono paradigmatici i misteri di Michelangelo e la libertà di pensiero di Vittoria Colonna. [...].

Gli studi raccolti in questo volume miscellaneo attengono ad ambiti, questioni e temi dell’età moderna che preludono anche a sviluppi o nessi di pregnante attualità. Essi si susseguono secondo il solo criterio dell’ordine alfabetico dei rispettivi autori.[...]. (Dalla Presentazione di Luigi Gulia, Presidente del Centro di Studi Sorani, ivi, pp. 13-14).

Bộ Các Tu Hội Đời Sống Thánh Hiến và Tu Đoàn Tông Đồ đã có những văn bản hướng dẫn việc thành lập một Hội Dòng, Tu Hội đời và Tu Đoàn Tông Đồ, năm 2007. Ở đây xin trình bày thêm về một số quy định giáo luật cơ bản và những kiến thức cần thiết trong việc thành lập một dòng tu theo sự hướng dẫn của Tòa Thánh.

La grave crisis vocacional por la que está pasando la vida religiosa dentro de la Iglesia católica está haciendo surgir, como efecto colateral, la cuestión del destino de un gran número de inmuebles, muchas veces de gran valor histórico artístico y situados en lugares estratégicos de las grandes ciudades. La cuestión del destino que se debe dar a estos edificios, aplicados hasta ahora a fines apostólicos, merece algunas consideraciones desde el plano jurídico, tanto civil como -especialmente- canónico.

Relations between the Czech society and the Church have historically manifest themselves in an extraordinarily dramatic fashion. Author explores the various processes which culminated in Roman Catholicism drastically falling in both position and status in the modern Czech culture, society, and state.  A powerful state church and respected social institution with extensive symbolic prestige at the beginning of the 19th century, the Czech Catholic Church succumbed to mass secularization throughout the second half of the same century. This historically development was further reinforced by the rise of totalitarian ideologies, thus rendering a privileged and self-confident national church a problematic, humiliated, barely tolerated and, for much of the 20th century, brutally persecuted community.

Este libro tiene el honor de haber sido mandado quemar ('trizar' hoy dia) por el arzobispo cardenal de Madrid, Mons. Antonio Rouco, e orden que mandó ejecutar a la Editorial. En la Iglesia inglesa e irlandesa –la del autor, misionero irlandés del Sagrado Corazón– el libro fue acogido con toda normalidad.
    También la Conferencia Episcopal Española ha llamado alguna vez la atención sobre los errores de este  libro. Fundamentalmente se refieren a los nuevos paradigmas en los que el autor se mueve:
    - una visión laica de la realidad,
    - un cristianismo reinocentrista (no eclesiocéntrico, ni, menos, eclesiástico),
    - una visión con paradigma pluralista (no inclusivista),
    - un enraizamiento en el nuevo relato cosmológico y biológico,
    - una preeminencia reconocida a la espiritualidad sobre la religión,
    - una visión de la vocación a la vida religiosa (la llamada 'vida consagrada') desde una perspectiva fundamentalmente humana-existencial y no tanto canónico-institucional,
    - y una visión de la misma vida religiosa como una fuerza con protagonismo en la sociedad, y no un grupo intraeclesiástico enclausurado (sobre todo la vida religiosa femenina), secuestrado en cautividad bajo la autoridad de la Iglesia.
    El libro tiene ya sus años, pero para muchas personas resultará novedoso, y rompedor, ciertamente. Para ampliar/actualizarse con el desarrollo posterior del pensamiento del autor sobre este mismo tema, véase: «Religious Life in the 21st Century: The Prospect of Refounding», OrbisBooks NY 2016, 264pp, ISBN: 9781626982079.

Arguing from within a Thomistic framework, this paper is a defense of the language and concept of state of perfection as an apt way by which to understand religious. The exposition focuses on the interaction between the virtue of religion (and its acts) and the virtue of charity in the context of this ecclesial state.

This chart names the canons in the Code of Canon Law that accent the similarities and differences between Religious Institutes, Secular Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life.  The eleven areas covered in the chart are:  1) definition, 2) proper law, 3) commitment, 4) bond, 5) community living, 6) witness, 7) apostolate, 8) status, 9) admission, 10) ordination and 11) government.

Religious life is a communal way of living in which we share a common experience of community, of spirituality and of mission. In the course of our lives together, we organize ourselves, discern our path and celebrate our lives together. All of this can generate records of various types: casual notes, lengthy letters, correspondence, and emails, as well as formal policies, resolutions and legal documents. Taken together, these records constitute a witness to our lives together and a historical record of the life of our institute.

Este artículo presenta unas reflexiones sobre el papel de la caridad, como
concepto y como práctica, en la religiosidad laica medieval. Analiza la importancia
diferenciada de la caridad entre los siglos VI y XV. Tiene en cuenta la religiosidad
popular y la religiosidad culta, y considera tanto el amor a Dios como la asistencia
caritativa a los pobres. Finalmente, proponemos el examen comparativo de estas
complejas concepciones al final de la Edad Media en un área de observación concreta,
un espacio rural castellano (el Campo de Calatrava, señorío de la Orden de Calatrava) y
en una obra tan emblemática como la Divina Comedia de Dante Alighieri, como
expresión del Humanismo.

La Vida Religiosa ha sido considerada clásicamente un «signo escatológico». Unas veces lo fue por el paradigma de la "fuga mundi", otras, por el de la "vita angélica"; en los años 90 por el de «parábola del Reino». En ocasiones –no tan lejanas– se ha creído encontrar en ese significado escatológico lo más nuclear de su identidad.
    Con la «opción por los pobres», tanto en la escatología cuanto en cristología se han producido grandes transformaciones en el pensamiento cristiano. El presente ensayo se propone reinterprerar a su luz ese carácter de signo escatológico de la Vida Religiosa.
    En la primera parte presentamos los cambios que se han registrado en el contexto cultural y teológico.
    En la segunda parte, reinterpreramos el signo escatológico y la vida religiosa, en cuanto tales.         
    En la tercera, hacemos algunas sugerencias para su aplicación a la actual coyuntura histórica.

I racconti dell'Antico Testamento, benché non sempre convenientemente frequentati, contengono spunti altrettanto validi e attuali che quelli del Nuovo. Gesù lo ha detto a chiare lettere: «Non uno iota, non un segno passerà, finché tutto (ossia "la Legge o i Profeti") non sia compiuto» (Mt 5,18). Quel «non passerà» può essere tradotto con "è significativo", ossia ha qualcosa da dire ed è Parola di Dio per l'uomo di ogni tempo, compreso il nostro. È con tale consapevolezza che avviciniamo il personaggio e la storia di Elia, convinti che essi contengano degli spunti interessanti per la fede di ogni uomo e in particolare per quella forma peculiare di sequela Christi che è la vita consacrata.

Although deaconess life had its place in England from 1861, its growth in terms of numbers of deaconesses was not substantial. The role of the deaconess, though attractive to many religious women and men, was constrained by its perceived similarity to community-centred religious life (that of both Anglican and Roman Catholic nuns and sisters). Links with Kaiserswerth were important to the early beginning of many deaconess communities, but the need to distance the movement from ‘foreign’ elements echoed the cultural undercurrents which limited its growth and influence. Deaconess nursing was an important early means of ministerial outreach but its institutional form waned in some quarters by the end of the nineteenth century. The marginalisation of deaconess nursing, particularly in its institutional forms – the core concern of this article – was a result of the interplay between the religious mission of deaconesses and the developing sophistication of the medical marketplace.

There are four stages in the development of an institute of consecrated life or a society of apostolic life:  1) inspiration, 2) association, 3) erection as a diocesan institute/society, and 4) pontifical recognition.  This short paper addresses stage three.  It gives sound reasoning for the items that must be submitted to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL) before a bishop can erect a community as a diocesan institute.

El derecho a la intimidad ha sido reconocido por las principales declaraciones internacionales de derechos humanos. La Iglesia católica ha recogido ha recogido este derecho en el canon 220 del CIC 1983. Este artículo ofrece un comentario canónico a la Instrucción de la Congregación para la Educación Católica en la que se ofrecen orientaciones para una adecuada salvaguarda de este derecho en los procesos de admisión y formación de los candidatos al sacerdocio, extendiendo el estudio a la Vida Religiosa. Una correcta comprensión de la voluntad de la Iglesia en esta materia debe llevar a conjugar el respeto a la dignidad de los candidatos, especialmente de su derecho a la intimidad, con el bien común eclesial.

Right to privacy and recourse to Psychology during the process of admission and formation of candidates for the priesthood. Canonical comment of the Congregation for the Catholic Education
document «Guidelines for the use of psychology in the admission and formation of candidates for the priesthood»
The right to privacy has been recognized by the main international declarations of human rights. The Catholic Church has collected this right in the canon 220 CIC 1983. This article offers a canonical comment of the Congregation for the Catholic Education instrution in wich orientations are offered for an appropriate safeguard of this right, within the processes of admision and formation of candidates to priesthood, opening out the research to Religious Life. A correct comprenhension of the will of the Church in this subject must take to combine the respect for the dignity of candidates, specially on their right to privacy, with the ecclesiastical common good.

Nas últimas décadas a Igreja Católica tem enfrentado as consequências dos abusos sexuais com repercussões a nível mundial. Embora esta instituição milenária tenha demorado em responder com a devida urgência, hoje existem comissões pontifícias, universidades e centros que oferecem cursos de formação para os futuros encarregados da proteção e salvaguarda dos menores e dos adultos vulneráveis. O objetivo do presente artigo é entender como o cuidado para a vida mística e espiritual seja uma resposta fundamental à falta de consciência de vulnerabilidade, ao abuso de poder nas relações interpessoais, ao abuso físico cometido por indivíduos que se proclamam líderes espirituais e desviam comunidades inteiras que perdem o controlo. Além de examinar casos concretos ocorridos recentemente, procura-se uma chave de leitura universal que tenha especialmente em conta a contribuição da vida religiosa para enfrentar uma crise que abrange a totalidade do contexto eclesial.

Uses history to explore the question of women's ministry in the Catholic Church focusing on apostolic religious sisters.  This was a talk given to the 2015 annual meeting of vocations directors for Catholic religious institutes in Britain (Compass)

The present paper explores the religious dimension of the Legionary of Christ. The author sets the framework for the conversation bringing to mind some notions of identity, its relationship with memory and the dynamics involved in the formation of a "charismatic personality". He then proposes to apply these concepts to the charism of the Legion of Christ both on an individual and a community level. The text was originally presented as a conference held in Edgerton, Wisconsin, on December 28, 2015 for a group of Legionaries of Christ.

A short think piece about how the Catholic Church has constructed the history of religious life (in particular for women) and how recent research sheds a fresh light on this history. Written with those considering a vocation to religious in view - but not exclusively.