Prohibitons on seeking religious orders

[Suppression]

I have for a long time thought about whether i am being called to religious life. There is a big part of me that hopes that is the case. To be able to devote myself in that fashion is a wonderful thing to contemplate. I have thought about it for years and the feeling has never gone away. I did however have a period of my life in which I was involved with drugs etc. Here is my question: During that time I felt I had to help a friend of mine get an abortion. I knew that it was against my beliefs but she was my best friend so when she and her boyfriend asked me for $60 i felt i had to help even though i didnt approve. I regretted it tremendously even then. I saw my best friend go through so much physical and emotional pain. I can not concieve of why anyone would willingly do that to themsleves. I hate to ask this question becasue i dont want to find out that becasue of that mistake i can never take religious orders, but i need to know. Is there a specific rule in cannon law that would exclude me from religious orders becasue of my actions? If there is am i forbidden from all forms of religious service? I pray there is not and I am not, but i must submit to the laws of the church. So after months of not wanting to ask this question I pose it here. Thank you.

 

[Moneo]

I have two questions to ask which may help you to clarify things for yourself as you continue to work through this question.

The first is, at the time you assisted your friend by giving her the $60.00, did you realise the seriousness of assisting them materially in securing an abortion? Specifically, were you aware of the Church’s teaching that abortion is a mortal sin and that by participating willingly in it you could incur the penalty of automatic excommuncation from the Church?

Whether your answer to the question above is yes or no, you must confess your participation in this act in the Sacrament of Penance if you have not already done so.

Do you have a priest who is your regular confessor, or your spiritual director? If not, you should probably seek one out. You can confess to any priest of course, but having one who knows you well to whom you turn regularly for confession and direction is a very good idea. He will be able to assist you in the whole process of discerning what God is asking of you.

All of that being said, a person who has confessed their involvement in an abortion and received absolution is not, to my knowledge, in any way barred from entering religious life.

God bless and guide you as you find your way back to Him and seek His will for you…

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

There is a canon that relates directly to your situation. It is in the section about impediments to the priesthood (Part 1: The Sacraments, Title IV: Orders, Chapter 3: Those To Be Ordained, Article 3: Impediments And Other Impediments).

Canon 1041 The following are irregular for receiving orders:

1/ a person who labors under some form of amentia or other psychic illness due to which, after experts have been consulted, he is judged unqualified to fulfill the ministry properly;

2/ a person who has committed the delict of apostasy, heresy, or schism;

3/ a person who has attempted marriage, even only civilly, while either impeded personally from entering marriage by a matrimonial bond, sacred orders, or a public perpetual vow of chastity, or with a woman bound by a valid marriage or restricted by the same type of vow;

4/ a person who has committed voluntary homicide or procured a completed abortion and all those who positively cooperated in either;

5/ a person who has mutilated himself or another gravely and maliciously or who has attempted suicide;

6/ a person who has placed an act of orders reserved to those in the order of episcopate or presbyterate while either lacking that order or prohibited from its exercise by some declared or imposed canonical penalty.

Now, I am no canon lawyer, so I do not know how much of an impediment this is, or how much it affects your situation. It is something to discuss with a spiritual director or a vocations director.

Do not let this discourage you. If you are meant for the religious life, God will provide. Trust in the Lord!

 

[Suppression]

I thought there was somthing like that. I am deeply distrubed that I have done something to bar myself from such service. I have faith i can still serve in some manner. It is just very depressing that I have killed a dream of mine. Its one thing to not be called it is another to know you have caused a rift that permanantly precludes you from serving. It is very depressing. thank you for your thoughts.

 

[Mot_Juste]

If you have a calling, then do not base your decision to pursue it on something you read on the Internet, even a great site like this. Talk to someone like a spiritual director or vocations director in person.

–Bill

 

[Moneo]

Thanks for the reference JMJ_coder ; not having access to a copy of the Code of Canon Law last night I was hoping that someone such as yourself would weigh in with more useful information. That will be helpful to me in future conversations as well.

HOWEVER, I think it might be fair to point out two things here vis-a-vis the Canon quoted:

1. Am I missing something in the original post? Are you a woman or a man? The Canon cited appears to apply to the Sacrament of Orders, not to those seeking to take vows in a religious community; if so it would not apply in your case if you are a woman seeking admission to a religious community or a man seeking admission as a lay brother.
2. In the case that you are a man seeking the priesthood, you should still not rule out anything definitively. Canon Law is Canon Law, but we must remember that while this is the general norm, the Church can grant a dispensation from the canon if she so chooses. There may be circumstances which affect your case that you are not telling us and, in any case, most of the folks here are neither canon lawyers, nor vocation directors, nor bishops (I know I’m not any of the above, unless something slipped my attention ) so just as in the case of medical advice you should get the opinion of an expert!

I thought there was somthing like that. I am deeply distrubed that I have done something to bar myself from such service. I have faith i can still serve in some manner. It is just very depressing that I have killed a dream of mine. Its one thing to not be called it is another to know you have caused a rift that permanantly precludes you from serving. It is very depressing. thank you for your thoughts.

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but the language you are using in your posts seems to indicate that you are still struggling with remorse for what you have done, as well as sadness and possibly depression. I would urge you to address these issues before continuing to concern yourself with your eligibility to a religious community, and I pray that you are not somehow considering religious life as a way to “atone for your sin”.

If you have confessed your part in your friend’s abortion and received absolution, then please, please let go of the remorse and the sadness related to your sin. **YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN!! ** God is a merciful and forgiving Father and He has pardoned you! Sadness is an obstacle to letting God’s love and grace take its effect in your life, so please pray for the gifts of peace and JOY.

Ask for the Blessed Virgin’s intercession too. Pray the rosary if you can, or the Divine Mercy chaplet and remember to thank God for the gift of His Mercy and His Forgiveness.

Please find a spiritual director and a regular confessor who can guide you through the process of spiritual healing and help you to discover ways of serving God now. Then, as you recover your joy, perhaps you will discover that you truly do have a calling fom Our Lord to serve Him in religious life and that all the apparent impediments will just crumble away.

God bless you and I will be praying for you today.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

I looked further down the page in the canons (I only did a simple search before) and there are several canons which provide for dispensations for irregularities and impediments. So I urge you to not lose hope. Talk with a spiritual director or a vocations director, as they will provide you with the most concrete help and counsel.

Hope and Trust in the Lord!

 

[AELondon]

I too would discourage you from giving up. I don’t have Canon Law in front of me, but I suspect that “irregular” is not necessarily the same as “disqualified.” As someone mentioned earlier, there are usually dispensations that can be used to overcome these “irregularities” after considering all of the circumstances.

If you’ve confessed sacramentally - move on. Don’t doubt Jesus’ forgiveness. Christian history is full of saints who committed mortal sins, repented, and went on to do great things. Consider St. Paul, he was a material aid to the murder of St. Stephen. And yet, he went on to become one of the greatest Christians ever.

 

[Ave_Maria_1]

I do not think that past sins, once confessed and forgiven are impediments to being a religious.

There are those who have committed murder and gone on to be saints. There was just a Franciscan last week who was in that category–Bernard of Corleone.

With abortion so prevelent, I have no doubt that many in religious life have been involved in some way. But with confession and absolution, God does not wish us to carry the burden that He Himself died to release us from. He fogives and forgets. You may not forget and may offer your penances in sorrow but it is not to weigh you down for your life! women who have had abortions and been forgiven are to accept that forgiveness. The devil likes to keep past sins before our eyes but that is not God’s way. God heals these scars!!! Let Him.

Go and be a holy religious!
www.religiouslife.org

Ave Maria!

 

[Cloisters]

Whether you be male or female, please check out this link:

cloisters.tripod.com/holyinnocents/

This is the link for the Sisters of the Holy Innocents and St. Gianna Molla–a proposed pro-life community primarily for those who have either had abortions; helped with them; or worked in the industry. It’s also for others, but primarily for the post-abortion penitent. I’m happy to say we have one committed aspirant now, but it may be a few years before we can get the community started.

We can have a male counterpart to the women’s community, if there is interest.

I can talk with you further re: your vocation if you wish. I’m the coordinator of Cloister Outreach.

cloisters.tripod.com/

Blessings,
Cloisters