Vocations Trivia Game

[abrideofChrist]

Can't articulate the difference, but 

 

Inst. of Consecrated Life: Regnum Christi

Soc. of Apolstolic Life: Apostles of the Interior Life

 

Hmmm...  I think both examples are incorrect.

Regnum Christi -even on the top '3gf/3gm' levels are lay persons who are trying to figure out their charism right now under the supervision of the Holy See.  They were founded by a bi-sexual pedophile and used to generate funding for his immoral actions, so they'll have a hard time discovering their "charism".  They might become religious and on the other hand they might become a society of apostolic life or get entirely dissolved.  An example of an Inst of consecrated life is the Missionaries of Charity or the Daughters of St. Paul or the Christian Brothers.

 

The Apostles of the Interior life are -to my knowledge- still in the "Association of the Faithful" stage.  The last time I talked with them they were trying to figure out whether to be a religious community, a secular institute, or a society of apostolic life.  I think one of the last two options are probably what they'll be aiming for, but in the meantime, they are just an association and are not in public vows.  An example of a Society of Apostolic Life is the Oratorians.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Hmmm...  I think both examples are incorrect.

Regnum Christi -even on the top '3gf/3gm' levels are lay persons who are trying to figure out their charism right now under the supervision of the Holy See.  They were founded by a bi-sexual pedophile and used to generate funding for his immoral actions, so they'll have a hard time discovering their "charism".  They might become religious and on the other hand they might become a society of apostolic life or get entirely dissolved.  An example of an Inst of consecrated life is the Missionaries of Charity or the Daughters of St. Paul or the Christian Brothers.

 

The Apostles of the Interior life are -to my knowledge- still in the "Association of the Faithful" stage.  The last time I talked with them they were trying to figure out whether to be a religious community, a secular institute, or a society of apostolic life.  I think one of the last two options are probably what they'll be aiming for, but in the meantime, they are just an association and are not in public vows.  An example of a Society of Apostolic Life is the Oratorians.

My spiritual director IS an Apostle of the Interior Life, and she told me that they're a Society of Apostolic Life. 

 

:)

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Also, they made/renewed their public vows in my parish this year and all years prior on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

[Chiquitunga]

wait, I thought Societies of Apostolic Life don't take vows. the only one I know of (besides Apostles of the Interior Life now) is the FSSP who do not take any type of vows

[Chiquitunga]

My understanding is that solemn vows are perpetual vows. Those two are the same. The other option is simple vows, which are temporary, usually renewed every year or every few years.

 

So: Nuns take solemn, perpetual vows. Sisters take simple, temporary (renewable/renewed) vows.

 

You are right that cloistered/contemplative communities tend to take solemn, perpetual vows, while active communities tend to take simple, temporary/renewable/renewed vows. But sometimes there are exceptions, so yes, what distinguishes nuns from sisters is the vows, not the apostolate.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong. This is just what I thought I understood a Benedictine explain to me once!

 

(NOTE: Just because a sister's vows are technically "temporary", that doesn't mean she considers her vocation temporary! On the contrary...)

 

Yes, it is correct that the difference between Nuns and Sisters (although the terms are interchanged a lot in casual speech & nuns can always be called sisters) are the type of vows they take, Solemn for Nuns, Simple for Sisters.

 

Sr. Mary Catharine would be the best one here to explain the difference between the two.

 

The temporary vows for both are Simple Vows. Final vows for Sisters are still Simple and are usually termed Perpetual Profession. Nuns' final vows are Solemn Vows/Solemn Profession. I have never seen Solemn Profession referred to as "Perpetual Profession" although sometimes I've heard them referred to as Solemn and Perpetual Vows. But I've only seen "Perpetual Profession" used to refer to the Simple final vows of Sisters. It's pretty much always an indicater when you see the term "Perpetual Profession" that these vows are not Solemn, otherwise they would use "Solemn Profession"

 

examples - Perpetual Vows/Profession

 

http://nashvilledominican.org/Vocations/The_Formation_Process

 

http://www.sistersoflife.org/about-the-sisters-of-life/formation

 

http://www.carmelitesisters.com/vocation/stages-of-formation/

 

http://feliciansistersna.org/become-a-felician-sister/formation-process/perpetual-profession

 

http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/73

 

 

Solemn Vows/Profession

 

http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/166

 

http://www.poorclaresstl.org/videogallery_items/profession/

 

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/catholiclife/2012/01/26/sister-elizabeth-makes-her-solemn-profession/

 

 

Some cloistered contemplative communities do not take Solemn Vows at final profession, like Passionist Nuns. They are always referred to as nuns, though strictly/technically they are not. In order for them to be able to take Solemn Vows they needed to be part of an Order (with a capital "O" or be one themselves) although I remember Sr. Mary Catharine once saying the way things are in Canon Law now, any community can take Solemn Vows if it's in their Constitutions. But anyway, for now they do not take Solemn Vows. I remember reading this in their history somewhere too. 

 

http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/390

 

http://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/2011/07/16/different-stages-of-formation/

 

 

And here are cloistered Dominican Sisters that do not take Solemn Vows. I remember there was a Dominican Sister (already in Perpetual Vows), I think from this community, that went to Summit and went through formation again before making her Solemn Profession. 

 

http://www.dsopr.org/vocation.html

[Chiquitunga]

p.s. quick note to say though, I kind of hesitated to try to answer that question when I first saw it earlier, as I kind of feel bad when the two are compared a lot/don't want to come off as saying one is better than the other/snobbish/pharisaical, etc. anyway, you all get what I'm saying! :like: Go where Christ is calling you to serve and love Him! :heart:

 

[abrideofChrist]

Also, they made/renewed their public vows in my parish this year and all years prior on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

 

If they made public vows they are an institute of consecrated life (religious or secular institute) of diocesan right.  They did not make public vows.  They made vows which are temporary and private in a public setting because they are a group still searching its identity.  If they choose to become a Society of Apostolic Life, then they will be lay persons (other than the priests) and they will never make public vows.  I happen to have been to two of their community locations and know them very well.  I do not think they have officially become anything other than a Public Association of the faithful just yet.  If you look up their website, you can't find any bishop anywhere giving them the status of being an institute of consecrated life or even for them being approved as a society of apostolic life (lay).  As far as I know, the women are still lay women, and their organization is still an Association of the faithful (public or private I don't know) of the Diocese of Rome.

Edited April 28, 2013 by abrideofChrist

[abrideofChrist]

Here is a statement about their status:

 

http://www.theleaven.com/V31/v31n31apostles.html

 

Apparently they are a Public not Private Association of the Faithful.  This is the last stage before they apply for their ultimate goal.  What it is has been under debate for some time.  When I first discerned with them, they were hoping to be religious and were calling themselves "Sisters".  However, because they wanted to keep lay clothing, they wanted to become a Secular Institute.  Now, it appears that they are either discerning becoming a Sec. Inst. or a Society of Apostolic Life.  Of course, if they become a Soc. of Apst. Life, then they'll forfeit the possibility of being consecrated in the proper sense and will have to rethink their terminology of being consecrated women.  Being an Society of Apostolic Life is not a problem for the men, in the male branch because they don't have to be consecrated, they can "just" be priests.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

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