In one of the states of the US that I grew up in, there is a convent.  In that convent are women dressed in habits.  They make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience… and they live austerely.  They claim to belong to an ancient and revered Order.  But, they are not nuns, and they are not sisters.  As a matter of fact, they are lay women who masquerade as Roman Catholic religious.  In a word, they are frauds.

There is an international group that passes themselves off as a budding religious community.  Married individuals may join this so-called religious community.  People who are married and think they need to somehow become religious in order to become holy and wear a habit are often referred to join this group.  The website of this group has what purports to be “encouragement” from the Vatican.  The way this group is set up, there’s not a chance that it will ever get canonical approval from the Church, and I suspect that the words they quote from the Vatican were meant in the same spirit as ones of encouragement I got in a canned letter from the Vatican in 1993 to my own group (a social club).  And yet, people, longing to become religious, flock to this group and somehow think it will obtain recognition from the Church in the future despite grave irregularities.

An individual founded an international organization with vows and promises structured to further his ambitions and which helped shelter him from consequences from much of his criminal activities.  It was doing so much apparent good in the Catholic Church that people such as myself were threatened when we voiced our conviction that this organization exhibited most of the characteristics of a dangerous cult and violated the rights of potentially thousands or tens of thousands of souls.  One tactic this organization is said to have used is violating the consciences of its members and mixing up internal and external forum governance.  Because abuse and manipulation of conscience is by far one of the very worst abuses of the human person, I wrote my thesis on that subject to help people discerning vocations as it is still a very serious problem to this day in a certain percentage of seminaries, religious communities, and other groups (for an example of alleged vocational manipulation of conscience wherein God is used as a tool, see this article in reference to the commonly reported “Lost vocation, sure damnation” phrase used to manipulate vocations).

What’s common about all of these organizations (and there’s quite a few more out there)?  A blatant disregard for good theology, basic canon law, and ecclesiastical grounding.

There are groups out today and in the past that may have had a Cardinal, an alleged seer, or even a Pope preside at a profession or ordination, but that doesn’t mean a group isn’t a cult or that its leadership or members won’t and can’t harm others.  Often, it is precisely those communities or movements which look like they are hard core Catholics which do the most damage to people’s souls if under the control of frauds, manipulators, and/or malcontents who look like sheep on the outside but are wolves on the inside.

One reason this website exists is so that people are helped with the tools they need to make informed vocational decisions.  Sometimes it is necessary to point out the less than ideal side of human nature.  At times, the best way of doing that is by calling attention to real live examples of problems which occur when canon law, civil law, or even just plain and simple common sense isn’t followed.

In that spirit, then, I will bring to your attention an article written about some women who made private promises of poverty, chastity, obedience, and secrecy… but who may have put themselves in a very vulnerable position for doing so.  Excerpts from this article is taken from ReGAIN network’s website at http://regainnetwork.org/article.php?a=47245744 and is in blue while my comments are in black.  I do not necessarily agree with the opinions  or alleged facts expressed in this article.  But, it does report what has been informally and formally alleged about Regnum Christi by large numbers of ex-members.  What is factual is that Regnum Christi is a “lay movement”, and its canonical standing in the Church is not one that constitutes its members in the consecrated state, and my comments are based on that fact.

Grasping the Brass Ring – Reflections on the Consecrated Life in RC

By Giselle Sainte Marie

Contact: gisellestemarie@yahoo.com

Picture a beautiful young woman confronting her parents. She is modestly dressed, fresh of face and pure of heart, yet with firmness in her voice. “I love you both but you cannot stand between me and my vocation.” She has an unseen army at her back – great saints who had to defy families who wanted them to remain in the secular world, to carry on the family name or business, or to marry for questionable motives. Saint Clare is a model – the single-minded woman who fled to Assisi to have her beautiful hair shorn and to embrace the poverty of her friend Francis. This woman has also heard tales of Saint Thomas Aquinas whose Dominican companions kidnapped him out of his own home where he had been imprisoned by his family who didn’t understand his vocation. She also has stalwart women on her side – all those scattered throughout the world who have already undertaken their private promises to embrace Christ forever as their Spouse, and who are even now praying for her strength and perseverance in this confrontation.

Now she is confronted with these two beloved but misguided souls whose priorities do not match her own. They speak of education, degrees, work experience, and her youth – as though she hasn’t prayed long and hard over this decision! How could they know of the privilege of being called from all eternity to be a bride of Jesus Christ? How could they know how many other souls depended on her generosity right now? How could they speak of such mundane details when she had lived shoulder to shoulder with the most vibrant, enthusiastic, and joyful women she has ever met?

This scenario has been endured by many perplexed families in countless homes over the last ten years…

From the parents’ point of view, Regnum Christi – through its schools, youth groups, retreats, and summer camps – looked like just the organization to back up everything that had been fostered within the family. The [so-called] consecrated women who had taken charge of the girls’ clubs were zealous and focused.  The Legionary brothers and priests had taken such a fraternal interest in the boys and the state of their souls.  Who could doubt that the time spent in Legion-sponsored activities was anything but helpful in learning to live virtue and imitate Christ Himself?…

…Trapped by Closed Arguments
Joining the movement – incorporation – commits all members to daily, weekly, and monthly obligations such as prayers, meetings, and retreats. Each is an established devotion with many Catholics anyway so the transition to life in Regnum Christi is not difficult, although the degree of activity accelerates pretty quickly. With the incorporation, she is assured that, by her very presence, she is fulfilling God’s for herself and that the closer she integrates her life with the methodology of the Movement, the more closely she will be clinging to His will. That is the first catch, which confuses the members; it is a cyclical yet unspoken argument: “You are here, so God must want you here. Live this life well and you will assure your salvation.”   [A person in formation in any community should be aware that ongoing discernment is necessary and that just because he/she is "in" the formation program does not necessarily guarantee a divine call.]

The demands made on members are simply actions reflecting their baptismal promises. The prayers, apostolates, and recruitment methods are all centered on Regnum Christi organizations. This makes sense given the members commitment to this group, but this world also closes in on itself and becomes all-absorbing. The schools, the camps, the retreat centers, and the youth groups all need tremendous inputs of time and money, so members are quickly put to work according to their talents and availability. Each of these endeavors has as its given goal of spreading Gospel values and love of Christ so the mission cannot be disputed. Also, though, since the methodology is God’s gift to the Church and is blessed, the way to run these apostolates also cannot be disputed. Here we have a second closed argument for Regnum Christi: “The end is good because it is Christ; the means are blessed because it is of God – who are you to argue with either?”

The Movement has now stepped in as broker between the soul and God since it lays out the devotions and norms, is appointed safeguard of one’s baptismal promises, and becomes guardian of the way the member serves the Church since it directs the apostolic activities of its members. As it is difficult for an adult member to see the progression of control and pressure on the member, it is nearly impossible for the young and impressionable women to understand what they are undertaking by their association with Regnum Christi.

In the same way that parents take care to oversee large expenditures of their young adult children, they want to be near as life-altering decisions are made. This is what families are for – the overlapping generations allow wisdom to trickle down from the elders as new life assures fresh interest to the aging. The give and take between family members is under girded by love for one another and an active faith assures that action is grounded in truth.

How sad – and contrary to God’s plan for families – when such decisions about vocations are made without consulting the parents, the primary educators of these girls, and honest reservations are interpreted as deliberate obstacles to God’s plan. [The flip side is that while, in this case, families had grounds to object to Regnum Christi, some families generally oppose genuine vocations and may prove a hinderance to those with a vocation.]

Fatherly Oversight Missing
It is important to understand Regnum Christi’s explanation for its “consecrated” life. The women who choose this life are not “religious,” since no vows have been made. Vows are publicly made to a bishop [the author is technically incorrect here...  vows are made to God, not the bishop, and public ones are made through the bishop or comptent authority in the Church...], which give the soul a privileged place in the structure of the Church, canonically speaking. The consecrated member of Regnum Christi has made a set of private promises to a Legionary superior [again, so-called superior, because it is purely a private arrangement and not sanctioned or authorized by the Church to receive vows in her name], which means that she is still a layman in the Church, with no canonical protections for the life of poverty, chastity, and obedience she is undertaking. It has been made clear to her through her training, though, that private promises are every bit as binding before God as public vows and that, despite their canonical distinction, God takes them (and her) just as seriously.

The Legion’s explanation for such a distinction has been that this Movement was born under persecution (the Cristero War in Mexico in the early 20th century) and the ability of the consecrated members to live as laymen is an important protection for them should the Church return to the “catacombs.” While this may or may not happen in the future, it leaves the women tremendously vulnerable in a system that gives them no recourse for their difficulties. Each woman’s understanding of her vocation is that Christ has called her to Himself for spousal love but it is best if their relationship is maintained “under the radar,” so to speak. Wrapped up in the privilege of being so called, it would seem petty of her to demand protection for her status. God, she would think most certainly, will provide [does something like "you shall not tempt the Lord your God" sound familiar?].

Thus, consider that the parents are not a part of the decision-making process that leads to [the so-called] consecration: the fathers do not give their daughters to the Church in a formal way as has been historically a part of Religious professions (complete with wedding dress and bestowal of dowry gift), until recently the parents were not even invited to the consecration ceremonies (this change came about because of so much bad feeling by parents), and even parental permission is inconsequential to the acceptance of the young woman. Compounding this troubling set-up, there is no Episcopal oversight in the process; neither the young woman’s bishop from her home diocese nor the resident bishop where the consecration[dedication] is made knows of the consecration of the soul in his care. Interestingly enough, for the traditional outlook and orthodox sensibilities that the Legion is known for, they are party to a remarkably modern trend in family life – the independence of youth, the rejection of family wisdom for choosing a state in life, and in a manner of speaking, “spiritual elopement” – running away on the sly to embrace a spouse without witnesses. We will find, though, that even “elopement” as a definition may be too generous a term…

…Religious vows mirror wedding vows, with witnesses, notification of the appropriate authorities, [actually the appropriate authorities in religious institutes receive vows if and only if they approve them, and are not merely "notified"] and prior preparation of the candidates for the embrace of Christ as lifelong Spouse. Historically, the religious orders have demanded years of preparation with interim temporary vows paving the way for the final vows at the end. If the candidate leaves before her final vows, she or others have discerned that she is not called to the religious life and she goes knowing she was not yet a bride of Christ, no matter how many years were dedicated to the process.

In Regnum Christi, the process is somewhat reversed, with the [morally but privately] binding consecration [dedication] to spousal love of Christ undertaken after only weeks or months of preparation. This formation would consist of an academic explanation of consecration combined with two key elements: an opportunity to see the joy and enthusiasm of others living the life, and a presentation of the highly romanticized life of the founder, complete with tales of heroism, intrigue, persecution, and the weight of the New Evangelization squarely on his long-suffering shoulders. The accumulated effect on young impressionable girls is overwhelming. The program is front-loaded with her private promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience (and a fourth secret promise  added that the candidates probably were unprepared for [and which Pope Benedict XVI wisely dispensed for their male counterparts]); and then the women undertake a study of the evangelical counsels that now pertain to them – in order to better understand what they have already undertaken.

Too much anecdotal evidence exists which points to an imprudent push to consecrate girls without adequate preparation or authentic discernment. The constant euphoria in consecrated houses – combined with an urgency to increase their numbers, zealousness to outdo one another in generosity, and clinging to the Methodology as the only path to God – all lead one to see that the younger members are caught up in “crushes on Christ” rather than mature bonds of spousal union. Young women have willingly accepted that others “see” their vocation, even if they are unsure. They in turn may later influence others to embrace [that is, have them make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, obeying other lay and not consecrated women with no canonical safeguards] [what they think is ]consecrated life [but is actually privately dedicated lay life with a religious life-like structure] in order to justify their own choice and this pressure on the candidate, combined with spiritual direction that leads many to consecrate [dedicate, not consecrate] themselves as an added witness to growing ranks, makes true discernment difficult to impossible…

Are They Really Brides of Christ?
There is no doubt that these consecrated women have surrendered themselves to God in a private and complete way. They live complete poverty, chastity, and obedience with an understanding that they have taken Jesus Christ as Spouse. They fully intend to live this life until death – and yet many leave after a few years, torn with guilt, confusion, and embroiled in a monumental spiritual crisis. Just as the Church concerns herself with the status of divorced Catholics, we must take the time to consider whether these women were actually “married,” or were merely living as “spiritual concubines.”

The state provides certain protections to its citizens through laws and statutes, and the Church protects her members likewise through canon law. Those who have publicly entered Religious life have unique canonical protections that the laity neither has nor needs, since the laity have retained their rights to own property and engage in contracts. When men or women attempt lives of poverty and obedience to Church hierarchy, canonical norms usually protect them and their unique status in the Church. The so-called Consecrated women do not have the canonical protections that Religious have, and yet their promises obligate them to that same way of life. Their conscience alone forbids them from making demands in return for the unpaid hours, their total gift of self. If promises to them by their superiors are broken or “understandings” become “misunderstandings,” there is no recourse because their promise was completely “in-house” and private.* By their generous nature and desire to annihilate their own preferences, these women are prime targets for abuse should their [non canonical] superiors not have the highest ethical standards.

Those familiar with the grounds for annulment recognize in the inadequate formation process grounds for assuming that no true union took place. Those who have daughters become consecrated [dedicated as they are not consecrated] against their parents’ wishes may recognize similarities to wayward daughters of another type, raising red flags about their maturity in light of this decision:

1 “Jesus wants me and I am special to Him.”
2 “You just don’t understand.”
3 “I am old enough to do this and don’t need your permission.”…

The consecrated woman’s confusion about this group is compounded by its rate of growth. Another circular argument that is given to her is that it is clear that Regnum Christi is especially blessed by God because of its staggering growth in numbers. Surrounded by women who have been spiritually manipulated into premature promises, and then sent out to recruit others in the same way, she is trapped. If she is less than zealous in recruiting numbers to the consecrated life, she is questioning the methodology that recruited her, and if she recruits heavily, she is “stacking the deck” in God’s “blessings” by filling the houses with vocations as tenuous as her own [even human activities can be "blessed" with numbers.  Look at the socialist and communist movements that had fanatic followers and recruiters].

Every endeavor in which her superiors allow her to participate has as its ultimate goal to increase the Regnum Christi fold: World Youth Days, visiting university campuses, teaching CCD programs, assisting at marriage retreats, attending international fora where policies are hammered out, establishing youth groups, even sharing dinner with local families when invited. There is no wonder that, despite the many avenues for sharing Christ and spreading the Gospel, each event has a recruiting dimension. Reticence in sharing the Movement would be unheard of to a consecrated member who knows that for efficacy and timeliness, Regnum Christi is the easiest way to build the Kingdom. Thus increasing numbers – the top priority for all members – is twisted into legitimacy, which in turn helps to increase the numbers (and confusion!) of the consecrated [dedicated women].

What if She Leaves?
Many women leave, although their souls are in turmoil and their reentry into normal life is fraught with confusion. Good spiritual direction after leaving allows them to understand that the consecration that they undertook carries only as much weight as any consecration that any Catholic makes – i.e. to the Sacred Heart, to the Immaculate Heart, to live as a secular Franciscan, or to live more closely one’s baptismal commitments [this is incorrect.  The women have made private vows/promises which if they are not void by virtue of their being made with ignorance and lack of due preparation, ought to be dispensed, and will be dispensed quite easily by their pastor or bishop.  This article here is helpful for those in this predicament.]. As far as the best theologians can discern, there was no spousal union of the nature of a Religious or consecrated virgin who makes quiet vows in the presence of her bishop [The consecrated virgin of canon 604 does NOT make quiet vows in the presence of her bishop.   She is consecrated publicly by the bishop, and by virtue of that consecration is made a "sacred person" and a spouse of Christ.  Again, this is like Holy Orders which  is done through the ministry of the Bishop not through proffering one's vows.] . As harsh or disrespectful as it may seem, living this union with Christ without canonical recognition is much like living in a common-law marriage without the protection of the state. We are all called to give our hearts to Christ and, during this phase of her life, Christ had her total attention – but it was never properly consummated. Nothing is wasted, nothing is lost, but she is free to move on, to marry, or to join another community.

It should be understood by the families and loved ones of the consecrated members that, although many leave, others may be crippled both in their ability to leave as well as after leaving. Cult experts have commented elsewhere on the frightening elements of life in Regnum Christi that come perilously close to cult-like attributes. Knowing full-well that God keeps His word and expects us to as well, coupled with the ominous view that “God saw you from all eternity as Regnum Christi,” it is virtually impossible to walk away without fears for one’s salvation. Several things must be kept in mind…

3. As for the promises, the same rules that govern marriage tribunals should govern the consciences of the women who change their minds about consecration. They can recognize that the promises were undertaken without proper formation, without adequate consent, and while lacking sufficient maturity to make them binding.  [And, therefore, like those challenging their status in the marriage tribunal, these so-called consecrated women should get a dispensation from their pastor or bishop from their private vows since those vows do morally bind an individual to celibacy unless dispensed by the proper authority (which is easier than having them declared null).]

For examples of such misunderstandings, ample evidence exists that promises of education and degrees are often not fulfilled. Likewise, not all consecrated members find that the work they are offered measures up to their skills and formation. Family background also seems to have a bearing on certain assignments and opportunities for positions of authority, which is very distracting to the mission.

The above excerpts from the lengthy but interesting article is an indication of why canonists take “hair splitting” definitions seriously and why it pays to do one’s due diligence in vocational discernment.  Lives- real people with real souls – are affected.

by Therese Ivers, JCL

Way back in September, I was asked to help with an upcoming retreat for women discerning their vocations and who feel like they’re beating their heads on the wall “discerning to death”.  This topic really resonated with me, and as I continue to prepare for this weekend’s retreat, I am seeing more and more how although there is plenty of literature giving pieces of information about the discernment process, there is hardly anything out there that talks about how to bring it to a peaceful conclusion.  The goal of discernment is to figure out God’s will in one’s life, most particularly whether God is calling one to assume a lifelong commitment by virtue of ordination, vow, or consecration.  In theory figuring out one’s vocation sounds pretty straightforward, but plenty of folks agonize over it, and some have never reached a practical conclusion as to whether there is a state in life they should pursue.  How exactly does a person go from the beginning to the middle and then reach the end of vocational discernment?

Vocations and the Fairy Tale

Good fairy tales touch upon the deep desires of human beings.  Some are about wealth as the reward of virtue and valor, a concept that even Our Lord uses in speaking about the reward of eternal life.  Others talk about longevity and an absence from the ordinary woes of life (think immortality and the properties of risen bodies).  The majority, however, are about romantic love in which after trial, the princess and the prince happily live together ever after.  Again, this reflects the eternal betrothal between Christ and His Church…

Yet, it never ceases to amaze me when I am judging marriage annulment cases and we get someone under oath testifying that they thought that once they got married, everything would turn out great (despite the fact their spouse was abusively beating them daily during their courtship, they were both high on drugs most of the time, that they had two or three children before they decided to get officially hitched…) simply and solely because getting married in the Church was somehow going to magically make things different!  It gets worse when they blame people in the Church for their failed marriage (why didn’t the priest stop us?)!  How is it that the fairy tale of living happily ever after gets drummed into people’s minds when it comes to vocational choices?  I will be forever happy if I marry that person…  I will automatically be holy if I become a priest…  As soon as I slip on that habit or religious life emblem, I’m gonna be floating around in prayer…  It seems to me that good discernment starts with understanding that fairy tales are just that.  Fairy tales.

The process of discerning a vocation starts with the realization that the process usually takes knowledge, dedication, and work.  Knowledge is necessary to make informed choices.  How much do you as a discerner know about the vocations open to you in the Church?  It takes dedication to following the will of God.  It also takes effort, or work.

One can say that the time of courtship, discernment for the seminary, convent, or other form of consecrated life, is normally a time of mutual discovery.  It takes work, both on the part of the person making the decision to pursue a particular path or narrow it down to a path, and of the person(s) who admit that person into vows (think marriage, religious life, diocesan hermit life, and secular institutes), consecration (consecrated virgins) and ordination (diaconate, priesthood, and episcopacy).  One who is discerning should work not only at improving knowledge about vocations, but self-knowledge so that obstacles and fears may be evaluated and addressed.

The Goal

The final goal of vocational discernment is to make vows, be consecrated or be ordained if this should be the Lord’s will.  Yet, the immediate goal of the discerner should be to do what it takes to determine which path (if any) to which one seems to have a genuine call and make a decision to pursue it in a prudent fashion. That way, one can peacefully but purposefully pursue a possible call and offer oneself to a concrete person, diocese, order, or institute if one prudently and prayerfully determines they could be a fit.  Of course a person should be “open” in that the other person, diocese, order, or institute may determine that it is not their vocation to be united with you in their particular path to holiness.

(c) 2009 by Therese Ivers, JCL and www.DoIHaveAVocation.com.  All rights reserved.

The first secular institute with whom I came in contact were the Father Kolbe Missionaries. Not many people respond to a call to a vocation to a secular institute and in part, I believe it is because few people even know about their existence.

What is a secular institute? A secular institute is an organization which helps the faithful strive to mirror Christ more faithfully in their daily lives by following the evangelical counsels. Priests and laity may join a secular institute and it is a good vocation. However, the public consecration of vows or promises does not change the canonical status of the individual. Thus, those of the laity who profess the evangelical counsels in the form of vows do not enter the consecrated state but remain in the world and in the lay state in the Church.

Each secular institute has a different charism. The Father Kolbe Missionaries, the secular institute I am most familiar with, has a Marian charism. Their apostolate is to promote devotion to Our Lady as a way of assisting people to grow in holiness of life. Other secular institutes will have different apostolates and charisms.

Religious institutes emphasize communal life. Secular institutes, on the other hand, are usually composed of members who live separately. While some consecrated members might live in small groups as brothers or sisters, the vast majority of members live on their own. They support themselves and contribute to their secular institute. The idea is that a member of a secular institute is to live as leaven in the world. They are to be a good example to others in the daily routine of normal living.

It is because the members of secular institutes are not within the consecrated state but are dedicated to Christ’s service in either the priesthood or lay state that they do not wear a habit or uniform. The members blend in society and bear witness to Christ.

Members of secular institutes profess vows or sacred bonds of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows are understood according to the rules of the institute. Poverty is not a renunciation of ownership of goods. Chastity means celibacy for the sake of the kingdom. And obedience will be defined in the rules.

A few months ago, I discussed the three elements of religious life. The elements of a secular institute, are different in that they seem to be that of the evangelical counsels, life as leaven in the world, and the apostolate. It is to follow Christ more thoroughly in the world “secular manner” that people choose to embrace the evangelical counsels in the context of a non-religious institute lifestyle.

(c) 2008 by Therese Ivers and www.doihaveavocation.com

All Rights Reserved

The evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience were given by Christ to help people imitate Him more closely. While we are all called to practice these counsels according to our state in life, religious vow poverty, chastity, and obedience according to the charism of their institute. Their rules govern how these vows are concretely lived out in the day to day life of a religious.

While religious don’t separate themselves from the world to the extent of establishing a convent in space, they do withdraw from certain activities and things which hinder their call to leave things behind for the sake of following Christ more easily. For example, you will probably not see religious who as a community get season tickets for the football games in their area. They may individually attend some football games, but as a whole you should not see them make extravagant purchases or indulge in activities proper to those who are not separated from worldly things.

Common life is another characteristic of religious life. Religious should be in community. How this common life is lived out practically speaking is spelled out in their rules. By living together in community, religious are able to help support each other in their common goal of holiness in their way of life, of prayer and intercession for the people of God. Common life can be both a very large blessing and a source of friction and penance as individuals have their own personalities.

Should you be discerning a call to the religious form of consecrated life, you might want to pay attention to how these three elements are lived out in the community your are considering.

(c) 2007 by Therese Ivers and DoIHaveAVocation.com