Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/518

 PROFESSION

452

PROFESSION

under Pius IX and Leo XIII has become the common law of all religious orders.

Existing Law. — Definition. — According to the ex- isting law, rcUgious profession denotes the act of em- bracing the religious state by the three vows of pov- erty, chiistify, and obedience according to the rule of an order canonically approved; it involves then a triple vow made to God, and binding oneself to the rule of a certain order. Very often the rules or con- stitutions of an order or congregation (approved be- fore the NornuE of 1901) add to these essential vows certain special vows inspired by the purpose of the order: thus the Friars Minor make a vow of special obedience to the pope and the Roman Church; the Poor Clares, a vow of enclosure; the Mercedarians, a vow of devoting themselves to the redemption of Christian captives, even giving themselves as host- ages; the Minims, a vow of strict abstinence; the Car- melite Sisters and discalced Augustinians, a vow of humility; the first profession in the Society of Jesus implies a vow of indifference in regard to final vows, i. e. whether they be solemn or simple; the solemn profession adds a vow of obedience to the pope for missions, and five simple vows in order the better to ensure the observance of poverty, and the eschewal of ambition; the Brothers of St. John of God make a vow to serve the sick; the Clerks Regular of the Pious Schools, a solemn vow to educate children, and also three simple vows relating to poverty and the shun- ning of ambition; the religious of Penitence (Scal- zetti), a vow to defend the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception; the Passionists, to promote devotion to the Passion of Our Lord; the Brothers of the Christian Schools, vows of stabUity and of gratuitous education of children; the Little Sisters of the Poor, a vow of hospitality.

Division. — Profession was express, when made with the usual ceremonies; tacit, or imphed, when the recip- rocal engagement between the order and the reUgioua was proved by outward acts; it was sufficient for this purpose to wear the habit of the professed members for some time openly and without objection being made in any one. Pius IX abolished the tacit solemn profession for religious orders (11 June, 1S58) and it has fallen into chsuse altogether.

Profession is either simple or solemn. Solemn pro- fession exists at present only in the institutes approved by the Holy See as rehgious orders. It is alwaj's per- petual, and dispensation from it is difficult to obtain; a religious who has been dismissed from his order is still bound by the obligations of the rehgious life; the same is the case with one who obtains from the Holy See the indult of perpetual secularization; professed who have left their order owe to the bishop of the diocese in which they reside the obedience which they formerly owed to their rehgious superior. Solemn profession implies a reciprocal engagement between the religious and his order, which undertakes to main- tain him, and treat him as a member of its household; except in case of special privilege, it can dismiss a professed religious in canonical form only for incor- rigible persistence in some grave public fault. The professed religious who is dismissed is ipso facto su.s- pended, and the suspension is reserved to the Holy See (see the recent decree "Cum singulae" of 16 May, 1911). According to existing law, solemn pro- fession annuls a marriage previously contracted, but not yet consummated, and creates a diriment im- pediment to any future marriage; and also renders the professed religious incapable, without the permis- sion of the Holy See, of acquiring or of possessing and disposing of property. In Belgium, and probably in Hojland, profession no longer involves this di-sabiiity.

Simple profession is sometimes perpetual and some- times temporary, and therefore imperfect. At the end of a term of teiui)i)rary profession, a religious is free to go back to the world, and the order has power to

dismiss one who has not shown himself worthy to renew his profession, or to make a subsequent pro- fession; but a physical infirmity which was caused after the vows, or the cause of which was known at the time of the vows, does not justify the dismissal of a religious against his will. In congregations which have no solemn vows, the Holy See ordinarily pre- scribes a term of temporary vows, varying from three to six years, before the perpetual vows. There are however some congregations, such as the Nuns of the Sacred Heart, in which all the vows are perpetual; and pious societies without perpetual vows, such as the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul; or even without vows, like the Missionaries of Africa, or White Fathers, who have only an oath of obedience. The Holy See insists that on the expiration of temporal vows, these should be either renewed or converted into perpetual vows, as the case may be, without allow- ing any interval of time, during which the religious would be free from his obUgations.

Simple profession sometimes is a preparation for solemn profession, and sometimes has a distinct char- acter of its own. In all rehgious orders, three years at least of simple profession are a necessary condition for the validity of solemn profession (see Nuns), and for lay brothers, six years of simple profession and an age of at least thirty years are required (Decree of 1 Jan., 1911). This time of simple profession may be considered as a second term of probation; it is not difficult for the religious to obtain a dispensation from his vows, and, on the other hand, the order may dis- miss him for any grave cause of dissatisfaction, the sufficiency of which is left to the judgment of the superior. The dismissal of nuns, however, requires the consent of the Holy See ; religious with simple or even temporary vows, who have received major orders in their institute, are in the same position, in regard to dismissal, as those who have made their final pro- fession. Generally speaking, simple profession does not prevent a religious from retaining or acquiring property; the administration and disposition of property alone are forbidden. Except in the Society of Jesus it is no longer a diriment impediment to marriage, and it never annuls a marriage already con- tracted.

Conditions of Validity and Form. — It is essential in all cases for the validity of a religious profession that the candidate should be at least sixteen years of age and have passed one year in the novitiate. Persons who, under the provisions of the Decree "Ecclesia Christi" of 7 September, 1909, cannot be validly ad- mitted to the novitiate without the consent of the Holy See, cannot without the same consent make a valid profession. Admission to profession, especially to the first, is generally decided by the chapter. Pro- fession made or permitted under duress is null and void; and the Council of Trent passes sentence of excommunication on all persons who compel a young girl to enter a monastery by solemn profession, or who forcibly prevent her from doing so. Although tacit profession, which has been expressly abolished for religious orders, has fallen into disuse everj'where, no particular rite or formula of profession is essential, unless distinctly required by the constitutions. A general Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of 1-1-27 August, 1874, indicates the maimer in which profession should be made during Mass. Since the Decree '' Auctisadmodum", simple but perpetual pro- fession creates the same bond between the religious and the congregation as solemn profession does in a religious order. Such a religious can be dismissed only for incorrigible persistence in some grave public fault. Even when congregations vnth simple vows have the power to dismiss a religious, they have not the power to dispense him from his vows : this is strictly reserved to the Holy See.

Common Ejects of Profession. — Every perpetual