What Happens If A Religious Leaves In Final Vows, Then Wants To Come B

[Gabriela]

My SD tells me the story of one of his brothers who would get so fed up with the monastery that he'd storm out shouting, "I'm going fishing!" and slam the door behind him. A few days later he'd come back as if nothing had happened. They always took him back—as if nothing had happened.

 

What happens if a religious is in final vows and decides to leave, does leave, and then has a change of heart and wants to return? Is the community obligated to take him/her back? After all, s/he was/is in final vows...

[Luigi]

I don't know if they're obligated to take them back; I guess it would depend on whether they got permission to leave - not just stormed out but discussed it with the boss, got their vows dispensed, or what. 

 

But I have heard/read stories of monks leaving and then coming back years later. It just happened at Our Lady of Calvary Trappist monastery in Canada. The guy was gone for 25 or 30 years, but they took him back.  

[AccountDeleted]

It depends on the community and on their Constitutions. I know of one Carmelite who left after final vows (she was released from her vows) to care for an elderly mother. When the mother died, she wanted to come back, and was allowed, but only as an extern in that same community.

 

Another Carmelite left after final vows (a different community) and later wanted to go back. She had to get permission from the Superior General of the Carmelites, which she did, but her own community would not accept her back, so she had to find one that would - and she eventually did.

 

Every case is individual and depends on a variety of factors. A nun under papal enclosure is going to have a different set of rules governing her ability to leave, than a monk who simply goes fishing for a couple of days. :)

 

 

[DameAgnes]

Nunsense you walked the Camino? God Bless you! 

[Benedictus]

It depends on the situation when they leave, and also on the specific institutes rules and the feeling of the members towards the religious when they leave and want to return. But it is possible, and many communities will not require the person redo all the stages of entry again. But it can vary. The situation will be fairly easy to readjust back after an agreed exclaustration, such as to care for an elderly relative or to review their vocation elsewhere (as they've not completely left, just got permission to adjust their obligations).  It's unlikely they'd let the person back in if they've been dismissed by a particular religious congregation, but it maybe possible if the see a way forward to do so.