I have a question relating to vows. A whilee ago I was reading a nuns blog ( I really dont remember whose it was, the nun was either a Sister of St. Joes. of the Peace or an Erie Benedictine ) and she was talking about her community and what it went through in the '60s. She said that one sister left when everything started to change, and then re-joined the order. I was wondering if that nun would have to go through the formation period again?
This one leaded to an other question. If a women was a fully professed sister in, say, a Dominican, and something happened to her order ( for some reason they were fored to close ) and the women went to another order ( say Franciscan ), would she have to go through formation again?
Full Version: A Few Vow-related Questions
Those are really good questions. The answers seem to vary according to community. However, Canon Law has some specifics regarding formation. It seems that once a person has made perpetual vows, the "re-entry" period of formation is totally up to the individual congregation.
It was very common for people to leave religious life in the late 60's-early 70's. And it is not unheard of that they may have recently returned. In most community's if the person is returning after having made perpetual vows, there would be some kind of a transition period, but this would most likely not require completing an entire postulancy and novitiate again.
It is my understanding that a perpetually professed sister can transfer communities without having to go through formation again. However, there would have to be some period of education and instruction where the individual would learn the customs and charism of the new community.
Our community has papal approbation which means our vows are held by the Church in Rome whereas some are just responsible to the diocesan head. That also makes a difference in circumstances involving perpetual vows.
So, you ask a really simple question and the answer opens up so many other areas for consideration........
It was very common for people to leave religious life in the late 60's-early 70's. And it is not unheard of that they may have recently returned. In most community's if the person is returning after having made perpetual vows, there would be some kind of a transition period, but this would most likely not require completing an entire postulancy and novitiate again.
It is my understanding that a perpetually professed sister can transfer communities without having to go through formation again. However, there would have to be some period of education and instruction where the individual would learn the customs and charism of the new community.
Our community has papal approbation which means our vows are held by the Church in Rome whereas some are just responsible to the diocesan head. That also makes a difference in circumstances involving perpetual vows.
So, you ask a really simple question and the answer opens up so many other areas for consideration........
QUOTE(sisterjanetihm @ Jan 4 2007, 08:08 PM) [snapback]1156219[/snapback]
Those are really good questions. The answers seem to vary according to community. However, Canon Law has some specifics regarding formation. It seems that once a person has made perpetual vows, the "re-entry" period of formation is totally up to the individual congregation.
It was very common for people to leave religious life in the late 60's-early 70's. And it is not unheard of that they may have recently returned. In most community's if the person is returning after having made perpetual vows, there would be some kind of a transition period, but this would most likely not require completing an entire postulancy and novitiate again.
It is my understanding that a perpetually professed sister can transfer communities without having to go through formation again. However, there would have to be some period of education and instruction where the individual would learn the customs and charism of the new community.
Our community has papal approbation which means our vows are held by the Church in Rome whereas some are just responsible to the diocesan head. That also makes a difference in circumstances involving perpetual vows.
So, you ask a really simple question and the answer opens up so many other areas for consideration........
That makes a lot of sence, thank you sister. I thought it would be kinda thoughto put a nun who has already made profession through the whole thing again, but all the adjusments must take some time...
Thanks again!
Thank you Sister...this really helps. 
For us, anyone religious, even in Solmen Vows must do the canonically required novitiate year. Then she waits 3 years before making Solemn Profession as a Dominican Nun.
I'm almost certain that one has to make the 1 year canonical novitiate.
I'm almost certain that one has to make the 1 year canonical novitiate.
QUOTE(Sr. Mary Catharine @ Jan 5 2007, 01:08 PM) [snapback]1156571[/snapback]
For us, anyone religious, even in Solmen Vows must do the canonically required novitiate year. Then she waits 3 years before making Solemn Profession as a Dominican Nun.
I'm almost certain that one has to make the 1 year canonical novitiate.
The Code of Canon Law states (any highlighting by me):
QUOTE
Can. 684
§1. A member in perpetual vows cannot transfer from one religious institute to another except by a grant of the supreme moderator of each institute and with the consent of their respective councils.
§2. After completing a probation which is to last at least three years, the member can be admitted to perpetual profession in the new institute. If the member refuses to make this profession or is not admitted to make it by competent superiors, however, the member is to return to the original institute unless an indult of secularization has been obtained.
§3. For a religious to transfer from an autonomous monastery to another of the same institute or federation or confederation, the consent of the major superior of each monastery and of the chapter of the receiving monastery is required and is sufficient, without prejudice to other requirements established by proper law; a new profession is not required.
§4. Proper law is to determine the time and manner of the probation which must precede the profession of a member in the new institute.
§5. For a transfer to be made to a secular institute or a society of apostolic life or from them to a religious institute, permission of the Holy See is required, whose mandates must be observed.
§1. A member in perpetual vows cannot transfer from one religious institute to another except by a grant of the supreme moderator of each institute and with the consent of their respective councils.
§2. After completing a probation which is to last at least three years, the member can be admitted to perpetual profession in the new institute. If the member refuses to make this profession or is not admitted to make it by competent superiors, however, the member is to return to the original institute unless an indult of secularization has been obtained.
§3. For a religious to transfer from an autonomous monastery to another of the same institute or federation or confederation, the consent of the major superior of each monastery and of the chapter of the receiving monastery is required and is sufficient, without prejudice to other requirements established by proper law; a new profession is not required.
§4. Proper law is to determine the time and manner of the probation which must precede the profession of a member in the new institute.
§5. For a transfer to be made to a secular institute or a society of apostolic life or from them to a religious institute, permission of the Holy See is required, whose mandates must be observed.
QUOTE
Can. 690
§1. The supreme moderator with the consent of the council can readmit without the burden of repeating the novitiate one who had legitimately left the institute after completing the novitiate or after profession. Moreover, it will be for the same moderator to determine an appropriate probation prior to temporary profession and the time of vows to precede perpetual profession, according to the norm of cann. 655 and 657.
§2. The superior of an autonomous monastery with the consent of the council possesses the same faculty.
§1. The supreme moderator with the consent of the council can readmit without the burden of repeating the novitiate one who had legitimately left the institute after completing the novitiate or after profession. Moreover, it will be for the same moderator to determine an appropriate probation prior to temporary profession and the time of vows to precede perpetual profession, according to the norm of cann. 655 and 657.
§2. The superior of an autonomous monastery with the consent of the council possesses the same faculty.
QUOTE(allegra @ Jan 5 2007, 02:35 PM) [snapback]1156704[/snapback]
Thank you, this is just what I was looking for. Wondering how that was done bugged me from the second I read it, Thank you!
A couple of brothers in our order, well, in the old pre vatican two days, they went through the whole formation process, novitiate, profession, and then got ordained. (But since it really wasnt up to them), they decided that they really felt called to be brothers only, and not ordained. So they had to go through the whole thing again from novitiate on.
We have a former dominican in our novitiate. He went through simple vows and left. Now he is doing the whole process again. My inkling is that you may not need to go through the same formation, but you would be required a novitiate, and a simple vows period.
There even is a formal process of leaving a religious congregation to jump right into another one.
SHALOM
We have a former dominican in our novitiate. He went through simple vows and left. Now he is doing the whole process again. My inkling is that you may not need to go through the same formation, but you would be required a novitiate, and a simple vows period.
There even is a formal process of leaving a religious congregation to jump right into another one.
SHALOM
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