Post-Brexit Vocations

[kg94]

What will come of those discerning who intend to enter in the UK but are EU citizens? For the apostolic communities, especially international ones, it may not be so bad, but what about the contemplative, monastic vocations? What kinds of issues will they face? Anyone have any insight into this issue? 

[beatitude]

Right now we don't know. The whole situation is a mess and no deal has been reached on everything, including movement and residency. But bear in mind that it will take two years for the process of leaving the EU to be completed even after the triggering of Article 50, so I wouldn't let this stop you from discerning. If God wants you in a UK community, He'll get you there. Don't let worries about this get in your way if you're being drawn to a UK monastery.

P.S. And as an illustration of what I mean, when Little Sister Magdeleine (founder of the Little Sisters of Jesus) felt that the sisters should establish themselves in Afghanistan, back in the late 1940s, she was told that there was no chance of it. The partition of India was causing unrest in the region and a cold war was developing between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the status of the North West Frontier Province. The Little Sisters basically just turned up at the border in crosses and veils and went straight through to Kabul with no opposition and everyone they met on the road falling over themselves to help. An LSJ once told me, laughing, that God doesn't take locked doors very seriously and neither do they.

[Sister Leticia]

I can think of several non-EU people currently in formation with various orders in the UK, including monastic life. I presume they are issued with visas which need to be periodically renewed. There might be a difficulty if, for example, someone has to wait for their visa renewal in order to make vows, and this causes anxiety, or if worries about their status in this country affect their freedom to discern. (I'm thinking if someone was reluctant to return to their home country/family for whatever reason).

So there is a precedent, and in the future EU citizens could end up with the same visas as non-EU citizens. But obviously, whereas now they can live, study and work here, leave the country and return and not have to worry about visas, work permits etc, in future there will be restrictions and maybe other issues, such as having to pay for NHS treatment. So it won't be impossible, but there will be effects.

As Beatitude has said, it's a mess and we really don't know - right now we can only speculate. It's good to be aware of possible issues and stumbling blocks, but the danger is to let speculation cause unnecessary anxiety. I think in some other posts you've mentioned that you're not yet in a position to start visiting/discerning, as you're still studying. You just don't know how much will change in the next year (or even few months) - you, your understanding of God's call, the Brexit negotiations... so much could change and is as yet unknown.

 

[bardegaulois]

Well, look at Silverstream Priory in Ireland. The monastery was founded in the US, but invited to Ireland. Most of the monks are American citizens, but they're doing just fine. Likewise we can look at the number of those from abroad coming to practice the religious life in the US or in the EU. There are certainly many non-EU citizens in formation or practicing religion in the UK as well. They come on visas, but they settle in. The precedents for religious and clergy moving around on visas are already there.