Do you have to be a priest or nun first to found your own religious order?.
Dear Ace86,
May the peace of Christ be with you.
In regards to your question of whether one needs to be a religious first before founding a community, as others have noted it is not a requirement. However, if you will permit me to make one small comment, that is to say; although it is not required, it seems to be more often than not the standard for today. Without any experience living the religious life, it is very difficult to design a form of life that is to conform to the traditions common to all religious communities. This is especially so if one is seeking official recognition as a religious institute.
Although I am far from an expert on this topic, it seems to me that the Church recommends, before investigating the founding of a new community, to enter an existing community first, and live as best to one’s capacity the religious life, that is; a life of self-renunciation, a life of penance and total abandonment to divine Love. There are many solid orthodox communities in existence today for most people to find a relative good fit, and to at least give it their best shot. And whether it works out or not, the experience gained while living in such a community will be of great benefit.
I remember one of the mistakes I made when I was first discerning religious life many years ago, is that I had a false idealization of this life, picturing it as a sort of spiritual vacation, where I would have followers and we would travel to distant lands and convert the most hardened sinners. I hope that I am not projecting my past errors on anyone here. Of course this is not my intent, but it took me a while to realize a subtle form of pride my way of thinking, believing that I was strong enough or holy enough to lead others to God, when I myself was so weak, and continued to fall daily into sin. We Americans tend to be very self-independent, or rather, self-willed. We have deeply ingrained in us a subtle mentality that greatness requires us to great external works, like founding a new community. But when we look to the lives of the saints, more often than not see hidden lives who’s first work was self-conversion, the rooting out of every sin and imperfection; day and night devoted to the perfection of their souls. Only after years of continual toil and work were they able to take up such lofty external works successfully (with very rare exceptions). This is because they realized that if we are to help others, we must first become holy ourselves. And the principle path to holiness is none other than the cross, namely; obedience. Most of the time, the saints feared such a charge to found a new community, because they knew that as a superior of a community, it is far more difficult to become holy than it is to be subject to another person. Rather, the saints wanted to be forgotten, to be thought of as nothing. This is the ear-mark of sanctity, and the quickest path to holiness, that is; a life of obedience, a life who’s constant desire is to submit one’s will to that of another. Saint Faustina was able to convert nations by leading such a life, without preaching a single homily (read her diary, if you have not done so yet). For the saints, it would be unheard of to even dream of founding a new community, unless Our Lord made it abundantly clear to them. In their humility, they realized that they are nothing, and in themselves they are capable of only sinning. It is only when God resorted to direct visions and locutions, stating directly what they are to do, when they changed their course accordingly.
I do not mean to sound presumptuous, as I know I probably do. I am sure there are very holy souls forming new communities throughout the world. And for them, may Our Lord be blessed.
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