Sins And Religious Life

[dominicansoul]

I'm curious...

What sins that a woman commits would prevent her from ever being able to enter religious life?

[CatherineM]

None that I can think of except having had an abortion until that automatic excommunication was formally lifted. You take vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that count from that point forward, not as to past activity. I guess that you'd have to be a virgin to be a consecrated virgin, but even then, we have a "consecrated single" here in our diocese. She's a chaplain at the hospital who also teaches at the seminary. She said she didn't want to be referred to as a consecrated virgin because that puts the emphasis on sex rather than dedicating your life to service. Some people have said that it's possible she did so because she is no longer a virgin, but I think that isn't our business.

[dominicansoul]

Is there anything in Canon Law about Abortion? It makes sense to me that if a woman is contrite and has received full reconciliation with the Church, she shouldn't be condemned for life...

I know one does not have to be a Virgin to enter religious life, but I'm thinking one needs to be one if she's taking a vow of consecration as a Virgin...?

Also, I know a few girls who entered religious life after being married...and then getting an annulment and another a divorce (that one was not married by the Church.)

So, basically there are absolutely no sins that can prevent a young woman from entering religious life?

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='dominicansoul' post='1775957' date='Feb 8 2009, 03:36 PM']Also, I know a few girls who entered religious life after being married...and then getting an annulment and another a divorce (that one was not married by the Church.)[/quote]

I think a divorced woman can enter religious life with no problem, because my understanding is that you are still married in the eyes of God, so dating and being intimate with someone else is adultery. So long as the woman intends on staying single and chaste for the rest of her life, the divorce would not be an obstacle for her. Right?

Edited February 8, 2009 by HisChildForever

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1775959' date='Feb 8 2009, 04:39 PM']I think a divorced woman can enter religious life with no problem, because my understanding is that you are still married in the eyes of God, so dating and being intimate with someone else is adultery. So long as the woman intends on staying single and chaste for the rest of her life, the divorce would not be an obstacle for her. Right?[/quote]

Because she is still married in the eyes of God and the eyes of the Church she cannot enter religious life. She would have to have an annulment.

It is as if she was a married woman... and she is. A married women can't enter.

[puellapaschalis]

Marriage is an impediment to religious life if not non-existent (annulled).

I would suppose that the sins against the Holy Spirit would prevent someone from entering religious life, but then they don't even permit repentance, so that's a broader issue.

[Guest]

[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1775959' date='Feb 8 2009, 04:39 PM']I think a divorced woman can enter religious life with no problem, because my understanding is that you are still married in the eyes of God, so dating and being intimate with someone else is adultery. So long as the woman intends on staying single and chaste for the rest of her life, the divorce would not be an obstacle for her. Right?[/quote]

ok hijack dont shoot me. what happens to a catholic woman who divorses and gets remarried ? she's an adulter for life ? so she automatically goes to hell ? im confused.

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='Delivery Boy' post='1776040' date='Feb 8 2009, 06:55 PM']ok hijack dont shoot me. what happens to a catholic woman who divorses and gets remarried ? she's an adulter for life ? so she automatically goes to hell ? im confused.[/quote]

A woman cannot "legally" divorce and "remarry."

Once you are married in the Church you are married for life (unless you seek an annulment and find that for various different reasons you weren't truly married in the Church).

"What God has joined together, let no man put asunder" (Mt. 19:6)

A legal divorce means nothing in the eyes of God. One is just legally separated form one's spouse. One is not spiritually separated from him/her. One isn't truly seperated form him or her. The covenant between her and her spouse is not broken just because she signed a piece of paper and turned in into the state saying she doesn't want to live with her husband and share things.

If a woman "marries" again legally it means nothing as well. A civil union is not marriage, and means nothing. She is living in adultery. In this case she is committing grave sin, but it all depends on her conscience and knowledge of what she is doing....

Then, if she does know what she is doing. She is aware that it is grave sin and does it anyway then if she dies in grave sin she will "perish" ...to put it not so bluntly.

If a woman divorces she must live a celibate life or get back together with her husband, as she is still married until she or her husband die. Or she can seek an annulment, where the Church will look at the marriage and the circumstances and dispositions of both spouses going into it and come to a decision as to whether they were truly ever married (as there are certain circumstances and dispositions one must have to be married in the Church).

Edited February 8, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria

[Mari Therese]

I also have heard of communities asking potential candidates to be free from any sins that they habitually commit before entering. ex. gambling problem, sins against purity, ect.

[Guest]

Ok thank you mabey I should start a new thread. So why does the bible say divorse is ok. I know it doesnt encourage it but it also doesnt forbid it. My parents are divorsed and I never really thought of this. I knew they couldnt recieve communion but I never thought about them not being able to remarry and being in a state of mortal sin. Wow.

Another reason that makes me want to throw up a red flag on catholicism. I have come to far though now and I know it's the true chruch but stuff like this gets me. I gotta look for some bible verses on this although again I dont plan to argue with them because Im not a heretic.

Edited February 8, 2009 by Guest

[Saint Therese]

If someone were a public, notorious sinner that might be hard to work out.

[Nunsense]

[quote name='Delivery Boy' post='1776088' date='Feb 8 2009, 03:15 PM']Ok thank you mabey I should start a new thread. So why does the bible say divorse is ok. I know it doesnt encourage it but it also doesnt forbid it. My parents are divorsed and I never really thought of this. I knew they couldnt recieve communion but I never thought about them not being able to remarry and being in a state of mortal sin. Wow.

Another reason that makes me want to throw up a red flag on catholicism. I have come to far though now and I know it's the true chruch but stuff like this gets me. I gotta look for some bible verses on this although again I dont plan to argue with them because Im not a heretic.[/quote]

You might want to take up this topic on another thread just to get a wider range of well informed answers. Jesus does say that divorce is against God's law though...

[i]When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator `made them male and female', and said, `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" Jesus replied, [b]"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."[/b] The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry." Jesus replied, "[b]Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given[/b]. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." [/i]
Matthew 19:1-15

Are your parents Catholic and were they married in a Catholic Church? It could be that their marriage was invalid anyway.

Instead of worrying about it all, take it all to Jesus in prayer and ask Him for the guidance and strength of His Holy Spirit. The Church is faithful to His teachings and we can be confident that if we obey Holy Mother Church that we will be pleasing to God. Prayers for you for His peace in your heart

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='Saint Therese' post='1776110' date='Feb 9 2009, 12:26 AM']If someone were a public, notorious sinner that might be hard to work out.[/quote]

It might require a public and visible apology and renouncement of sin.

[Nunsense]

[quote name='dominicansoul' post='1775951' date='Feb 8 2009, 01:22 PM']I'm curious...

What sins that a woman commits would prevent her from ever being able to enter religious life?[/quote]

I think a Canon lawyer is needed here but I read on another forum in a post by a priest, that the sin of murder would prevent a man from taking Holy Orders. I don't think this applies to religious communities however as one might want to enter religious life as a penance for a great sin. St Maria Goretti's attacker, Alessandro Serenelli entered the Capuchins as a brother after he was released from prison, so it does seem that one can enter religious life even after such a terrible sin, if there is true repentence and the community accepts the person.

As for a divorced (not annuled) or married women entering a religious community, I have only heard of this in the ecumenical communities such as Taize and the new Servants of the Sacred Cross. These communities are NOT Catholic religious communities however.

As has been pointed out here already, when one enters a Catholic religious community, one becomes a spouse of Christ. Divorce does not end a marriage, it is only the breaking of the civil contract - an annulment is required which states that the marriage was invalid in the first place, and therefore the person has never actually been married! The sins that occured as a result of the invalid marriage should be confessed and absolved.

This is an interesting topic!

[VeniteAdoremus]

After Confession and proper resolvement no sin is a legal impediment, but there are certainly circumstances in which a person would probably not be accepted by many communities. (I am currently working through my psychological testing, and they assured me this, probably because they want to know all the juicy bits.)

In the old times, there were several impediments, although I am not entirely sure they were legal. For example, being born out of wedlock was severely frowned upon.

In my experience many vocation directors more or less assume you're not a virgin.

[Saint Therese]

I couldn't imagine a community accepting a former porn star.

[johnnydigit]

i can't think of many sins that a woman could commit that would prevent her from ever entering religious life, because there would always be room for repentance and conversion. one that does seem to pertain more to males is a history of homosexual behavior or tendencies can disqualify you.

[quote name='Saint Therese' post='1776671' date='Feb 8 2009, 11:40 PM']I couldn't imagine a community accepting a former porn star.[/quote]

Fr. Corapi told a story about a former prostitute who became a sister, and one night she ran away and he had to go pick her up at a brothel and bring her back to the convent.. then there's St. Mary Magdalene..

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='Saint Therese' post='1776671' date='Feb 9 2009, 01:40 AM']I couldn't imagine a community accepting a former porn star.[/quote]

I doubt that would keep her out of a community if she made a sincere repentance and Confessed her sins. She would also have to have all of her videos and pictures thrown away, which would take a considerable amount of time and litigation. I am reminded of the girl on "Starting Over" (that old TV show about real women) where one of the young girls was involved in pornography in her earlier days. It was preventing her from being able to support her son because no one would hire her for a job. Now I know this is different from becoming a religious, but she also had to have the videos and pictures removed. There were contracts to void and stuff and copyrights to null. But she eventually got it finished! I believe her name was Christina.

I can't really imagine a porn star either, but God preached forgiveness and mercy. No one must be blind to the plight of those who are suffering in their chosen ways. Something to remember: not all the girls in the industry are there of their own will. Some have been drugged or raped. If you have someone that is there of their own will and is perfectly aware of the consequences, it would take much to convince her that she is wrong, but it is always possible.

Prostitutes, I believe, have St. Mary Magdalene as their example of how to turn their life around. It's a wretched, evil business, but so many get caught up in it because the money is good. Money and sex can be idols, too.

[Digitaldame]

It might help to distinguish between the canonical requirements specified by the Church and the entrance requirements stipulated by a particular community. The Church has authority to forgive sins and states what the repentant sinner must do to obtain absolution. If one has confessed and been absolved, former sins are not a barrier to admission into a religious community. There may still be legal impediments as has already been noticed, e.g. a marriage which has not been annulled, debt and the like. An impediment is not the same thing as a sin and should not be viewed as such. Individual communities may refuse to accept someone who has had an aborton (even though repented of and absolved), taken hard drugs or whatever, but that is an entrance requirement of the community. I've even heard of one community which won't accept anyone who can't sing properly! Most communities are more likely emphasize that you don't need to be perfect to enter. (As my first abbess used to say, "If you're already in the Seventh Mansion, why bother to become a nun?)

[osapientia]

[quote name='Delivery Boy' post='1776088' date='Feb 8 2009, 06:15 PM']I knew they couldnt recieve communion but I never thought about them not being able to remarry and being in a state of mortal sin. Wow.[/quote]

Are you parents Catholic? Divorced Catholics are permitted to received Communion in the Roman Catholic Church. Those who have been lawfully (in the Church) married, civally divorced (no annullment) and remarried are denied Communion by Canon Law.

The commentary on Canon 1155 of the Code of Canon Law clarifies a misperception which many Catholics have:
“Although Catholics should obtain ecclesiastical permission to initiate civil divorce action, in fact a good number do not seek such a permission. If a divorce is obtained, the spouses are prohibited from a subsequent marriage since the marriage bond is presumed to perdure even though common life has been definitively terminated. On the other hand, they are neither excommunicated nor prohibited from receiving the sacraments or fully participating in the Church’s life.”
“Spouses who separate without ecclesiastical permission may not be deprived of the sacraments unless one or the other enters a subsequent marriage without ecclesiastical approval.”
Put in perhaps simpler terms, Catholics who only separate or divorce may continue to receive the Sacraments. Those who divorce and then remarry civilly without the benefit of a Church annulment for the previous marriage may not receive the Sacraments, although they are still encouraged to come to Mass to be fed with God’s Word, which might hopefully lead them to pursue the possibility of regularizing their status through the Archdiocesan Marriage Tribunal.