A
abinjoy
Guest
Are sisters allowed to drink alcohol? If a sister drink alcohol would that be against her vow of poverty? Any order which does not drink alcohol at all?
- Status
R
Rosebud77
Guest
No more against the vow of poverty than food? Poverty is not penury.
When I visited the Franciscans here at one house there were wine boxes ready to pour… That seemed extravagant but maybe they were given.
I think that really this is THEIR business not ours anyways.
A
abinjoy
Guest
This is what I would think:
Food is required for survival.
But alcohol certainly is not.
Alcohol is normally expensive.
Food is required for survival.
But alcohol certainly is not.
Alcohol is normally expensive.
P
pianistclare
Guest
Anyone can drink alcohol. Wine is supposedly good for your arteries. Jesus drank wine, and He certainly was not wealthy. 
No one should abuse alcohol. That’s an entirely different thing.
In many cultures, wine is the beverage of choice with dinner.
We should all stay in our own lane.
No one should abuse alcohol. That’s an entirely different thing.
In many cultures, wine is the beverage of choice with dinner.
We should all stay in our own lane.
T
Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
I take it you’ve never tried 2-Buck Chuck? Beef is more expensive than chicken. Should religious not eat beef? And yes, I know some orders don’t eat meat at all. But that’s their rule.
P
pianistclare
Guest
T
twf
Guest
Restrictions on alcohol consumption, if any, would be congregation by congregation, order by order… not a general norm for all religious.
P
Phemie
Guest
Unless theirs is a mendicant order the vow of poverty means only that they personally don’t own much. The congregation, on the other hand, does not have to be “poor” or live in abject poverty. If the sister is given a small stipend by her burser and decides to spend it on a glass of wine instead of something else, that’s her decision to make.
D
Deus_tecum
Guest
When I was in school, they sure did. They drank beer in the evenings that baseball was on TV. My friend that lived nearby them ran errands for them, and often had to go to the rectory to get a 6 pack or 2 of beer for the nuns. So, picture a 10 yr old boy walking across the church parking lot with a 6 pack of beer. Simpler times. Better times.
F
FrDavid96
Guest
It’s even more amusing when we think that it would have been scandalous for one of the nuns to go over to the rectory herself to get the beer (especially in the evening), but was perfectly OK for the 10 year old to do it for them.
M
Mary_Estelle
Guest
It all makes me laugh. I make my own wine. On occasion it helps me sleep at night without the use of drugs as I have a true sleep condition. All things in moderation or with thoughtful prudence. Yes, I am under a Drs. care for the condition. Peace.
D
Don_Ruggero
Guest
You would be very incorrect in what you think.
For those of us on the continent, and especially in a wine producing region, a bottle of table wine can be less expensive than a bottle of certain types of fruit juice. To say nothing of the fact that it is the normal and standard accompaniment of meals.
Saint Benedict established a daily allocation of wine for each monk (or nun) in monasteries governed by his rule in more or less 520…
But that is beside the point as the underlying premise is a very flawed understanding of the evangelical counsel of poverty.
Poverty as a virtue is not equated with misery and the bottom line cost is anything but a guideline for living the virtue of poverty.
Frankly, some of the most splendidly prepared meals I have enjoyed have been when I was a guest of Religious as, for example, on the Feast of their Holy Founder. To be sure, the meals were not extravagant…we are not talking about Filet Mignon or Lobster Newburg…but were delightful meals of multiple courses, with wine, in observance of the feast day. The other days, the fare was simpler, to be sure, but enjoyable, tasty, and well prepared.
To be sure, different Orders, Congregations, and Institutes of Perfection each set their observances on fast and abstinence and they vary widely. But, presuming normal conditions prevail in the broader society, that which costs the least may, in fact, cost the most in the long run in terms of impaired health and inadequately providing for the human needs of Religious.
M
Mary_Estelle
Guest
Hey Don Ruggero. Good sensible observation and answer. I think I may have to adopt you! Peace.
D
Deus_tecum
Guest
But doesn’t alcohol disrupt deep sleep patterns?
D
Deus_tecum
Guest
True!
H
HelenRose
Guest
:extrahappy: I love it when someone says something better than I can.
P
pianistclare
Guest
P
pensmama87
Guest
I was thinking too that historically alcohol was often consumed because fresh water was so often not safe to drink. That doesn’t apply in nearly as many places today, but alcoholic beverages have a legitimate place in history as common drinks. It doesn’t only belong to the privileged elite or the reckless college student.
M
Mary_Estelle
Guest
It depends on the sleep condition. A small glass of wine occasionally can help relax the brain. I do sleep with 02 and a pb mask at night. If I don’t sleep at night I will and have fell asleep on my feet during the daytime. I don’t make a habit of drinking wine at night so when I speak of a small glass - I do mean small glass.
ME P. S. I have a diagnosed condition and under medical care so I am not making excuses just so I can have a glass of wine.
P
pianistclare
Guest
:clapping:
- Status