Can third order religious have the title of "Brother" or "Sister"?

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Generally, the answer is no. The term brother or sister is usually reserved for those who have taken vows within a specific community. Often, third order religious and oblates are referred to as brothers and sisters within the community at gatherings and the like, but that’s more of a term of inclusion. Of course, there are likely exceptions somewhere. But, they are few and far between.
 
Well, that may depend on whether you are talking about Third order regular or third order secular.
Many of the religious orders that you know are actually third order regular, like the Nashville Dominicans, the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, the Alton Franciscans, the Franciscans from Steubenville, and the order I am in as well. They are called Sister, Brother (or Father as the case may be.)
Generally those in Secular third orders do not go by Sister or Brother.
 
Sister_Rose said:
Well, that may depend on whether you are talking about Third order regular or third order secular.
Many of the religious orders that you know are actually third order regular, like the Nashville Dominicans, the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, the Alton Franciscans, the Franciscans from Steubenville, and the order I am in as well. They are called Sister, Brother (or Father as the case may be.)
Generally those in Secular third orders do not go by Sister or Brother.
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Actually, the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus is a first order community. I was discerning with them not long ago. Mother Foundress said “No” to the idea of a 3rd order. She wanted her Sisters to be 1st order Sisters, connected to St. Teresa of Avila’s Discalced Carmelites. 🙂

carmelitedcjnorth.org/pages_about/specialorigin.html
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
Actually, the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus is a first order community. I was discerning with them not long ago. Mother Foundress said “No” to the idea of a 3rd order. She wanted her Sisters to be 1st order Sisters, connected to St. Teresa of Avila’s Discalced Carmelites. 🙂

carmelitedcjnorth.org/pages_about/specialorigin.html
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I believe that is Second Order. The First Order in the Carmelites are the male communities.
 
I was looking through some of the old webpages, and all I see is this:
We are Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus. A papal Congregation affiliated with the First Order of Carmel.
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Mother Foundress asked permission to have her Carmelites attached to the Friars. They follow the rule of the Discalced Carmelites, but they are not enclosed.
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
I was looking through some of the old webpages, and all I see is this:

Attached means that they are under the friars alteus moderarem. This does not mean that they are part of the Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. They still come under the canonical title of a Carmelite Congregation. The congregations are all part of the third order of a religious family.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂

Mother Foundress asked permission to have her Carmelites attached to the Friars. They follow the rule of the Discalced Carmelites, but they are not enclosed.
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ac_claire said:
…Just curious. Thanks! 🙂
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I assume that you are referring to Secular Orders. That depends on the order. Some orders do have the title Br or Sr and some simply have the initials of the order after their names.

For example, the Secular Franciscan Order is allowed to use the title Br. or Sr and they use SFO after their names, if in the USA. Every other country they use OFS.

Religious who are in the Franciscan Third Order use different initials. My community uses OSF, Order of St. Francis. But we are really an off-shoot of the SFO. We were SFO who became an independent religious community. We use Br, even if you’re a priest.

I don’t know about Carmelites or Dominicans. Each order has its own constitutions. The Benedictine Oblates do not use Br or Sr. I know that from having a good friend who is an Oblate.

The Franciscans are rather unique, because they are the first secular order in the Church. They also have a canonical rule of their own. They were never part of the friars or the nuns. They were founded as the Brothers and Sisters of Penance. It was Paul VI who changed their name in 1978 to the Secular Franciscan Order. But the rule still uses Brothers and Sisters of Penance and they have used Br. or Sr. for 800 years. Most use it only in the appropriate environment.

You’ll have to ask the Carmelites and Dominicans what their tradition is. Every order and every association has its own tradition.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
Attached means that they are under the friars alteus moderarem. This does not mean that they are part of the Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. They still come under the canonical title of a Carmelite Congregation. The congregations are all part of the third order of a religious family.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
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I’m quite sure that if you asked the Sisters if they are a first or third order, they would reply first. Mother Foundress would never allow her Sisters to be third order Carmelites. She was very adamant about this. I wish I still had the book so I could quote what she said. 😦
 
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