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Lampo
Guest
Is there a difference between a sister and a nun? If so, what is/are the difference(s)?
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kell0618
Guest
A sister is a vowed religious who works within the greater community as well as their own religious community. A nun is a cloistered religious and most activity is restricted to just their own community and rarely venture outside of their religious community.
Kelly
Kelly
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Lampo
Guest
Thank you for the quick response and excellent explanation!
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hermitcrab
Guest
Semantics only in most cases… Many who would be called Sister by this definition call themselves Nuns and vice versa
A Rose by any other name…
A Rose by any other name…
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Titus
Guest
Nun is a common but erroneus term for both cloistered and active women religious.
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Spirithound
Guest
Erroneous? What does it refer to then?
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batteddy
Guest
Nuns are technically contemplative women in monastic and mendicant orders. They are cloistered. But they can be called “sister” so this can be confusing. Nuns are sisters, but not all sisters are nuns.
The other Religious Sisters are active women (a thought unthinkable to the middle ages!)…usually in the newer congregations from the past few centuries(technically not Orders; they are under constitutions with no Rule, and take simple vows not solemn)
Like the differences between a Monk, a Friar, a Canon Regular, Clerk Regular, and a Brother or Father in one of the newer, non-solemn-vows congregations. Of course, all of the above can be called “brother” or “father” (depending on if they are a priest), but not all brothers are in Orders. When they aren’t, it is the default term for those in the newer congregations-not-orders…
The other Religious Sisters are active women (a thought unthinkable to the middle ages!)…usually in the newer congregations from the past few centuries(technically not Orders; they are under constitutions with no Rule, and take simple vows not solemn)
Like the differences between a Monk, a Friar, a Canon Regular, Clerk Regular, and a Brother or Father in one of the newer, non-solemn-vows congregations. Of course, all of the above can be called “brother” or “father” (depending on if they are a priest), but not all brothers are in Orders. When they aren’t, it is the default term for those in the newer congregations-not-orders…
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Titus
Guest
Sorry. My emphasis was dodgy. I meant it’s erroneous to use it for both. Only applies to cloistered women religious. Sorry.
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holly_potter
Guest
If a sister takes simple vows and not solemn vows, does that mean they can also get married and be active within the Church? Or is that something else entirely?
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AdvanceAlways
Guest
no, simple vows refer to the vows taken by members of congregations (e.g Sisters of the Holy Cross)), to put it simply, simple vows are less rigid than say the solemn vows of the Benedictines. So, no, a Sister may not marry. Hope that helped
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tommy77
Guest
hiiii iam a new member of this great forum… what you said is fully true… mostly iam here to gain the knowledge of christ… ( grow in the blessing and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ) \ peter\ and to get to know a true catholic friends… eventually… i ask the lord our god to bestow upon christians with endless blessings… amen…
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Simon_X
Guest
Just wanted to say Welcome Tommy…hiiii iam a new member of this great forum… what you said is fully true… mostly iam here to gain the knowledge of christ… ( grow in the blessing and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ) \ peter\ and to get to know a true catholic friends… eventually… i ask the lord our god to bestow upon christians with endless blessings… amen…
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Karenanna
Guest
Great thread.
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daeve
Guest
Hi Tommy and everybody else.
I would have said that “nun” is their vocation/occupation/job and “sister” is the way you address them. Like the correlation between priest and father.
I would have said that “nun” is their vocation/occupation/job and “sister” is the way you address them. Like the correlation between priest and father.
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