Congregations, Societys of Apostolic life...help!

[AdvanceAlways]

Hi all. I am somewhat confused about this. So first off:

Societies of Apostolic Life: People often distinguish between Societies of Consecrated or Apostolic Life. I read that Priests in Societies of Apostolic Life dont take the 3 vows but rather promises. Do these priests earn a modest salary like Diocesan priests?

Congregations - I read that Priests who are members of Congregations take only simple vows. I have tried looking into this but am still confused, what exactly are simple vows?

Thank you!

 

[odubhghail]

Societies of Apostolic Life may or may not make vows. The commitments they make are equivalent to religious profession, but are not by means of public perpetual vows. Their commitments vary, according to the individual community.
The Oratorians, founded by St. Philip Neri, have no vows, nor any sort of commitment, but the bond of charity. After a time of living in community, a man is incorporated in a simple ceremony.
The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers and the Glenmary Home Missioners take an oath, which includes the commitment to celibacy and communion of goods and obedience.
The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, after a few years of living in community as a Seminary Sister, make annual, private vows, which they renew every March 25. They never make perpetual vows.
Generally, members of Societies of Apostolic Life do contribute to the community’s common fund. They do earn salaries. Some may have their own bank accounts.
Active religious do earn salaries, but they are put into a common account, generally.
Solemn vows-any act that goes against the vow is invalid.
Simple vows-any act that goes against the vow is valid, but is considered illicit. Also, the solemn vow of poverty is absolute, forbidding any individual ownership; whereas the simple vow of poverty forbids the religious from using and/or profiting from any property he or she may own.
The distinction between solemn and simple vows has largely been eliminated in the new code of canon law.

 

[ack]

Hi,

One category of organizations in the church is known as “Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life”. Within this category there are three classes of organizations.

1 - Religious Institutes: This includes the religious orders and congregations. Members of religious institutes take the 3 vows.
2 - Secular Institutes - Members make the 3 promises and live in the world
3 - Societies of Apostolic Life - Members make the 3 promises and live a religious (as opposed to a secular) life.

Before the legal reorganization of religious life prompted by Vatican 2, “orders” took “solemn vows” (renouncing all property) while “congregations” took “simple vows” (renouncing the use of property.) The canonical distinction between solemn and simple vows changed after Vatican 2 (see Canon 1192 for the current definition of these terms – the relevant language from the 1917 Code of Canon Law was eliminated) but it is often still used for historical purposes. (Similarly, the word “congregation” as you use it no longer has its former canonical meaning, as these organizations are now governed as “Religious Institutes” as described above.)

It is convenient to use these pre-V2 definitions of orders, congregations, simple and solemn vows, because most religious institutes predate V2 and have not changed since, but remember that there may be many exceptions to these definitions because the words no longer have canonical meaning.

Hi all. I am somewhat confused about this. So first off:

Societies of Apostolic Life: People often distinguish between Societies of Consecrated or Apostolic Life. I read that Priests in Societies of Apostolic Life dont take the 3 vows but rather promises. Do these priests earn a modest salary like Diocesan priests?

Congregations - I read that Priests who are members of Congregations take only simple vows. I have tried looking into this but am still confused, what exactly are simple vows?

Thank you!

 

[AdvanceAlways]

thanks for the reply guys! How did you find this thread, it’s almost 2 years old?

 

[Allen537]

It often has to do with the vows that are taken, and the time period in which that group was founded.

In Carmel,

Br. Allen