What does it mean, to be “attached to the local Bishop”? Does each individual have an obligation of obedience to that Bishop?
What are the issues around “obedience” in loosely-formed orders where people do not live under one roof with an abbot or mother superior?
Can orders or congregations form within parishes?
All orders and congregations, even secular orders, must be canonically erected in a diocese at some point. If they are not, then they have no juridical personality in the Church.
For example, the large orders such as Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans, etc, all must be erected in the diocese with the permission of the local bishop. If they are performing ministries that are proper to the diocese, they owe the bishop obedience in everything that pertains to those ministries. They do not owe obedience to the bishop in internal matters or minstries that they own and run such a their schools, colleges, hospitals and other institutions. For these, they siimply need his permission to open such an institution. Once it’s up and running the bishop is not part of the picture, since the diocese does not own it. Only in those cases where the diocese owns the isntitution does the bishop have authority over its adminsitration.
There are not such things as loosely formed order. For example, we have the secular orders, the oldest being the Secular Franciscans. These orders are not loosely formed. They do not live in a religious house. However, they have a superior general, just like any other order. They have a rule and constitution that they vow to follow. They also have a government that is elected according to the guidelines of canon law. They must answer to the Holy Father. This is usually done through the Sacred Congregation for Instittutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. They may not own property in common. This means that whatever money or property they have becomes the property of the Church if the order ceases to exist. It cannot be distributed among the former members. Their rule and constitutions must be approved by the Holy Father. They must comply with all canon laws that apply to public associations of the faithful.
These orders, even thoug the members live in their own home, must obey the local bishop is all matters that go beyond the internal rules of the order. Their promise of obedience includes obedience to the local bishop where they live. They are also bound to support the bishop and his ministries in his diocese. The bishop reservest he right to ask that they leave his diocese. The only thing that the bishop cannot do is to disband them. To do so he must get permission from the Holy See. They enjoy the same rights as any other order.
If you’re talking about an association that requires no public profession, such as the Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society and so forth, the faithful have the right to form associations among themselves. These are private. But they may not call themselves Catholic. To use the name Catholic an association must be granted that permission from the local bishop. Once it is called a Catholic association, then it becomes a public association. and it is governed by its statutes, as are EWTN, CAF, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, etc. These are public associations, but they are not congregations or orders, because they may no public profession to live according to the Gospel counsels or to live according to a particular way of live prescribed by a founder and approved by the Church.
I’m not sure if this answers your question. But the key point is that whether an association is private or public, if the members are truly Catholic, then they are bound to obey the local bishop, because the local bishop is the Church. If you don’t have a bishop, you do not have a Church. This does not include the auxiliary bishops. Auxiliary bishops do not have Ordinary powers. In other words, they do not have the authority of a bishop. They are true bishops, but they only have the authority that the bishop of the diocese delegates to them. Without him, they cannot exercise their episcopal powers, whereas the bishop of a diocese needs no ones permission to exercise his episcopal powers, except those that are written in canon law or stipulated by the pope. As you can see, communion with the local bishop is a big deal if we are to be truly Catholic.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
