ARTICLE I: ON THE NATURE OF THE RELIGIOUS STATE

1148. • The religious state is a stable mode of living in common of the faithful, tending under a certain rule to the perfection of Christian charity, the three substantial vows of perpetual chastity, poverty, and obedience having been emitted, approved by the Church with solemnity attributed to the vows. Thus, from the Law today in force in the Church, De Angelis.¹

1149. Corollaries. - I. The religious state according to itself and as to its substance was immediately handed down and instituted by Christ the Lord; for He Himself is the author of religious perfection, handing down the evangelical counsels.

This state in the Church is necessary as to the said substance, because she herself must be holy also by external and public sanctity, since sanctity is one of the notes by which she is discerned from false churches. But this public sanctity cannot shine without profession of the evangelical counsels. - But it is not necessary if it is considered as to peculiar forms by which it is determined to a certain Rule and Institute.

Whence as to substance the religious state is of divine law counseling; as to forms it is of ecclesiastical law.

II. For the essence of the religious state there is required some cause inducing permanence or firmness; otherwise it would not be a state. This cause of firmness is the vow. But for the essence of the religious state, considered by divine law alone, solemn vows are not required, but simple vows suffice. For all conditions necessary for the substance of Religion are also had in simple vows, and "the solemnity of the vow by the constitution of the Church alone" (according to De Angelis¹ a little before the middle of the eleventh century, as he argues from Cause 27. q. 1. Can. 40) "was invented" (cap. unic. L. III. T. XV. in 6°). This is also clear from the Bull of Gregory XIII Ascendente Domino, of the year 1584.

III. Although solemnity of vows is necessary for the religious state today even from the law of the Church, nevertheless already from the time of the Council of Trent another stable mode of living was introduced into the Church, which would include the three substantial vows, but would lack solemnity of vows, since in it simple vows were emitted, and it came under the name Congregation. Indeed another also supervened, which would not indeed have the essence of the religious state required by Christ, yet would imitate its form and retain something from it, namely only the vow of chastity, or the three vows, but temporary, or a similar mode of living without any vows; whence the former are called Congregations properly religious, the latter Congregations improperly religious (De Angelis L. III. T. XXXI. 6°). Religious Congregations are neither held by the laws nor enjoy the privileges of Regulars strictly so called, unless either the former were specially imposed on them or the latter were granted to them.

Therefore it is clear in what sense Congregations properly religious must be called such by ecclesiastical law, and in what sense not.