Article II: On Those Who Are Bound To Enter Religion

2140. • Principles. I. In the first place, he is BOUND to enter Religion who has promised this by a LEGITIMATE vow.¹ It is clear from what was said concerning the obligation of a vow in general (n. 627). Hence it follows:

1. He who has vowed Religion in general, i.e. not determining Order, or place, or discipline more lax or more severe, is bound to seek by ordinary means some Order or some approved religious Congregation in which discipline is flourishing, at least as regards the more principal observances; and if he is repelled from that Order, he is bound, more probably, to enter some other Religion; because by a general vow he is bound to entrance into some Religion.

2. He who has vowed Religion in species is bound to enter some house of that Order, and after being repelled from one he must use ordinary means so that he may be admitted into another. - But after the third or fourth repulse, he is now free from fault if he remains in the world; because fulfillment of the vow has become impossible.

3. He who has vowed Religion individually, so determining the place that he intended no other, is free from his vow if he is not admitted into that house; because he bound himself under this condition only.

4. He who has vowed Religion and has entered it is bound to PERSEVERE in it; "because the vow of Religion obliges not only to taking up the religious habit, but also to serving God for the whole time of life."² - Whence he sins gravely if he withdraws without a just cause; "unless he had understood only that he would make trial of it. Moreover, there would be a just cause of going out if he should find there such a manner of living to which his powers were not equal; or if there he should experience grave and long sadness. - But if he had also vowed to profess, he is bound to execute this even with grave inconvenience to himself, provided the religious State does not turn out wholly intolerable to him."³

2141. II. Everyone who is morally CERTAIN OF HIS VOCATION to the religious life is bound to enter Religion, nor can he, with conscience safe, remain in the world. Certainly, not to obey a divine vocation, speaking of itself, is not a sin; for counsels do not of themselves bind to fault. - Nevertheless, unhappy is he who neglects such a vocation! For "if anyone gravely sins who draws another away from vocation on account of the harm which he inflicts on him: how will he be immune from fault who knows that he is certainly called by God to Religion, and wishes to remain in the world with danger to his eternal salvation? To expose oneself to such danger, the Holy Doctor adds, I will never be able to persuade myself is free from fault. But whether this fault is grave or light, I leave to the judgment of the wise."⁴

2142. For the fuller explanation of the matter, it will not be beside the point to add here some general questions ON DIVINE VOCATION to some state of life.

Questions. QUESTION 1. What is VOCATION to some state?

Resp. Vocation can be defined: An act of supernatural providence, by which God elects each human being to some kind of life, and adorns him with suitable gifts and helps for worthily and laudably fulfilling the offices which are proper to that kind of life. Certainly, many states, e.g. of advocate, of judge, etc., if they are considered in themselves, do not transcend the merely natural order; but if they are considered insofar as they are states of men destined to a supernatural end, there is none which is not subject to the supernatural order. Whence St. Paul says: "Each one has his proper gift from God" (1 Cor. 7:7).⁵ And St. Cyprian: "By His order, not by our judgment, the virtue of the Holy Spirit is administered."

QUESTION 2. What are the SIGNS of a divine vocation to some state?

Resp. THREE especially are enumerated, namely: 1. A certain constant and deliberate PROPENSION to that condition of life about which one is deliberating: a propension, I say, constant; for him whom God destines to some kind of life, He sweetly and strongly draws in a permanent manner to it, although at the same time there can be present a certain natural repugnance; then a propension deliberate, so that in the intellect of the one called there is an illumination of divine grace, in which he looks upon the state to be entered as going to be suitable for him for attaining his eternal salvation. - 2. SUITABILITY, or APTITUDE for fittingly fulfilling the offices of that state. This aptitude for the religious state consists chiefly in right judgment, in a good disposition, in a soul submitted to the yoke of obedience, in relatively sufficient knowledge, and in the absence of defects of body and soul which are opposed to the religious life or to the end of the Institute. - 3. ABSENCE OF IMPEDIMENTS, such as would be want of parents, bad health of body, etc. This last sign, although negative, is nevertheless of the greatest moment, since God is accustomed to manifest His will also through the circumstances of things and external events.⁶ Recall what was said n. 1849, 3.

QUESTION 3. How does one sin who, not called, embraces the state of Clericate or Religion?

Resp. 1. If he embraces the sacerdotal state, especially while intending to dwell in the world, without vocation, i.e. without aptitude or without right intention, he sins most gravely, because he casts himself and others into great danger of salvation.

Resp. 2. If he embraces only the religious state, he is certainly to be accused of great temerity, because he takes up obligations which he will be able to satisfy with difficulty, on account of the defect of special helps which are granted by God to those alone who are called. Whence Christ the Lord said (Matt. 19:11): "Not all take this word." Nevertheless, if one not called has a firm will of satisfying his obligations, he does not seem to sin gravely; because the religious state, by its own nature, will supply him with such helps by which he will be able to execute this will of his.⁷ Except if he knows that he lacks those conditions of soul or body without which he certainly will not be able to observe the vows and rules, or in fact will not observe them.⁸

QUESTION 4. What is to be done by him who has certainly ERRED in the election of state?

Resp. If it is still licit, let him choose for himself another suitable state by the counsel of his confessor. - But if Religion prohibits this, let him consider that word of St. Augustine said to him: "If you are not called, make yourself be called," i.e. live in such a way as if you had been called to the present state of life. Namely, necessity is to be converted into virtue, and special helps must be obtained from God through prayer; for God will never be lacking to one doing what is in him.⁹

QUESTION 5. Whether and how does one sin who DRAWS ANOTHER BACK from the religious State?

Resp. 1. If he draws him back by unjust means, namely by force, fraud, or grave fear, he offends gravely by a sin of injustice, both against that private person, whom he unjustly deprives of a great good, and against Religion, which has the right that it not be impeded by force or deceit from attaining its good. - Hence, he is held to reparation, both of the scandal which he gave and of the damage which he inflicted, according to what was said n. 514 and 921.

Resp. 2. If he draws him back by prayers or counsels, he indeed does not sin against justice, but he sins of himself gravely against charity, unless a just cause is present. Parents, however, can be excused from mortal sin, at least for some brief time, "by reason of ignorance or inadvertence, which can easily be in them on account of vehement carnal affection toward children."¹⁰