Is living the single life of celibacy not a true vocation?

[MtnDwellar]

I have seen Church teachings about vocations and about single life. Some put the two of them together others do not.

Here are some that say single life is not a vocation:

osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/8196/Is-the-unconsecrated-single-life-a-vocation.aspx

Is the unconsecrated single life a vocation?

By Emily Stimpson - OSV Newsweekly, 7/24/2011

That’s the question a good many unmarried Catholics have about their single state in life. And its answer is one upon which Catholics of good faith sometimes disagree.

ericsammons.com/blog/2010/01/13/why-the-single-life-is-not-a-vocation/

In fact, I find no mention of an unconsecrated single “vocation” in Church teaching anywhere. As far as the Church is concerned, it doesn’t exist.

 

[TiggerS]

I have seen Church teachings about vocations and about single life. Some put the two of them together others do not.

Here are some that say single life is not a vocation:

osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/8196/Is-the-unconsecrated-single-life-a-vocation.aspx

ericsammons.com/blog/2010/01/13/why-the-single-life-is-not-a-vocation/

If you read Vita Consecrata (The Consecrated Life) you will see that those who consecrate themselves privately, including outside of private vows, to a Gospel Way of life, are included in this document and under the heading of “Thanksgiving for the Consecrated Life”. Hence any website stating to the contrary is doing so against what The Church teaches and The Catholic Catechism states.
Very sadly, the Church’s teaching on the lay celibate chaste vocation (“single life” in the colloquial, but this is not strictly Catholic Church terminology. “Single life” is a secular colloquial term) is scattered in various places in the Catholic Catechism and also in Church Documents. There is not, to date that is, a specific document on the Celibate Chaste Vocation to The Laity or similar title. Perhaps it will be written given time. With all the contention around as to whether it is a distinct state in life and an actual vocation, we need such a Document to specifically point out what The Church teaches and the general terms and conditions under which such a way of life should be lived - all located in the one Document.

Many priests and religious, spiritual directors, nowadays are quite familiar with single life (celibate chastity in the lay state of life) as a potential call and vocation in life and what it entails and does not entail - sadly, very sadly, not all priests and religious nor spiritual directors are aware - or being aware choose to dismiss it and contrary to what The Church teaches.

Our baptism in The Church is our first, or initial, call and vocation to holiness and to embrace Jesus and His Gospel in His Church. It places the baby, child or person, whoever is baptised, in the lay state which is a distinct state of life in The Church i.e. distinct from all others with its own duties, responsibilities and accountabilities - and whether one is married or single.

We certainly do have an apostolate of the Laity Document: vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html

Secular institutes for example existed before The Church included them in the consecrated state of life.

Those who choose to embrace the single or lay celibate state as their vocation in life are choosing a valid and quite distinct state of life in The Church as their vocation. One could not live out this vocation unless the Grace is granted to do so. Celibacy is not for all, not all receive this call and vocation, nor are all called to marriage as their primary attraction in life.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_25031996_vita-consecrata_en.html** "Thanksgiving for the Consecrated Life **
… We are all aware of the treasure which the gift of the consecrated life in the variety of its charisms and institutions represents for the ecclesial community. Together let us thank God for the Religious Orders and Institutes devoted to contemplation or the works of the apostolate, for Societies of Apostolic Life, for Secular Institutes and for other groups of consecrated persons, as well as for all those individuals who, in their inmost** hearts, dedicate themselves to God by a special consecration.

 

[TiggerS]

Thank you for this information.

The quotation from Vita Consecrata (see my previous post) was sent to me via PM on another Catholic discussion site. It is a vitally important quote since the ‘single life’ is included under “Thanksgiving for The Consecrated Life”. One picks up important quotes from this source and that source at times. It would be such a relief to have a Church Document on the vocation…not subtle statements in various Church Documents and the CCC. Subtle…yet obvious what The Church is stating in a subtle manner and I think I probably know why (I could be wrong however!). With the great exodus from the priesthood and religious life post VII, we need desperately all the priests and religious we can muster and these vocations must be regarded as vital and important vocations for young people to seriously consider. We have Third Orders, apostolic organizations etc. etc. for laity to join if called. The Church, I think, would prefer we join such organizations. Not all are thus called, however. I have never been thus called, despite much discerning in various areas for the laity.

I never received such a call ( to religious life ) and vocation although I thought that I had done so when much younger. It PROVED not to be so - and twice. Once in my teens and again in my forties in monastic life. I was called by call and vocation to the celibate chaste state in the laity. This was confirmed by a theologian priest and lecturer living in our seminary at the time. Also confirmed by our Archbishop at the time in writing on a diocesan letterhead.

The vocation to the single life (celibate chaste life in the laity) is not at all an easy voation, not at all. It should (to my mind) never be undertaken without sound and holy spiritual direction and on an ONGOING BASIS.

I don’t think that the vocation to the single life (celibate chaste life in the laity) is a common call at all. Rather rare/unusual/uncommon, at least as one’s lifelong vocation, I should think. I have been in this vocation for near on 30 years now, somewhere round that. No big parties or celebrations to celebrate milestones in my Gospel way of life etc. and I rejoice much in these facts.

 

[TiggerS]

Lumen Gentium “Dogmatic Constituion on The Church” (Pope Paul V1)
vatican.v…gentium_en.html

THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS IN THE CHURCH **
39. The Church, whose mystery is being set forth by this Sacred Synod, is believed to be indefectibly holy. Indeed Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is praised as “uniquely holy,” (1) loved the Church as His bride, delivering Himself up for her. He did this that He might sanctify her.(214) He united her to Himself as His own body and brought it to perfection by the gift of the Holy Spirit for God’s glory. Therefore in the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification”.(215) However, this holiness of the Church is unceasingly manifested, and must be manifested, in the fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful; it is expressed in many ways in individuals, who in their walk of life, tend* toward the perfection of charity, th**us causing the edification of others; in a very special way this (holiness) appears in the practice of the counsels, customarily called “evangelical.” This practice of the counsels, under the impulsion of the Holy Spirit (footnote), undertaken by many Christians, either privately or in a Church-approved condition or state of life, gives and must give in the world an outstanding witness and example of this same holiness.

Footnote

:
im·pul·sion

• 1. the act of impelling, driving onward, or pushing.
• **the resulting state or effect; **impulse; impetus.
• ****the inciting influence of some feeling or motive; mental ****[impulse (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/impulse).
• a constraining or inciting action exerted on the mind or conduct: divine impulsion.

Quote
***Vita Consecrata ***
"The Consecrated Life and its Mission in The Church and in The World"
Pope John Paul II
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_25031996_vita-consecrata_en.html

Thanksgiving for the consecrated life
2. Because the role of consecrated life in the Church is so important, I decided to convene a Synod in order to examine in depth its significance and its future prospects, especially in view of the approaching new millennium. It was my wish that the Synodal Assembly should include, together with the Bishops, a considerable number of consecrated men and women, in order that they too might contribute to the common reflection.
We are all aware of the treasure which the gift of the consecrated life in the variety of its charisms and institutions represents for the ecclesial community. *Together let us thank God *for the Religious Orders and Institutes devoted to contemplation or the works of the apostolate, for Societies of Apostolic Life, for Secular Institutes and for other groups of consecrated persons, as well as for all those individuals who, in their inmost hearts, dedicate themselves to God by a special consecration.

 

[m134e5]

Hey everyone. I read somewhere online where a priest said that living a single life of celibacy is not a true vocation. Is that true? If so, is it allowed to live a single life of celibacy without being a religious or ordained person? I mean, obviously I cannot be ordained because I am a woman but I am considering living a single celibate life for the rest of my life.

Does everyone have a vocation? If so, then the single life has to be one- because there are lots of people out there who are unsuitable for married life, the priesthood, or the consecrated life (due to mental illness or severe physical disability). Their life certainly has value and God has a plan for them. Just because they don’t have a vocation to marriage, the priesthood, or the consecrated life doesn’t mean they aren’t called to anything.

 

[TiggerS]

Does everyone have a vocation? If so, then the single life has to be one- because there are lots of people out there who are unsuitable for married life, the priesthood, or the consecrated life (due to mental illness or severe physical disability). Their life certainly has value and God has a plan for them. Just because they don’t have a vocation to marriage, the priesthood, or the consecrated life doesn’t mean they aren’t called to anything.

They certainly do have a vocation. Our Baptism is a call to holiness/a call TO BE holy - a further vocation is a call the lifestyle to embrace as one’s road to holiness. If you read the Apostolate of The Laity vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html

According to Church Teaching, after Baptism MUST one receive a further vocation into a certain way of life or vocation. No, this is not absolutely necessary - all is as God may call - simply because our Baptism is a vocation and call, establishment, in the lay state of life. A valid and very real state in life. Just as consecrated life, marital vocation (lay state) and the priesthood are all valid states in life - along with the single celibate chaste lay state.

There are three states in life in The Church
Priesthood
Consecrated Life
Laity in either the marital or single chaste celibate state.

…you will be able to read what the vocation to the lay state entails. We are baptised into the lay state at baptism. This is not a short document - but you will really profit by even reading a few pages each day or week. Don’t try to take too much in too quickly and say a short prayer before and after reading.

Any kind of suffering whatsoever has a primary place in The Church especially when united to the Sufferings of Jesus during His Lifetime and more particularly His Suffering and Death. Prior to Vatican II we used to hear a lot about it and it was known as The Apostolate of The Sick (and suffering) in which we are called by the very fact of the suffering endured to be a REDEMPTIVE factor in The Church attracting many Graces from The Lord to The Church and the whole universe generally when united to the Sufferings of Jesus.

Post Vatican II, we hear a lot about ministering TO the sick and suffering, but nothing about the very real call and vocation from God to those who are suffering in any way. A call and vocation to unite whatever they might suffering to The Cross of Jesus - doing the best that they can to endure and with prayer for endurance and striving to be as little a burden on others as possible … in short to suffer with Love or Charity…to be a “good patient”.

The Apostolate of The Sick prior to V2 had a place of honour in The Church and it still does - it is just that today it is not spoken of often in the terms of “Apostolate of The Sick” as pre VII - rather it is spoken about in a scattered fashion throughout Catholic thinking, texts, letters and Documents out of Rome. However, the Teaching behind it is just as rich as it ever was and often very remarkable in the lives of our saints.

---

An interesting article: catholiclane.com/the-apostolate-of-suffering/

 

[DaughterOfMary6]

I was going to say. Some of us are not cut out for marriage. I’ve been divorced for 10 years and will never remarry. If there is no vocation for being single, and most religious orders won’t take you over 50. what are we supposed to do, pray to be annihilated because there is no place for us?

Not sure if you are alluding to the possibility of discernment for your situation but I thought I’d link my website here that I made on the recommendation of a Sister from the order of the Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi in Lacon, IL.

belatedvocations.weebly.com/

 

[TiggerS]

Not sure if you are alluding to the possibility of discernment for your situation but I thought I’d link my website here that I made on the recommendation of a Sister from the order of the Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi in Lacon, IL.

belatedvocations.weebly.com/

Excellent website! Thank you for sharing. Age limit would be a help too, but it strikes me as a mammoth sort of undertaking and what is actually there at the moment is amazing.

Congratulations on great work:thumbsup:

 

[TiggerS]

Just to reinforce Rome’s opinion on the single state or chaste celibate laity and with a Papal Encyclical quotation pre Vatican II:

Encyclical : “Sacra Virginitas” (On Consecrated Life"
Pope Pius XII (Note - pre Vatican II)

vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_25031954_sacra-virginitas_en.html

1. And while this perfect chastity is the subject of one of the three vows which constitute the religious state,[9] and is also required by the Latin Church of clerics in major orders[10] and demanded from members of Secular Institutes,[11] it also flourishes among many who are lay people in the full sense: men and women who are not constituted in a public state of perfection and yet by private promise or vow completely abstain from marriage and sexual pleasures, in order to serve their neighbor more freely and to be united with God more easily and more closely.
2. To all of these beloved sons and daughters who in any way have consecrated their bodies and souls to God, We address Ourselves, and exhort them earnestly to strengthen their holy resolution and be faithful to it.