Chapter XI — On the profession of Regulars

I. Monastic profession, as I have indicated elsewhere, is a contract by which a man offers himself to God in some approved Religion, emitting with solemn rite the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience before a consenting Prelate, who in God's name accepts these vows. It is twofold: express, which is made by words before a superior; and tacit, which is performed by signs and actions determined by law — as if a novice, the sixteenth year and the entire year of his noviceship being completed, exercise the actions of the professed and wear their habit, he emits a tacit profession, provided nevertheless that the Prelate consent, and that the novice himself do it freely, not compelled, or induced by no fear gravely struck in from without, and that he advert that by actions of this kind he incurs a tacit profession, and have the mind of professing. But although this profession be named tacit, in fact it is express in its own way.

II. That the profession of Regulars be lawful, there is required a lawful power, which resides either in the Roman Pontiff or in the superior of the Religion according to the peculiar rules of each Order. In this or that Order the superior alone does not suffice, but the consent of the greater part of the Fathers of the council, or of the Chapter, is necessary. If the greater part of those Fathers resist, neither the superior of that convent in which the noviceship is, nor the major superiors can admit a novice to profession; but the immediate superior resisting, and the consent of the greater part of the Fathers of the council acceding, the major superiors, as a Provincial or a General, can admit a novice to profession. For the rest, every Order ought to consult its own laws.

III. There are several impediments which can render a profession null: 1. Age before the sixteenth year completed; 2. If the year of noviceship be not entire, or be interrupted; 3. Defect of liberty, as if a slave profess with his master resisting; 4. Matrimony consummated with the other spouse resisting; 5. The episcopate, the Pontiff's licence not acceding; 6. Excessive old age, or a grave and incurable disease hindering the observance of the Rule; 7. Diversity of sex, as if a man profess in a Monastery of women, or conversely; 8. Grave fear unjustly struck in; 9. Error concerning the essence of the religious state; 10. If the mind of obliging oneself be lacking, or if he be accepted with a feigned mind by the superior, it is null in the forum of conscience; 11. Lastly if there happen some defect which by force of the Constitutions of the Order annuls the profession.

IV. That a profession null on the part of each — of the accepting superior and of the professed — may be reintegrated, the reciprocal consent of each party is required. But if it be null from a defect of the consent of the professed alone, then it suffices that he alone renew his consent, and let the profession emitted stand ratified. But some profession can be null from an impediment which admits no remedy by which it could be healed.

V. The effects of regular profession are: 1. The remission of all sins, even as regards the penalty, as St. Thomas teaches, II-II, q. 189, art. 3, reply 3, to whom the rest of the theologians subscribe; 2. It is a taking away of irregularity from defect of birth for the receiving of sacred Orders, but not for exercising a prefecture; 3. It takes away the ingratitude of a son toward his father, who can no longer disinherit the son; 4. It dissolves a ratified and unconsummated matrimony; 5. It commutes vows made in the world: which commutation is made by the profession itself. Wherefore even if a professed man should frequently neglect the observance of the fasts and other austerities of the Order, nevertheless the commutation made stands; 6. It is a provision of food and clothing, which the Religion is bound to minister to the professed, healthy and infirm, and it is bound to educate them in studies according to their own vocation.

VI. Trent, session 25, chapter 19, imparts to Regulars the faculty of protesting against a profession emitted, three conditions being added: 1. That the protest and the cause of rescinding the profession be instituted before a five-year period has elapsed from the day of the profession emitted; 2. That the protester lay not aside the habit of Religion while the cause of protest is pending; 3. That the cause of rescinding the profession be instituted before his own superior and the ordinary, who ought to pass sentence.

VII. That a man may lawfully protest against his own profession, he ought to have certain and evident foundations. For he who is doubtful cannot lawfully protest, because in doubt the presumption stands for the profession. Several things would have to be said of this protest. But since all these things pertain to the external forum, and are treated by not a few canonists, therefore I pass them over.

VIII. This only I would have Masters of novices gather hence, with how great diligence and vigilance they are gravely bound to weigh the vocation of candidates. The chief cause of relaxed regular discipline is a defect of divine vocation to the professing of that sublime state. Since indeed very many, not God calling — as Cardinal Bellarmine adverts, Book 2 On the Groaning of the Dove — but by reasons which cannot be explained, give their names to this sacred warfare. Others who preside over novices, if they close their eyes upon this most grave business lest their own cloisters remain empty, admit to profession those not called. This first foundation of heavenly vocation being lacking, what wonder if the whole edifice fall in ruins? Is chastity not a special gift of the Holy Ghost? That it may be preserved unstained, it is required not as a human grace, expecting strength from infirmity, but as flowing from God, victorious and triumphant. The divine vocation being taken away, that most singular grace is lacking; and those destitute of this grace sacrilegiously pollute, dishonour, and corrupt chastity. Behold the root of all evils exposed. Let Masters of novices therefore be most cautious in weighing their vocation.

IX. It is not hidden from me what these men are wont to object, namely that the world is set in wickedness, and the morals of Christians relaxed and daily more corrupt. From this soil, they say, the plants must be transferred into the gardens of Regulars, which, if they have been struck by hail before the olives are grafted in, can scarcely bear fruits worthy of eternal life. Wherefore the sound plants are to be separated from the infected. But the sound, you reply, are few, and the multiplied cloisters must be filled. I should be too long if I wished to discuss this objection according to its dignity. See the Apostolico-Monastic Discipline, part 2, dissertation 1, chapter 15, where you will find the difficulty discussed at large. The propagation of Regulars and their perennial succession is not carnal but spiritual, descending from God. Do thou receive only those called to profession, and leave the care to God, that he may send labourers. If thou shalt do otherwise, thou wilt expose thyself and others to the danger of perishing eternally.