perpetual and temporary vows question

[adoro.te.devote]

Just for anyone's interest, I found a description of "vow of chastity" - I think this is from the Catholic Enclyclopedia... do I understand correctly from this that the vow of chastity refers to perfect chastity (total continence)? The description mentions chastity that is identical to the unmarried state - so celibacy.. ? this has always been my understanding but I thought i'd ask...

"The, vow of chastity forbids all voluntary sexual pleasure, whether interior or exterior: thus its object is identical with the obligations which the virtue of chastity imposes outside the marriage state. Strictly speaking, it differs (though in ordinary language the expressions may be synonymous) from the vow of celibacy (or abstinence from marriage), the vow of virginity (which becomes impossible of fulfillment after complete transgression), or the vow not to use the rights of marriage. The violation of the vow of chastity is always a sin against religion; it constitutes also a sacrilege in a person who has received Holy orders, or in a religious, because each of these persons has been consecrated to God by his vow: his vow forms part of the public worship of the Church. Some authors consider that this sacrilege is committed by the violation of even a private vow of chastity. Although a sin against the virtue of chastity is committed, there is no violation of the vow when a person without experiencing any sexual pleasure personally becomes an accomplice (as for instance by counsel) in the sin of another person not bound by a vow. Unless the person concerned is able honestly to abstain from all use of the rights of marriage, every simple vow of chastity constitutes a prohibitive impediment to marriage..."

[adoro.te.devote]

I found this passage in the book "Divine Intimacy".. it mentions a private vow to "perfect chastity" (meaning the evangelical counsel). Would it then make sense, if I ever make a perpetual private vow, to clarify that I mean "perfect chastity"? (This is what I meant from the beginning, however, and I think this is what most people mean who take this vow..)

Quote

A person is said to have a vocation when he is called by God to that higher state of life indicated by the counsels and implying a special relationship with God which sets him apart as one “consecrated,” that is, reserved for God alone. This is precisely why God asks these souls to renounce that life in which individuals contract bonds which establish a close union between them, and a mutual belonging to one another. Instead of binding itself to another creature, a consecrated soul binds itself to God by the pure bond of perfect chastity. It therefore belongs neither to itself nor to creatures, but only to God. This total belonging to God is the characteristic mark of a consecrated soul, whether it is sealed by sacramental charismatic consecration to the priesthood, by religious profession, or by a private vow of perfect chastity.

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by adoro.te.devote

[Sister_Laurel]

I was not commenting on your specific situation or what you should/should not have done. My point was simply that whenever one makes a vow they do not intend time limits. They intend to give the whole of themselves for all time. However, with public profession (which includes more than the making of vows), the Church may require an expiration date because one really may not be up to living (or discern they are really called to live) all of the additional rights and obligations associated with the profession.

Ordinarily a public vow formula will include either a phrase like "for the space of one year" or "perpetually". But with private vows there may not need to be such conditions added, especially since there are no public rights or obligations involved. As regards naming the vow, my comment really was meant to suggest that one name it according to what distinguishes it from what one is already obligated to on the basis of their baptism and state of life. Thus, every Christian is obligated to chastity within their state of life by virtue of their baptism/baptismal promises. But "remaining unmarried for the sake of the Kingdom" is something beyond what one is already obligated to, and might be a better description of what one is vowing privately.

[adoro.te.devote]

17 minutes ago, SRLAUREL said:

I was not commenting on your specific situation or what you should/should not have done. My point was simply that whenever one makes a vow they do not intend time limits. They intend to give the whole of themselves for all time. However, with public profession (which includes more than the making of vows), the Church may require an expiration date because one really may not be up to living (or discern they are really called to live) all of the additional rights and obligations associated with the profession.

Ordinarily a public vow formula will include either a phrase like "for the space of one year" or "perpetually". But with private vows there may not need to be such conditions added, especially since there are no public rights or obligations involved. As regards naming the vow, my comment really was meant to suggest that one name it according to what distinguishes it from what one is already obligated to on the basis of their baptism and state of life. Thus, every Christian is obligated to chastity within their state of life by virtue of their baptism/baptismal promises. But "remaining unmarried for the sake of the Kingdom" is something beyond what one is already obligated to, and might be a better description of what one is vowing privately.

Thank you for the reply! I think I got confused because I read that vows are made under the virtue of religion. If I simply vow to be unmarried, I would be offering this to God, but I wanted to offer this and my chastity in general, - both interior and exterior. My intention is to not marry as well as live out chastity with the virtue of religion. Maybe i'll ask my director if I should say "perfect chastity" in the future to make it more clear, because this seems to be the term of this kind of celibate chastity... I didn't realize that some people might vow simply to be chaste, while also seeking marriage!

Edited November 5, 2020 by adoro.te.devote

[Guest]

I initially made the vows renewable each year to test myself.  I knew I would need the gift of celibacy to persevere for life as I hoped to do. I had been married (annulled)for ;15 years and to marry with a life partner had real attraction, chaste celibacy did not come easy, and felt I needed to 'test the water' before I went ahead and made life vows which was a very serious move I felt.

 I had also waited until my annulment came through as I had been advised to do by my then priest religious SD.  I wanted to live a certain way of life under private vows.   Father died in the interim before my annulment came through, he was a priest religious theologian living and lecturing in our seminary then.

The single state of life always asks celibate chastity and complete sexual continence as one's duty in that state of life.

 

[Sister_Laurel]

Adoro --- I wouldn't worry about this. You have made the vow and you know what you were saying and not saying, intending and not intending, promising and not promising. Neither you nor anyone else can add conditions to the vow now, including what you are learning from the Catholic Encyclopedia.  To add conditions to your own vow (including expanded definitions of chastity and whether it is binding under the virtue of religion) would really require additional discernment and a new vow.

This does, however, raise the question of describing private vows accurately for one's own sake and the sake of one's relationship with God before one makes the vow. Chanceries and canonists vet vow formulae to be sure the person is saying precisely what they mean, no more and no less; they also make sure the one making the vows  completely understands the import of keeping/not keeping the vows and the legal implications of these things. With private vows this is rarely done and, as with any vow (public or private) cannot be done after the fact. So again, don't worry. You know what you promised and what you did not.

Edited November 5, 2020 by SRLAUREL

[adoro.te.devote]

38 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

I initially made the vows renewable each year to test myself.  I knew I would need the gift of celibacy to persevere for life as I hoped to do. I had been married (annulled)for ;15 years and to marry with a life partner had real attraction, chaste celibacy did not come easy, and felt I needed to 'test the water' before I went ahead and made life vows which was a very serious move I felt.

 I had also waited until my annulment came through as I had been advised to do by my then priest religious SD.  I wanted to live a certain way of life under private vows.   Father died in the interim before my annulment came through, he was a priest religious theologian living and lecturing in our seminary then.

The single state of life always asks celibate chastity and complete sexual continence as one's duty in that state of life.

 

I think that totally makes sense!

35 minutes ago, SRLAUREL said:

Adoro --- I wouldn't worry about this. You have made the vow and you know what you were saying and not saying, intending and not intending, promising and not promising. Neither you nor anyone else can add conditions to the vow now, including what you are learning from the Catholic Encyclopedia.  To add conditions to your own vow (including expanded definitions of chastity and whether it is binding under the virtue of religion) would really require additional discernment and a new vow.

This does, however, raise the question of describing private vows accurately for one's own sake and the sake of one's relationship with God before one makes the vow. Chanceries and canonists vet vow formulae to be sure the person is saying precisely what they mean, no more and no less; they also make sure the one making the vows  completely understands the import of keeping/not keeping the vows and the legal implications of these things. With private vows this is rarely done and, as with any vow (public or private) cannot be done after the fact. So again, don't worry. You know what you promised and what you did not.

Thank you for the reply! I do wish that there was more information out there on private vows.. I researched the topic before I made my vow, and I found out the meaning of a vow and conditions of it being valid, but it was hard to find information on private vows in particular.

When I made it, I intended to vow perfect chastity under the virtue of religion and this being done in the context of celibacy, which I intend to be life-long. My intention is the same today. In the prayer I wrote, I said that I'm vowing "chastity", the duration of the vow, and that I'm giving up marriage, and it meant these things to me. If I make a perpetual vow someday, I have the chance to work on the wording to make it more exact :)