appendix — Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884)
Appendix II. On the Enclosure of Monasteries
With Respect To: 1. Those Entering; 2. Those Departing; 3. Those Conversing at the Grilles Without Faculty — I. With Respect to Entrance into Monasteries
- All the faithful of either sex entering monasteries of Nuns, and the Nuns admitting them, incur the reserved excommunication mentioned above at no. 975, VI. In France, however, excommunication for those entering monasteries of women does not now appear admissible according to the things said concerning States, since there are not there Religious in the strict sense, or solemnly Professed women.
- Likewise, women entering monasteries of men for any cause, except Queens or others from the families of Princes; likewise, Religious admitting or introducing them, incur the reserved excommunication mentioned above at no. 975, VII. But this must be understood only of monasteries or houses of Regulars who emit solemn vows. For with regard to Congregations in which they bind themselves only by simple vows, it is nowhere provided in the Sacred Canons that they are subject to the aforesaid law of enclosure. The following can enter monasteries of Nuns: 1. Bishops in a case of necessity or visitation, but accompanied by a few mature persons; 2. Regular Prelates once a year, for the sake of visitation; 3. the ordinary Confessor for administering the Sacraments in necessity, but vested with surplice and stole; 4. the ordinary physician, who must renew his permission every three months, and an extraordinary physician in the absence of the ordinary one; 5. artisans and other necessary persons who cannot exercise their craft outside the enclosure.
The Bishop, or anyone else delegated by him, for example, the Vicar General or the Confessor of the Nuns, or the Abbess herself, etc., can grant permission to enter monasteries; but a grave cause is required, though a lesser one for a woman than for a man, for entrance by day than by night, and for the entrance of relatives than of strangers.
- Nuns departing from a monastery without the most urgent necessity incur a reserved excommunication, even if it is done secretly.
The Constitution, however (see above, no. 975, VI), excepts the cases and form prescribed by St. Pius V in the Constitution Decori. But this Constitution of St. Pius (section 2) has the following: We will, decree, and ordain that henceforth none of the Abbesses, Prioresses, or other nuns... of any Orders whatever... be permitted, even on the occasion and pretext of illness, or of visiting other monasteries, even those subject to them, or houses, parents, or other blood relatives, or on any other occasion and pretext, to depart from the aforesaid monasteries, except from the cause of a great fire or an illness of leprosy or epidemic; which illness, however, besides being known by the other Superiors of the Orders upon whom the care of the monasteries would be incumbent, must also be known and expressly approved in writing by the Bishop or another Ordinary of the place, even if the aforesaid monasteries are found to be exempt from the jurisdiction of Bishops and Ordinaries; nor even in the aforesaid cases is it permitted to remain outside them except for the necessary time. Moreover, that cases of fire or epidemic disease are mentioned here by way of example and not exclusively with respect to cases inducing a similar danger, see demonstrated apud St. Alphonsus (book 7, no. 229).
St. Alphonsus (loc. cit.), with Sanchez and Bonacina, holds as more probable that there is no paucity of matter in this matter, and therefore that excommunication is incurred both if a nun departs even one step from the enclosure or if someone enters even one step within the bounds of the enclosure. Others apud the same St. Alphonsus (ibid.) nevertheless deny this.
- II. On the Part of Male Religious.
- By custom and by the end of their state, Religious are so bound to enclosure that they cannot depart from their own convent without permission.
- Nevertheless, they are not subject to the penalties of Apostates unless they depart after laying aside the habit and with the intention of not returning. But a furtive departure by night is a case capable of being reserved.
- Departure is a grave sin of its kind because it disturbs the order and end of religious life; by reason of matter it can be venial, for example, if it is done by day and for a brief time, etc.
III. With Respect to Conversation at the Grilles with Nuns
- Laics frequenting monasteries of Nuns incur a ferendae sententiae excommunication, or in various places a latae sententiae excommunication.
- Clerics, however, incur a suspension to be imposed by the Bishop.
- Regulars, moreover, undergo deprivation of voice and office ferendae sententiae, even if the conversation takes place once and for a quarter-hour and a half-quarter, according to the Decree of the Sacred Congregation in the year 1669. St. Alphonsus, no. 236. According to the earlier Decree of Sixtus V in the year 1590, deprivation of office and of every voice is incurred by the act itself if they presume to frequent the place in order to converse with any woman dwelling there. St. Alphonsus, no. 232. The Abbess outside Rome is probably excepted.
- Frequency consists in this: that someone approaches a monastery on three continuous days, or once in each month for about a year, or four times in a week.