Secular clergy

[J1Priest]

I haven’t done research, so I might as well ask.
What is secular clergy…?

Or things like the Third Order…?

How about where do they live, poverty vows, obedience, celibary???

 

[bilop]

Secular clergy are the dicocesan Priests.

The make promises (not technically vows, but in effect the same) of chastity and obedience.

If the Priest is Latin Rite, then chastity generally implies celibacy (though in specific cases married converts have been ordained). If the Priest is Eastern Rite he may be married, and then the promise would be of marital chastity. In either case, no Priest can marry after ordination.

Secular priests take no vow of poverty. They are allowed to own property and need to be able to provide for their retirement. Dioceses don’t guarantee support, though in practice usually provide it.

God Bless

 

[NoPlaceLikeRome]

Third Orders are for anybody. For, say, the Dominicans, you have the friars, who are First Order, nuns are Second, Sisters are Third Order Regular (regular = with a regula, a rule), and laypeople can be Third Order, um, not regular. Third Order members live the spirit of the Carmelites, Dominicans or whatever as best they can in their state of life (praying some of the Hours, following the spirituality of the Order) and have meetings every so often with other tertiaries (Latin for “Third”). I have a friend who’s a Third Order Carmelite, he’s 24 or whatever & plans to marry someday, & have met Third Order Franciscans & Dominicans on the boards here. St. Thomas More was a Third Order Franciscan.

 

[J1Priest]

Third Orders are for anybody. For, say, the Dominicans, you have the friars, who are First Order, nuns are Second, Sisters are Third Order Regular (regular = with a regula, a rule), and laypeople can be Third Order, um, not regular. Third Order members live the spirit of the Carmelites, Dominicans or whatever as best they can in their state of life (praying some of the Hours, following the spirituality of the Order) and have meetings every so often with other tertiaries (Latin for “Third”). I have a friend who’s a Third Order Carmelite, he’s 24 or whatever & plans to marry someday, & have met Third Order Franciscans & Dominicans on the boards here. St. Thomas More was a Third Order Franciscan.

So the Third Order members are regular lay people, they work and all? They don’t live in community, or do they?

and thank you both for your excellent responses.
confusion is fading

 

[RevDrNorth]

So the Third Order members are regular lay people, they work and all? They don’t live in community, or do they?

and thank you both for your excellent responses.
confusion is fading

Many work, are married and so on. They have initals after their name like SFO or TOR, etc.

Really a neat way to devoutly belong to an order when you are also called to married or secular life.

The oblates of St. Benedict are similar.

North

 

[puzzleannie]

there are several threads on the spirituality forum discussing secular orders, third orders, lay apostolates, lay associates. All these are terms for similar things, groups of lay persons associated with a religious order who share in the spirituality and support the work of that order, usually in local communities and gatherings. Search under Secular Franciscans, Dominican Tertiaries, Benedictine Oblates, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, lay Carmelites etc.

These are lay people, single or married, who live and work in the world, but come together for spiritual formation, prayer, sacred reading, and to help in whatever work the local religious order does for the Church and community. For instance, we are Benedictine Oblates, married or single, some couples join together, associated with a monastery of Benedictine nuns. We helped materially in development and building the monastery and retreat center, and in supporting the nuns’ main apostolate, evangelization and pro-life activism and education. After a year of formation, We come together once a month for LOTH, sacred reading, shared meal, and business meeting, and have an annual retreat. We do have 2 diocesan priests (one retired) as fellow oblates, one of whom is our chaplain.