How Important Is The Religious Habit ?

[Ephrem Augustine]

"The habit scares people, or puts them off"

Well, for those who have memories of the masochistic nun or the fire and brimstone priest? I have never encountered one in my life. I have certainly encountered self righteous non Catholics not wearing habits. These kind of associations, I do believe, are diminishing with younger catholics.

To see a smiling and laughing and happy and joyful religious, as many young habited religious actually are, is enough to draw the curiosity of young people we minister. And for those who do have the negative attitudes toward habited religious... It is time that they have their horizons broadened and allow room in their experience for happy religious. Because they are all over the place, if only they had the open mind to it.

I guess my only dilemma still is all the young people who have absolutely no conception of what habit, religious life, radical witness, or any of that actually is.

[Totus Tuus]

Habit = not debatable. It's essential. I would venture to say that most of the discerners here wouldn't consider an Order that didn't wear a habit (and a lapel pin does not constitute a habit). I am not sure why this is such a hot topic... it's not really optional as far as the Church is concerned...

[brightsadness]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' date='27 February 2010 - 11:04 AM' timestamp='1267293880' post='2063766']
Habit = not debatable. It's essential. I would venture to say that most of the discerners here wouldn't consider an Order that didn't wear a habit (and a lapel pin does not constitute a habit). I am not sure why this is such a hot topic... it's not really optional as far as the Church is concerned...
[/quote]


I agree. it's not a hot topic. It's normative. The exceptions are made for particular pastoral circumstances. Maybe some communities need to change their status and become Secular Institutes in order to be faithful to their evolving charism.

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='Sister Marie' date='27 February 2010 - 11:16 PM' timestamp='1267274808' post='2063680']
Barb,

As far as wearing their habit, veil, and crucifix when not in the prison, our sisters do. We are required by our Rule to wear a habit. However, there is an exception for things like prison ministry. One sister I know takes off her veil and crucifix in the car, puts them in a safe spot until she returns and puts them right back on.

I belong to the Yahoo group of Sisters Supporting the Apostolic Visitation and as far as obedience goes, many of the sisters have expressed the desire in their hearts to do what they know is right as an individual religious within the confines of communities which may have lost some of the essentials of religious life. These are the sisters who still go to daily Mass even though it is not required of them by their community, but may not wear a habit because of obedience. This is my own take on everything though, so please don't think I am applying this reasoning to all religious - these are just my own experiences and thoughts!

Sister Marie
[/quote]


Thank you for sharing the above, Sister. I was quite curious as to whether perhaps some of your Sisters were allowed secular clothing for ministry purposes if necessary as well as the religious habit. Happy to read that the habit is in your Rule of Life - and indeed also happy to read that those Sisters in prison ministry have found a way to retain their religious habit as well as meet prison safety rulings.

I did realize you were sharing your own experiences and thoughts. I really feel deeply for those religious who may be in religious orders that have ruled against what is important to them and essential in the life and are persevering nonethless, many seem to have left the life. For this very reason that they are persevering in an 'uphill struggle' they are to be admired. It will be very interesting to hear the conclusions of the Apostolic Visition in the USA and the result of those conclusions. I am in Australia incidentally and an outsider looking in and I am conscious of this.

From what I know of the situation here in Australia (and I am not a religious and again, an outsider looking in) my own personal thoughts are that those in religious habit and those that are not seem to be unfolding happily side by side, and I cannot see why they cannot continue to do so. Unless of course if Rome rules that all religious are to be in habit regardless - then for me the matter is decided full stop. I certainly do not believe in what I understand is 'liberal thinking' either in religious life or outside of it.
And as with you, my own personal thoughts.

Blessings this Lent in which we also celebrate the Mercy of God - Barb