Can nuns adopt children?

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Human law, I guess. Like if somebody was a nun and wanted to adopt a child, would the head priest person generally let her? (Sorry if I use incorrect terminology - I’m not Catholic.)
 
I think at one time it was not unheard of for a convent to take in an orphan and raise him/her, but I don’t think they necessarily did an official adoption.
 
No, it’d be contrary to monastic and religious life to adopt a child. Although, convents/abbeys/monasteries can and DO run orphanages and in some places, rear children…as a community effort, a charitable thing for the love of God.

It’d be difficult for a nun to adopt a child anyway, where would she have the time to give the child the attention it needs? Nuns have a set horarium, and that is usually comprised of prayer, the Mass, works according to their charism, and maybe an hour of free time.

You’ve come to the right place to ask though 🙂
God Bless :signofcross::byzsoc:
 
That might depend upon the circumstances. I have known a couple Catholic sisters who adopted a special needs child. However, I don’t think this practice is common, nor do I know if they needed special permission.
 
There was an Episcopalian nun in my family who adopted a couple of needy orphans…I don’t think it was the traditional adoption though. More like a couple of kids who turned up needing a guardian. I’m sure there have been similar circumstances with Catholic nuns.
 
The short answer is no. A catholic religious or consecrated sister cannot adopt a child in the legal sense.

Congregations of sisters do run orphanages and schools. However it would be inappropriate, especially in this day and age for a nun to adopt a child. Legally, she would be allowed to. But her vows would prevent her from doing so.

It is possible that things like this happened in the past if sisters took in needy children out of charity.

Hope that answers your question.
 
I can’t see how they’d be allowed to by the secular authorities. One thing the state always demands documentation of is that the prospective adoptee has the financial means to support a child. Religious, by definition, have ZERO money of their own, own no posessions (seemingly often softened to allow books and their clothes) and have zero income. I’m not sure the state bureacrats would have a form for such a thing. In my experience with state bureacrats, that means the answer is NO.

On the church side, I highly doubt their superior would allow it. A religious vocation is bounded by a specific charism (mission). Parenthood just isn’t in it.
 
manualman said:
I can’t see how they’d be allowed to by the secular authorities. One thing the state always demands documentation of is that the prospective adoptee has the financial means to support a child. Religious, by definition, have ZERO money of their own, own no posessions (seemingly often softened to allow books and their clothes) and have zero income. I’m not sure the state bureacrats would have a form for such a thing. In my experience with state bureacrats, that means the answer is NO.

On the church side, I highly doubt their superior would allow it. A religious vocation is bounded by a specific charism (mission). Parenthood just isn’t in it.
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Unless your vocation is parenthood 👍
 
I THINK a nun can adopt for the church. It will be like a mini-orphanage.
It will not be her children, it will be the church’s, I THINK.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve heard something like this happen before. :confused:
 
akka said:
I THINK a nun can adopt for the church. It will be like a mini-orphanage.
It will not be her children, it will be the church’s, I THINK.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve heard something like this happen before. :confused:
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No. The clients of orphanages are not adopted by the sisters. Orphanages have also been the sites of huge child abuse scenarios in the Catholic church. Not a good idea if you don’t have to do it.

Luckily, in the Western world at least, there is no shortage of people who want to adopt and kids can often find themselves in real homes with real parents which is a far superior outcome to an orphanage or a home with a nun, of all things.

My own take on this is that a sister who wants to adopt kids is a bit peculiar and creepy, even. She either missed her real vocation OR there’s something weird going on.
 
iloveangels said:
No. The clients of orphanages are not adopted by the sisters. Orphanages have also been the sites of huge child abuse scenarios in the Catholic church. Not a good idea if you don’t have to do it.

Luckily, in the Western world at least, there is no shortage of people who want to adopt and kids can often find themselves in real homes with real parents which is a far superior outcome to an orphanage or a home with a nun, of all things.

My own take on this is that a sister who wants to adopt kids is a bit peculiar and creepy, even. She either missed her real vocation OR there’s something weird going on.
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Well, how many nuns have been teachers or something of the sort? Adoption is not a request I would think a nun would make, but I don’t think it means she is looking to abuse the children. Women are naturally prone to be nurturing. Most will like taking care of children whether they are nuns or wives. If she wants to adopt a child that bad, should she actually have been a wife and mother? Probably.
 
AdamPeter said:
What makes you think this?
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You’re from Ireland and you’re really asking me this question? Really? Do I have to recount your own national history on this topic to you? Really?

Children are better off being adopted by families. In the West, we have no shortage of parents who’d like to adopt children. There is no reason and there is no need for this type of very irregular adoption to occur.

Besides, women don’t become Catholic sisters to raise their own kids. That’s the OTHER vocation: marriage & parenthood. A woman who wants to raise children who’s a sister has made a mistake and is in the wrong vocation.
 
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