Consecrated Virgins’ New Right

Canon 604 deals with the Order of Virgins. It prescribes:

Ҥ1 The order of virgins approximates to these forms of consecrated life. Through their pledge to follow Christ more closely, virgins are consecrated to God, mystically espoused to Christ and dedicated to the service of the Church when the diocesan Bishop consecrates them according to the approved liturgical rite.

Ҥ2 Virgins can be associated together to fulfil their pledge more faithfully, and to assist each other to serve the Church in a way that befits their state.

“§3 The Diocesan Bishop is competent for the recognition and erection of such associations at the diocesan level, within his territory; The Bishops’ Conference is competent at the National level, within its own territory” (Art. 4 of Motu proprio Competentias quasdam decernere by Pope Francis - 11 February 2022). The highlighted paragraph three was newly added in the Code of Canon Law in 2022.

A consecrated virgin (Latin virgo consecrata) is a woman in the Catholic Church who pledges lifelong virginity and is consecrated by a diocesan Bishop as a “bride of Christ”. As one of the oldest forms of consecrated life, these women live in the world, usually supporting themselves financially, while devoting their lives to prayer, penance, and service to the Church.

In can. 604, the word “approximates” implies that this order of life comes close to the forms of consecrated life. While they do not profess the evangelical counsels, they lead a life lived in the spirit of the evangelical counsels. Those who drafted this canon hesitated to include the order of virgins with the other institutes of consecrated life because the virgins bind themselves only by the promise of chastity; they make neither the vow of poverty nor the vow of obedience. Yet, as a general rule, admission into the consecrated life assumes the making of the three vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.

Unlike nuns or sisters, consecrated virgins do not live in religious communities, wear habits, or take vows of poverty or obedience. They maintain secular employment as teachers, nurses, and other professions. They are consecrated through a special liturgical rite (Order of Virgins, or Ordo Virginium), usually receiving a ring or veil as a sign of their commitment. The candidate must have never married or lived in open violation of chastity and must be committed to a life of prayer (often the Liturgy of the Hours), penance, and service. While nuns and consecrated virgins are consecrated, consecrated virgins are not members of religious orders and do not follow a communal rule of life/community life. This ancient vocation was restored to the Church after Vatican II and is open to women who feel called to commit their life directly to Christ while living within society.

The 1970 Rite of Ordo Consecrationis Virginum states the following requirements for women living in the world to receive the consecration as Virgins: i) Never married or lived in public or open violation of chastity; ii) By their age, prudence, and universally approved character, they give assurance of perseverance in a life of chastity dedicated to the service of the Church and of their neighbour; iii) Be admitted to this consecration by the diocesan Bishop who is Ordinary of the place (therefore, sufficient formation should be there, though nothing is spoken of in the canon).

In 2022, a new paragraph (§3) was added to can. 604 by art. 4 of Apostolic Letter Competentias quasdam decernere (15 February 2022). Before the modification, can. 604 had only two paragraphs. Pope Francis added a third paragraph to this canon dealing with the Order of Consecrated Virgins to make clear that a Bishop may establish an association for consecrated virgins in his diocese, and he is also competent to recognise such associations, and the Bishops’ Conference may do the same at the national level within its own territory.

Earlier, paragraph 2 prescribed that the Consecrated Virgins can associate themselves to fulfil their pledge. It says, “virgins can be associated together.” We recognise here the specific character proper to consecrated virgins leading life in the world. They are fully free to lead their life the way they see fit. If they think it useful to associate with one another, they can do so. It does not say: it is “desirable” that they associate, but simply they “can” associate (consociari possunt); that is all. In our opinion, it was important that the Code suggests that consecrated virgins enjoy full freedom in their way of life. This is exactly what the lawgiver wanted to express by the use of the term can (possunt).

However, it does not say who is competent to recognise that association. Hence, there was a lacuna legis, which is resolved by adding a new third paragraph. The newly added paragraph three prescribes: “The diocesan Bishop is competent for the recognition and erection of such associations at the diocesan level, within his territory; the Bishops’ Conference is competent at the national level, within its own territory.” In addition to the diocesan and national associations, there are also those at an international level, for whose establishment the competence was entrusted by the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium (PE - 2022) to the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (PE 126 §2).

The competencies for these three levels of associations of the Ordo Virginum (diocesan, national and international), as determined by the new paragraph 3 of can. 604 as well as the new norm of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, are identical to the competencies for public associations of the faithful in general, in accordance with can. 312 §1. One can, therefore, ask why the legislator wanted to reiterate this distribution of competencies in the new paragraph (§3) added to can. 604, if ultimately there was no lacuna or dubbia in this regard.

Already in no. 50 of Instruction Ecclesiae sponsae imago (2018), the Instruction on the Ordo Virginum by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the juridical faculty granted to the diocesan Bishop can be seen. Moreover, no. 65 already states: “To more faithfully fulfil their propositum and provide mutual assistance in carrying out the service to the Church in a way that befits their state, consecrated women can form associations and ask the competent ecclesial authority for canonical recognition of the statutes, and potentially, approval of the association. The establishment of an association, or joining an association already established, is exclusively a free and voluntary choice for each one of the consecrated women who choose to accept its objectives and its statutes. The departure of a consecrated woman from the association does not negatively affect her belonging to the Ordo virginum.”

The document emphasises the association and its significance and introduces a new paragraph three to can. 604 to clarify the recognition and establishment of such associations. This fills a lacuna, or at least clarifies competence.

(Fr Merlin Ambrose, who belongs to the Diocese of Kottar, is Professor of Canon Law and Latin at St Peter’s Pontifical Institute, Bangalore and Executive Secretary of the Commission for Canon Law in the CCBI. He is the Asian representative of the International Scientific Committee of the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, for its journal Ius Missionale. merlinrengith@gmail.com)

Blurbs

Unlike nuns or sisters, consecrated virgins do not live in religious communities, wear habits, or take vows of poverty or obedience. They maintain secular employment as teachers, nurses, and other professions.

A Bishop may establish an association for consecrated virgins in his diocese, and he is also competent to recognise such associations, and the Bishops’ Conference may do the same at the national level.