Considering the HORRORS that women , especially religious women go thru in the developing countries due to such spiritualities, I don’t have ANY reason to support it. There are too many reasons to challenge it , even if it means confronting someone from the CDF. Afterall that’s what the vocation of a virgin-martyr is supposed to be. It is not to please men just because of their positions or knowledge .

Since the birth of Christianity several consecrated virgins have been called to give a prophetic witness for the ‘virginity of faith’ even if it meant reminding the Popes about what this means ! Who will speak up against the violence committed by clerics against the Body of Christ , the temple of God , if not consecrated virgins. This vocation in today’s world is not empty of charism . I think it is very much called to give this strong witness of virginity in terms of dignity of the human persons and in terms of authentic discipleship.

Also, when we talk of consecration of virgins, the prayer itself mentions,”Yet your loving wisdom chooses those who make sacrifice of marriage for the sake of the love of which it is a sign.”

Even marriage is a ‘sign’ of a ‘deeper reality of the Full Communion with the Holy Trinity’
towards whom every consecrated virgin is called to experience a healthy eschatological tension or pull.

As a spirtitual mother if she is called to live according to the Marian principle then she has an obligation to remind the Episcopate about their duties and limits.

Finally, let’s not talk of healthy catechesis or just blame the devil. If theological degrees cannot give enough sense to clerics to stop abusing humans, what will laity learn from mere catechesis !

God has gifted women and men with Common sense . My common sense tells me very clearly where to draw the line . I believe in martyrdom for the faith . Sadly I can hardly see consecrated virgins willing to pay the price in today’s world. I feel ashamed to see the complacency of virgins in this regard all over the world.
Listen to the silent screams and the cries of the abused women and children ! they are the Body of Christ , in fact they are our own body if we are truly married to Christ . Defending their virginity is the same as defending our own virginity.

I am willing to die for the dignity of the Body of Christ . Are U ?

Nameeta.

Just a few remarks…

Concerning the bishop’s role and what St. Thomas has to say, I would ask whether you are aware of what St. Thomas actually does speak about consecrated virginity and whether you are aware of the fact that a part of his writings on virginity actually were used by the commission that re-wrote the 1970 Rite of Consecration? He writes quite eloquently on our vocation… and on how/why the Bishop represents Christ the Bridegroom…

Further, someone I know in Rome published a dissertation on the early Church’s understanding of the bishop as bridegroom to the local Church (since you want to focus on the early centuries). My understanding from a conversation I had a few years ago with him was that he will be publishing it at some point (I’m hoping in the near future but that no doubt will depend on his new duties as a papal nuncio). As a very competent scholar and from his years at the CDF, I’m sure Archbishop Charles Brown’s dissertation will probably be a good representation of what the Church’s stance on the issue is currently, and will be of value to both bishops and consecrated virgins (he studied our vocation extensively for this dissertation).

Sadly, it is true that some bishops, priests, and consecrated people can and have abused their positions to abuse people. Women and children are particularly vulnerable. I would suggest that proper catechesis and a better understanding of their fundamental dignity as human beings and society protecting their rights would probably be a good approach to the problem of clerics using specious reasons to seduce women. It’s not the theology which is wrong, it is the age old practice of the devil using the bible to promote his ends which is the problem.

Therese

Of course consecrated virgins are not wedded to bishops. And my personal opinion in response to the sex-related scandals and cover-up of these scandals by bishops around the world is not positive. Maybe you can read a recent post regarding this on my own blog http://ocvnewevangelisation.blogspot.com/2011/11/virgin-martyrs-needed-in-scandal-filled.html .

It contains links to other sites describing the horrifying things happening in the church due to the naive understanding of the spousal spirituality by some gullible religious in developing countries and sexual partnerships between clergy and religious.

Also on this link http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/french-based-catholic-movement-says-founder-was-sex-abuser it says,”The statement said the founder, Croissant, had committed “crimes against the moral law of the church” and had acknowledged “serious failures” in sexual matters, particularly in regard to sisters in the community, many of whom left because of the abuse. One case of abuse by Croissant involved an underage girl, it said. “His prestige as a charismatic founder, together with the seduction of his words, led most of his victims to be taken in by supposedly mystical arguments, which covered grave violations of morality with spiritual themes,” it said.”

Therese, what I am saying is that spousal spirituality is ‘THE’ vocation of a consecrated virgin. It is not ‘THE’ vocation of a bishop . I refer to http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cbishops/documents/rc_con_cbishops_doc_20040222_apostolorum-successores_en.html especially the section on THE IDENTITY AND MISSION
OF THE BISHOP WITHIN THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH . There is very rare mention of the spousal dimension in the entire document. [ similar to how spousal spirituality is not THE vocation of religious and the rite of profession of religious only mentions it in passing ].

If the bishops are the closest counterpart of the consecrated virgin since they also follow a spousal spirituality towards the church , then is this how hermits are the counterpart of hermitesses ? I don’t think this is your intention . I understand where you come from and I’m sure you also understand where I come from. As theologians we can be discerning but I doubt whether all of the consecrated virgins around the world will understand the spousal spirituality of bishops and priests towards the church correctly. I have been through such bad experiences with some clergy because of their perverted thinking regarding this spirituality , I have been bold enough to object to abuse and am paying the price every day for my fidelity to Jesus Christ. For me this topic is a very very sensitive issue and I would in fact like consecrated virgins around the world to be careful. I shall be grateful if you support my cause by refraining from mentioning bishops as counterpart of consecrated virgins due to their spousal spirituality.

Thomas Aquinas lived in the 12th-13th century . Order of virgins is originally a charism of the Early Church .

I would interpret Titus 1.6 “They must be blameless, married only once, whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being immoral and rebellious.” as bishops in the early church were married with children.

I have read about the Marian and Petrine dimensions complementing each other . Even in the Info packet on the USACV website , similar themes are used to describe the relationship between bishops and consecrated virgins. In fact the Marian dimension here is maternal and not spousal and hence acceptable.

Regarding the ” state of perfection” I have read even religious women applying it to themselves.I think it is pre-vatican ii concept . Read http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius12/P12PERF.HTM .

However, reading between the lines of what you have written , I agree with you that bishops have the fullness of priesthood or holy orders . Read CCC-1557 The Second Vatican Council “teaches . . . that the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that fullness namely which, both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and the language of the Fathers of the Church, is called the high priesthood, the acme (summa) of the sacred ministry.”36

1558 “Episcopal consecration confers, together with the office of sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and ruling. . . . In fact . . . by the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in an eminent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative (in Eius persona agant).”37 “By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors.”38

—–I would agree with you that consecrated virgins too have the fullness of grace of being a Bride of Christ which even religious profession does not give. . Maybe this is what you actually mean in saying that bishops are the counterpart of consecrated virgins due to the fullness of grace in the consecration of bishops and the consecration of virgins – although the grace received in episcopal consecration by bishops is not specifically spousal . In case of consecrated virgins this fullness of grace is spousal in character.

Nameeta

Nameeta

Consecrated virgins are not wedded to the bishops but to Jesus, but Bishops do represent most fully their Bridegroom. Therefore, I think we may safely say that they are the closest counterpart of the consecrated virgin. It is clear from Church tradition that the bishop stands in place of Christ the Bridegroom (see Tit. 1.6). Among other theologians, St. Thomas Aquinas in several places discusses why it is that the Bishops and priests take part in the Spousal aspect of Christ to His Church. I do not have the texts in front of me, but St. Thomas also underlines in the Summa why it is that the Bishop is in the “state of perfection” and not priests… Another thing… Pope Benedict XVI (as Cardinal Ratzinger), discussed the Marian and the Petrine dimensions of the Church in his 1988 homily for the consecration of a virgin. It is fairly clear from his homily that these two dimensions of the Church complement each other and are both necessary elements of the Church. I hope this is helpful in illustrating where I’m coming from. Of course, should you have a different interpretation of these authors, I’d be more than happy to have a future discussion based on their own texts.

Therese Ivers, JCL

INTRODUCTION to the Rite of consecration

2. On a day scheduled close to the day of the rite of consecration, or at least on
the day before the consecration, the candidates are presented to the bishop, so
that the father of the diocese may begin a pastoral dialogue with his spiritual
daughters.
————-
After the calling of the candidates, the bishop invites them in these or similar
words;
Come, daughters,
that through me, his servant,
the Lord may consecrate
the resolution you have formed in your hearts.

From the Rite of Consecration of virgins it is clear that the diocesan bishop presides over the consecration as the father of the diocese . In the early church it was common for very young girls to be consecrated . Most of them were converts from paganism and faced constant threat from their parents to be married forcefully. It was to prevent this that the bishops adopted them spiritually so that they could not be compelled to be married .
Even in the Rite of Consecration of Bishops, there is no indication that they are the Bridegroom of the church. When they receive a ring the following words are used,

“Take this ring, the seal of your fidelity.With faith and love protect the bride of God, his holy Church.”

In some recent documents of the church the bishop’s spirituality of bridegroom is mentioned in passing, but NEVER in relation to a consecrated virgin !

Real marriage can only be between one man and one woman . The consecrated virgin is wedded to one man Jesus Christ , Son of God in reality .