Sister vs. Sister

[frdave20]

I have seen and read somewhere that there are differences between sisters and nuns. Sisters, stictly speaking, are allegedly lay women who are celibate. While nuns, who are subsequently called ‘sister’ are consecrated and in the religious life. At least, this was I remember reading or hearing about… I could be wrong about the details. NEvertheless, I have seen the difference. there is a lady who works for the diocese – she is not a part of a religious community, but her official name on letters, etc. is Sister so-and-so. DOesn’t this dilute the impact and meaning of Holy Orders?

 

[Meggie]

nuns, sisters, whatever don’t have holy orders…

 

[NightRider]

Meggie:

nuns, sisters, whatever don’t have holy orders…

Uh, what would you call the Carmelites or the Benedictines?? Those are holy orders, and have nuns…

 

[jimmy]

NightRider:

Uh, what would you call the Carmelites or the Benedictines?? Those are holy orders, and have nuns…

Not really, they do not participate in the sacrament of Holy Orders. Only preists recieve this sacrament.

Nuns, monks, and sisters are lay people.

 

[NightRider]

jimmy:

Not really, they do not participate in the sacrament of Holy Orders. Only preists recieve this sacrament.

Nuns, monks, and sisters are lay people.

Thank you, jimmy, for the correction. But I certainly was never taught that nuns, monks and sisters are lay people…?? I was taught that they are the religious, and they certainly were never spoken of as lay Catholics. Any thoughts?

 

[amasimp]

All nuns are sisters, but not all sisters are nuns. Strictly speaking a nun is cloistered, though it has come to pass in the language that any women who professes vows is termed a nun.

 

[jimmy]

NightRider:

Thank you, jimmy, for the correction. But I certainly was never taught that nuns, monks and sisters are lay people…?? I was taught that they are the religious, and they certainly were never spoken of as lay Catholics. Any thoughts?

They are the religious, but they are still lay persons. The lay persons consist of anyone other than deacons, preists, and bishops. The only exception is when a monk is a preist or a deacon. I always thought the same as you until recently. I think I read it on one of the ask an apologist threads.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

jimmy:

Not really, they do not participate in the sacrament of Holy Orders. Only preists recieve this sacrament.

Nuns, monks, and sisters are lay people.

Jimmy,

Although I think you correct this statement in a later post, let me be specific. Deacons, priests and bishops all receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. All religious who are not in Orders are lay people. Thus, a Dominican priest is a cleric while a Servite brother is a lay person. Since no woman can receive Holy Orders it follows that all sisters and nuns are laypersons. After all, the Church only has to groups of people: clerics and laypersons.

Deacon Ed

 

[Br.Dan_OCD]

I have to weigh in on this and make a distinction. I don’t remember the particular chapter but if we look at Lumen Gentium of Vatican II, in the chapter on religious life, we see that those who are in the religious (now called “consecrated”) life are not simply lay people. They are not necessarily clerics or part of the hierarchy, either. They are distinct and different from both. Nevertheless, if pressed on the issue, I’d say that they are more lay than cleric, obviously.

As far as sister vs. nun–it depends on the kind of vow a woman takes. One who takes “solemn” vows is a nun and cloistered. One who takes perpetual or simple vows is a sister and is active. Generally, at least, that’s the case. It also can depend on the community a woman joins. Those in an “order”, strictly speaking, take solemn vows (Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite). Those in societies or congregations or institutes take perpetual or simple vows.

That’s what i was taught, anyhow…

 

[jimmy]

Deacon Ed:

Jimmy,

Although I think you correct this statement in a later post, let me be specific. Deacons, priests and bishops all receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. All religious who are not in Orders are lay people. Thus, a Dominican priest is a cleric while a Servite brother is a lay person. Since no woman can receive Holy Orders it follows that all sisters and nuns are laypersons. After all, the Church only has to groups of people: clerics and laypersons.

Deacon Ed

I did correct that in my later post. I did not notice the mistake I made in that post though.