US Military and Secular Orders

[Thunderbird]

More out of curiosity than anything else but…

Are there any Third/Secular Orders that allow its members to also be a member of the Armed Forces? Is that even a disqualifier for Third/Secular Order membership?

 

[Marauder]

As far as I know you are allowed to be a member of SFO and be in the military, but you are supposed to strive for peace. The earliest Franciscan Rules prohibited bearing arms and being a member of the military, but they have been changed for the secular order.

Although I don’t know any members of my fraternity that are in the military, there is an active duty police officer.

The current Rule for SFO says the following.

   *Rule 19*  Peace is the work of justice and the fruit of reconciliation and of fraternal love. Secular Franciscans are called to be bearers of peace in their families and in society:

— they should see to the proposal and spreading of peaceful ideas and attitudes;
— they should develop their own initiatives and should collaborate, individually and as a fraternity, with initiatives of the Pope, the local Churches, and the Franciscan Family;
— they should collaborate with those movements and institutions which promote peace while respecting its authentic foundations.

2. While acknowledging both the personal and national right to legitimate defense, they should respect the choice of those who, because of conscientious objection, refuse to bear arms.

3. To preserve peace in the family, the brothers and sisters should, in due time, make a last will and testament for the disposition of their goods.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I am sure an email off to a Third Order that may be of interest, and as an enquiry only re the military, would supply an answer for you.

I read somewhere or other a long time ago that during the Second World War (I have no reliable source to quote) The Holy Father ordered some monastics out of certain European monastery(ies) to join the military…and after the war they duly returned to their monastic silence and life of prayer.

I truly would be appalled if serving in the military were some sort of barrier to entering a Third Order. Where would we be without our military!..if our guys and gals had not served during WW2 and the Nazi’s had taken over, I would be in an oven. I suffer a mental illness.
The Church in the Catholic Catechism does approve and set out conditions for a “just war”…but then if one is in the military I don’t think one gets to exercise an option to serve or not based on personal assessment of just or unjust war.

An interesting question posed re Third Orders and military service, Thunderbird.

Blessings and regards…Barb

 

[Marauder]

I truly would be appalled if serving in the military were some sort of barrier to entering a Third Order. Where would we be without our military!..

The problem isn’t that someone that use to be in the military would be a barrier it is that someone that is actively in the military may be a barrier. Some orders may have issues with bearing arms, and others may have issues with currently being in the military. As I mentioned in my previous post, in the original Rule for the Franciscans written by St. Francis Franciscans were not allowed to bear arms. This was due to the feudal wars at the time. That has been removed from the Rule for the SFO, but other orders may or may not still maintain that rule.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

The problem isn’t that someone that use to be in the military would be a barrier it is that someone that is actively in the military may be a barrier. Some orders may have issues with bearing arms, and others may have issues with currently being in the military. As I mentioned in my previous post, in the original Rule for the Franciscans written by St. Francis Franciscans were not allowed to bear arms. This was due to the feudal wars at the time. That has been removed from the Rule for the SFO, but other orders may or may not still maintain that rule.

Thank you:thumbsup: …It is an interesting question. It did occur to me a while after posting that perhaps the military vocation is one vocation and a Third Order another and the two are incompatible…sort of like God having made me female, I would not be called to the priesthood for example. I guess something like that could apply…yet the question posed in the OP is interesting…Third Orders I think of as a non canonical state of perfection for lay people - of course one does not have to live in a ‘state of perfection’ to be living in a state of perfection …the latter is defined by The Church and the former is simply a way of living a holy life…

Blessings and regards…Barb

 

[Thunderbird]

Thanks for the replies so far, I definitely appreciate it. : )

For the reasons mentioned earlier, I just wondered if the vows of a secular order-member would conflict with the oath taken by someone on active duty within the Armed Forces.

 

[Marauder]

For the reasons mentioned earlier, I just wondered if the vows of a secular order-member would conflict with the oath taken by someone on active duty within the Armed Forces.

Most secular orders do not require vows, they require promises. As I said before as far as I know SFO doesn’t have a problem with an active military member but you may a problem becoming a member due to the ability to attend formation unless you are stationed in a pretty permanant location with pretty constant hours.

In SFO to become a member you are required to attend Inquiry classes (about 6 months) then Candidacy classes (about 18 months). In our fraternity that is 2 hours, once a month. In addition to that you have the monthly meeting which is also required (unless validly excused.) Monthy meetings are pretty easy to miss with valid excuse but if you have to miss more then a couple of the classes they may ask you to start over.

If you are interested I would contact the local fraternity and see what they suggest.

 

[Sophomore]

My wife is a fully professed 3rd order Carmelite (OCDS) and served with the US Air Force for 8 years - no conflict.