As
probably anyone familiar with this blog already knows, on July 4, 2018 the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome published
a new document on the vocation of consecrated virginity, an Instruction titled:
Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago (which roughly translates into English as: “The image of the
Church as Bride.”)
Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago (ESI) is by far the
longest and more detailed document on the Ordo
virginum that the Church has given us since the second Vatican Council. And
so obviously, there is a lot to unpack here! I do hope to write on specific
facets of ESI in greater detail over the next several months. But to start,
here is a basic overview based on my own first thoughts and impressions.
The nature of an
Instruction
To
start, an “Instruction” is a type of magisterial document which provides
clarity on earlier existing laws, especially ones which may have been vague or
may have had disputed interpretations. As such, by their very nature
Instructions aren’t the sort of document that can change or override laws that
already exist. However, as canon 34 in the current Code of Canon Law states, Instructions can also: “clarify the
prescripts of laws and elaborate on and determine the methods to be observed in
fulfilling them [i.e., the prescripts of laws].” So even while, very strictly
speaking, an Instruction doesn’t create new “laws” per se, arguably Instructions can and often do create new
obligations, at least insofar as they direct the law to be carried out in a
more substantial practical way than was the case previously.
Often
Instructions pertain to the law contained in a single source or document, but
ESI is somewhat exceptional in that it serves as a commentary on the entire
body of existing law on the Order of Virgins, including canon 604 in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity
and its praenotanda, and the brief references to the Ordo virginum in various other documents such as Pastor Bonus and Apostolorum Successores.
Instructions
are technically “given for the use of those whose duty it is to see that laws
are executed and oblige them in the execution of the laws,” (can. 34) rather
than for the direct use of those who are to be bound by the laws. So again,
very strictly speaking, ESI is most primarily meant for the bishops who are
responsible for the guidance and oversight of the consecrated virgins entrusted
to their pastoral care. Yet given that ESI not only spells some of the
specifics of consecrated virgins’ practical obligations, but also delves deeply
into the spirituality and theological nature of this vocation, it’s safe to say
that consecrated virgins themselves should be familiar with this document and
can profit from a careful reading of it.
Filling in gaps
As has been noted before, in the Church’s body of laws it is possible (if not
somewhat inevitable…) to have gaps, or lacunae,
in the law. Because the drafters of the law, being merely human, cannot always
foresee every question that might be asked or every scenario when a law might
be tested, there can be situations in which law is simply silent on a given
issue. Although the current Code does
give us some guidance on how to deal with such situations as they arise (cf.
can. 17), occasionally an additional clarifying magisterial document is needed.
Since
the Ordo virginum has been one of the
most lacunose topics in the Church’s law today, ESI was clearly meant to take
this role. Some lacunae which ESI now
fills, or at least takes some serious steps forward in filling, are:
• ESI clarifies, in at least a fundamental way, the tone and tenor of a
consecrated virgin’s way of life.
Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago envisions consecrated
virginity as a life informed by the Evangelical counsels, and as an
all-encompassing state in life radically oriented around prayer, service of the
Church, and public witness; as opposed to this vocation being akin to something
like a purely private vow or membership in a secular Third Order.
For
example, ESI 40 tells us that a consecrated virgin should choose her
professional career specifically in light of her vocation and her call to service,
and ESI 28 indicates that a consecrated virgin’s major life decisions should be
co-discerned with her bishop. The Instruction also reaffirms a consecrated virgin’s
duty to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, (ESI 34) and directs consecrated virgins
to attend daily Mass when they are living in locations where this is possible. (ESI
32)
It
is also noteworthy how ESI 27 indicates that, through their propositum of perpetual virginity,
consecrated virgins commit to a way of life that encompasses all of the
traditionally-formulated Evangelical counsels. That is, while in an extremely black-and-white,
literal sense some might regard consecrated virgins as only making a commitment
to evangelical chastity via virginity, the Church sees consecrated virgins as
being called to some form of evangelical poverty and obedience as well.
• ESI establishes some clearer criteria for the discernment of vocations.
For
instance, ESI 82 sets a firm lower age limit of eighteen for women to begin
formation for consecrated virginity, and names twenty-five years as the usual
normal minimum age for receiving the consecration itself. This is significant,
since in the past there were questions as to whether the requirement that
candidates have sufficient maturity (i.e., as per the praenotanda of the Rite of Consecration: “…that by their
age, prudence, and universally approved character they give assurance of
perseverance in a life of chastity dedicated to the service of the Church and
of their neighbor”) meant that aspiring consecrated virgins should simply have attained
the level of personal human development necessary to make a responsible adult
life decision, or whether a candidate should actually be relatively advanced in
years—as in, being at least thirty-five or forty years old. ESI 82 makes it
clear that consecrated virginity is a vocation which young women are invited to
discern.
This
Instruction also sheds additional light on what is required for candidates in
terms of virginal chastity. Previously, it was posited—but not confirmed—that
the prerequisite of “never having lived in public or manifest violation of chastity”
meant that a woman must not have ever committed serious sins against chastity in
the presence of another person. However, ESI 93 clarifies that a life of
“public” unchastity should be interpreted as a widely-known habitual state,
rather than simply an act committed in the presence of a witness. Likewise,
while I believe the document does reiterate, in many places, the expectation
that candidates will indeed be literal virgins, ESI 88 clarifies that rape
victims and women who have committed sins of unchastity that stopped short of
actual intercourse are not automatically prevented from discerning a vocation
to the Ordo virginum.
While
I know many consecrated virgins, especially perhaps in the Unites States, are
disappointed with this more “generous” standard—and even while I myself was
more sympathetic to arguments requiring a stricter interpretation of what
exactly constitutes “virginity” for the purposes of receiving the consecration—I
do think that having this greater clarity is a good thing.*
• ESI discusses the importance of formation and gives us an outline of
what this should look like.
Prior
to ESI, it was at least theoretically possible to argue that no formation
should be necessary for consecrated virgins, since this was not mentioned
anywhere in the existing law. Even in those places where the importance of
having some kind of formation program for aspiring consecrated virgins was acknowledged
as common sense, the practical expression of this could vary widely from
diocese to diocese. For example, some dioceses might have an aspiring
consecrated virgin set a date for her consecration less than a year after her initial
request, while other dioceses might have a candidate meet with a structured formation
team for many years.
Additionally,
the lack of guidance on what formation for consecrated virginity should look
like often led to some problematic situations, such as the entirely of
formation being entrusted to a confessor or spiritual director (leading to a
potential conflict of fora); or a
candidate being “in formation” for years on end without a clear timeline, or
even without any sense of whether or not her consecration was actually likely
to happen.
While
there is still a lot of work to do on the local level in terms of creating
helpful formation programs for consecrated virgins, ESI 92 - 103 gives us some solid
preliminary framework. Specifically, formation is to be carried out in two
stages: a preparation period of one or two years when the aspirant focuses on
learning more about the Ordo virginum
and the dioceses learns more about the aspirant; and ordinarily a two or
three-year formation period wherein the candidate is formed in her identity as
a future consecrated virgin. ESI 92 - 103 gives us an overview of the content
of a good formation program, with ESI 102 emphasizing the need for theological
formation.
• ESI describes the relationship of a consecrated virgin to her diocese.
I
have always thought that it was possible, even based on the limited sources, to
discern that consecrated virginity as a state in life has a uniquely diocesan
character. Yet even if the overall diocesan “flavor” of the Ordo virginum could in this sense be
taken for granted, that still left us with many questions in need of answers. Among
other things, we didn’t have a word to describe a consecrated virgin’s
connection to her diocese (which led some to argue that there was not in fact any
meaningful bond there); and we didn’t have any guidelines for how to handle situations
when a consecrated virgin might need to relocate.
Happily,
ESI confirms and expounds on the diocesan nature of this vocation in many
places throughout the document. In particular, in ESI 51we are given a term for
a consecrated virgin’s relationship her diocese, that is: “inscription.” ESI 60
also clarifies that a consecrated virgin may move out of her diocese of
consecration, but only for an appropriately serious reason (“…reasonable and
proportionate motives”); and ESI 61 tells us that a consecrated virgin may
reside in a different diocese without permanently transferring, meaning that
she still maintains her bond with the original diocese of her consecration. But
ESI 62 also does provide for the possibility of a permeant transfer in which a
consecrated virgin is inscribed into a new diocese, and it sets out the conditions
under which this may occur and the appropriate process to be followed.
On
a related note, ESI 67-68 discusses the possibility of a consecrated virgin
joining a secular Third Order or becoming involved with one of the newer ecclesial
movements. While a consecrated virgin is free to make use of the spiritual assistance
these groups provide, ESI 68 indicates that she must give first priority to her
vocation to consecrated virginity. She does so by discerning the extent of her
involvement in such groups with her bishop, and by only participating in the
group’s activities insofar as those commitments don’t interfere with her obligations
within the local diocesan Ordo virginum.
•
ESI also discusses departures from the
Ordo virginum, which is a broader category than one might expect.
As
a preliminary note to this, based on the way the terms are used in ESI, it
seems that the Ordo virginum and the
consecration of virgins per se might
be conceived or understood as two slightly different things. That is, the
consecration of virgins is the spiritual reality, while the Ordo virginum is the term for
consecrated virginity as a juridically-recognized state in life.** Perhaps the
closest parallel would be the way in which a man’s sacramental identity as a
priest is not always the same as his belonging to the clerical state—i.e., a
priest can leave the clerical state and live as a layman while still actually
being a priest in a theological sense.
From
all appearances, ESI 75 indicates that that the consecration itself is truly
permanent (“The grace of consecration in the Ordo virginum defines and shapes the spiritual features of the
person in a permanent way”). However, for grave reasons a woman may be
dispensed by her bishop from the obligations of the Ordo virginum (cf. ESI 70). In
my reading of ESI, I take this reference to dispensable obligations to mean the
concrete external obligations inherent in belonging to the Order of Virgins,
such as: the responsibility to be a public witness and present oneself as a
consecrated virgin, the commitment to diocesan service or other apostolates, the
obligation to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and attend daily Mass, and so
forth.
According
to ESI 71-72, a consecrated virgin can also be dismissed from the Ordo virginum, but only for attempting
marriage, notoriously defecting from the faith, or for obstinately persevering
in “very serious external and imputable crimes or failings against the
obligations arising from her consecration.” In order for such a dismissal to be
valid, a consecrated virgin would need to be given a chance to defend herself
and informed of her right to appeal the decision, and the dismissal would need
to be confirmed by the Holy See in order to take effect.***
The
question of an already-consecrated virgin potentially discerning a vocation to
religious life, to membership in a secular institute, or to membership in a society
of apostolic life is also treated under the heading of “departures” in ESI 69.
In discerning a new vocation to religious life or to another form of
consecrated life, a consecrated virgin would need to prayerfully discern this
matter in conversation with both her bishop and the superior of the institute
in question. Her bishop would then transmit her request to the Holy See in
Rome, with the Holy See arranging the specifics on a case-by-case basis.
Interestingly,
ESI speaks of a consecrated virgin’s potential “transfer” to an institute of
consecrated life, whereas previous commentators reasonably presumed a consecrated
virgin would need to enter an institute in the normal way through the
novitiate. It is also interesting that a consecrated virgin can only join a
secular institute by leaving the Ordo
virginum (even while a 1971 response from the Congregation for Divine
Worship in the
publication Notitiae allowed secular institute members to receive the consecration
of virgins),**** as this brings a new perspective to discussions of exactly how compatible the two vocations of consecrated virginity and secular institute
membership really are.
Going forward
So
what do we make of ESI overall? Speaking for myself, although of course ESI
isn’t absolutely perfect—and it would be unrealistic to expect any document of
this nature to be—I think ESI as a whole is a very good thing for the Ordo virginum in the Church today.
Besides the not-insignificant fact that the clarifications on disputed
questions are helpful on a practical level, in my mind the greatest benefit of
this document is how it communicates the idea that a call to consecrated
virginity is a “real vocation” that’s worth taking seriously.
I
think all too often in the past, consecrated virginity has tended to be
regarded as either a vocational “last resort,” as a kind of pious hobby, as a purely
personal commitment with no real pertinence to the wider Church, or (perhaps
more benignly, but no less inaccurately) as a modified form of religious life designed
to be less demanding. But with ESI’s focus on the necessity of substantial formation,
along with its directives regarding the importance of a real commitment to
prayer, service, and the Evangelical counsels, ESI makes it clear that a call
to the Ordo virginum is meant to be—even
in the concrete details of a consecrated virgin’s day-to-day lifestyle—just as
much a radical offering of one’s whole self as a call to religious life or
priesthood should be.
Undoubtedly,
ESI leaves us with many salutary challenges. Of course, dioceses are challenged
to flesh out the directives of ESI in the practical ways that will best fit the
circumstances of the local Church, which I imagine will be somewhat of an
ongoing journey of learning and discernment for all involved.
But
for those of us who are already consecrated virgins, I think ESI presents more
of a personal challenge. That is, we are now called to consider how well we’re
living up to the newly-articulated high standards of our vocation to the Ordo virginum. The might sound a bit
stern, but I see this as a beautiful season of growth for all of us.
In short, it’s
an exciting time to be a consecrated virgin!
Notes:
* I do plan on
commenting on the controversy surrounding ESI 88 at greater length in a later
post. In the meantime, here is an article with an interview I gave to Catholic
News Agency on this issue:
** I had always
assumed that the Ordo virginum properly referred to any woman who had received
the consecration of virgins, including cloistered nuns who received the
consecration as part of the long-standing tradition of their Order. However,
ESI seems to use the term “Ordo virginum” to refer specifically to consecrated
virgins “living in the world.” I’m not sure if this was an intentional change
or a new further specification; or if, alternately, it might have been somewhat
of an oversight due to our lack of a more extensive terminology.
*** While some
of my canonist colleagues have noted that the rules for dismissal are extremely
minimal, I actually see this as a huge step forward that a we have a process in
the first place—before ESI, there was some thought that a bishop could dismiss
a consecrated virgin at any time for any reason totally at his own discretion!
**** I have not
seen a copy of this 1971 response, but Sr. Sharon Holland refers to it in her
2002 article “Consecrated Virgins for Today’s Church.” UPDATE 9/24/2018
– Many thanks to reader Gloria ExGana for sharing a link to a digital copy of
the issue of Notitiae where this question is addressed: http://www.cultodivino.va/content/dam/cultodivino/notitiae/1971/62.pdf
; and also to reader Bernadette Chen for sharing a link to an English translation
of this response: http://notitiae.ipsissima-verba.org/show/279
