www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Marrage or Monasticisim

http://www.pravmir.com/article_767.html

So I was wondering, has this been discussed here before? The Orthodox view is rather strait forward, although I would suspect most priest might be afraid to put it forth. As for the Catholics, is the single life looked down upon? Or was the answer in the form of lay monasticism, I think you call it something else. Chad

Some of these issues were discussed in this recent thread.

Well it seems, with the thread I was directed to, that this is an issue that is very tenuous at best. With all the other things that people try and jump over for the sake of "union," this is one that does not get discussed much. So what does the Catholic church teach?

I ask because I remember "lay Monastics," arriving to venerate the Kursk Icon. I don't remember what branch, just the term that they used to describe themselves, lay monastics.

I'm sorry, I don't understand. What issue?

Forgive me, I am writing distracted, at best. I will rephrase it so as to have a starting point.

What does the Catholic Church teach about these different states? Marriage and Monasticism.

Is "lay monasticism," an acceptable third route?

The teaching of the Catholic Church is basically similar, though it's complicated by the Latin rite tradition of a celibate "secular" priesthood.

But basically, the Catholic Church also teaches that normally and ideally, one either one lives an unmarried life consecrated to God in some form (monastics, secular priests, consecrated virgins, members of secular institutes, etc. are all different ways of doing this) or one marries (See 1 Corinthians 7). The "single life" is a preparatory stage for the total self-giving either of marriage or of a life consecrated to God. Pope John Paul II wrote in Mulieris Dignitatem [vatican.va] :<blockquote>Being a person means striving towards self-realization (the Council text speaks of self-discovery), which can only be achieved "through a sincere gift of self". The model for this interpretation of the person is God himself as Trinity, as a communion of Persons. To say that man is created in the image and likeness of God means that man is called to exist "for" others, to become a gift.</blockquote>

Consecrated single life (in monasticism or another form), marriage, and holy orders are all separate calls from God. Many Roman Catholic monastics and consecrated single people are not priests or religious. In this sense, their monasticism is "lay".

To expand:

Consecrated single life (in monasticism or another form), marriage, and holy orders are all separate calls from God.

Lay Monasticism can refer to three things.

Many Roman Catholic monastics and consecrated single people are not in Holy Orders. In this sense, their monasticism is "lay" and indeed, many, or even most religious are "lay," because women cannot be ordained to Holy Orders. This is the first sort of "lay monasticism".

"Lay monasticism" sometimes also means living in the world, but being consecrated to God. This is also possible. For instance members of secular institutes or the numerary members of Opus Dei. Some of these would reject the label of "religious" or "monastic" as innappropriate to their calling, but fundamentally, whether they are part of the class of "religious" instituted by the Church (See St. Pius X, [url=http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-xii_apc_19470202_provida-mater-ecclesia_en.html Provida Mater Ecclesia[/url]) or not part of the class of religious, their vocation is still one of single life consecrated to God. (We can also include in this class those who consecrate their unmarried lives to God outside formal structures that bind them to remain single, but who live their lives as a gift to Christ. Also, there is some debate, I think, over whether Latin rite priests pledged to celibacy should be thought of as belonging to the 1st or the 2nd group. I tend to think the 2nd.)

Finally, "lay monasticism" can refer to those people who are married, but are seeking perfection through some sort of formal means, e.g. Benedictine Oblates, or supernumerary members of Opus Dei, associate members of Secular instutes, members of third orders and to a lesser degree members of certain Confraternities etc.