Different sects

[bankerdavid]

I am a new Catholic (less than a year), and I know that there are Franciscans, Augustinians, Redemptorists, Poor Clares, Benedictines, Trappists, Jesuits, Christian Brothers, etc., but I don’t know the difference. Can someone explain what distinguishes some of the major sects? For example, I think I know that Jesuits are primarily teachers.

I also understand that some priests (those who pastor parishes, I think) belong to no particular sect? True or not?

 

[FCEGM]

I am a new Catholic (less than a year), and I know that there are Franciscans, Augustinians, Redemptorists, Poor Clares, Benedictines, Trappists, Jesuits, Christian Brothers, etc., but I don’t know the difference. Can someone explain what distinguishes some of the major sects? For example, I think I know that Jesuits are primarily teachers.

David, the correct term is “Order”, not “sect”. These are groups of men (First Orders) and women (Second Orders) who usually live communally (monastics), following a Constitution or Rule of Life that focuses on a particular charism that initially inspired their Founders (Saints such as Benedict, Scholastica, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, Dominic, Teresa of Avila, etc.).

This (long) article on Religious Life will give you a full background on how these Orders came to be within the life of the Church:

newadvent.org/cathen/12748b.htm

Here is an excerpt that gets to some of the differentiations among the Orders:

(2) Various Forms of Religious Life

The essential unity of the religious life is consistent with a great variety which is one of the glories of the Church, and permits a larger number of men to find a religious profession adapted to their needs and dispositions, and multiplies the services which religious render to Christian society and mankind in general. Besides the common end of religious life, which makes it a school of perfection, the different orders have special objects of their own, which divide them into contemplative, active, and mixed orders. The contemplative orders devote themselves to union with God in a life of solitude and retirement; the active orders expend their energy in doing good to men. If their activity is spiritual in its objects and requires contemplation for its attainment, they are mixed orders; such as those which are devoted to preaching and higher education. The orders keep the name of active order if they devote themselves to corporal works of mercy, such as the care of sick persons and orphans. The dominant note of their mode of life gives us, as we have seen, clerical, monastic, mendicant, military, and hospitaller orders. The vows divide them into orders with simple vows and solemn vows: even the number of vows differs in different institutes. There remain still two other points of difference which require to be considered, namely the juridical condition, which distinguishes religious orders from congregations, and the rule.

I also understand that some priests (those who pastor parishes, I think) belong to no particular sect? True or not?

True. Most priests are diocesan priests, i.e., ordained to the priesthood to serve the local bishop in ministering to the needs of those within the boundary of a diocese or archdiocese.

 

[bankerdavid]

Thank you very much for the correction, and for the link.

 

[bankerdavid]

Another question comes to mind, just reading the exerpt you provided:

I’m reading Mother Angelica’s biography, which has given me new-found respect for nuns in general, and her in particular, but I wonder how she can consider herself contemplative, and not mixed? Not that it terribly matters, I think she’s wonderful! The miracles in her life have given the world a blessing.

 

[FCEGM]

Another question comes to mind, just reading the exerpt you provided:

I’m reading Mother Angelica’s biography, which has given me new-found respect for nuns in general, and her in particular, but I wonder how she can consider herself contemplative, and not mixed? Not that it terribly matters, I think she’s wonderful! The miracles in her life have given the world a blessing.

David, that’s a good question. Mother Angelica’s monastery is definitely a contemplative one, but she (when she was healthy enough to begin and continue her external ministry) seems to have had a particular gift for evangelization, no doubt sprung from a life sustained by contemplation. Without an intense prayer-life she could hardly have accomplished what she has.