Do Dominican communities allow pets?

  • Thread starter Thread starter White_Peony
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Although I do not know it for a fact, I would assume no, since a pet would be considered personal property, which the consecrated have taken a vow not to own.
 
I’m not sure religious communities (particularly not the mendicant orders, such as the Dominicans) would just go out and buy themselves a pet, but I’ve heard of communities receiving them as gifts and adopting strays that wander through their grounds.
 
I don’t know about Dominicans in particular but some communities do have a pet. I know of one community I wanted to visit that has a dog.
 
Roman_Catechism said:
Although I do not know it for a fact, I would assume no, since a pet would be considered personal property, which the consecrated have taken a vow not to own.
Click to expand...
It depends on the actual religious community on how the vow of poverty is lived out.

It is not, for all, an explicit vow not to own any personal property. At least not in practice.
 
I know this is a stupid question… but would Dominican communities/ or any monastic communities allow Ipods? Or something to listen to music with?

I know the answer is probably no. But, personally, I feel like I get a lot spiritually out of the music that I listen to. Do monks get to listen to music? This would definitely be something really hard for me to give up, if I was ever called to a religious vocation.
 
White_Peony said:
Just curious…
Click to expand...
I can name countless Franciscan communities that have dogs, and I know a Benedictine Monastery that has cats. If even the Franciscans can have dogs, I’m certain Dominicans can.
 
Semper_Zelare said:
I know this is a stupid question… but would Dominican communities/ or any monastic communities allow Ipods? Or something to listen to music with?

I know the answer is probably no. But, personally, I feel like I get a lot spiritually out of the music that I listen to. Do monks get to listen to music? This would definitely be something really hard for me to give up, if I was ever called to a religious vocation.
Click to expand...
Well monastic communities do not allow personal possessions so I would say not. But many communities (at least ones I have researched) do a lot of music and singing so you would not be without music.
 
Semper_Zelare said:
I know this is a stupid question… but would Dominican communities/ or any monastic communities allow Ipods? Or something to listen to music with?

I know the answer is probably no. But, personally, I feel like I get a lot spiritually out of the music that I listen to. Do monks get to listen to music? This would definitely be something really hard for me to give up, if I was ever called to a religious vocation.
Click to expand...
Again, I think some of lay people have a misunderstanding of how the Vow of Poverty is actually lived out. I also think there is a misunderstanding that every religious lives the Vows in the same manner. The only Vow that is consistent between religious is the Vow of Chastity but then even that could be viewed to be lived differently in the fact that some religious communities are strict on out side friendships.

I own an iPod. I also own a computer. They were gifts from family members. My community does not require that we turn in material gifts but that we be prudent in what we accept. The computer is very useful for my graduate studies. Every student has one. The iPod is not that extravagant a gift. Many have them. Especially if they had them before they entered.
 
Francis loved animals, so I imagine the Franciscans wouldn’t own the dog, but would do everything they can to take care of it.

The poverty for Dominicans is individual, not collective. So the dog could be owned by the Priory. Or go the Franciscan route and no one actually owns the dog, they just take care of it.

As for iPods, it depends. Again, if it belongs to the Priory it’s fine, just need to understand that sharing means caring. And if it is required for the primary charism, it can also be permitted.

Dominicans could certainly find tablets, iPads, and laptops useful for speaking engagements. I wouldn’t be shocked if a Priory had one or two that the Preachers could use/borrow.
 
I guess that is why I am not a Dominican priest but a Diocesan priest. . .I have five dogs and two indoor cats.😉
 
DD’s cat got in a snit when she went away to girl scout camp and ran away, when school started we found she had been adopted by the nuns at the convent and had not interest in coming back home, so I guess the answer is yes.

Benedictine Sisters in Starr County have a mascot “Paisano” the roadrunner who hangs around the monastery.
 
Semper_Zelare said:
I know this is a stupid question… but would Dominican communities/ or any monastic communities allow Ipods? Or something to listen to music with?

I know the answer is probably no. But, personally, I feel like I get a lot spiritually out of the music that I listen to. Do monks get to listen to music? This would definitely be something really hard for me to give up, if I was ever called to a religious vocation.
Click to expand...
I didn’t read the replies that follow here, but what I can say from my observations (I also once thought I was “called” to a religious vocation), is that you should DEFINITELY give up listening to all kind of pop music, to all kind of New Age “inspiring” music and the like.
The only music we should listen to is, like, the grogorian chant or charismatic Catholic music, or the classical music, or modern symphonic music, or modern chamber music (like the “Mezzo” (?) channel), but NO radio, NO MTV, NO VIVA, NO MCM etc., especially if you want to cherish your “religious vocation”. Or else, it will be gone.
 
ainars said:
I didn’t read the replies that follow here, but what I can say from my observations (I also once thought I was “called” to a religious vocation), is that you should DEFINITELY give up listening to all kind of pop music, to all kind of New Age “inspiring” music and the like.
The only music we should listen to is, like, the grogorian chant or charismatic Catholic music, or the classical music, or modern symphonic music, or modern chamber music (like the “Mezzo” (?) channel), but NO radio, NO MTV, NO VIVA, NO MCM etc., especially if you want to cherish your “religious vocation”. Or else, it will be gone.
Click to expand...
Not true.
 
ainars said:
The only music we should listen to is, like, the grogorian chant or charismatic Catholic music, or the classical music, or modern symphonic music, or modern chamber music (like the “Mezzo” (?) channel), but NO radio, NO MTV, NO VIVA, NO MCM etc., especially if you want to cherish your “religious vocation”. Or else, it will be gone.
Click to expand...
Oh junk, due to listening to Bon Jovi they won’t accept me into the Third Order of St. Dominic…!!!
 
Melchior said:
Oh junk, due to listening to Bon Jovi they won’t accept me into the Third Order of St. Dominic…!!!
Click to expand...
No, Br. David has it right. Professed Dominicans, particularly students and professors, have books and computers and phones and things that they need to stay current and do their apostolates. They take plane trips when they need to, ride the bus, drive the community car as needed, etc.

Carmelites generally have the same kind of situtation.

I’m pretty sure that Carthusians at the Grand Chartreux don’t own much of this sort of thing, but they don’t need to own it. They’re not teaching classes and doing work in public.
 
Of course, I wouldn’t expect anyone to have a personal pet, but the community as a whole, perhaps.
 
Melchior said:
Francis loved animals, so I imagine the Franciscans wouldn’t own the dog, but would do everything they can to take care of it.

The poverty for Dominicans is individual, not collective. So the dog could be owned by the Priory. Or go the Franciscan route and no one actually owns the dog, they just take care of it.

As for iPods, it depends. Again, if it belongs to the Priory it’s fine, just need to understand that sharing means caring. And if it is required for the primary charism, it can also be permitted.

Dominicans could certainly find tablets, iPads, and laptops useful for speaking engagements. I wouldn’t be shocked if a Priory had one or two that the Preachers could use/borrow.
Click to expand...
Actually, you’re wrong. Franciscans can own dogs. I know Franciscans that do own dogs. As Brother David mentioned above, I believe lay-people are misunderstanding the meaning of poverty. Also, people are identifying things with pets, which just shouldn’t happen. Pets are not things, they are animals. Living, breathing, eating beings. And they should be treated like so.
 
ainars said:
I didn’t read the replies that follow here, but what I can say from my observations (I also once thought I was “called” to a religious vocation), is that you should DEFINITELY give up listening to all kind of pop music, to all kind of New Age “inspiring” music and the like.
The only music we should listen to is, like, the grogorian chant or charismatic Catholic music, or the classical music, or modern symphonic music, or modern chamber music (like the “Mezzo” (?) channel), but NO radio, NO MTV, NO VIVA, NO MCM etc., especially if you want to cherish your “religious vocation”. Or else, it will be gone.
Click to expand...
You are completely mistaken. Liking a certain type of music doesn’t completely destroy your Religious Vocation. Why, even Scott Hahn says he likes Rock music! Does that mean he’s incapable of being a Priest or Religious? Of course not. Music doesn’t disable you of joining a community. There is a famous Friar of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal who plays rap music.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top