Jus novum ( c. 1140 -1563)
119-461: Jus novissimum ( c. 1563 -1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of the faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Election of
238-503: A "permanent" deacon (one not intending to become a priest) is decided by the regional episcopal conference . Matrimony , or Marriage, is another sacrament that consecrates for a particular mission in building up the Church, and that provides grace for accomplishing that mission. This sacrament, seen as a sign of the love uniting Christ and the Church, establishes between the spouses a permanent and exclusive bond, sealed by God. Accordingly,
357-445: A Christo" of 8 December 1900. The 1917 Code of Canon Law reserved the term "nun" (Latin: monialis ) for religious women who took solemn vows or who, while being allowed in some places to take simple vows, belonged to institutes whose vows were normally solemn. It used the word "sister" (Latin: soror ) exclusively for members of institutes for women that it classified as " congregations "; and for "nuns" and "sisters" jointly it used
476-506: A child reaches the age of reason. U.S. dioceses complied but did not bring confirmation forward with it from a subsequent age. The Sacrament of Penance (or Reconciliation) is the first of two sacraments of healing. The Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions in the following order and capitalization different names of the sacrament, calling it the sacrament of conversion, Penance, confession, forgiveness and Reconciliation. It
595-725: A community of nuns is often associated with prayer for some particular good or supporting the missions of another order by prayer (for instance, the Dominican nuns of Corpus Christi Monastery in the Bronx , New York, pray in support of the priests of the Archdiocese of New York ). Yet religious sisters can also perform this form of ministry, e.g., the Maryknoll Missionary Sisters have small houses of contemplative sisters, some in mission locations, who pray for
714-960: A controversial monastery for the training of Buddhist nuns in Thailand. The relatively active roles of Taiwanese nuns were noted by some studies. Researcher Charles Brewer Jones estimates that from 1951 to 1999, when the Buddhist Association of the ROC organized public ordination, female applicants outnumbered males by about three to one. He adds: All my informants in the areas of Taipei and Sanhsia considered nuns at least as respectable as monks, or even more so. [...] In contrast, however, Shiu-kuen Tsung found in Taipei county that female clergy were viewed with some suspicion by society. She reports that while outsiders did not necessarily regard their vocation as unworthy of respect, they still tended to view
833-556: A deacon configures the man in the service of the bishop, especially in the Church's exercise of Christian charity towards the poor, and preaching of the word of God. Men who discern a vocation to the priesthood are required by canon law (canon 1032 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law ) to undertake a seminary program with graduate level philosophical and theological studies and a formation program that includes spiritual direction , retreats , apostolate experience, and learning some Latin. The course of studies in preparation for ordination as
952-591: A formal religious life. In 1566 and 1568, Pope Pius V rejected this class of congregation, but they continued to exist and even increased in number. After at first being merely tolerated, they afterwards obtained approval. Finally in the 20th century, Pope Leo XIII recognized as religious all men and women who took simple vows. Their lives were oriented not to the ancient monastic way of life, but more to social service and to evangelization , both in Europe and in mission areas. Their number had increased dramatically in
1071-412: A grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion." Regarding marriage, "basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered' [...] contrary to the natural law." "The ordination of women is not possible." The efficacy of sacraments does not depend on
1190-653: A guesthouse for Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem. Religious communities throughout England were destroyed by King Henry VIII when he separated the Church of England from papal authority during the English Reformation (see Dissolution of the Monasteries ). Monasteries and convents were deprived of their lands and possessions, and monastics were forced to either live a secular life on a pension or flee
1309-593: A lay person delegated by the diocesan Bishop with the approval of the Episcopal Conference and the permission of the Holy See ) and at least two other witnesses, though in the theological tradition of the Latin Church the ministers of the sacrament uniquely are the couple themselves. For a valid marriage, a man and a woman must express their conscious and free consent to a definitive self-giving to
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#17327717699251428-479: A local synod of bishops by jurisdiction, but are otherwise self-governing. Abbesses hear confessions (but do not absolve ) and dispense blessings on their charges, though they still require the services of a presbyter (i.e., a priest) to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and perform other priestly functions, such as the absolution of a penitent. In general, Orthodox monastics have little or no contact with
1547-638: A major role in American religion, education, nursing and social work since the early 19th century. In Catholic Europe, convents were heavily endowed over the centuries, and were sponsored by the aristocracy. There were very few rich American Catholics , and no aristocrats. Religious orders were founded by entrepreneurial women who saw a need and an opportunity, and were staffed by devout women from poor families. The numbers grew rapidly, from 900 sisters in 15 communities in 1840, 50,000 in 170 orders in 1900, and 135,000 in 300 different orders by 1930. Starting in 1820,
1666-442: A marriage between baptized people, validly entered into and consummated, cannot be dissolved. The sacrament confers on them the grace they need for attaining holiness in their married life and for responsible acceptance and upbringing of their children. As a condition for validity, the sacrament is celebrated in the presence of the local Ordinary or Parish Priest or of a cleric delegated by them (or in certain limited circumstances
1785-413: A marriage invalid, except in the cases in which the Holy See directed otherwise. Thus members of orders were barred absolutely from marriage, and any marriage they attempted was invalid. Those who made simple vows were obliged not to marry, but if they did break their vow, the marriage was considered valid. Another difference was that a professed religious of solemn vows lost the right to own property and
1904-491: A reasonable request to renounce their property except for what would be required for their sustenance if they were to depart. These changes resulted in a further blurring of the previously clear distinction between orders and congregations, since institutes that were founded as congregations began to have some members who had all three solemn vows or had members that took a solemn vow of poverty and simple vows of chastity and obedience. The current 1983 Code of Canon Law maintains
2023-490: A sacrament; let him be anathema . CANON IV.- If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous; and that, without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain of God, through faith alone, the grace of justification; – though all (the sacraments) are not necessary for every individual; let him be anathema. "Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of
2142-525: A white veil instead of black, to distinguish her from professed members) and undertakes the novitiate , a period (that lasts one to two years) of living the life of the religious institute without yet taking vows . Upon completion of this period she may take her initial, temporary vows. Temporary vows last one to three years, typically, and will be professed for not less than three years and not more than six. Finally, she will petition to make her "perpetual profession", taking permanent, solemn vows . In
2261-494: Is "strengthened and deepened." Like baptism, confirmation may be received only once, and the recipient must be in a state of grace (meaning free from any known unconfessed mortal sin ) in order to receive its effects. The "originating" minister of the sacrament is a validly consecrated bishop ; if a priest (a "presbyter") confers the sacrament – as is done ordinarily in the Eastern Churches and in special cases (such as
2380-536: Is a clear distinction between "orders" and "communities", as the Episcopal Church has its own two-fold definition of "religious orders" (equivalent to the first two groups above) and "Christian communities" (equivalent to the third group above). The Anglican Religious Life directory affirms this, stating "This distinction in not used in other parts of the Anglican Communion where 'communities'
2499-568: Is a colloquialism. A religious order is characterized by an authority structure where a superior general has jurisdiction over the order's dependent communities. An exception is the Order of Saint Benedict which is not a religious order in this technical sense, because it has a system of independent houses, meaning that each abbey is autonomous. However, the constitutions governing the order's global independent houses and its distinct Benedictine congregations (of which there are twenty) were approved by
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#17327717699252618-475: Is a late addition.) Fully ordained Buddhist nuns ( bhikkhunis ) have more Patimokkha rules than the monks ( bhikkhus ). The important vows are the same, however. As with monks, there is quite a lot of variation in nuns' dress and social conventions between Buddhist cultures in Asia. Chinese nuns possess the full bhikkuni ordination, Tibetan nuns do not. In Theravada countries it is generally believed that
2737-540: Is able to confect the sacrament of the Eucharist in the person of Christ is a validly ordained priest alone." The word "priest" here (in Latin sacerdos ) includes both bishops and those priests who are also called presbyters . Deacons as well as priests ( sacerdotes ) are ordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and lay people may be authorized to act as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The Eucharistic celebration
2856-486: Is accepted, provided that the water flows over the skin, since otherwise it is not a washing. Confirmation or Chrismation is the second sacrament of Christian initiation. "It is called Chrismation (in the Eastern Churches: anointing with holy myron or chrism) because the essential rite of the sacrament is anointing with chrism. It is called Confirmation because it confirms and strengthens baptismal grace." It
2975-566: Is also used for those who take traditional vows." In some Anglican orders, there are sisters who have been ordained and can celebrate the Eucharist. The Emmanuel Sisterhood in Cameroon, Africa, is part of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC). The Saint Brigid of Kildare Benedictine Monastery is a United Methodist double monastery with both monks and nuns. All Buddhist traditions have nuns, although their status
3094-634: Is being increasingly restored. The Eucharist, also called the Blessed Sacrament , is the sacrament – the third of Christian initiation, the one that the Catechism of the Catholic Church says "completes Christian initiation" – by which Catholics partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and participate in the Eucharistic memorial of his one sacrifice. The first of these two aspects of
3213-489: Is bound by the " seal of confession ", which is inviolable. "Accordingly, it is absolutely wrong for a confessor in any way to betray the penitent, for any reason whatsoever, whether by word or in any other fashion." A confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs an automatic excommunication whose lifting is reserved to the Holy See . In some dioceses, certain sins are "reserved" which means only certain confessors can absolve them. Some sins, such as violation of
3332-469: Is conferred by "the anointing with Sacred Chrism (oil mixed with balsam and consecrated by the bishop), which is done by the laying on of the hand of the minister who pronounces the sacramental words proper to the rite." These words, in both their Western and Eastern variants, refer to a gift of the Holy Spirit that marks the recipient as with a seal. Through the sacrament the grace given in baptism
3451-451: Is different among Buddhist countries. The Buddha is reported to have allowed women into the sangha only with great reluctance, predicting that the move would lead to Buddhism's collapse after 500 years, rather than the 1,000 years it would have enjoyed otherwise. (This prophecy occurs only once in the Canon and is the only prophecy involving time in the Canon, leading some to suspect that it
3570-579: Is found in the 1964 edition of the Annuario Pontificio , pp. 807–870, where the heading is "States of Perfection (of pontifical right for men)". In the 1969 edition the heading is "Religious and Secular institutes of Pontifical Right for Men", a form it kept until 1975. Since 1976, when work was already advanced on revising the Code of Canon Law, the list has been qualified as "historical-juridical". The list of religious institutes for women in
3689-458: Is made a deacon , a deacon is made a priest and a priest is made a bishop , dedicated for service to the Church. In descending order of rank, the three degrees are referred to as episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate. The bishop is the only minister of this sacrament. Ordination as a bishop confers the fullness of the sacrament, with membership of the College of Bishops , the successor body in
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3808-432: Is often used of the houses of certain other institutes. The traditional dress for women in religious communities consists of a tunic , which is tied around the waist with a cloth or leather belt. Over the tunic some nuns wear a scapular which is a garment of long wide piece of woolen cloth worn over the shoulders with an opening for the head. Some wear a white wimple and a veil, the most significant and ancient aspect of
3927-433: Is seen as "the source and summit" of Christian living, the high point of God's sanctifying action on the faithful and of their worship of God, the point of contact between them and the liturgy of heaven. So important is it that participation in the Eucharistic celebration (see Mass ) is seen as obligatory on every Sunday and holy day of obligation and is recommended on other days. Also recommended for those who participate in
4046-651: Is seen in the names of numerous hospitals. The example of the Deaconess communities eventually led to the establishment of religious communities of monks and nuns within some Protestant traditions, particularly those influenced by the more liturgical Protestant reformers (such as Martin Luther ) rather than the more extreme reformers (such as John Calvin ). This has allowed for communities of nuns (or, in some cases, mixed communities of nuns and monks) to be re-established in some Protestant traditions. Many of these are within
4165-429: Is the sacrament of spiritual healing of a baptized person from the distancing from God resulting from sins committed. When people sin after baptism, they cannot have baptism as a remedy; Baptism, which is a spiritual regeneration, cannot be given a second time. The sacrament involves four elements: "Many sins wrong our neighbour. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore
4284-510: The Annuario Pontificio does not distinguish between orders (with solemn vows) and congregations (with simple vows). Many of the religious orders for men listed above have comparable religious institutes for women with solemn vows. Official websites Acronyms and denominations Lists Sacraments in the Catholic Church God Schools Relations with: There are seven sacraments of
4403-520: The Catholic tradition, there are many religious institutes of nuns and sisters (the female equivalent of male monks or friars ), each with its own charism or special character. Traditionally, nuns are members of enclosed religious orders and take solemn religious vows , while sisters do not live in the papal enclosure and formerly took vows called "simple vows". As monastics , nuns living within an enclosure historically commit to recitation of
4522-551: The Catholic , Oriental Orthodox , Eastern Orthodox , Lutheran , and Anglican and some Presbyterian traditions, as well as other Christian denominations. In the Buddhist tradition, female monastics are known as Bhikkhuni , and take several additional vows compared to male monastics ( bhikkhus ). Nuns are most common in Mahayana Buddhism , but have more recently become more prevalent in other traditions. In
4641-472: The Council of Florence (1439) was reaffirmed by the Council of Trent (1545–1563), which stated: CANON I.- If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by Jesus Christ, our Lord; or that they are more, or less, than seven, to wit, Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony; or even that any one of these seven is not truly and properly
4760-677: The Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215. The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists the sacraments as follows: "The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism , Confirmation or Chrismation , Eucharist , Penance , Anointing of the Sick , Holy Orders , and Matrimony ." The list of seven sacraments already given by
4879-567: The Last Rites . The other Last Rites are Confession (if the dying person is physically unable to confess, at least absolution, conditional on the existence of contrition, is given), and the Eucharist, which when administered to the dying is known as "bread for the journey" or by the Latin name " Viaticum ", literally "provisions for a journey". Holy Orders is the Sacrament by which a layman
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4998-561: The code of 1983 , the Vatican has addressed the renewal of the contemplative life of nuns. It produced the letter Verbi Sponsa in 1999, the apostolic constitution Vultum Dei quaerere in 2016, and the instruction Cor Orans in 2018 "which replaced the 1999 document Verbi Sponsa and attempted to bring forward the ideas regarding contemplative life born during the Second Vatican Council". Nuns and sisters played
5117-638: The mystical body of Christ ), consisting of Baptism , Confirmation , and the Eucharist ; the sacraments of healing, consisting of the Sacrament of Penance and the Anointing of the Sick ; and the sacraments of service: Holy Orders and Matrimony . Furthermore, Baptism and penance were also known as the "sacraments of the dead" (in the meaning that the souls of the sinners which are regarded dead before God may obtain life through these sacraments), whereas
5236-660: The 500s, with the Order of Saint Benedict being formed in 529. The earliest orders include the Cistercians (1098), the Premonstratensians (1120), the Poor Clares founded by Francis of Assisi (1212), and the Benedictine reform movements of Cluny (1216). These orders were confederations of independent abbeys and priories, who were unified through a loose structure of leadership and oversight. Later
5355-737: The Acts of the Apostles Baptism, Laying of the Hands (Confirmation/Chrismation) and Breaking of the Bread are administered to the faithful within a short span of time (Acts 2: 42; 8:14; 19:6). The Eastern Churches followed the Sacraments of Initiation from early days. Latin Church, though administered the three sacraments- Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist- separately, they retained the idea of unity of these sacraments. Thus CCC 1233 implies that
5474-410: The Catholic Church references this order at No. 1212, and at No. 1322 says: "The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation.". Administering the Eucharist before Confirmation began in the Latin Church, unlike other Christian bodies, due to Pope Pius X 's 1910 decree Quam singulari Christus amore (transl.: "How special was Christ's love"), which said Communion should not be delayed beyond when
5593-465: The Catholic Church , which according to Catholic theology were instituted by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church. Sacraments are visible rites seen as signs and efficacious channels of the grace of God to all those who receive them with the proper disposition. The sacraments are often classified into three categories: the sacraments of initiation (into the Catholic Church and
5712-586: The Christian initiation is completed by years long preparation in the Latin Church. Many of the Eastern Churches have restored their original tradition of Christian initiation which they lost in Latinization. The Roman Catholic Church sees baptism as the first and basic sacrament of Christian initiation. In the Western or Latin Church , baptism is usually conferred today by pouring water three times on
5831-584: The Christian's life of faith". "The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation", although not all are necessary for every individual. The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Christian initiation is accomplished by means of the sacraments which establish the foundations of Christian life. The faithful born anew by Baptism are strengthened by Confirmation and are then nourished by
5950-462: The Church of England's Church Commissioners , General Synod , Archbishops' Council , and National Society . This department publishes the biennial Anglican Religious Life , a world directory of religious orders, and also maintains an official Anglican Communion website for religious orders. Anglican Religious Life defines four categories of community. In the United States (only), there
6069-592: The Church to that of the Apostles , and entrusting to him the threefold office to teach, sanctify, and govern the People of God . Ordination as a priest calls the priest to take, in the Eucharistic celebration, the role of Christ , the Head of the Church, the one essential High Priest, and confers on him the power and responsibility, as the bishop's assistant, to celebrate the sacraments except for Holy Orders. Ordination as
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#17327717699256188-808: The Confederated Canons Regular of Saint Augustine. And the Cistercians are in thirteen congregations, each headed by an abbot general or an abbot president, but do not use the title of abbot primate. The Annuario Pontificio presents the list of male religious institutes in an Elenco Storio-Giuridico di Precedenza ("Historical-juridical list of precedence"). This list gives priority to certain types of institutes: Orders (divided into Canons Regular, monastics, mendicant orders, clerics regular), clerical religious congregations, lay religious congregations, Eastern religious congregations, secular institutes , societies of apostolic life . The list
6307-510: The Eucharist." The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "In the Eastern rites the Christian initiation of infants also begins with Baptism followed immediately by Confirmation (Chrismation) and the Eucharist, while in the Roman rite it is followed by years of catechesis before being completed later by Confirmation and the Eucharist, the summit of their Christian initiation" ( CCC 1233). Again in
6426-417: The Latin word religiosae (women religious). The same religious order could include both "nuns" and "sisters", if some members took solemn vows and others simple vows. The new legal code of the Catholic Church which was adopted in 1983, however, remained silent on this matter. Whereas previously the code distinguished between orders and congregations, the code now refers simply to religious institutes. Since
6545-457: The Mass is reception, with the proper dispositions, of Holy Communion. This is seen as obligatory at least once a year, during Eastertide. During the second half of the 2010s some dioceses of Latin Church in the United States, as elsewhere, returned to the original order of the three sacraments of Christian initiation, that is: Baptism, Confirmation and, lastly, first Communion. The Catechism of
6664-511: The Pope himself, while departments of the Holy See and superiors specially delegated by it could dispense from simple religious vows. The 1917 Code maintained a juridical distinction by declaring invalid any marriage attempted by solemnly professed religious or by those with simple vows to which the Holy See had attached the effect of invalidating marriage, while stating that no simple vow rendered
6783-518: The Roman Pontiff Academic degrees Journals and Professional Societies Faculties of canon law Canonists Institute of consecrated life Society of apostolic life In the Catholic Church , a religious order is a community of consecrated life with members that profess solemn vows . They are classed as a type of religious institute . Subcategories of religious orders are: Catholic religious orders began as early as
6902-687: The Sisterhood of the Holy Communion (now defunct) in New York. Whilst there is no single central authority for all religious orders, and many member churches of the Anglican Communion have their own internal structures for recognising and regulating religious orders, some central functions are performed by the Anglican Religious Communities Department at Church House, Westminster , the headquarters of
7021-497: The West, where the sacrament is normally reserved for those who can understand its significance, it came to be postponed until the recipient's early adulthood; in the 20th century, after Pope Pius X introduced first Communion for children on reaching the age of discretion , the practice of receiving Confirmation later than the Eucharist became widespread; but the traditional order, with Confirmation administered before First Communion,
7140-562: The ascetics who live therein are "monastics". In English, however, it is acceptable to use the terms "nun" and "convent" for clarity and convenience. The term for an abbess is the feminine form of abbot ( hegumen ) – Greek: ἡγουμένη ( hegumeni ); Serbian : игуманија ( igumanija ); Russian: игумения ( igumenia ). Orthodox monastics do not have distinct "orders" as in Western Christianity. Orthodox monks and nuns lead identical spiritual lives. There may be slight differences in
7259-408: The aspiring nun lives the life of a nun without taking the official vows. As she lives in the convent she is closely monitored by the other women in the community to determine if her vocation is genuine. This would be officially determined by a vote from the choir nuns. If the aspiring nun passes the scrutiny of the women of the religious community, she then can make her solemn vows . Prior to making
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#17327717699257378-418: The aspiring nuns if whether or not their vocation was "true and voluntary" in order to ensure no enforced conversion. To be considered as a nun, one must have the economic means to afford the convent dowry. During this time convent dowries were affordable, compared to secular marriages between a man and a woman. Typically during early modern Spain many nuns were from elite families who had the means to afford
7497-427: The associated Third Order , often wearing a different habit or the standard woman's attire of the period. In general, when a woman enters a religious order or monastery she first undergoes a period of testing life for six months to two years called a postulancy. If she, and the order, determine that she may have a vocation to the life, she receives the habit of the order (usually with some modification, normally
7616-522: The baptism of an adult or in danger of the death of a young child) in the Latin Church ( CCC 1312–1313) – the link with the higher order is indicated by the use of oil (known as " chrism " or " myron ") blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday itself or on a day close to it. In the East, which retains the ancient practice, the sacrament is administered by the parish priest immediately after baptism. In
7735-407: The bishop rather than to the religious superior, and the vow of poverty was modified to meet the new situation but the expelled religious "could not, for example, will any goods to another; and goods which came to him reverted at his death to his institute or to the Holy See". The former 1917 Code of Canon Law reserved the term religious order for institutes in which the vows were solemn, and used
7854-603: The branches of the Benedictine tradition, (Benedictines, Cistercians , Camaldolese , and Trappists , among others) nuns take vows of stability (that is, to remain a member of a single monastic community), obedience (to an abbess or prioress ), and conversion of life (which includes poverty and celibacy). In other traditions, such as the Poor Clares (the Franciscan Order) and the Dominican nuns , they take
7973-559: The capacity to acquire temporal goods for themselves, but a professed religious of simple vows, while being prohibited by the vow of poverty from using and administering property, kept ownership and the right to acquire more, unless the constitutions of the religious institute explicitly stated the contrary. After publication of the 1917 Code, many institutes with simple vows appealed to the Holy See for permission to make solemn vows. The Apostolic Constitution Sponsa Christi of 21 November 1950 made access to that permission easier for nuns (in
8092-570: The celebrant's being in the state of grace. Their power comes not from the celebrant nor from the recipient but from God. In them Christ himself is at work. However, the actual effects ("the fruits") of the sacrament depends also on the recipient's disposition: "in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain". The Catholic Church teaches that
8211-481: The convent dowry and "maintenance allowances", which were annual fees. Monasteries were economically supported through convent dowries. Convent dowries could be waived if the aspiring nun had an artistic ability benefiting the monastery. Once an aspiring nun has entered the convent and has the economic means to afford the dowry, she undergoes the process of apprenticeship known as the novitiate period. The novitiate period typically lasts 1–2 years, and during this time
8330-813: The country. Many Catholic nuns went to France. Anglican religious orders are organizations of laity or clergy in the Anglican Communion who live under a common rule. The term "religious orders" is distinguished from Holy Orders (the sacrament of ordination which bishops, priests, and deacons receive), though many communities do have ordained members. The structure and function of religious orders in Anglicanism roughly parallels that which exists in Catholicism. Religious communities are divided into orders proper, in which members take solemn vows and congregations, whose members take simple vows. With
8449-425: The decrees of the Council of Trent. This changed the way in which nuns would live. One edict of the Council of Trent was that female monasteries be enclosed in order to limit nuns' relationship with the secular world. Enclosure of monasteries during this time was associated with chastity. Another decree issued by the Council of Trent was that religious devotion be "true and voluntary". A male clergy member would ask
8568-404: The distinction according to which solemn vows, unlike simple vows, were indissoluble. It recognized no totally indispensable religious vows and thereby abrogated for the Latin Church the special consecration that distinguished orders from congregations, while keeping some juridical distinctions. In practice, even before 1917 dispensations from solemn religious vows were being obtained by grant of
8687-425: The distinction between solemn and simple vows, but no longer makes any distinction between their juridical effects, including the distinction between orders and congregations. Instead, it uses the single term religious institute to designate all such institutes. While solemn vows once meant those taken in what was called a religious order, "today, in order to know when a vow is solemn it will be necessary to refer to
8806-404: The distinction. Solemn vows were originally considered indissoluble. As noted below, dispensations began to be granted in later times, but originally not even the Pope could dispense from them. If for a just cause a member of a religious order was expelled, the vow of chastity remained unchanged and so rendered invalid any attempt at marriage, the vow of obedience obliged in relation, generally, to
8925-471: The effectiveness of the sacrament in that person. The sacraments presuppose faith and through their words and ritual elements, are meant to nourish, strengthen and give expression to faith. While the Church itself is the universal sacrament of salvation, the sacraments of the Catholic Church in the strict sense are seven sacraments that "touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to
9044-684: The episcopal Lutheran tradition and the closeness of Lutheranism with Anglicanism in its belief and practice has led to local arrangements of inter-Communion between the two traditions, such as the Porvoo Communion . There are a plethora of religious orders within the Lutheran Churches , such as the Order of Lutheran Franciscans and Daughters of Mary . Nearly all active Lutheran orders are located in Europe. The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary , an order of Lutheran nuns, operates
9163-477: The faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent . The term is often used interchangeably with religious sisters who do take simple vows but live an active vocation of prayer and charitable work. In Christianity , nuns are found in
9282-401: The first millennium, nearly all religious communities of men and women were dedicated to prayer and contemplation . These monasteries were built in remote locations or were separated from the world by means of a precinct wall . The mendicant orders , founded in the 13th century, combined a life of prayer and dedication to God with active works of preaching, hearing confessions, and service to
9401-476: The founder of the Nunnery of Baan Huai Saai, who is believed by some to be enlightened as well as Upasika Kee Nanayon . At the beginning of the 21st century, some Buddhist women in Thailand have started to introduce the bhikkhuni sangha in their country as well, even if public acceptance is still lacking. Dhammananda Bhikkhuni , formerly the successful academic scholar Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, established
9520-432: The full Divine Office throughout the day in church, usually in a solemn manner. They were formerly distinguished within the monastic community as "choir nuns", as opposed to lay sisters who performed upkeep of the monastery or errands outside the cloister. This last task is still often entrusted to women, called "externs", who live in the monastery, but outside the enclosure. They were usually either oblates or members of
9639-577: The full ordination lineage of bhikkunis died out, though in many places they wear the "saffron" colored robes, observing only ten precepts like novices. In Thailand , a country which never had a tradition of fully ordained nuns ( bhikkhuni ), there developed a separate order of non-ordained female renunciates called mae chi . However, some of them have played an important role in dhamma-practitioners' community. There are in Thai Forest Tradition foremost nuns such as Mae Ji Kaew Sianglam,
9758-399: The habit of the institute, made according to the norm of proper law, as a sign of their consecration and as a witness of poverty." Although usage has varied throughout church history, typically "nun" (Latin: monialis ) is used for women who have taken "solemn" vows , and "sister" (Latin: soror ) is used for women who have taken "simple" vows (that is, vows other than solemn vows). During
9877-534: The habit. Some orders – such as the Dominicans – wear a large rosary on their belt. Benedictine abbesses wear a cross or crucifix on a chain around their neck. After the Second Vatican Council , many religious institutes chose in their own regulations to no longer wear the traditional habit and did away with choosing a religious name . Catholic Church canon law states: "Religious are to wear
9996-588: The home, Canadian women had few domains which they controlled. An important exception came with Catholic nuns, especially in Québec. Stimulated by the influence in France, the popular religiosity of the Counter Reformation , new orders for women began appearing in the seventeenth century. In the next three centuries women opened dozens of independent religious orders, funded in part by dowries provided by
10115-462: The male equivalent of canon , usually following the Rule of St. Augustine. The origin and rules of monastic life are common to both. As with the canons, differences in the observance of rule gave rise to two types: the canoness regular , taking the traditional religious vows, and the secular canoness, who did not take vows and thus remained free to own property and leave to marry, should they choose. This
10234-570: The mendicant orders such as the Carmelites , the Order of Friars Minor , the Order of Preachers , the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and the Order of Saint Augustine formed. These Mendicant orders did not hold property for their Religious Communities, instead begging for alms and going where they were needed. Their leadership structure included each member, as opposed to each Abbey or House, as subject to their direct superior. In
10353-535: The nuns as social misfits. Wei-yi Cheng studied the Luminary (Hsiang Kuang 香光) order in southern Taiwan. Cheng reviewed earlier studies which suggest that Taiwan's Zhaijiao tradition has a history of more female participation, and that the economic growth and loosening of family restriction have allowed more women to become nuns. Based on studies of the Luminary order, Cheng concluded that the monastic order in Taiwan
10472-563: The nuns from the outside world. The nuns rarely leave (except for medical necessity or occasionally for purposes related to their contemplative life) though they may receive visitors in specially built parlors, often with either a grille or half-wall separating the nuns from visitors. They are usually self-sufficient, earning money by selling jams, candies or baked goods by mail order, or by making liturgical items (such as vestments, candles, or hosts to be consecrated at Mass for Holy Communion). They often undertake contemplative ministries – that is,
10591-520: The other five are collectively the "sacraments of the living". The number of the sacraments in the early church was variable and undefined; Peter Damian for example had listed eleven, including the ordination of kings. Hugh of Saint Victor enumerated nearly thirty, although he put Baptism and Holy Communion first with special relevance. The current seven sacraments were set out in the Sentences by Peter Lombard , and these seven were confirmed by
10710-795: The other, excluding none of the essential properties and aims of marriage. If one of the two is a non-Catholic Christian, their marriage is licit only if the permission of the competent authority of the Catholic Church is obtained. If one of the two is not a Christian (i.e. has not been baptized ), the competent authority's dispensation is necessary for validity. Jus novum ( c. 1140 -1563) Jus novissimum ( c. 1563 -1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of
10829-699: The outside world, especially family. The pious family whose child decides to enter the monastic profession understands that their child will become "dead to the world" and therefore be unavailable for social visits. There are a number of different levels that the nun passes through in her profession: After the Protestant Reformation, some monasteries in Lutheran lands (such as Amelungsborn Abbey near Negenborn and Loccum Abbey in Rehburg-Loccum ) and convents (such as Ebstorf Abbey near
10948-553: The parents of young nuns. The orders specialized in charitable works, including hospitals, orphanages, homes for unwed mothers , and schools. Prior to women becoming nuns during early modern Spain, aspired nuns underwent a process. The process was ensured by the Council of Trent , which King Philip II (1556–1598) adopted within Spain. King Phillip II acquired the aid of the Hieronymite order to ensure that monasteries abided by
11067-507: The past, what distinguished religious orders from other institutes was the classification of the vows that the members took as solemn vows. According to this criterion, the last religious order founded was that of the Bethlehemite Brothers in 1673. Nevertheless, in the course of the 20th century, some religious institutes outside the category of orders obtained permission to make solemn vows, at least of poverty, thus blurring
11186-416: The poor, and members of these orders are known as friars rather than monks . At that time, and into the 17th century, Church custom did not allow women to leave the cloister if they had taken religious vows. Female members of the mendicant orders ( Dominican , Augustinian and Carmelite nuns and Poor Clares ) continued to observe the same enclosed life as members of the monastic orders . Originally,
11305-674: The pope. Likewise, according to rank and authority, the abbot primate 's "position with regard to the other abbots [throughout the world] is to be understood rather from the analogy of a primate in a hierarchy than from that of the general of an order like the Dominicans and the Jesuits ". The Canons Regular of Saint Augustine are in a situation similar to that of the Benedictines. They are organized in eight congregations, each headed by an abbot general, but also have an Abbot Primate of
11424-430: The proper law of the institutes of consecrated life ." The Annuario Pontificio continues to distinguish between ordini (orders) and Congregazioni Religiose Clericali ("clerical religious congregations"). Some other authors use the terms religious order and religious institute as synonyms; canon lawyer Nicholas Cafardi, commenting on the fact that the canonical term is religious institute, write that religious order
11543-671: The recipient's head, while reciting the baptismal formula: "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit " (cf. Matthew 28:19 ). In the Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine Rite immersion or submersion is used, and the formula is: "The servant of God, N., is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Though sprinkling is not normally used, its validity
11662-538: The religious life, such as simple vows, and a daily obligation of prayer. Lutherans were especially active, and within both Lutheranism and Anglicanism some Deaconesses formed religious communities, with community living, and the option of life vows in religion. The modern movement reached a zenith about 1910, then slowly declined as secularization undercut religiosity in Europe, and the professionalization of nursing and social work offered better career opportunities for young women. A small movement still exists, and its legacy
11781-410: The reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbour. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for
11900-647: The rise of the Oxford Movement in Anglicanism in the early 19th century came interest in the revival of "religious life" in England. Between 1841 and 1855, several religious orders for nuns were founded, among them the Community of St. Mary at Wantage and the Society of Saint Margaret at East Grinstead . In the United States and Canada, the founding of Anglican religious orders of nuns began in 1845 with
12019-501: The sacrament is also called Holy Communion. The bread – which must be wheaten, and which is unleavened in the Latin, Armenian and Ethiopic Rites, but is leavened in most Eastern Rites – and wine – which must be from grapes – used in the Eucharistic rite are, in Catholic faith, transformed in their inner reality , though not in appearance , into the Body and Blood of Christ, a change that is called transubstantiation . "The minister who
12138-469: The sacramental seal, consecration of bishops without authorization by the Holy See, direct physical attacks on the Pope, and intentional desecration of the Eucharist are reserved to the Holy See. A special case-by-case faculty from the Sacred Penitentiary is normally required to absolve these sins. Anointing of the Sick is the second sacrament of healing. In this sacrament a priest anoints
12257-425: The sacraments are "efficacious signs of grace , instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us." The Church teaches that the effect of a sacrament comes ex opere operato , by the very fact of being administered, regardless of the personal holiness of the minister administering it. However, a recipient's own lack of proper disposition to receive the grace conveyed can block
12376-613: The sick with oil blessed specifically for that purpose. "The anointing of the sick can be administered to any member of the faithful who, having reached the use of reason, begins to be in danger by reason of illness or old age" (canon 1004; cf. CCC 1514). A new illness or a worsening of health enables a person to receive the sacrament a further time. When, in the Western Church, the sacrament was conferred only on those in immediate danger of death, it came to be known as " Extreme Unction ", i.e. "Final Anointing", administered as one of
12495-424: The sin: he must 'make satisfaction for' or 'expiate' his sins. This satisfaction is also called 'penance'" (CCC 1459). In early Christian centuries, this element of satisfaction was quite onerous and generally preceded absolution, but now it usually involves a simple task for the penitent to perform later, in order to make some reparation and as a medicinal means of strengthening against further temptation. The priest
12614-485: The sisters always outnumbered the priests and brothers. Their numbers peaked in 1965 at 180,000 then plunged to 56,000 in 2010. Many women left their orders, and few new members were added. Since the Second Vatican Council the sisters have directed their ministries more to the poor, working more directly among them and with them. Nuns have played an important role in Canada, especially in heavily Catholic Quebec. Outside
12733-402: The strict sense), though not for religious institutes dedicated to apostolic activity. Many of these latter institutes of women then petitioned for the solemn vow of poverty alone. Towards the end of the Second Vatican Council , superiors general of clerical institutes and abbots president of monastic congregations were authorized to permit, for a just cause, their subjects of simple vows who made
12852-525: The term religious congregation (or simply congregation) for institutes with simple vows . The members of a religious order for men were called regulars, those belonging to a religious congregation were simply religious , a term that applied also to regulars. For women, those with simple vows were called religious sisters , with the term nun reserved in canon law for those who belonged to an institute of solemn vows, even if in some localities they were allowed to take simple vows instead. However, it abolished
12971-422: The terms used by a particular order or by the level of independence of the religious house. Technically, a convent is any home of a community of sisters – or, indeed, of priests and brothers, though this term is rarely used in the United States. The term " monastery " is often used by The Benedictine family to speak of the buildings and "convent" when referring to the community. Neither is gender specific. 'Convent'
13090-549: The threefold vows of poverty , chastity and obedience . These are known as the 'evangelical counsels' as opposed to 'monastic vows' proper. Most orders of nuns not listed here follow one of these two patterns, with some Orders taking an additional vow related to the specific work or character of their Order (for example, to undertake a certain style of devotion, praying for a specific intention or purpose). Cloistered nuns ( Carmelites , for example) observe "papal enclosure" rules, and their nunneries typically have walls separating
13209-701: The town of Uelzen and Bursfelde Abbey in Bursfelde ) adopted the Lutheran Christian faith. Other convents, especially those in Reformed areas, closed after the Reformation, with some sisters deciding to marry. A modern resurgence of the early Christian Deaconess office for women began in Germany in the 1840s and spread through Scandinavia, Britain and the United States, with some elements of
13328-466: The upheavals brought by the French Revolution and subsequent Napoleonic invasions of other Catholic countries, depriving thousands of religious of the income that their communities held because of inheritances and forcing them to find a new way of living the religious life. But members of these new associations were not recognized as "religious" until Pope Leo XIII 's Constitution "Conditae
13447-536: The vows taken by profession in any religious institute approved by the Holy See were classified as solemn. This was declared by Pope Boniface VIII (1235–1303). The situation changed in the 16th century. In 1521, two years after the Fourth Lateran Council had forbidden the establishment of new religious institutes, Pope Leo X established a religious Rule with simple vows for those tertiaries attached to existing communities who undertook to live
13566-486: The vows, the family of the nun is expected to pay the convent dowry. Nuns were also expected to renounce their inheritance and property rights. Religious class distinctions: In the Eastern Orthodox Church there is no distinction between a monastery for women and one for men. In Greek , Russian , and other languages of primarily Christian Orthodox nations, both domiciles are called "monasteries" and
13685-479: The way a monastery functions internally but these are simply differences in style (Gr. typica ) dependent on the abbess or abbot . The abbess is the spiritual leader of the convent and her authority is absolute (no priest , bishop , or even patriarch can override an abbess within the walls of her monastery). Abbots and Abbesses rank in authority equal to bishops in many ways and were included in ecumenical councils . Orthodox monasteries are usually associated with
13804-438: The word of God, committed to the Church." "In the liturgy, above all that of the sacraments, there is an immutable part, a part that is divinely instituted and of which the Church is the guardian, and parts that can be changed , which the Church has the power and on occasion also the duty to adapt to the cultures of recently evangelized peoples." Baptism cannot be changed to allow a non-Trinitarian formula. "Anyone conscious of
13923-590: The work of the priests, brothers, and other sisters of their congregation, and since Vatican II have added retreat work and spiritual guidance to their apostolate; the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master are also cloistered sisters who receive visitors and pray in support of their sister congregation, the Daughters of St. Paul in their media ministry. A canoness is a nun who corresponds to
14042-462: Was primarily a way of leading a pious life for the women of aristocratic families and generally disappeared in the modern age, except for the modern Lutheran convents of Germany. A nun who is elected to head her religious house is termed an abbess if the house is an abbey, a prioress if it is a monastery, or more generically may be referred to as "Mother Superior" and styled "Reverend Mother". The distinction between abbey and monastery has to do with
14161-666: Was still young and gave nuns more room for development, and more mobile believers helped the order. The August 2007 International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha , with the support of the XIVth Dalai Lama , reinstated the Gelongma ( Dharmaguptaka vinaya bhikkhuni) lineage, having been lost, in India and Tibet, for centuries. Gelongma ordination requires the presence of ten fully ordained people keeping exactly
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