J
JReducation
Guest
So nobody addressed some of the other titles yet. I’ll give it a try.
Friars are men who make vows – usually some form of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The word friar means brother. Some groups (such as the Franciscans) refer to their members are Friars. Others use the title Brother. Rather than “belonging” to the Diocese or Archdiocese, they are members of a religious community with a specific rule of life and constitutions. They may be ordained as priests at some point, and I think (but can’t be sure at this time of the night) that they will then be called Father.
Monks are like Friars/Brothers in that they are members of a religious community and make vows. A monk, however, lives in a monastery and does not engage in ministries outside of the monastery. Monks can also be ordained as priests at some point, but it’s not a required part of their life. And monks would probably refer to each other as “brother.”
Nuns are female monks. The are women who are members of a religious community, make vows, and follow a rule of life. The most well-known are the Carmelites and the Poor Clares (female side of the Franciscans). In the monastery they would refer to each other as “sister” or “mother.”
By the way, most woman who belong to religious communities are not monastic and therefore are not “nuns” but rather “sisters.” Just one more title for you to deal with
God bless you!
Gertie
Ordained religious are still called “brother” or “friar”, at least in the Dominicans, insofar as I know.
Close but friars and bothers and sisters make promises and all live in convents regardless of gender.
Monks and Nuns take solemn vows and live in monasteries regardless of gender.
It is a common mistake to say males live in monasteries and females live in convents
Friars do indeed make solemn vows like monks. Also like monks, friars take temporary solemn vows prior to perpetual profession.
I also believe all religious make vows (solemn or simple) to the evangelical counsels rather than make promises.
All of you are close, but still not on the mark.First orders make vows. Second orders make vows. Third orders make promises.
A monk and a nun are the same thing. The former is male and the latter is female. Both live in an enclosure. If the house is small, it’s a monastery. If it’s a larger house, it’s an abbey. The term abbey comes from the word “abbot” meaning father. It’s a house governed by a father (spiritual parent). Both are consecrated religious. Both make solemn vows.
Monks are ordinarily called Brother, even though some monks may be priests. A priesthood is not necessary for the monastic life. The can get a diocesan priest to celebrate mass and hear their confessions. Any monk who is a priest forfeits all special rights and privileges that a priest in another order or a diocese would have. He can’t even celebrate mass without the permission of the superior.
The center of their life is the Liturgy of the Hours. Some of them will do limited apostolic work either on the grounds of the monastery, such as the Poor Clares at EWTN or some Benedictines who run schools or help in local parishes. Other monastics never leave the house, even if they were the last people on earth.
Friars are not monks. We do not live inside an enclosure. Some friars make solemn vows, but not all. Some make perpetual vows (MFVA). Both solemn and perpetual vows are for life. However, the bond of the solemn vow is almost inviolable. There is no female counterpart to a friar. No . . . sisters are not the female counterpart. Sisters are in a class all by themselves (no pun intended).
There are priests who friars. Notice the way I said this. The call is to be a priest within an order of friars, not to be a priest vs a friar. Not all friars need be priests. Many are not. In fact, in the Franciscan family, most friars were not priests when the order was born.
Friars live in two different kinds of houses and this is where it gets tricky.
Priory: This is a house that is governed by one of the friars called the Prior. He is the first among equals. Carmelites, Servites, Dominicans, and Augustinians live in priories.
Friary: This is a house that is governed by a friar who is governed by those whom he governs. In my case, I am the superior. However, I take my orders from the brothers. I cannot command anything that the brothers do not allow me to command. Unlike a prior who can command and veto his brothers. I do not have veto power. I can only command either what my brothers authorize me to command or anything that comes up spontaneously and there is no time for dialogue. The friary is governed by the house chapter. Each house meets at least once a month and decides what its rules are going to be. The house can decide anything that is not already prescribed by Church law, St. Francis in the Rule or by the general chapter in the constitutions. For example, we cannot decide to make the EF the official mass of the house. The laws around this are very complicated, because there is some difficulty between SP and the Rule of St. Francis.