The Charism of Religious Life
Last week, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released its Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Not unexpectedly, the Assessment triggered strong reactions across the board. Many are supportive of the LCWR and the work they do and are critical of Rome and “authoritarian” bishops who govern the Church. Others, recognizing the doctrinal problems of the LCWR, feel the Assessment is long overdue. Sad to say, I’ve heard and read comments from both sides that lack charity and kindness toward the other, a tone not taken by the Congregation. Rather, the Congregation focuses on the beauty of religious life – its charism and purpose in the Church – and lays out a plan for renewal of the LCWR to correct those areas that need correcting, albeit without minimizing the seriousness of those areas. Nonetheless, its aim is to encourage its members to grow in holiness within their calling to religious life.
Not surprisingly, what seems to be lacking among many reporters and commentators is an understanding of the true charism of religious life. Today in the U.S., a young woman may choose to enter almost any career field – teacher, lawyer, doctor, you name it. And, in a time when relativism and feminist notions that boldly shout no man may tell a woman what to do, the Congregation’s Assessment may seem backward and harsh. But that is not the proper framework for understanding the nature of religious life, and so the true import of the Assessment is missed. Consecrated life is not simply a career that may be chosen among many other options. The opening lines of Pope John Paul II’s Vita Consecrata summarize the beauty of consecrated life:
The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit. By the profession of the evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one — are made constantly “visible” in the midst of the world and the eyes of the faithful are directed towards the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in heaven.
In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father’s call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an “undivided” heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:34). Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In this way, through the many charisms of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the mystery and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the renewal of society.
The beauty of religious life lies not in the apostolic work – the teaching, the nursing, the feeding the poor – rather, it starts with a calling of the Father, prompted by the Spirit, and a commitment to devote oneself to God alone. And like a prism, this calling and commitment brings forth a wide variety of colors in the spiritual and apostolic life that radiate the truth and beauty of God’s love to a lost and hurting world.
So can a person or community move “beyond the Church”, as Sr. Laurie Brink suggests in her address given during an LCWR assembly, and still remain true to the charism of consecrated life? The short answer is no. As faithful Catholics, we must keep to the teachings of the Magisterium. To move “beyond” them is to move outside the Church. This is not because our bishops, or even the pope, are perfect and therefore deserving of obedience. Rather, it is because that is what Christ established. When we listen to and obey them, we listen to and obey Him. [cf. Luke 10:16].
The saints provide us with plenty of examples. One in particular that comes to mind is St. Teresa of Avila. In many ways, a woman ahead of her time, she was called to reform the Carmelite order. But before establishing any new communities, or even judging whether the words she heard from Jesus were true, she always submitted them to a bishop or confessor. Why? She trusted Jesus and the protections offered by the Church He established. St. Catherine of Siena, a woman not afraid to step outside of what was expected from women of her time, and one who advised popes, also submitted herself in obedience to the authority of the Church. Today many, particularly in Western culture, would balk at such submission, but the saints viewed it as necessary growth in virtue and holiness, even if they did not understand at the time. As St. Augustine, a man who struggled with accepting the truth of the Catholic faith prior to his conversion, stated after, “I believe so that I may understand.”
Pope John Paul II goes on to say, with respect to the charism of religious life and the Church, and as quoted by the Congregation:
In founders and foundresses we see a constant and lively sense of the Church, which they manifest by their full participation in all aspects of the Church’s life, and in their ready obedience towards Holy Church… A distinctive aspect of ecclesial communion is allegiance of mind and heart to the Magisterium of the Bishops, an allegiance which must be lived honestly and clearly testified to before the People of God by all consecrated persons, especially those involved in theological research, teaching, publishing, catechesis, and the use of the means of social communication. Because consecrated persons have a special place in the Church, their attitude in this regard is of immense importance for the whole People of God.
Right now, the LCWR has a decision to make – submit in obedience or resist. But their decision is not unique. It is one that faces each one of us every day. Do we submit or do we resist? For those of us who might be tempted to be prideful in our position (and I have fallen into this trap many times), I hope we might humbly remember “but for the grace of God, there go I” and pray for the sisters – those who have contributed to the problems manifested by the LCWR and those who have remained faithful – and the future of religious life in the United States. We need the light of those faithfully living the consecrated life now more than ever.
