www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Religious Orders

All,

I have several questions on religious orders I hope someone here can answer for me.

1. How many religious orders (male and female) exist with the Byzantine Metropolia?


2. When and who founded them? Based on the questiom above)

3. Does one have to be a member of a religious order to found a new one, or can you be a diocesan clergy or even a lay person?

These are just a few questions I have always wondered about, hope someone can answer them for me. Thanks and

God Bless You,

ProCatholico

1. Within the Metropolia of Pittsburgh there are the:

Order of St. Basil the Great, men and women

Order of Friars Minor, men

Order of St. Clair, women

Order of St. Benedict, men and women

Order of Carmelites Discalced, women

2. Sorry, you'll have to contact the Orders

3. Yes, a layperson can start an Order although it is a long process.

Deacon Lance,

Thank you so much for that information.

Would it be possible to ask you for a little more information on my third question regarding lay persons founding a religious order.

Thank you and God Bless,

ProCatholico

Well I suppose I should clarify my previous statement. Only the pope or a patriarch can erect an order. An eparchial bishop can erect a congregation, monestary, society of common life, secular institute, society of apostolic life, or public association of the Christian faithful.

However to get any of the above erected you would need to start out as a private association of the Christian faithful approved by your bishop. You need to name your association, establish a headquarters, and write up your purpose, rules of government, membership requirements, and prayer rule and present these to your bishop for approval. You would then probably receive a probationary period after which you could ask to recognized as a public association of the Christian faithful. You would get another probationary period if you wished to be erected into a higher status of society, congregation, or monastery. This is how Holy Resurrection Monastery was founded, I believe.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Regarding your 3rd question, why not do a search on some of the"new communities" that have sprung up over the last 30 or 40 years in the Western Church. Many of these were founded by lay persons.

For example Chiara Lubitch founded Focolare [rc.net] which apparently has had support from the Eccumenical Patriarchs since Patriarch Athenagoras.

There is the Community of the Beatitudes [beatitudes.us] founded by Gerard Croissant, a convert to Catholicism. This has developed into a community of priests, lay brothers, single people and families. They live in comminity and give retreats, marriage instruction etc.

There is a link to these and other "new movements" at Yahoo [dir.yahoo.com] .

Usually the movement's web pages will have information about their founding and the need they seek to fill in the Church. You might get some ideas there.

Good luck.

Frank

PS Does anyone know if there are any "new movements" in the Eastern Churches in the U.S. or elsewhere that correspond to those in the Western Church and are working for renewal in our Churches? By renewal I don't mean Latinizing or "revamping" but a promotion of holiness and evangelical spirit among the laity in keeping with our eastern theology and traditions. Personally I think we could use something like that.

ProCath,

As to the Basilians, Saint Basil is credited as the founder of the monastic rule which underlies all of the various orders (Eastern and Latin) that bear his name. In regard to the Ruthenian Basilians specifically:

That's from:

A Brief History of the Basilian Orders [reu.org]

I just read something on the origins of the Byzantine Friars Minor; if I can locate it, I'll post it.

Many years,

Neil

Yes, two of the largest religious orders in the Catholic Church were founded by laymen: the Franciscans and the Benedictines. The Little Sisters of the Assumption were founded by a layman, the Sisters of St. Anne were founded by a married couple, the Sisters of the Guardian Angels, etc. The list goes on and on.

Deacon Lance,

Much thanks for your clarification.

As you stated it does indeed seem to be a long process, but I imagine it necessary in order to produce a well organized group.

God Bless,

ProCatholico

Frank,


Thank you as well for your reply. The websites which you provided did shed more insight on the matter for me.

Though the majority of these "new movements" are just that, lay associations of faithful and not religious orders, though a few have religious orders attached to them.

As for such new associations exisiting in the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia I do not know of any, though the Mission Society of Our Lady of Boronyavo, may be considered one.

I am sure someone here can correct me or give further information on that matter.

God Bless,

ProCatholico

Neil,

Much thanks for the history of the Basilian Byzantine Order. It was very informative.

I am aware that there is also a Roman Catholic Basilian Order. Though, I am almost positive that the history of the Western and Eastern Basilians is different.

God Bless,

ProCatholico

Technically, the Franciscans were not founded by a layman. St Francis was a deacon.

in Christ,
Marshall

When Francis founded the little brothers he was still a layman. His ordination to the diaconate came later.

ProCatholico,

Actually, if you are interested, go to the weblink in my original message (following the text I quoted), you'll find that it also discusses the history of the Latin, as well as the Melkite, Basilians; I didn't excerpt those pieces.

Many years,

Neil

I notice that there appear to be no Ruthenian lay organizations comparable to groups like the Third Order of St. Francis, except for one started by the Sisters of St. Basil. Anyone aware of others in the U.S.?

There are Byzantine Third Order Franciscans, a couple on this forum in fact.