Bride Of Christ

[God's Beloved]

On  the newsletter by   Zenit.org     there are often scripture reflections by a priest of Legionaries of Christ   who relates them to the vocation of the members of Regnum Christi . He often quotes from the Rite of Consecration of virgins. It seems the Regnum Christi uses this Rite. But I guess it is celebrated by a priest . We are aware of so many members who have taken dispensations to leave. Does anyone have more information on this ?

 

It looks like the Vatican does not take the Rite as seriously now as it was in the Early Church.

[Sponsa-Christi]

 

On  the newsletter by   Zenit.org     there are often scripture reflections by a priest of Legionaries of Christ   who relates them to the vocation of the members of Regnum Christi . He often quotes from the Rite of Consecration of virgins. It seems the Regnum Christi uses this Rite. But I guess it is celebrated by a priest . We are aware of so many members who have taken dispensations to leave. Does anyone have more information on this ?

 

Even though they often call themselves "consecrated virgins," Regnum Christi has never used the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity for its female members. 

 

Actually, the "consecrated women" of Regnum Christi aren't even "consecrated" in a canonical sense. Technically speaking, they are simply lay women who have made private commitments and who freely choose to live together and follow a certain way of life.

[God's Beloved]

Even though they often call themselves "consecrated virgins," Regnum Christi has never used the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity for its female members. 

 

Actually, the "consecrated women" of Regnum Christi aren't even "consecrated" in a canonical sense. Technically speaking, they are simply lay women who have made private commitments and who freely choose to live together and follow a certain way of life.

 

 

that's what i used to think after reading some of the blogs related to the movement and its ex-members. But  the  reflections which come  on zenit.org  specifically 'quote' lines from the Rite of consecration of virgins. This is a regular feature.

 

Taking a closer look , it does seem to me that the rite is being used but the members do not understand its the one used in the Canon 604 vocation . Much of their spirituality is related to the vocation of  OCV . I think they have  been trying to cover-up this issue regarding misuse of the rite of consecration of virgins .

 

Around the world this seems to be a growing problem .New movements , communities, lay associations , Singles are using the rite without decree from the CICLSAL from Rome . So also some  monasteries and apostolic religious are using it with or without tradition. e.g. I remember many years ago hearing about some Apostolic Carmelite sisters mentioning how they receive a black veil ten or twenty-five years after Final Profession in a ceremony in which the Bishop presides.  It seems they have these traditions without knowing  that it is the rite of consecration of virgins from the Roman Pontifical and which is used in the canon 604 vocation for women living in the world.

 

The Church does need to intervene and regulate the use of the Rite since it is a serious matter being treated lightly especially by some movements and lay associations.

 

Would anyone here care to sign a common petition to the Holy Father to get this  regulated and have some update of Canon law regarding the vocation ? ....afterall it involves  precious lives. The lives of many CV who are alone , confused, suffering , bitter....will find the fulness of joy of their vocation.

[abrideofChrist]

Which again points to the danger of borrowing from the Rite of Consecration and duping women into thinking that they are brides of Christ!  Ladies, heads up!  Why do you think I am concerned about how we understand this?  If women can be conned into thinking that they are fully brides of Christ like the Regnum Christi gals pass themselves off as (and use the Consecration terminology to "prove" their point, don't you think that there is a very big need for clarity on this issue?  The real reason Regnum Christi members do not receive this consecration is because they would be under the supervision of the Bishop, which has to be avoided at all costs by their puppeteers, the Legionaries of Christ, who founded the RC to do recruiting and fundraising for them.

 

On another related topic, A Few Lines to Tell You is incorrect in saying that the bishop has the authority to give the Consecration of Virgins to any nuns.  Sponsa Christi never gave that authority to local bishops.  A decision that important remains with the Holy See or the Father General of an Order, not a local bishop. 

 

The solution to the problems raised by God's Beloved Is NOT an updated canon law but a renewed respect for following the LAWS of the Church expressed in the Documents of the Rites and the Sponsa Christi.  By the way, most Carmelites or other communities celebrate 25 years with a Jubilee celebration in which the bishop is usually the presiding prelate at the Mass.  Only the Carthusians have the practice of bestowing the Consecration of Virgins upon virgin members of their Order on the 25th anniversary of their Profession of Vows and invest with a stole and the ability to proclaim the Gospel.

[God's Beloved]

 The following link shows posts in which the LC preacher mentions the Rite of Consecration of Virgins in the Lectio Divina. The reflections themselves are very good. But the question of  why the Rite of Consecrations of Virgins is often referred to by him near the end of the reflection every week.

 

http://www.zenit.org/en/search/index?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=consecration+of+virgins

[God's Beloved]

Some apostolic religious have a tradition of  receiving  ' a black veil' several years after final profession which is optional for those who desire to receive it .

[Chiquitunga]

The prayer of blessing or consecration in the rite of religious profession for women has two versions----only one version uses spousal imagery. So it is possible some religious congregations do not use the version of the blessing with a spousal imagery .It is also possible that within the same religious congregation or institute for women , some members receive a blessing during their Perpetual Profession  which has spousal imagery and others receive a blessing without this imagery.

 

This is because Religious life 'in general' reflects the marriage of the Church with Christ . Since community life is essential to religious life ,  the religious community reflects the  church community which is the Bride of Christ . Each member 'participates' in the spousal union  and  has freedom to follow the spousal spirituality privately as several religious do.

 

A consecrated virgin  even as an individual reflects the entire church community which is the Bride of Christ.

 

Really quick, I wanted to ask about this, because I do not see it this way in the Ordo Professionis Religiosae. I found a used copy on amazon that just came in the mail.

 

There is a version specifically for men given in the first part "Ordo Professionis Religiosorum" and then there is a version specifically for women in the second part, "Ordo Professionis Religiosarum" 

 

There are not two versions of the consecration prayer for women, but only one, and that one version has the spousal imagery. I went through it several times to be sure, and that version is the only one offered for women.

 

I am not trying to use this as an example of how the Rite of CV and Rite of Religious Profession are the same. They are not. But this is a good example of how the Church views consecrated men and women differently.

[Chiquitunga]

On another related topic, A Few Lines to Tell You is incorrect in saying that the bishop has the authority to give the Consecration of Virgins to any nuns.  Sponsa Christi never gave that authority to local bishops.  A decision that important remains with the Holy See or the Father General of an Order, not a local bishop. 

 

Maybe they did get that permission though from the Holy See, through the bishop, and it is just not mentioned in detail in the book. That book is partly fictional, though based on facts about their life. I will ask about this, but I don't think the bishop, both then in the 1950's and now, would have done this if proper permission had not been given. The bishop who presided at the recent Solemn Profession was a highly respected competent bishop of the Church. 

 

Earlier in the thread, you were saying that Nuns can choose the Rite of CV (with proper permission) and compared it to a religious community that also offers its members the ability to become ordained priests.

 

Why is it upsetting then to hear that a Carmel may be offering its members this? It fits in completely with their enclosed lives, lived totally focused on their Spouse as it says in Verbi Sponsa.

 

This gives another example as to how the Rite of Religious Profession and Rite of CV are different in essence. Otherwise this Carmel (referring to both examples, then and now) would have kept using the form in the Religious Profession Rite and saw using the CV RIte as redundant. But they are different as you have said.

 

Maybe it was not possible for Discalced Carmelite Nuns to use it before because they were new. But when the opportunity came for them to seek permission to use it, some of them did. It only makes sense it light of their vocation. Also when Nuns make their Solemn Profession, it is with the intention that this is for the rest of their lives.

 

I have a question, when in the Church was the Solemn Vow of chastity able to be dispensed by the Pope? It seems that it was at the time of St. Margaret of Hungary. And it is now, but for a long time as Sr. MC  has said, it seems to have not been allowed. 

 

I wonder if Canon Law will ever go back to that. It seems sad that such a vow could be dispensed under the current law. And priests can be laicized and enter into valid marriages also. I have seen both happen, priests and formerly Solemn Professed Nuns. It seems that only the Consecration of Virgins is definitely perpetual in the Church currently, although as Sr. MC pointed out, the Consecration that God bestows in Solemn Profession can never be undone.

[abrideofChrist]

When you understand the nature of a charism better, you'll understand it is not fitting for all religious communities even of enclosed nuns to have the Consecration of Virgins.  The mendicants ALL rejected it explicitly.  They didn't have to.  They chose to.  They broke away deliberately from the custom that was current at their time for nuns to receive the Consecration.  That was their choice.  Carmelites are mendicants.  They deliberately rejected it.  Now, centuries later, all of a sudden it is in keeping with Vatican II's wishes for people to go back to their founders to do a Consecration that was rejected?  The Introduction to the Rite of Consecration of Virgins for Nuns explicitly says that only nuns in religious community that have HAD the Consecration from antiquity (1950 does not count as antiquity) or those who have received permission from competent authority (Holy See/Top Superior) can use this Rite.  What I find shocking is that a Carmel thinks a bishop has the proper permission to gainsay centuries of Tradition and the founding intentions and give the nuns the Consecration.  The permission must come from Rome.  

 

What if the permission did not come from Rome or the Carmelite Father General at the time (assuming he had the authority in such a weighty matter which may be too much of an assumption)?  Well, we have a good thing unintentionally being used illicitely by good people.  Does the practice of giving the Anointing of the Sick to all and sundry ring a bell?  Even though it's a clear abuse of a great Sacrament?

 

Canon law will probably never go back about dispensing from solemn vows.  There's no reason to do so. 

 

Also, I really don't care who the bishop is/was.  The fact remains that most bishops show up for a ceremony and they say whatever is put in front of them.  If you've got a spiral bound collection for the bishop or even a binder, he's going to read it aloud.  He's going to think this is from the ceremonial of the nuns he is reciting it for even if it isn't. 

 

The moral of the story is clearly the Carmelite Nuns realized that they were NOT completely the spouses of Christ and were really upset by it and went for the prize.  What else would motivate them to take this drastic step?  Which again points to the idea of an essential difference between enclosed nuns and Brides of Christ.

[Sponsa-Christi]

 

 

When you understand the nature of a charism better, you'll understand it is not fitting for all religious communities even of enclosed nuns to have the Consecration of Virgins.  The mendicants ALL rejected it explicitly.  They didn't have to.  They chose to.  They broke away deliberately from the custom that was current at their time for nuns to receive the Consecration.  That was their choice.  Carmelites are mendicants.  They deliberately rejected it.  Now, centuries later, all of a sudden it is in keeping with Vatican II's wishes for people to go back to their founders to do a Consecration that was rejected? 

 

This is kind of a side topic, but I think that the consecration of virgins could harmonize well with the Carmelite charism. Even though Carmelites as we know them today are patterned after the mendicant Orders, they do trace their spiritual heritage back much further. 

 

While I would agree that communities that don't have permission to use the consecration of virgins shouldn't try to "sneak it in" to their solemn profession ceremonies, it's also entirely possible that this particular monastery did have the proper permission to use the Rite of Consecration.

 

In the mid-twentieth century, permission to use the Rite was given in a few surprising places--including one American community of active (!!!) Benedictines (because this particular community was able to trace their foundation to a monastery in Germany that had a tradition of using the Rite). Unfortunately, though, I don't recall which community it was, and I'm presuming they dropped this custom after Vatican II.

[God's Beloved]

Really quick, I wanted to ask about this, because I do not see it this way in the Ordo Professionis Religiosae. I found a used copy on amazon that just came in the mail.

 

There is a version specifically for men given in the first part "Ordo Professionis Religiosorum" and then there is a version specifically for women in the second part, "Ordo Professionis Religiosarum" 

 

There are not two versions of the consecration prayer for women, but only one, and that one version has the spousal imagery. I went through it several times to be sure, and that version is the only one offered for women.

 

I am not trying to use this as an example of how the Rite of CV and Rite of Religious Profession are the same. They are not. But this is a good example of how the Church views consecrated men and women differently.

 

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=FHZBFvLa5SkC&pg=PA182&lpg=PA182&dq=you+make+the+human+family+your+bride+radiant+with+your+own+likeness,&source=bl&ots=MWZ17Mh19v&sig=UzSBJXuZH366Qm0QMZ7bDyieYJ4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mYDhUNWnGYjPrQfCnICQCg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=you%20make%20the%20human%20family%20your%20bride%20radiant%20with%20your%20own%20likeness%2C&f=false

Point 72 gives one version of solemn blessing or consecration of the professed

Point 73  mentions the ring  as signifying ‘Betrothal’

Point 159 gives another solemn prayer of blessing or consecration of the professed.

 

This book refers to the 1988-89 versions . I've refered to the one for women religious.

[God's Beloved]

continued......

 

http://www.ssccpicpus.com/userfiles/file/Liturgy/Liturgy%20ENG/Ritual%20SSCC%20Religious%20Profession_E.pdf

 

[ approved in Rome in Feb 2012 ]

 

pages 72-76 mention the two options for the prayer of blessing or consecration for religious women [ in this case the same congregation can use either of the two options for women. Only one has spousal imagery]. 

 

One needs to also differentiate between the Anamnesis and the the Epiklesis in the prayer . The first part remembers God's work in the history of humankind and the Church. The second part  invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the religious women.

 

A careful study of the rite also shows the  intention of the Church that the religious profession  should make the glory of baptism shine again with the innocence of  newborn life , with the Church as their mother.

[God's Beloved]

This is very interesting : shows the development of the bride of Christ imagery in the history of the Church

 

Marrying Jesus: Brides and the Bridegroom

 

https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/indexablecontent?id=uuid:dbcaac3a-c91e-4eb3-bb18-852a84d09859&ds=DATA_FILE

[abrideofChrist]

This is very interesting : shows the development of the bride of Christ imagery in the history of the Church

 

Marrying Jesus: Brides and the Bridegroom

 

https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/indexablecontent?id=uuid:dbcaac3a-c91e-4eb3-bb18-852a84d09859&ds=DATA_FILE

 

I would not recommend this work to most people, particularly if they are not themselves scholars.  It treats of mystical writings and practices in a manner which demonstrates a lack of theological training in the Church's tradition.  This is a work for a secular university and it can be quite confusing for the person not steeped in Catholic hagiography and ascetical and mystical theology.  I personally did not find this work to be helpful for the discussion.
 

[ACS67]

This is very interesting : shows the development of the bride of Christ imagery in the history of the Church

 

Marrying Jesus: Brides and the Bridegroom

 

https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/indexablecontent?id=uuid:dbcaac3a-c91e-4eb3-bb18-852a84d09859&ds=DATA_FILE

Wow! That's interesting stuff and I have only read the first 20 pages.  I have already voiced my opinion on this whole matter so I won't comment further.  But thank you for the link to that dissertation.