Taking a vow of celibacy

[TiggerS]

What are you saying here?
A person does not have to be a physical virgin to be a priest or join a religious order. It wouldn’t make any sense to exclude (say) a rape victim, or someone who converted as an adult from a bad lifestyle.

Apologies if I have misled. To be consecrated into the Order of Virgins, one needs to be a physical virgin. However, one does not have to be a physical virgin of necessity to enter a religious order or become a priest. “Of necessity” means that some religious orders may ask physical virginity while there is nothing at all in Canon Law to state one needs to be a physical virgin to enter religious life or the priesthood.

TS

 

[TiggerS]

Thank you for all for the replies. My basic situation is that i feel called to make more of a commitment to God and without going into details, marriage is not my calling. This feeling has been gradually growing over the last few months.

Due to my current situation i cannot join an order which would involve living with other nuns i am needed in the community] and that in itself would take a long time of consideration.

I am committed in my heart to staying celibate forever, i just wondered if i can make it official to God [not publically], just in a consecrated way. And i wondered if there was anything in Canon Law about this.

For other reasons i cannot take vows of poverty and obedience for now, although i’m already not exactly rich and i pray a lot and follow the Commandments to the best of my ability.

I know it’s a big step but i just feel called towards it.

My understanding of being a nun is that you take vows of 1] obedience 2] celibacy 3] poverty.

In the future i may be able to take all 3, but for now i’d like to just take the vow of celibacy but stay in the community.

Also, this is not something i’d be bragging about to people, i’d probably just tell my best friend, although i don’t think there’s any shame in it.

I do lots of voluntary work and go to Mass nearly every day but i am by no means a saint, i have normal human feelings and sins just like everybody else, i definitely don’t see myself as being in any way superior to anyone at all.

I will now look at the links that some of you provided thanks!

You can always make a private vow. If you look in the section in Canon Law on Vows, you will read about private vows. A private vow can be entirely a private matter secretly between oneself and God - or one can have a private vow received at Mass subject to a priest agreeing of course. This can be an ordinary weekday Mass or a special Mass for the purpose. If one does elect with a priest’s agreement to have one’s private vow or vows received during Mass, they remain in Canon Law private vows, not public vows.

One would be very wise indeed before making a private vow or vows of any kind to seek spiritual direction and also for the life of the vow or vows.

TS

 

[bethanysamuel]

Thank you