Consecrated Widows and Widowers?

[nunsense]

Originally Posted by SerraSemper

It may be helpful to refer to the SOLT widows as dedicated widows as they are not in the consecrated state insofar as I can make out. The consecrated widows referred to in Vita Consecrata and the Catechism and in the Eastern Catholic Chuches are of the Order of Widows (currently not present in the USA) and they they profess a public vow of chastity before their bishop, who enrolls them into the Order of Widows and the consecrated state. If three vows are made before a bishop in the USA, the chances are extremely high that these are private vows and that the widow/er remains a lay dedicated person. The Order of Widows requires a vow of chastity and for the bishop to have the authorization to admit a widow to it. This is granted in canon law to the Eastern Catholic bishops for their subjects but not to Roman Catholics. Thus, canonically speaking, most Roman Catholic widows are dedicated widows if they have made a vow/promise of perpetual chastity whether it was with SOLT or in front of their bishop or cardinal because it is not a canonical status given at this time in the Roman Catholic Church. I personally would think twice about asking a widow to vow/promise poverty. Vowed poverty doesn't make sense for an individual person who is not a member of a religious community, and obedience would be to the bishop and he would normally refuse to be a canonical superior with that kind of responsibility when the vocation of its nature does not require him to be a canonical superior.

I am sure you are right Therese. I just copied what was on their webpage.

[TiggerS]

Originally Posted by SerraSemper

......edit.............. Vowed poverty doesn't make sense for an individual person who is not a member of a religious community..........edit............

I am curious why a promise or vow of poverty would not make sense for an individual who is not a member of a religious community?

[SerraSemper]

Originally Posted by TiggerS

I am curious why a promise or vow of poverty would not make sense for an individual who is not a member of a religious community?

Because it is mostly an "institutional" vow. How does a normal single person not own anything, or why would they burden someone else with administering their own property? People forget in their eagerness to imitate religious who live in community, that the foundation of consecrated life is chastity for the sake of the kingdom. Obedience only makes sense when there is a lawful superior to whom obedience is vowed or promised and who has the right in the Church to accept this and to have jurisdiction over this individual. There is no such thing as a lawful superior for a widow (or single Catholic). Ditto for poverty. You don't just vow poverty. You vow to live poorly in accordance with a set of rules. Again, the set of rules is very well and good for religious who have relinquished ownership and/or control of their own goods because there are members of the community who are the community's stewards. But, it absolutely doesn't make sense for a regular person. Why would a widow in her right senses renounce her goods? Why don't we require it for diocesan priests or consecrated virgins? The reason is that the vow/promise of poverty is not an essential part of the vocation to any other Church vocation outside of certain forms of consecrated life. Baptismal vows are sufficient for holiness, and chastity is the only vow of the three that makes sense for a person to make outside of a religious institute or diocesan hermit structure if they feel so called.

[Kathleen777]

Lot's of info added in 2012 to my Facebook page "Catholic Consecrated Widows." Have a look!

Kathleen, ofs