What's The Difference Between A Nun And A Sister? (if Any?)

[Lounge Daddy]

Is there a difference?

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='Lounge Daddy' post='1683964' date='Oct 22 2008, 11:35 PM']Is there a difference?[/quote]

The article [url="http://anunslife.org/2006/11/12/whats-the-difference-between-a-nun-and-a-sister/"]here[/url] says the difference is a matter of patrimony.

Wiki says:

[quote]Nuns and sisters are distinguished by the type of vows they take (solemn vows vs. simple vows) and the focus of their good works. The type of vows that are taken are dependent on the Constitutions and/or rule of each community, which are submitted for approval to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, a body of the Roman Curia. The religious community of a nun is referred to as a "religious order" while the religious community of a sister is referred to as an "institute" or "congregation". Hence, all nuns are religious sisters, but not all religious sisters are, properly speaking, nuns.

To be a Roman Catholic nun, one must

- Live in a convent, cloister, or monastery;
- belong to an order in which the members eventually take the solemn vows; and
- recite the Liturgy of the Hours or other prayers together with her community.[/quote]

[Stacey]

By the definition given and in religious communities, it essentially means that
Nuns are Cloistered - only Cloistered women make Solemn Profession and Sisters are Uncloistered/Active, have outside apostolates who make Perpetual Simple Vows.
Usually though the public don't know the difference and call everyone a nun and we are all sisters. pax

[shortnun]

I found [url="http://anunslife.org/sister-or-nun/"]this blog post[/url] by Sr. Julie, IHM to be helpful.

[dee_0824]

All NUNS are sisters BUT not all sisters are NUNS.

So, when you hear someone say, "I was taught by so-and-so Nuns" you need to correct them and say, "No you were taught by so-and-so Sisters".



Yes, that is a sore spot I have.

Its kind of like when I have a parent who refers to "Teen Life" when they really should be saying "Life Teen"...and yes, I correct them.

[Saint Therese]

Nuns usually have cuter outfits.

[VeniteAdoremus]

[quote name='shortnun' post='1684259' date='Oct 23 2008, 04:18 PM']I found [url="http://anunslife.org/sister-or-nun/"]this blog post[/url] by Sr. Julie, IHM to be helpful.[/quote]

I was going to refer to that one, too.

Read it

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='shortnun' post='1684259' date='Oct 23 2008, 04:18 PM']I found [url="http://anunslife.org/sister-or-nun/"]this blog post[/url] by Sr. Julie, IHM to be helpful.[/quote]

If Summit's Sr. MC were reading this she would hound me for what I'm about to say, but I'm going to be daring and say that whilst the distinction between the two maybe observed by religious orders (whatever it might [i]mean[/i] to say that an order observes it), it's a distinction that doesn't really mean much. Canon law says that a vow is solemn if the Church recognises it as such and that in other cases it is simple. There's no mention of the patrimony issue - I'm not disputing all this, by the way, personally I think it's a neat "detail" and whilst my Latin's not up to much it wouldn't surprise me if it's in the 1917 Code - so I'd guess that if anything came to a court on this point there wouldn't be any case to answer.

For what it's worth, I vaguely remember reading somewhere (New Advent?) that there is (or was) another difference between solemn and simple vows: the consequences if one is released from them (or if they're commuted - I'm not up on the terminology). My understanding was that - certainly before 1983 - someone having left solemn vows could not legally contract marriage, whilst someone who had previously taken simple vows could (all this assuming that the commuting took place according to proper Church procedure): a solemn vow constituted a [i]diriment impediment[/i] and a simple vow....something else.

Sorry if I'm going off on one, I'm a canon law fangirl. Some info can be found [url="http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Canonical_Impediments"]here[/url], but please remember that the info at that link is from 1913!

[EWIE]

[quote name='puellapaschalis' date='Oct 25 2008, 01:24 PM' post='1686016']
If Summit's Sr. MC were reading this she would hound me

She DOES read it. She just doesn't answer.
She is still all over the internet.

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='EWIE' post='1686054' date='Oct 25 2008, 10:23 PM']She DOES read it. She just doesn't answer.
She is still all over the internet.[/quote]

Ahhh the omnipotent Sr.MC!! Then I'll expect a scolding email

BTW, could you fix your quote tags please? It makes your posts easier to read. Thanks!

[osapientia]

[quote name='puellapaschalis' post='1686016' date='Oct 25 2008, 03:24 PM'][/quote]

I have no academic knowledge of this...but I don't THINK there is an impediment because my very close friend is married to a man who was a solemnly professed Franciscan Friar. He was released from his vows - which he had to be able to prove to the parish where they were married - and legitimately married in the Church.

Perhaps the impediment (as I think you said) is just an old one.


Peace.

[Lilllabettt]

Hi EWIE! Long time no see. Is everything okay with you? I notice that your most recent comments have a "push back" quality to them. Or at least, it seems that way to me. For example, in this thread, saying Sister is "all over" the internet. Sorry if I'm seeing anger/frustration that isn't really there.

On the subject of this thread ... when I was in formation, we were taught that there is no distinction in canon law anymore, between simple perpetual and solemn vows.

I believe a distinction is still praticed in some communities that do take solemn vows ... the difference they emphasize is in the depth or quality of poverty declared ... I also remember reading somewhere that there was a difference in dispensations ... a bishop can dispense from simple vows, but the Pope's approval is required to dispense solemn vows. I'm not sure if there's any meat to this, or if I dreamed it during study time!

[Sister Rose Therese]

OK, here is what I remember from the novitiate.
It used to be that someone who attempted marriage while under a solemn vow of chastity (celebacy) married invalidly while someone only under a simple vow married validly but it was sinful.
Now it is considered invalid for anyone under solemn or simple vows of chastity to marry.
So there is not longer the distinction there.

As far as the vow of poverty goes though there is still a difference. Someone under a solemn vow of poverty is not able to own property while someone under a simple vow of poverty may own property but may not administer it.

And for women religious you have to be cloistered (or in some cases semi-cloistered) to be considered a nun and to take solemn vows. There does not seem to be this distinction with men religious and I really never understood why.

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='EWIE' post='1686054' date='Oct 25 2008, 02:23 PM']quote name='puellapaschalis' date='Oct 25 2008, 01:24 PM' post='1686016'
If Summit's Sr. MC were reading this she would hound me

She DOES read it. She just doesn't answer.
She is still all over the internet.[/quote]

I don't think she has much time to be "all over the internet." Between her constant giving of herself to God every moment of her cloistered life, her solid forming of the women under her care in the novitiate, and the numerous projects her community is undertaking at the present time, she hasn't much time. She has her community's blog to work on, and if she comes on here, it's only for very brief times. But she's not "all over the internet."

[Sister_Laurel]

[quote name='dee_0824' post='1685834' date='Oct 25 2008, 12:39 AM']All NUNS are sisters BUT not all sisters are NUNS.

So, when you hear someone say, "I was taught by so-and-so Nuns" you need to correct them and say, "No you were taught by so-and-so Sisters".



Yes, that is a sore spot I have.

Its kind of like when I have a parent who refers to "Teen Life" when they really should be saying "Life Teen"...and yes, I correct them.[/quote]


Then be prepared to be correcting a religious woman because most of us, whether active or contemplative, in solemn or simple vows, use the terms Sister and Nun interchangeably in everyday speech. The technical differences aside (cloister, vow of poverty, etc) the words really are the same, and while it is fine to point out the differences if someone is interested, correcting someone for using the term nun when they are speaking about sisters is rarely appropriate. (You might consider saying something like, "Say did you know that technically Sisters and Nuns are not necessarily the same thing?" and then expanding if the person shows greater interest. However, the difference between the two is one even religious women do not care about or always reflect in ordinary speech).

Sincerely,
Sister Laurel M O'Neal, erem dio
Stillsong Hermitage
Diocese of Oakland