Spouse of Christ question

[SerraSemper]

But they don’t.

Religious life is a death to the secular life, in that one professes Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. In short, it is the person that is consecrated.

Consecrated virginity is just that, the virginity of a person is what is being consecrated.

Actually, that is not the case. The virgin **person **is consecrated as a bride of Christ. That is why she becomes a “sacred person” if she is not already a finally professed religious.

 

[SerraSemper]

But they don’t.

Religious life is a death to the secular life, in that one professes Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. In short, it is the person that is consecrated.

Consecrated virginity is just that, the virginity of a person is what is being consecrated.

Oh also, I forgot to mention that the exact same vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience are professed by secular institute members as well and they do not have a death to the secular life per se. Yet both types of people are equally consecrated. So why is it that cloistered community members and consecrated secular institute members can receive the consecration of virgins which is also equal to the consecration of religious or secular institutes? Again, the question is why is it that religious profession and secular institute profession in and of themselves are not in the Roman Pontifical but only the combined ceremony of religious profession and consecration of virgins for religious and consecration of virgins for seculars? Only a bishop is permitted to do the consecration of virgins whereas anyone can do a profession of religious.

 

[turtle18]

A consecrated virgin can exist as a vocation within a vocation (although rare)-a call within a call. Many deacons have been called to Holy Order and Marriage as have some priests. It is not impossible for God to call someone into two vocations.

 

[BarbTh]

Only a bishop is permitted to do the consecration of virgins whereas anyone can do a profession of religious.

Following this thread with interest and very curious. I have never heard of the above which doesn’t mean at all that it is not so - for sure. I always thought that the profession of religious had to be done by a bishop

1. 
   *]Does the above mean that a priest for example could validly consecrate a person as religious?
   *]What does “anyone” mean in the above quotation?
   *] What is the criteria to qualify as religious life?

 

[SerraSemper]

Following this thread with interest and very curious. I have never heard of the above which doesn’t mean at all that it is not so - for sure. I always thought that the profession of religious had to be done by a bishop

1. 
   *]Does the above mean that a priest for example could validly consecrate a person as religious?
   *]What does “anyone” mean in the above quotation?
   *] What is the criteria to qualify as religious life?

1. 
   The Rite of Profession of Religious (who are not simultaneously receiving the Consecration of Virgins) is contained in the Roman Ritual which is open to all priests. Religious do not have to be virgins and widows were never permitted to receive the veil from the hands of the bishop. Yes, a priest can say the prayer of blessing for all religious because religious life is not the same thing as consecrated virginity. The consecration of religious occurs at the profession of vows made before a superior which means that it is the superior (lay or clerical) who mediates the consecration by virtue of receiving the vows.
   
   The Rite of Consecration of Virgins is contained in the Roman Pontifical, which is the liturgical book for bishops. Only bishops can validly impart the consecration of virgins to virgins in the world and this has always been the case since apostolic times. Only female virgins may receive this consecration. If you ever read in this House of Brede, the pratagonist does not receive the consecration of virgins with the others in her class because she had a child out of wedlock, but I think she eventually became abbess. The Rite has two versions; one is for religious and the other is for women living outside religious institutes. Starting from the Blessed Virgin Mary, there are no centuries to my knowledge which lacked consecrated virgins. The Order of Virgins is alive and strong. It is the fastest growing vocation for women in the universe. Since 1970 when the Rite opened up for women living in the world, there have been an estimated 6,000-7,000 consecrations which is very impressive considering that the largest female religious order (Salesians) have an estimated 17,000 members total.
   
   Religious life requires the vows of evangelical counsels, communal life, and separation from the world. Chastity is vowed from that time forward whereas sacred virginity is resolved to be maintained perpetually but no vow is made to that effect by women living in the world. The consecration of virgins is prayed by the bishop and is not the effect of vows being made by the women. Virgins living in the world do not make vows. Their consecration occurs like confirmation or ordination- it is a spiritual anointing mediated by the bishop by the prayer of consecration over them.

 

[BarbTh]

The Rite of Profession of Religious (who are not simultaneously receiving the Consecration of Virgins) is contained in the Roman Ritual which is open to all priests. Religious do not have to be virgins and widows were never permitted to receive the veil from the hands of the bishop. Yes, a priest can say the prayer of blessing for all religious because religious life is not the same thing as consecrated virginity. The consecration of religious occurs at the profession of vows made before a superior which means that it is the superior (lay or clerical) who mediates the consecration by virtue of receiving the vows.

The Rite of Consecration of Virgins is contained in the Roman Pontifical, which is the liturgical book for bishops. Only bishops can validly impart the consecration of virgins to virgins in the world and this has always been the case since apostolic times. Only female virgins may receive this consecration. If you ever read in this House of Brede, the pratagonist does not receive the consecration of virgins with the others in her class because she had a child out of wedlock, but I think she eventually became abbess. The Rite has two versions; one is for religious and the other is for women living outside religious institutes. Starting from the Blessed Virgin Mary, there are no centuries to my knowledge which lacked consecrated virgins. The Order of Virgins is alive and strong. It is the fastest growing vocation for women in the universe. Since 1970 when the Rite opened up for women living in the world, there have been an estimated 6,000-7,000 consecrations which is very impressive considering that the largest female religious order (Salesians) have an estimated 17,000 members total.

Religious life requires the vows of evangelical counsels, communal life, and separation from the world. Chastity is vowed from that time forward whereas sacred virginity is resolved to be maintained perpetually but no vow is made to that effect by women living in the world. The consecration of virgins is prayed by the bishop and is not the effect of vows being made by the women. Virgins living in the world do not make vows. Their consecration occurs like confirmation or ordination- it is a spiritual anointing mediated by the bishop by the prayer of consecration over them.

Fascinating, SS - thank you very much for the prompt and very informative reply!