Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/746

 SECUNDINUS

678

SEDGWICK

France, who have temporan' renewable seculariza- tion in \-irtue of tlie Instructions of the S. C. of Bishops and Regulars (24 March, 1903). It is not therefore correct to speak of rehgious dispensed from their vows as secularized ; the expression apphes onlj- to rehgious with solemn vows, especially to rehgious priests.

Secularization is granted to these regulars hke dis- pensation to religious with simple vows, either for reasons of general order or for motives of personal and private order. To the first class belong expulsions and suppression of religious houses by various govern- ments, for instance, Spain in 1839, Italy in 1866, France in 1902; to the second class belong various reasons of health, family, etc. Secularization may be summarized under two heads: maintenance of the rehgious hfe, and at the same time relaxation of the religious life so far as is necessary in order to hve in the world.

Secularization is di^^ded into temporary and per- petual; the first is simply the authorization given to a subject to hve outside of his order, either for a fixed time, e. g., one or two years, or for the duration of particular circumstances, conditions of health, family, business, etc., but there is no change in either the conditions or duties of the rehgious. He is dependent on his superiors, only he is placed provisionally under the jurisdiction of the bishop of the place, to whom he is subject in virtue of the vow of obedience. In most instances the rehgious lays aside his habit, retaining privately however something indicative of his reh- gious affihatien. At the e\-piration of the time of indult the rehgious returns to his cloister, unless this temporary secularization be granted in preparation for perpetual secularization, e. g., to allow a religious priest to find a bishop who will consent to receive him in his diocese. Perpetual secularization on the other hand whohy removes the subject from his order, whose habit he puts off, and of which he no longer has the right to ask his support, without previous agreement. But the one .secularized does not cease to be a rehgious; his vows remain a permanent ob- hgation and he thus continues to observe the essentials of a rehgious life. The vow of chastity being purely negative is observed in the world as in the cloister; the vow of obedience remains intact, but henceforth binds the subject to his bishop, to whom he owes not only canonical oberlience, like every cleric, but also the full religious obedience vowed at profession. The vow of povr-rty neces.sarily undergoes alleviation with respect to temporal goods, but binds as to capacity to acquire ;ind give away, as well as to bequeath without in(lults, which are rejwlily granted at need. In the abs«;nce of indults the property of the secularized persf)n goes to his order (S. C. Bishops and Regulars, 6 June, 1836).

But the most important aspect of perpetual secular- ization ;is regards regulars is the regulation of their ecclesia-st ical st atus. The regular ordained to poverty, the religious ordained to a common revenue depend not on a bishop, but on their superiors. If they pass by secularization into the secular clergy they cannot remain without an ordinary and must necessarily be attache<^l to a diocese. Formerly it waa admitted that ihr one secularized fell once more under the juriwliction of his original ordinary, but what was at first that ordinary's right eventually became a responsibility (cf. S. C. Bishops and Regulars in O)lonien., 24 Feb., 1893), and this discipline aroused just complaints (cf. postulatum of the Bishops of Prussia, 19 Aug., 1892). Also the Decree "Auctus admodum" given by the Congregation of Bishops and l{cgulars (4 Nov., 1892) declared that every religious cleric who desired to bf secularized or to leave his congregation must first find a bishop willing to receive him among his own clergy, and if prior to this he left bis house he was suspended. Now no bishop is com-

pelled to receive a rehgious into his diocese; if he admits him it is on the same condition as a cleric. This is why by common law the religious must first secure for himself an ecclesiastical patrimony; in dioceses where this law is not observed religious acquire the same rights and contract the same obliga- tions towards the bishop as incorporated secular clerics. Though he may perform sacerdotal duties and receive legitimate emoluments he cannot without indult receive a residential benefice or a cure of souls (S. C. of Regular Disciphne, 31 Jan., 1899).

To prevent persons from becoming religious in or- der to attain ordination under the easiest conditions with the intention of subsequently seeking seculariza- tion and entering the ranks of the secular clergy the Decree of 15 June, 1909, decided that to all Rescripts of temporar>^ or perpetual secularizat ion or disiirnsa- tion from perpetual vows be do facto annexed, even if they are not expressed, the following clauses and \n-a- hibitions, dispensation from which is reserved to the Holy See; these religious are debarred from: (1) every office (and if they are eligible to benefices) every ben- efice in major or minor basilicas and catliedrals; (2) every position as teacher and office in greater or lesser clerical seminaries; in other houses for the instruction of clerics; in universities or institutes conferring degrees by Apostolic privilege; (3) every office in episcopal curiae; (4) the office of visitor or director of religious houses of men or women, even in diocesan congrega- tions; (5) habitual dwelling in localities where there are houses of the province or mission left by the religious. Finally if the religious wishes to return to his order he has not to make again his novitiate or his profession, but takes rank from the time of his return.

The word secularization has a verj^ different mean- ing when ai)plied not to persons but to things. It then signifies ecclesiastical property become secular, as has occurred on several occasions in consequence of governmental usurjjation (see Laiciz.\tion). The word may also signify the sui)pression of sovereign or of feudal right b<'longing to ecclesiastical dignitaries as such. The chief ecclesiastical principalities of the Holy Roman Empire, notably the electorates, were secularized by the Decree of 25 Feb., 1803. The word secularization may also be applied to the abandon- ment by the Church of its goods to purchasers after governmental confiscations, most frequently after a merciful composition or arrangement. Concessions of this kind were nia(l(> by Julius III for England in 1554, by Clement XI for Saxony in 1714, bv Pius VII for France in 1801, by Pius IX for Italy in 188, and finally by Pius X for I-'rance in 1907.

Cf. the canonistH untlor the title Dr sfalu mounchnrutv, lib. iii, tit. .'JH; Gknnari, Conniilliilioiis canoniquea, cons, iii (French tr., Paris, 190!)) ; Bouix. Dc.jurc rcgulaHum (Paris. 1897) ; Vermbersch, De relig. innlit. et personis (2n(l ed., Bruges, 1909) ; Nerveona, De jure praclico regularium (Rome, 1901).

A. BoUDINHON.

Secundinus, Saint. See Sechnall, Saint.

Sedgwick (Segeswick), Thomas, regius professor of divinity at Cambridge, 1557, rector of Stanhope, Durham, and vicar of Gainford, Durham, both in 1558; d. in a Yorkshire prison, 1573. He was de- prived of the three preferments noted above soon after Elizabeth's accession, and was restricted to within ten miles of Richmond, Yorkshire, from 1562 to 1570, when he seems to have been sent to prison at York. An un- friendly hand in l.')62 describes him as "learned l)ut not very wise". He argued against Bucer in 1550, and again.st Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley in April, 1554, when he was incorporated D.D. at Oxford. He had been rector of Edwarton, Suffolk, 1552, Lady Margaret professor of divinity, 1554, vicar of Enfield, Middlesex, 1555, and rector of Toft, Cambridgeshire, 1556, but had given up these four preferments before Queen Mary died.